Posts Tagged ‘High Cholesterol’

Heart Disease and Women-The Hidden Heart Attack Trigger

Friday, May 21st, 2010

Most people know that obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are some of the risk factors for heart attacks in the United States.

Most people may not know that 50% of heart attack victims did not have any warning signs at all. Pretty scary the first symptom they have is the heart attack itself!

Most people may not know that there is a little known risk factor that doesn’t show up on traditional test doctors conduct for cardiovascular disease. It shows up nowhere, not even with an EKG or a stethoscope.

It will blow your mind what this hidden trigger for heart disease is! Ready? It is interrupting conversations! Yes. That’s right. Interrupting conversations is bad for women’s health and men’s too!

You see, several studies have found that people who do this are at higher risk for heart problems. In one study done by Duke University, it was found that people who interrupt are up to 7 more times more likely to get heart disease!

Why? Well,the scientists theorize that people who interrupt conversations are excessively competitive and controlling-two indicators of of the worst “Type A” personality traits.

The good news is this. All of you “Type A” types pay attention to this heart disease prevention tip. You can lower your risk for heart disease without taking any drugs or dietary changes. You don’t even have totally alter your personality. All you gotta do is learn to be a good listener.

In one study, the test subjects focused on being silent while others talked. The result: they lowered their blood pressure and stress hormone levels.

Yes, everyone can easily avoid this trigger for heart disease and heart attacks by becoming expert listener’s!

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, what I call the Roto Rooter for your arteries, visit this online nutrition store at http://699456.shopvitamark.com

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Heart Disease Treatments: Top 2 Heart Disease Prevention Exercises

Sunday, March 21st, 2010

We all know that heart disease/cardiovascular disease is a major health concern in the United States. Most of us are also aware that cardiovascular fitness is a great way to have a healthy heart.

However, Dr. Arthur Agaston, MD associate professor of the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine and author of the “South Beach Diet, Supercharged”, says not all workouts are heart healthy. Here are the top exercises you should do to prevent a heart attack.

-Interval Training. This is the best for heart attack and disease prevention, diabets, losing weight, and improving your overall fitness level. It’s beendound that short bursts of increasing the intensity with your exercise along with slightly longer periods of a moderate rate improves vascular function, burns more calories, plus increaaes your bodies efficiency at clearing fat and suger from your blood.

-Do Total Body Non-Impact Sports. Dr. Agaston says the more muscles that need to be engaged in a activity, the harder the heart has to work to fuel it all. Pick exercises like rowing, swimming, cross country skiing, etc.

-Engage in core Work. Pick an exercise like Pilates which strengthens your core muscles plus increases flexibility and balance.

-Stay Active. A good way to prevent a heart attack or heart failure is to remain active all day. Those who stay active also burn more calories are in better general health.

These exercise tips also have other great benefits such as:

helping you avoid heart failure
limiting the possibility for developing high cholesterol
decreasing your chance of having a stroke
increasing your metabolism
improving depressive symptoms
lowering obesity

Of course, if you also avoid smoking and eat well, you can help prevent heart disease.

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. Vita Che is the ultimate Roto Rooter for your arteries, visit http://699456.shopvitamark.com

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Heart Disease Myths|More of theTop 12 Heart Myths

Monday, March 1st, 2010

As I mentioned in the previous post, I came across some great information about heart disease myths we here in the United States fall for many times. The site link for all 12 heart disease myths was at http://www.heartpoint.com/dozendangers.html

This information is presented by a practicing cardiologist who is the medical Director of HeartPoint. He stated he gets a lot of questions about heart disease. The doctor also said he was consistently surprised how few “facts” have engrained themselves deeply into “common knowledge”. The myths are not only wrong, but are often dangerously misleading to those who choose to believe them. Here are twelve of the most dangerous MYTHS the doctor runs into, and discussions about each one.

Today, we will begin with heart disease myth number 2 and end with myth number 4.

MYTH # 2:

“I’ll know when it’s time to stop smoking . . . I’ll do it when I start to cough or get short of breath.”

THE FACTS

Regardless of how you’re feeling, the time to stop smoking is now, before anything else happens. Coughing is indeed a sign that damage has been done to the breathing tubes (“bronchi”), but many other effects of smoking occur without letting you know until it’s too late. Smoking is well known to cause emphysema and several cancers, but it is also one of the most important factors in the development of blocked arteries. Stopping smoking will not only slow the progression of blockages, but also allow them to improve over time. More importantly, you get immediate benefit — the risk of heart attacks and sudden death decrease by 50% right away.

MYTH# 3:

“My blood pressure (or cholesterol, or blood sugar) is running good on these pills, so I can stop them now.”

THE FACTS

Antibiotics may cure an infection, but problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes are only controlled. Medications can indeed be very effective for such control . . . but they only work while you’re taking them. Changes in your lifestyle such as weight loss and exercise may make it possible to lower the dose or even get off of the medicines, but this must be done under the supervision of your doctor.

MYTH # 4:

“That pain can’t be from my heart . . . it isn’t severe enough” (or “it doesn’t go to my left arm”, or “it’s just indigestion”, or any number of others).

THE FACTS

These myths are probably among the most prevalent . . . and the most dangerous. That “little discomfort” in your chest while walking up the stairs may be the warning sign of the heart attack around the corner. The “indigestion” that is “just a little worse than usual” may be the signs of a heart attack in progress, one whose effects could be minimized by prompt therapy. The best time to treat heart disease is before muscle damage occurs. If you’re having a heart attack, dramatic improvements can be made in limiting its effects if you get to the hospital as early as possible. Most medical people are scared of these things too, so they will not think that you are anything but smart to get them checked out early. (For more on the symptoms of a heart attack, check out the link to “Coronary Artery Disease”).

I hope now that you are educated, you will not fall for these heart disease myths!

In the next post, we will uncover heart disease myths 5-7.

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 http://699456.shopvitamark.com

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Heart Disease Myths-12 Dangerous Heart Disease Myths

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

I was browsing the internet to find some useful information about this post and came across a site which listed the top 12 heart disease myths. The site link is http://www.heartpoint.com/dozendangers.html

This information is presented by a practicing cardiologist who is the medical Director of HeartPoint. He stated he gets a lot of questions about heart disease. The doctor also said he was consistently surprised how few “facts” have engrained themselves deeply into “common knowledge”. The myths are not only wrong, but are often dangerously misleading to those who choose to believe them. Here are twelve of the most dangerous MYTHS the doctor runs into, and discussions about each one.

MYTH # 1:
Those medicines for cholesterol will mess up your liver. Don’t take them!

THE FACTS

The level and type of cholesterol in the blood remains one of the most important determinants of the risk of developing blockages of the arteries, and the ensuing complications of heart attacks, stroke, death, etc. A good diet, maintaining ideal body weight, and exercise can help reduce the risks, but some people will have high cholesterol and bad events despite following the guidelines.

We are fortunate to live in an age when we have agents that will help us reach desireable goals of both good and bad cholesterol. Statin agents (such as “Zocor”, “Mevacor”, “Pravachol”, “Baycol” and “Lipitor”) are potent agents which can lower even markedly elevated levels of bad cholesterol. Agents such as Lopid or Tricor (these are called “fibrate agents”) can lower triglycerides and raise good cholesterol. A naturally occuring vitamin (niacin) has now been developed in a long-acting formulation (“Niaspan”) which not only lowers bad cholesterol, lowers triglycerides, and raises good cholesterol, but lowers the amount of other toxic types of cholesterol such as “lipoprotein (a)”. There is abundant information from well-designed clinical trials to show that these agents not only make the levels of these substances better, but clearly lower the risk of having a heart attack, stroke, bypass surgery, etc.

Yes, like all other medicines, there may be side effects . . . but they are generally mild, can be caught early with blood tests, and are reversible.

If your cholesterol is high, particularly if you have other “risk factors” for having a heart attack or stroke, doesn’t it make more sense to lower your risks of averting these catastrophes by 30-45%? Don’t be scared off by a medicine that causes side effects which are mild and reversible and occur in a much lower number of people!

These medications are one of the most effective means to lower the risks of death and disability from disease of the blood vessels. Proper monitoring minimizes the low incidence of side effects.

CONCLUSION

These medications are one of the most effective means to lower the risks of death and disability from diseases of the blood vessels (atherosclerosis and hardening of the arteries). Proper monitoring minimizes the low incidence of side effects.

All of this great information about heart disease myths came from here:
http://www.heartpoint.com/myth1.html

Tomorrow we will uncover heart disease myth #2.

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 http://699456.shopvitamark.com

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Heart Disease Treatments-Take These Top 7 Herbs For A Healthy Heart and You

Sunday, January 17th, 2010

There are many heart disease treatments available for those who struggle with heart disease.

One of the best things you can do is to avoid having to even worry about heart disease treatments is learning to take good care of your body. One of the ways you can do this is by taking herbs. Here are the seven top herbs that will create a healthy heart and you.

Written records of herbs having been used by mankind date back to 1600 B.C. when the Egyptians had access to a record of no less than 700 herbal medicines.

The father of modern or Western medicine, Hippocrates, had recorded more than 300 herbal therapies himself whereas another Greek physician, Dioscorides, wrote his classic “De Materia Medica,” detailing over 500 herbal remedies, which was used by doctors as a medical textbook for over 1000 years.

Nowadays, more people turn to using herbs for everyday ailments than ever before because the natural powers of herbs have proven themselves time and again that they’re whole lot more compatible to the human body than their counterpart – artificial chemical drugs – and that they produce more biologically synergistic benefits that can bring forth results in much faster manner.

Just like anyone else, man can also depend on a “certain” kind of herbs to push their vitality level higher which then can turn them into more than they can ever dream of.

Here are 7 of these herbs that all cannot live without:

1. Hawthorn Berry
Hawthorn, being a heart tonic, can help to ensure regular heart rhythm and strengthen heart muscle. It is of great help at times of stress too.

2. Garlic
Garlic helps to prevent heart diseases, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and abnormal blood clots. The most important benefit among all others is its ability to slow the destruction of brain cells and to stimulate new neuronal connections.

3. Gotu Kola
A traditional blood tonic that helps to improve blood circulation, which then improves memory and boosts alertness.

4. Milk Thistle
This is considered as the “King of Liver Detox,” because it can heal liver damage caused by too much alcohol and drugs. Its powerfulness far exceeds vitamin C and E combined!

5. Black and Green Tea
Drinking such healthful teas can help to detoxify, reduce and eliminate buildup of plaque in arteries and thus lower the chance of heart diseases. Free radicals, formation of cancer, growth of cancer…are out of the question with daily intake of black and green tea. Yes, it’s that powerful!

6. Saw Palmetto
It limits the multiplication of protein cells and prohibits tissue swelling. Older men who suffer from frequent, painful urination and fluid retention will see quick relief after using this herbal.

7. Tribulus Terrestris
Not only is it well known for improving man’s sexual potency and functions. but also it is famous for improving muscle strength, lower cholesterol and has all kinds of anti-oxidant properties.

When people take these 7 vitally important herbs together on a regular basis, they will be so energized and empowered that their energy levels will be many times better than when they were young at their teenage. Plus, it they will have a healthy heart and be in optimal health! There will be no need for heart disease treatments.

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 the roto rooter product that cleans your arteries, Vita Che, at http://699456.shopvitamark.com

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Heart Disease Prevention-How to Have A Healthy Heart

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

The best way to avoid developing heart disease is to do all you can to keep your heart healthy. In other words, it’s best to take the necessary step for heart disease prevention. One of the ways most people do this is by eating as healthy as they can. After all, everybody knows we are what we eat!

A person who fills up on junk food each day is probably going to age faster and get sick more often than the person who eats a balanced diet and exercises daily. They also will be damaging their heart.

Importance of Protein in Our Diets

Protein is not just important for building up mass and muscle. A lack of protein can cause obesity and other health problems. A diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates and sugar will leave you feeling full for a longer amount of time and actually aid in losing weight.

A lack of protein in your diet causes the white bands across the nails, as well as hang nails. And for shiny, healthy hair you need to consume a diet high in nutrients, mainly protein, beta-carotene, and iodine.

Fruits

New studies suggest once again that citric fruits including oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits help fight cancer, high cholesterol, and obesity. Studies both at Texas A&M and University of Kanasawa Medical University in Japan show that compounds in citric fruits can help reduce the risk of colon cancer. These are heart healthy foods.

One of the best ways to ensure good health is to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Once you get in the habit, it is easy to add more of these items to your daily diet. It is also a great way to lose weight.

Vegetables

Eating your daily requirement of vegetables will help a lot in fighting off illness and disease. Juicing the vegetables is even better since it allows your body to absorb more of the nutrients.

How Nutrition Benefits Our Immune System

Eating well gives us energy and bolsters our immune system. Our immune system is weakened as our cells age. How do you aid your cells in staying healthy? Eat right, keep a healthy weight, and exercise daily. Keeping a positive attitude is important, too.

Supplements

Sometimes supplements are necessary. Even the person who eats nine or more servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day probably needs supplements. After years of growing our food, the soil is so depleted of nutrients that the fruits and vegetables grown on it fall far short of containing all the vitamins and minerals we need each day.

Balance is the Key to Good Health

It is important for everyone to eat a variety of healthy foods, balance the food they eat with regular physical activity, and choose a diet with the right nutrients. If you have health challenges, are overweight, chances are you are not in balance at all.

Whatever diet you choose to live by, the food you eat has to provide your body with the nourishment to properly balance your body’s chemistry. Eating healthy enables your cells to stay strong, improving your overall health.

Eating healthy, combined with plenty of water and some exercise, is the key to long live and a strong immune system. There’s no way around it: If you want a healthy body and a healthy heart, you have to feed it right.

So take action today and use these heart prevention strategies!

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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Heart Disease and Women-Heart Disease and Your Weight

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

Many factors contribute to women having heart disease. Did you know that you should be very careful with your weight if you don’t want to develop this very serious disease? Here is why.

Heart Disease and Your Weight

By Jennifer R. Scott, About.com

Updated: December 08, 2008
http://weightloss.about.com/od/obesityhealth/a/heartdisease.htm

What is Heart Disease?
Heart disease is a number of abnormal conditions affecting the heart and the blood vessels in the heart. Types of heart disease include coronary artery disease, heart failure, and arrhythmia. The most common form of heart disease is coronary artery disease, a narrowing or blockage of coronary arteries, which is the major reason people have heart attacks.

How Prevalent is Heart Disease?
According to the Centers for Disease Control, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. In 2002, almost 700,000 people died of heart disease, just over half of which were women. These statistics mean that nearly 30% all U.S. deaths were due to heart disease.

Heart disease has been the deadliest health condition for women for 100 years. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease has been the leading killer of adult females since 1908.

How is Weight Connected to Heart Disease?
Overweight is considered a major risk factor for both coronary heart disease and heart attack. Being 20% overweight or more significantly increases your risk for developing heart disease, especially if you have a lot of abdominal fat. The American Heart Association has found that even if you have no other related health conditions, obesity itself increases risk of heart disease.

Being sedentary causes heart disease risk to increase, possibly even more so for women -– inactive females are more likely to become diabetic, have high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol. All three of these conditions increase the chance of developing heart disease.

Apples vs. Pears
Your risk of developing heart disease may be heightened even more by the way your weight is distributed on your body. Being overweight and “apple-shaped” — meaning you carry most of your excess weight in your abdominal area — is considered riskier than being overweight and “pear-shaped.” Apple-shaped individuals also have many other increased health risks including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, and stroke.

To find out if your waistline increases your risk of heart disease, you can measure yourself with a measuring tape. You may need a partner to help you measure accurately. The measurement should be taken at the narrowest part of your waist. A high-risk waistline is 35 inches or higher for women and 40 inches or higher for men.

What You Can Do
The good news is, reducing your weight by just 10% can begin to lower your risk of developing heart disease and other obesity-related health problems. Heart disease can often be connected to “known risk factors” with being overweight considered a “modifiable” risk factor (a risk you can do something to prevent). Age and race, on the other hand, are “nonmodifiable” risk factors.

In addition to managing your weight, you can reduce your chances of developing heart disease by controlling other related risk factors such as: controlling your blood pressure, lowering your cholesterol, quitting smoking and getting enough exercise.

A healthy diet is also an important part of lowering your risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends a diet that contains no more than 30% of daily calories from fat. For example, if you eat a diet of 2,000 calories per day, no more than 600 calories should come from fat.

To assess your caloric intake and recommended calories from fat, visit My Fat Translator, a Web site from the American Heart Association.

To learn more about heart disease, visit The American Heart Association or About.com’s Heart Disease site.

Sources:

American Heart Association. Diseases & Conditions. 1 February 2008.

American Heart Association. Obesity & Overweight. 1 February 2008.

Centers for Disease Control. CDC Heart Disease. 7 February 2008.

Centers for Disease Control. CDC Deaths,Leading Causes for 2002. National Vital Statistics Reports 2005;53(17) as qtd. in DHDSP – Heart Disease – Facts and Statistics. 7 February 2008.

U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health/Medline Plus. Medline Plus: Heart Diseases 4 February 2008.

I hope you enjoyed the article! 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

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Heart disease and women : You Deserve To Have A Healthy Heart

Sunday, August 30th, 2009

There are many reports that show that women are just as susceptible as to heart disease as men.  As Goforred.com states at

http://www.goredforwomen.org/understand_your_risks.aspx:

“Your heart is in your hands. Heart disease and stroke are largely preventable if you work to lower your risks. It’s important to know that there are a range of factors that can raise your risk of heart disease and stroke. The more risk factors you have, the greater your chances of developing heart disease and having a heart attack or stroke.”

Knowing this, it is important to discover what the risks you can control as a woman. If you know what to do to reduce your risk for heart disease, you can reduce the risk of your developing the disease.

Risk Factors You Can Control or Treat

These risk factors can be controlled or treated with help from your healthcare professional. You can modify others by changing your lifestyle.

Here are some ways you can lower your cholesterol. In the upcoming posts, more detail will be given for each of the other factors you can control to prevent heart disease.
Lower Your Cholesterol!
Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like substance found in the blood and in all the body’s cells. A high cholesterol level is bad because cholesterol can build up with other substances in the inner walls of arteries. This buildup, called plaque, can narrow the arteries and reduce blood flow. Plaques that rupture can cause blood clots that can totally block blood flow in the artery. Clots also can break off and travel to another part of the body. If a clot blocks an artery that feeds the heart, it causes a heart attack. If it blocks an artery that feeds the brain, it causes a stroke.High blood cholesterol has no symptoms, and many people have it without knowing it. Find out what your cholesterol levels are, so you can lower them if you need to. If you need to lower your LDL (or “bad” cholesterol), work with your doctor to create a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol, and an exercise plan.

If you’re overweight, work with your doctor to create a diet and exercise plan to help you lose the extra pounds. Diet and increased physical activity are important, but they may not get you to your goal. If these efforts don’t succeed, your doctor may also prescribe medication. Even if you need to take cholesterol-lowering drugs, a healthy diet and increased physical activity are still important.

Yes, heart disease and women is a serious issue. However, if  you take the necessary steps, you can dramatically reduce your risk to heart disease. After all, you deserve to have a healthy heart!

Until the next post,

Monique Hawkins

540-858-2885

Skype: Monique371

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