Posts Tagged ‘Cardiovascular Disease’

Heart Disease Prevention Plan Tip – How to Avoid The Silent Killer

Sunday, May 22nd, 2011

High blood pressure, just one form of cardiovascular disease, is dubbed “The Silent Killer” because there are no apparent symptoms until the disease is well advanced. However, it isn’t just hypertension that can silently sneak up on you. Cardiovascular disease encompasses all disorders of the circulatory system including the heart. Problems can range from dangerous blood clots to hardening of the arteries that cause heart attacks and strokes. Too many of these go completely undetected until it is too late.

So, why are hypertension and other forms of circulatory problems referred to as silent? The consequences of cardiovascular disease are often dire and many of these occur without any noticeable warning.

Let’s look at blood pressure first. The causes of high blood pressure are complex and not completely understood. Some people are salt-sensitive and excess sodium in foods can quickly raise pressure, yet this is apparently not the case in other people. Prolonged stress can lead to problems, and temporary bouts of stress definitely the pressure rise. Kidney problems alter the body’s ability to regulate fluid levels and can lead to high blood pressure. On the other hand, high blood pressure can damage kidneys creating a vicious cycle. Hypertension damages arteries, eventually causing hardening of the arteries and all the problems that accompany it.

The problem is that all these conditions can go completely unnoticed for decades. Loss of kidney function isn’t symptomatic until it is as low as 10 percent of normal functioning. People don’t feel their arteries slowly clogging and they don’t notice any symptoms of high blood pressure until it is exceedingly high. When this happens, they may symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, and shortness of breath. It is important to have your blood pressure checked routinely.

Some people suffer from “White Coat Hypertension,” the stress of going to the doctor’s office causes a temporary the blood pressure spike. It’s best to try checking your blood pressure at one of the convenient machines at the grocery store or pharmacy. If problems are noted, then go see the doctor.

Uncontrolled pressure can lead to stroke, congestive heart failure, and heart attack. Again, symptoms sometimes don’t show up until the situation is critical. At least 25 percent of people who suffer a heart attack, they had no idea they had any form of cardiovascular disease.

What can be done to prevent these silent killers from sneaking up and threatening your life? Due to heart disease being a leading cause of death for both women and men, there is an abundance of information available to help people prevent or slow the progress of cardiovascular disease. Two of the most important things you can do is to eat a healthy diet and get routine exercise. Eating heart-healthy foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, cold water oily fish, and lean meats while avoiding saturated and trans fats are basic guidelines is crucial. Many delicious heart-healthy diets have been developed to prevent and treat heart disease.

Although health professionals have different ideas about the amount of exercise needed to show optimal benefits, all agree that routine exercise is a must do. Walking is one of the best forms of heart-healthy exercise. So grab your walking shoes and get that heart pumping!

You don’t have to develop cardiovascular disease. Follow the strategies listed above for a healthy heart!

To Your Heart’s Health
Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885
mentormonique@gmail.com
http://www.moniquehawkins.limuplus.com

Heart Disease Causes-The Link Between Emotional Stress and Cardiovascular Disease

Sunday, February 6th, 2011

It seems to be one of those common knowledge assertions, that stress can cause heart disease. Although this is a general belief, there really isn’t much medical literature related to the connection between emotional stress and cardiovascular disease. At least, not until recently.

The body’s reaction to a stressful event is programmed into us to save our lives. Over the long course of human evolution, finding yourself in a potentially dangerous situation demanded an adrenaline surge allowing the body to respond in a quick and powerful way. We still have that response, although much of what triggers it is no longer life-threatening wild beasts!

An overdue bill, an annoying phone call, a cranky boss, all can trigger the body’s fight or flight response causing the adrenaline to flow. Over time, this can lead to problems with the cardiovascular system including high blood pressure and a weakened heart.

What is interesting is that although we may all share the fight or flight response to similar events, each person reacts in a different way. Our distant ancestors went into a fast sprint to avoid the danger, dissipating the effect. Today, many internalize their fear or frustration and have no healthy way to get rid of the anger, the fear, and the anxiety of modern life.

There is also a connection between damage to the cardiovascular system and the exact type of emotional stress. Those that suffer the most damage are the people who feel they have little to no control over their situation, whether it is personal or workplace. Although a clerk may have little actual control over their workplace situations, they can try to have mental control over their reactions by looking at the whole situation in a different light. Rather than taking everything so seriously, a lighter mood and a feeling of less desperation can be achieved by mentally stepping back from the situation. It is like the old “go with the flow” attitude, easing back a little and not fighting the situation.

Studies are showing that people undergoing the exact same type of stress react differently, and the way they react influences a host of biochemical reactions in the body. Remember the Type A personality that is characterized by impatience and a chronic sense of urgency? These are the people who have a higher risk of artery disease and subsequent heart problems. The more patient Type B personality has a less urgent view of time, is less competitive, and less easily angered.

Avoiding stress may be an impossible goal, but dealing differently with everyday stress can be a life-saving goal. If you find yourself impatient in a line or traffic jam, try looking at it as a time to relax instead. After all, while you are stuck in line you really have nothing to do, you can just stand there and relax for a moment while taking a few deep breaths before the line moves along and you have to get back to work on something. Those few moments relaxing and deeply breathing can lower blood pressure, reduce your heart rate, and refresh your mind.

Heart Disease Diet-The Link Between Soft Drinks and Gout

Sunday, December 26th, 2010

I happened to be reading from a magazine called “Taste for Life” I picked up at a local health food store,  In the January 2011 issue, there was a brief article on women’s health. In the article, it talked aobut how soft drinks may lead to gout.  Here is what it reported:

“While men have the dubious distinction of developing gout more often than women, the in c idence of this painful arthritic condition appears to be increasing in women.

New data points to fructose in sweetened beverages as a potential culprit.

Gout isn’t just painful-it can cripple joints and may be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Gout develops as a result of uric acid in the blood that precipitates in to crystals that lodge in joints, causing pain.

In men, gout has been liked to the consumption of fructose-a sugar used to sweeten sodas, juices, and many other foods. Fructose, it appears, triggers production of uric acid in the body.

Based on the data from the large Nurses Health Study, researchers have now extended teh warning about fructose to women. They says that even one sugar-sweetened soda or juice drink a day increases the risk of gout.”

And remember that gout can also lead to heart disease. If you are like most people and want to maintain optimal health,  it’s best to pay close attention to what you are drinking!

To Your Heart’s Health

Monique Hawkins

540-858-2885

Skype: Monique371

Heart Disease Diet-Healthy Eating Made Easy Today

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

If you are looking to add foods for a  heart disease diet in your life, you will be interested in this. Coming soon from the European Society of Cardiologists is a custom cookbook designed with heart health as the primary objective. Cardiologist members of the society from across Europe have created recipes with cardiovascular health in mind but also delicious taste.

The society is trying to overcome the view that heart healthy eating is boring and lacking in taste. On a mission to educate the public about the benefits that can be gained from eating delicious meals that benefit the heart, the society is releasing the book to coincide with their ESC Congress 2010 that meets in Stockholm August 28, 2010.

The 62,000-member group is excited about this high-quality cookbook that begins with an overview of the heart and its importance to the body. The food is designed to support those with hypertension, atherosclerosis, and coronary artery disease. Eating right can prevent cardiovascular disease but those who already suffer from many forms of heart disease can greatly benefit from changing their diets.

The 200 page plus book is packed with exciting recipes from across the European Union representing a wide variety of cultural cooking. The goal is to educate people about the ease of preparing meals with ingredients that will benefit the cardiovascular system and the heart itself. Each recipe came from a member cardiologist and was then adapted by nutritionists and chefs to assure that every recipe is a delicious treat.

At the front of the book is a section detailing the function and anatomy of the heart which is easy to understand.  There is also information on various heart related diseases and what can be done to prevent them.

The cookbook has advice about alternative ingredients, seasonings, and cooking techniques. The president of the society, Roberto Ferrari, hopes that people will start new cooking habits and experiment with their own recipes that can prevent high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol.

The European Cook Book will be available in English from the European Society of Cardiologists’ website starting on August 28th. The introductory price will be 20 Euros.

To Your Heart’s Health

Monique Hawkins

540-858-2885

mentormonique@gmail.com

Remember to sign up for my “You Deserve To Have A Healthy Heart” Newsletter! P.S. For more information about Vita Che, the natural Roto Rooter for your arteries, visit this online nutrition store at http://699456.shopvitamark.com

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Cardiovascular Heart Disease-To Statin or Not To Statin

Friday, July 16th, 2010

We all know that cardiovascular hypertension, cardiovascular stroke, cardiovascular angina, cardiovascular heart disease risk factors, cardiovascular heart diabetes, and cardiovascular heart failure is on the rise in the United States and other countries. This is really an issue that should lead to a good discussion with your doctor. There is considerable debate and it is getting heated!

The debate about the use of statin drugs to lower cholesterol continues as new analysis of prior studies show that statins really did nothing to lower the death rate of patients with risk factors for cardiovascular heart disease. These are people who have not had a previous heart attack or stroke but are taking the cholesterol lowering drugs in an attempt to stave off a first occurrence of either one.

A second study brings into question the validity of a 2008 study that concluded one particular statin did prevent heart attacks. This would appear to be bad news for the pharmacological companies and for patients taking the drugs. It is primarily due to research that showed statins prevent heart attacks that these medicines are second only to antipsychotic drugs in sales in the United States. They are widely prescribed in hopes of lowering the risk for fatal heart attacks.

But, another study was recently published that showed statins had a beneficial result in preventing further incidence of prostate cancer in men who had surgery for this cancer. The debate over these medicines is a hot one. Many researchers and doctors are firm believers in the benefits to patients taking these medicines.

Lowering cholesterol, preventing cardiovascular disease, and stopping heart attacks is a goal that every physician wants to achieve. Both sides of the debate have the patients’ health in mind, but how best to attain that goal?

Some doctors and researchers now believe the risks to the patients are too great, the statins are not worth the hope of lowering fatal heart attacks and strokes. The most reasonable voice right now may be the one that advises doctors talk to their patients and explain that right now there are conflicting results and an intense debate. The issues will be clearer with future.

To Your Heart’s Health

Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885
mentormonique@gmail.com
Remember to sign up for my “You Deserve To Have A Healthy Heart” Newsletter!

P.S. For more information about Vita Che, the natural Roto Rooter for your arteries, visit this online nutrition store at http://699456.shopvitamark.com

Women’s Heart Attack-5 Top Tips for A Healthy Heart

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

Over the last few blog posts, we have been learning how women’s heart attack is a big problem in our country. We also have been learning many prevention tips to follow as women that will help us not develop heart disease. Today, we will cover the last 5 heart healthy tips for our “one month to healthier heart and you” series.

Tip #18. Order smart slices. If you are a pizza lover, ask for your pizza with half the cheese and double the sauce. When you do this, you can cut the saturated fat by 5 grams. Plus, since tomatoes are rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, you will be helping your cells fight damage that can lead to atherosclerosis.

Tip #19: Have a heart to heart with mom. If you mother had cardiovascular disease before 65, your own risk doubles. So, if you have a family history of women with women’s heart attack problems, check with your medical doctor. It could be you will need your blood presssure and cholesteol checked yearly.

Tip #20: Drink your veggies. You can get in extra servings of veggies by sipping on low-sodium vegetable juice. In a recent study from the University of California, it was found that those who drank 2 cups a day were able to lower their blood pressure by a whopping 5 point after just three months.

Tip: 21: Practice breathing. A study from the Indian Institute of Technology found that people who practice yoga or similar discliplines have a steadier heart rates which is sign of a healthy heart. It seems that yoga soothes the nervous system which slows breathing and calms the heart.

We have covered a number of tips to help you have a healthy heart. Women’s heart attack problems can be avoided take the necessary steps today to prevent this from happening to you.

To Your Heart’s Health
Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885
mentormonique@gmail.com
Remember to sign up for my “You Deserve To Have A Healthy Heart” Newletter!

P.S. For more information about Vita Che, what I call the Roto Rooter for your arteries, visit my online nutrition store at http://699456.shopvitamark.com

Heart Disease Treatments-How to Use Green Tea To Prevent Heart Disease

Sunday, October 18th, 2009

There are many heart disease treatments available today. Personally, as someone who enjoys learning how nutritional supplements and herbs to help the body heal itself, I find this information I will be sharing today very interesting.

The article covers much about heart disease treatments, but the green tea information was great and something anyone can do.

So, I hope you enjoy the article! Remember to take green tea every day. Also, remember to sign up for my “You Deserve to Have A Healthy Heart” newsletter.

To Your Success,
Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885
SKype: Monique371
mentormonique@gmail.com

Using Green Tea to Help Prevent Heart Disease
By Jon Stout

Many of us who are trying to prevent heart disease have begun to take steps to change our lifestyle so that we can reduce our risk of heart disease. And, it’s important to note that heart disease is one killer that you can do much to prevent. Sure, if you have a family history of heart disease, you are immediately at a higher risk than those who don’t; but the biggest risk factors for most of us are the life we lead. Many heart disease risk factors are entirely preventable.

Dietary and exercise habits are two of the most important ways to reduce your risk of heart disease. A sedentary lifestyle and poor diet are surefire ways to get cardiovascular disease as you get older. Here are ways you can improve your lifestyle to reduce your risk.

Exercise – Most doctors recommend some form of cardiovascular exercise for at least 30 minutes, at least 3 times a week. Many doctors suggest walking as your primary form of cardiovascular exercise. This is because walking is something everyone can do, and it requires no special equipment, beyond a good pair of shoes. You can walk anywhere, and as you gain strength and endurance, it’s easy to make your walk more difficult simply by walking longer and adding some hills to your walk.

Many doctors also recommend that you get in about 15 minutes of strength training 3 times a week. Strength training will help you build muscle, which will make you stronger overall. Muscle also burns more calories at rest than fat, so adding muscle will help you burn more calories in a day.

Diet – A diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol is important for heart health. Limit red meats, butter, and eggs. Learn to read food labels, and avoid any food whose ingredients include “partially hydrogenated” anything, anything with trans fats and anything with “high fructose corn syrup”.

Your diet should also be rich in fresh fruits and vegetables. Not only will this help you reduce the amount of fatty foods in your diet, but it will also provide vitamins, nutrients and anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are critical because they fight free radicals that are created in the body as we convert our food to energy. These free radicals damage cells and DNA, eventually leading to disease and aging if we don’t consume enough anti-oxidants to neutralize them.

Lose weight- One of the best things you can do to help your heart stay healthy is to maintain a normal weight. If you follow the diet and exercise plan mentioned above, you should be able to lose weight without a lot of trouble.

Don’t smoke – Smoking significantly increases your risk for heart disease, as well as your risk for cancer. It also contributes to high blood pressure, which contributes to heart disease as well.

Know your numbers – Know your cholesterol levels, and know your blood pressure. High blood pressure and high cholesterol levels lead to heart disease. The diet and exercise plan outlined above can help you lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure levels naturally. However, for some people, diet and exercise are not enough. Other factors, such as family history, may cause you to have high blood pressure or high cholesterol no matter how much you diet and exercise.

For this reason, it’s important to work with your doctor to determine the best approach for getting your cholesterol and blood pressure in line. He can help you come up with the right combination of diet, exercise and medication, if necessary to protect your heart health.

Drink green tea – Drinking green tea each day may be the easiest thing you can do to protect your heart. Many studies in recent years have pointed to green tea as an effective way to prevent many forms of disease, including cardiovascular disease. Green tea has been shown to work in several ways:

Green tea seems to prevent cholesterol from turning into arterial plaque – Some studies have shown that green tea prevented the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Oxidation is the process by which LDL cholesterol hardens and sticks to arterial walls, narrowing the arteries. When arteries are narrowed, you are at a higher risk of stroke and heart attack.

Green tea is very high in anti-oxidants – As mentioned above, anti-oxidants are potent disease fighters. And, green tea is loaded with some of the most potent anti-oxidants you can find.

One study was performed to see if adding green tea to your diet could improve your body’s overall oxidative status. This study, reported by the UK Tea Council examined a group of healthy participants. All of the participants were placed on a heart healthy diet. Half of the participants were also given two cups of green tea each day. The results were quite impressive.

After 42 days, the participants who consumed green tea showed lower blood plasma lipid levels, lower LDL cholesterol and higher resistance to oxidative damage than the participants who ate a healthy diet, but did not drink the green tea.

The study concluded that, when coupled with an overall healthy diet, green tea can improve your body’s lipid and cholesterol levels and make you more resistant to the oxidative damage of free radicals.

Green tea may create thermogenesis – In some studies, green tea has been shown to help burn fat and regulate blood sugar. This is especially important to those who need to lose a few pounds for optimum heart health.

So, as you can see, drinking green tea may have lots of potential in the battle against heart disease. And, it’s such an easy beverage to add to your diet. Green tea is inexpensive and readily available.

Green tea can be found in loose form, tea bag form and bottled. Whether your preference is hot or cold, flavored or plain, there is probably a green tea our there that you’ll like. And, knowing that you’re helping to protect yourself from a heart attack makes green tea even more enjoyable for all of us!

Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current tea offerings, including their exceptional green tea, white tea, black tea, oolong tea (also known as wu-long and wu long tea) and chai. Visit goldenmoontea.com for all details concerning the Golden Moon Tea Company’s fine line of teas.

Women and Heart Disease-Some FAQ

Friday, October 9th, 2009

Those women who are concerned about their potential for developing heart disease usually have many questions. I recently found a site that answers many questions about women and heart disease.

Below are a few concerns many women usually have. You can visit http://www.womenshealth.gov for even more information.

Do women need to worry about heart disease?

Yes. Among all U.S. women who die each year, one in four dies of heart disease. In 2004, nearly 60 percent more women died of cardiovascular disease (both heart disease and stroke) than from all cancers combined. The older a woman gets, the more likely she is to get heart disease. But women of all ages should be concerned about heart disease. All women should take steps to prevent heart disease.

Both men and women have heart attacks, but more women who have heart attacks die from them. Treatments can limit heart damage but they must be given as soon as possible after a heart attack starts. Ideally, treatment should start within one hour of the first symptoms.

If you think you’re having a heart attack, call 911 right away. Tell the operator your symptoms and that you think you’re having a heart attack.

Do women of color need to worry about heart disease?

Yes. African American and Hispanic American/Latina women should be concerned about getting heart disease because they tend to have more risk factors than white women. These risk factors include obesity, lack of physical activity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. If you’re a woman of color, take steps to reduce your risk factors.

What does high blood pressure have to do with heart disease?

Blood pressure is the force your blood makes against the walls of your arteries. The pressure is highest when your heart pumps blood into your arteries – when it beats. It is lowest between heart beats, when your heart relaxes. A doctor or nurse will write down your blood pressure as the higher number over the lower number. For instance, you could have a blood pressure of 110/70 (read as “110 over 70″). A blood pressure reading below 120/80 is usually considered normal. Very low blood pressure (lower than 90/60) can sometimes be a cause of concern and should be checked out by a doctor.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a blood pressure reading of 140/90 or higher. Years of high blood pressure can damage artery walls, causing them to become stiff and narrow. This includes the arteries carrying blood to the heart. As a result, your heart cannot get the blood it needs to work well. This can cause a heart attack.

A blood pressure reading of 120/80 to 139/89 is considered prehypertension. This means that you don’t have high blood pressure now but are likely to develop it in the future.

How can I lower my blood pressure?

If you have hypertension or prehypertension, you may be able to lower your
blood pressure by:

* losing weight if you are overweight or obese
* getting at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate physical activity or 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity each week.
* limiting alcohol to one drink per day
* quitting smoking if you smoke
* reducing stress
* following the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Eating Plan, which includes cutting down on salt and sodium and eating healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products

If lifestyle changes do not lower your blood pressure, your doctor may prescribe medicine.

Remember to visit http://www.womenshealth.gov/ the site where all this information came from.

To Your Health
Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885
mentormonique@gmail.com
Remember to sign up for my “You Deserve To Have A Healthy Heart” Newletter!