Posts Tagged ‘Columbia University’

Women’s Heart Problems|The Top 8 Heart Disease Treatments

Sunday, January 24th, 2010

Though there are many who struggle with women’s heat problems, what is important to realize is that there are effective heart disease treatments for women as well as men that will assist them in a complete recovery both physically and mentally.

This post will cover the first four and the following the last 4 out of the 8. These are the steps that Dr. Marc Wallack, MD followed to overcome his bypass surgery.

Step #1: Get adequate sleep. Many patients who undergo heart-related procedures struggle with sleep problems following their procedures. Nighttime fears and insomnia are common. The unfortunate result is these issues can increase the risk of more heart problems.

D. Wallack used sleep medications for three months and then found he also slept better with static noise in the background. He also slept with the blinds open so he could see lights outside.

Step #2: Overcome Depression. Dr. Wallack says nearly 1:3 heart attack survivors experience postsurgical dperession. It has been found by researchers at the University of Maryland and Columbia University Medical Center that those patients who became depressed after their procedures were twice as likely to die from heart problems within 7 years.

Talk therapy combined with antidepressants can sometimes help women with heart problems as well as men regain their sense of balance.

Step #3: Get back into the world. It can take months to recover from major heart surgery and some patients feel very weak and disoriented. Some are even reluctant to leave home even after given the medical go ahead.

So, getting out of the house is a major step in recovery. Gentle exercise such as walking and getting back to driving and going out can help.

Step #4: Optimize Doctor Visits. Women who have heart problems and who have had heart surgery initially have numerous postsurrgical doctor visits. This is ofen stressful because patients fear bad news. What is helpful is to bring someone with you when you go see your doctor or undergo tests. Furthermore, for peace of mind, ask your cardiologistthe best way to contact him or her.

These are simple steps you can use to have a successful recovery after heart surgery. Stay tuned for the last 4 steps which follow in the next post.

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

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Women’s Heart Attack-Why Daylight’s Saving Time Can Be Dangerous to Heart Health

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

I came across an interesting article in the October 2009 of “Bottom Line Personal.”

The article talked about how switching away from daylight’s saving time can be dangerous to your health. The switch could trigger women’s heart attack as well as men. In a nutshell, here is why.

“Heart Attack Alert: Switching Away from Daylight Saving Time Can Be Danergous to Your Health” . The magazine interviewed Michael Terman, PhD who has a long list of credential including professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University and director of clinical chronbiology at New York State Psychiatric Institure.

We all know that on Sunday, November 1, you fall back one hour and one March the 14th, 2010 you spring forward one hour. Researchers have looked at the rate of heart attacks around the time switches and found that in the spring there was a 5-10% increase in heart attacks during the 3 days after the switch to DST. In the fall, there was a significant spike heart attacks on the Monday after the switch to ST.

Why? Well, researchers theorized that the sleep disruptions may hurt the heart by increasing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which speeds heart rate and by increasing the level cytokines, immune cells that spark inflammation and damage arteries.

How to protect our heart health? Dr. Terman recommends the following:

-Gradually set the alarm later. For instance in the fall, allow your circadian clock to drift one hour later during the week or so after the switch. For example, if you normally wake up at 7:00 Am, set the alarm for 6:00 AM ST on Sunday morning of the switch. Then gradually set the alarm 10 mintues later each day until you reach 7:00 AM. In the spring, just reverse it.

-Exercise daily. This stabilizes the circadian rhythm

-Eat regular meals

-Take melatonin the right way. Take a very small amount-0.25 mg 5 hours before your bedtime the week before DST. Your circadian clock will sense that nightime has begun and will adjust itself towards earlier sleep onset.

-Use a dawn simulator. You can adjust your circadian rhythm using this device that plugs into your light fixture and “simulates” the outdoor transistion from a starlight level of light to sunrise level of light. The device allows you to gradually move “dawn” later during the week or so in the fall and later in the day duirn the week or so switch to DST. This can be ordered at http://www.cet.org. The cost is $215

This was a very interesting article. To read it in its entirety, you can go to http://www.bottomlinesecrets.com and look for the October 2009 issue.

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

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