Heart Disease Information

Take Care of Your Heart

2009-06-13T22:34:00.000-07:00

Heart disease is one of the most prevalent causes of death in the Western world and it is also one of the most preventable. Many risk factors are controllable and it is not that difficult to make some simple changes in our daily routines that will go a long way for the health of our heart.

1. Aerobic exercise. We have heard it time and again that exercise is good for our health. But it is actually more important for us to realize that we need to match our exercise with our desired goal so that we are doing the right kind of exercise and not over-exercising. The right kind of exercise that your heart likes is aerobic exercise. If you push yourself too hard and your heart rate pumps too fast than you may turn your exercise into an anaerobic exercise and that would not be ideal. Monitor your heart rate if you can while you are exercising and make sure your heart rate does not exceed somewhere around the "˜180 minus your age' figure. Kick in at least 15 minutes of proper aerobic exercise every other day and your heart will love you for it.

2. Raise your HDL levels. Cholesterol is part of our body. The main ones are LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) and HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol. LDLs transport cholesterol to tissues and HDLS take it back to the liver for breakdown and elimination. A high level of HDL cholesterol is considered heart-protective while a low HDL level is considered to be a risk factor for heart disease. HDLS help clear the blood of cholesterol and prevent the build-up of fat in the arterial wall. Increase your HDL levels through exercise, reduction of excess body fat, and moderate consumption of wine. Factors associated with low HDL levels include smoking, obesity and inactivity.

3. Lower homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is a kind of amino acid that is produced as a byproduct of protein metabolism. Homocysteine, as with cholesterol, is part of our body. Studies have shown that even mildly elevated homocysteine levels can be a risk factor for heart disease. Homocysteine also appears to promote the development of atherosclerosis. Consider increasing the intake of Vitamin B6, Folic acid and Vitamin B12 to lower homocysteine levels.

4. Monitor magnesium levels. Studies suggest that adequate magnesium help prevent and assist with treatment of heart disease, including angina and irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). Magnesium coordinates the activity of the heart muscle as well as the functioning of the nerves that initiate the heartbeat. It also helps keep coronary arteries from spasms, as it has a muscle-relaxing action. Foods rich in magnesium include tofu, bananas, nuts, broccoli and wholegrains.

5. Potassium helps reducing blood pressure. Foods rich in potassium include soy flour, apricots, tomato puree, sultanas, raisins, figs, baked potato with skin, spinach and bananas.

6. Fish oil. Atlantic salmon, tuna and mackerel are the best types of deep sea fish that you should be taking. Three servings a week of oily deep sea fish will half your risk of heart disease. Lightly pan frying in olive oil or baking are the better ways to preserve the valuable omega-3 fatty acids.

7. Antioxidants. Vitamins A, C and E, consumed in higher than normal doses, behave as antioxidants and help to protect cells and tissues from damage and in so reducing our risk of heart disease. These nutrients are often used together to slow down the progression of atherosclerosis.

8. Hawthorn can help. Hawthorn is traditionally used to dilate blood vessels, strengthen the heart, and lower blood pressure. These effects can be traced to the bioflavonoids found in hawthorn flowers, leaves and berries which have strong antioxidant properties and assist the body in riddling itself of free radicals. Hawthorn also helps the body to better distribute and use Vitamin C and strengthen our capillaries for better circulation and thus better delivering oxygen and nutrients to every part of our body.

9. Ginkgo can help too. Ginkgo biloba is the most widely sold herbal product in Europe. Ginkgo enjoys a strong reputation as an antioxidant and circulatory stimulant. Ginkgo stimulates widening of blood vessels, protects arterial walls from free radicals and reduces the tendency of blood to clot.

10. Tea over coffee. Research shows that habitual tea drinking, around 120ml per day or more, reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure. This is particularly so with green or oolong tea drunk without milk. Coffee consumption on the other hand contributes more caffeine to the body and it often results in an increased level of homocysteine. Limit coffee to one or two cups a day and monitor caffeine intake from other sources as well.

11. More fruits, vegetables and olive oil. A diet high in fruit and vegetables in inversely associated with the risk of heart disease. It also lowers homocysteine levels in the blood. Add olive oil to salads, cook with it and use it wherever you can. Olive oil is known to reduce blood pressure.

12. Do not smoke. It is so obvious but yet so important to not smoke if you really love your heart. Smokers have a 70 percent greater risk of heart disease than non-smokers.
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Statin Dangers: This Cholesterol-Lowering Fad Has 7 Side Effects That Can Imperil Your Life

2009-06-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

High cholesterol and heart disease kill 1,000,000 Americans every year. That's why your doctor might be telling you to take some form of cholesterol-lowering drugs, the class of drug typically known as statins. While statins do lower cholesterol, they seem to come with a minefield of severe side effects, some of them permanent. You must know what the side effects are so that you can make a proper decision on how to achieve health; after all, it's your life.

1. Cancer. Research is showing statins to be carcinogenic in experimental animals in similar dosages as those given to patients. Some studies are showing a disturbing increase in breast cancer, though there seems to be a lag time of a decade or more between exposure to the drug and clinical detection of the disease.

2. Kidney Failure. Statins have been shown to cause rhabdomyolysis. This is a condition in which there is a breakdown of skeletal muscle, which can result in acute renal failure due to the accumulation of muscle breakdown products in the bloodstream.

3. Heart Failure. Though it may seem to be a paradox, since taking statins is supposedly for heart-health, but studies are showing an increase in congestive heart failure in people taking statins. One report states that a cardiologist studied 20 patients with normal heart function. After six months on a low dose of statins, two-thirds of the patients had abnormalities in the heart's filling phase, when the muscle fills with blood.

4. Liver Dysfunction. Even the drug companies own advertisements acknowledge this!

5. Memory Loss and Cognitive Impairment. Search the web and you'll find countless reports of people taking statins and then suffering from mild to severe memory loss and cognitive impairment. One doctor has found that 15 percent of statin patients develop some side effects pertaining to cognitive function. Duane Graveline, a former astronaut, has written a book, Lipitor: Thief of Memory, in which he describes incidents of complete loss of memory known as "global transient amnesia," in which the sufferer can suddenly forget their own name, where they are, or anything else for that matter. The episode can occur suddenly and disappear just as suddenly. Graveline points out that we are all at risk when the general public is taking statins--do you want to be in an airplane when your pilot develops statin-induced amnesia?

6. Nerve Damage and Numbness. Polyneuropathy, also known as peripheral neuropathy, is characterized by weakness, tingling and pain in the hands and feet as well as difficulty walking. Researchers who studied 500,000 residents of Denmark, about 9 percent of that country's population, found that people who took statins were more likely to develop polyneuropathy. Taking statins for one year raised the risk of nerve damage by about 15 percent--about one case for every 2,200 patients. For those who took statins for two or more years, the additional risk rose to 26 percent. The damage is often irreversible in statin patients, even after they stop taking the drug.

7. Miscellaneous Maladies. There are many reports of other side effects such as depression, pancreatic rot, muscle stiffness and pain, coenzyme Q10 depletion, and the list goes on.

If you have high cholesterol you must get it lowered. But are statins worth the risk? Only you and your doctor can make that decision.
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Jeff Popick is a leading expert in achieving optimum wellness. He is a renowned author, passionate speaker, successful businessman and former radio host. Jeff is now a dedicated advocate for consumers worldwide. For more information about cholesterol, statin drugs and heart health, go to www.EradicateHighCholesterol.com.

Using supplements to help prevent heart attack and stroke

2009-06-12T22:31:00.000-07:00

Getting and staying healthy is a very important aspect of many people's lives. Yet, relatively few people take full advantage of the possibilities that exist for doing more to improve their health. Nutritional supplements are some of the simplest things that you can use to greatly improve your overall well-being. Supplementing your diet takes relatively little time, but can prove priceless to those who can avoid traumatic health concerns later in life by taking care of their body's now.

Prevention is the best approach to any disease. Fortunately for all of us, it is very difficult to do too much to prevent poor health, especially when it comes to heart health. Heart disease takes more lives in America than any other disease. Fortunately, there is a wide variety of nutritional supplements out there that you can use to help in the prevention of the symptoms of heart disease.

People neglect to do the simple things to prevent heart attack and stroke for many reasons, but perhaps the most common reason is because of inconvenience. We do not want to be troubled to take any more time from our day than we have to. Our fast paced society takes advantage of fast food and driving to get from here to there, instead of focusing on our health and what can be done on a daily basis to make improvements. Many people are aware of what such things as the food pyramid are and what nutritious foods are suggested, but no one seems to have the time or the effort to do anything about it. Proper nutrition in combination with supplements is the key to forming optimal health. Being in optimal health is the key to avoiding health problems.

So the answer is simple, exert some effort to eat right and take the nutritional supplements that your body needs to keep working at its best. But what types of supplements are there that are specifically formulated to help prevent cardiovascular problems? The answer lies within a unique blend of products that combines natural ingredients (such as the Acai berry) with ingredients that are found naturally in the body (such as L-Arginine and L-Citrulline) that when combined restore the body's natural nutrients and provide a boost that helps all of your systems work at their optimal level. This type of blend that takes all of the body's inner workings into consideration but puts specific emphasis on what can be done to improve the function of the heart is precisely the kind of product that those who are concerned about heart attack and stroke should be looking into.

There have been studies that show that there is even relief for those who are already experiencing the symptoms of an unhealthy heart. Supplements such as L-Arginine can reduce the discomfort of some of those symptoms by allowing for improved blood flow. Although cures for heart disease have yet to be found in herbal supplements and alternative medicines, it has been found that these products can improve the symptoms of these conditions, making it easier to fight through them and safeguard your health. Lifestyle changes are needed and therefore there is no miracle cure for any disease. The effort required is in the hands of each individual concerned about their own health.
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Eric Glenn is the successful owner of several global health businesses and regularly advises clients and customers on health, nutrition and creating a global business. Eric strongly recommends the use of supplements to improve your health. To learn more about supplements that can help to improve your health visit http://www.ericglenn.com or his health supplements website http://www.synergyteamglobal.com.

Periodontal Disease and Heart Attacks

2009-06-12T10:29:00.000-07:00

"Brush your teeth or you'll have a heart attack!"

This is not an admonishment that I either heard as a child or ever made to my own children or patients. However it is becoming increasingly evident that maintaining good dental hygiene and treating periodontal disease is one of the easiest and most important things that we can do to prevent heart disease, stroke and several other illnesses.

Periodontitis is defined as inflammation of the supporting tissues of the tooth. These tissues include bone, the periodontal membrane and the gums. Gingivitis (infection of the gums) is a common cause of periodontitis as is the dental plaque that forms on the other periodontal tissues. Periodontitis has been known for centuries to be responsible for a large proportion of dental problems but recent research has shown that its deleterious effects extend far beyond the mouth.

In a recent article I wrote about a condition called chronic systemic inflammation which is a low grade, pervasive form of inflammation that damages the endothelial linings of arteries and has also been implicated in causing harm to a variety of other tissues and organs.

Periodontitis is a very important cause of this sinister inflammatory process and is associated with infection and inflammation of the periodontal tissues and the release of bacteria, toxins, protein acids, pro-inflammatory chemical messengers and other harmful compounds into the mouth and blood stream. Once in the blood stream these agents stimulate a systemic inflammatory response that in turn causes problems a long way from the mouth. Some of the most important targets of periodontitis-induced systemic inflammation are the blood vessels – especially the endothelial linings of the arteries.

These inflammatory agents cause narrowing and rigidity of the arteries that results in reduced blood supply to the heart, brain, kidneys and other organs. In addition, systemic inflammation is thought to contribute to an inflammatory process in the arterial endothelium itself. Inflammation in this important part of the blood vessel aggravates the formation of cholesterol plaques in the arteries and ultimately causes the rupture of these plaques – events that result in heart attack or stroke.

The theory of the effects of periodontitis on heart disease and other illnesses is backed up by several very recent clinical trials.

One study found that those who had recently suffered a heart attack had far higher levels of pathogenic bacteria in their mouths than those in a non-heart attack control group. In another study arterial blood flow was measured in those with periodontal disease before and after intensive treatment for their periodontal disease. Interestingly, the arterial blood flow in these patients diminished slightly over the first few days following the treatment but a few weeks later it increased substantially and was significantly better than that of the untreated control group.

Studies have even shown that pregnant woman who have periodontitis have a higher incidence of preterm, low birth weight babies than those who have had this condition treated early on in pregnancy. This particular cause of preterm low birth weight babies is thought to be due to an inflammatory process caused by bacteria in the blood stream that come from infected oral tissue. Simply treating the periodontitis in these pregnant woman by descaling, root planing and regular antiseptic mouth rinses was sufficient to avoid this serious obstetrical problem.

Along with a good diet, weight control, exercise and blood lipid control, a visit to your dentist to treat any existing periodontal disease is another simple but important thing you can do to help prevent heart disease, stroke and maybe several other diseases.

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Dr Keith Scott is a medical doctor with a special interest in nutrition. He has written several books including the ground breaking, "Medicinal Seasonings, The Healing Power of Spices" and "Natural Home Pharmacy".
Download a free pdf copy of "Medicinal Seasonings" and find out more about the latest research into periodontitis, chronic systemic inflammation and interesting aspects of other diseases.
http://www.medspice.com

5 Big Reasons To Buy Fish Oil and Make your Heart Smile

2009-06-12T01:31:00.000-07:00

Let's face it... The American Heart Association, the single most influential organization when it comes to matters of the heart, has already repeatedly proven that Omega 3 Fatty Acids preferably from fish oils play a crucial role in maintaining good cardiovascular health in healthy individuals, high risk population, and even sufferers of heart illnesses. Buy fish oil today, and lessen the chances of getting inflicted with heart diseases (or dying from it.)

Numerous reviews, researches and clinical studies have come to one conclusion with regard to fish oil benefits to heart health; but how do fish oils actually make your heart smile? Here are the scientific facts behind the claims that Omega 3 Fatty Acids in fish oils are indeed heart-friendly:

1. First fact: Omega 3 fatty acids have been proven to lower Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL). This kind of fat (LDL) is the nasty death bringer when it comes to its potential to bring heart attack and other heart illnesses. When not regulated, a very high level of LDL can accumulate in blood vessels forming fat plaques that may clog heart vessels and can eventually decrease blood supply to the heart itself, eventually making the heart ischemic and ending up with myocardial infarctions (heart attacks.)

2. Second fact: Population-wide studies have revealed that Mediterranean people and Inuit Eskimos have remarkably higher levels of High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) as compared to other population groups. HDL's are the good fats that are easily excreted, are light weight, and are not prone to clog your vessels.

Their conclusion was that Mediterranean people and Eskimos have higher intake of fatty fish in their staple of diet which eventually increases their Omega 3 Fatty Acids levels. Follow up studies with the same population groups revealed that Mediterranean people and Inuit Eskimos have lower chances of getting heart disease and heart attacks as compared to other study groups. This is a testament that Omega 3 Fatty Acids indeed have a positive effect in increasing HDL levels.

3. Third fact: Fish oil supplements lower triglyceride levels. It is a well known fact that triglycerides are the ones we should avoid in our diet because this kind of fat is similar in composition with cholesterol, the deadly fat. The recommendation for people who needs to lower the triglyceride levels is to buy fish oil in capsule or supplement form which should contain 2-4g of DHA and EPA (main components of fish oils) and take it everyday.

4. Fourth fact: Omega 3 Fatty Acids from fish oils make your blood less dense and less viscous. A lowered blood viscosity (or a thinner blood) can reduce the entire cardiac workload, meaning, the heart will not be too overstressed to pump "heavy" blood.

And also, when blood is too sticky, it may either clump up together, or agglutinate in your blood vessels making your arteries and veins clogged. What happens is that blood (that carries oxygen) can no longer reach its destination when they come to a halt due to a clogged artery or vein. When the heart tissues don't receive enough oxygenation, then heart attack is triggered.

5. Moreover, a currently ongoing research has been saying that Omega 3 Fatty Acids in fish oils can help people with cardiac dysrhythmias. The claim is that fish oils help the electrical conduction system of the heart resulting to a more regulated and normal heart rhythm.

The ultimate point is: there are numerous drugs for cardiac disorders and heart problems available in the market today. They are expensive and sometimes can even produce unwanted side effects. Of course it is not recommended to base your treatment solely on alternative therapies; however, you can always buy fish oil and help yourself and your heart live healthier (and longer.)

Make no mistake about it... If you do not care for your heart in a timely manner, the heart disease will catch up with you sooner rather than later. I would urge you to visit my Omega 3 DHA fish oil supplements website so that you can further learn to take timely action to ensure that the heart protection required for you and your family starts right this moment.

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Rajagopalan has learned early in life the critical importance of omega 3 supplements to minimize health risks and maximize healthy living. There are too many fish oil supplements in the market that he has found to be very expensive, they do not deliver on results and are pure hype. To learn about the product that he has finally found to be most effective but at the same time least expensive, head over to ==> http://www.omega3fishoilsguide.com

Pacemakers and Heart Attacks

2009-06-11T22:27:00.000-07:00

If you need a pacemaker, it is most likely because you have an arrhythmia not because you have some heart condition that is going to predispose you to a heart attack.

The purpose of a pacemaker is to regulate the electrical system of the heart to stabilize the heart rhythm. Pacemakers are typically prescribed to people who have arrhythmias or irregular cardiac rhythms.

By contrast, heart attacks happen when the vessels surrounding the outside of the heart are clogged or blocked. This deprives the heart muscle of oxygen from the bloodstream. Without oxygen, the muscle starts to die. Depending on how much muscle tissue is involved and how little oxygen gets through, the heart attack may range from mild to severe or even fatal.

A lot of people hear the word pacemaker and assume that they are at high risk for a heart attack. That is not necessarily the case at all. The two conditions, that is, arrhythmia and heart attack, are distinct and different.

A healthy heart should beat about once a second in a very carefully choreographed and complicated sequence of events involving upper and lower chambers and even split-second periods of rest within a single heartbeat. If those beats are out of sequence or too slow or too fast, the doctor diagnoses an arrhythmia.

One problem with arrhythmias is that they are often intermittent, which is a medical term that means the rhythm disorder comes and goes, usually without warning or any obvious reason. Many people who need pacemakers have intermittent arrhythmias, meaning that their heart rhythm is out of whack some of the time, but not consistently.

For that reason, most pacemakers have a standby function. In the medical device world, the function is called inhibition, but it is the same thing as standby. The pacemaker watches the heart and paces only if the heart needs pacing. As long as the heart is beating normally, the pacemaker simply observes and does nothing.

Most people who are told they need a pacemaker need the device for quality of life more than anything else. While some arrhythmias can be serious and even life threatening, many are somewhat harmless but they can cause symptoms. How do you know if you might have an arrhythmia? The most commonly reported symptoms include feeling dizzy, lightheaded, fainting or thinking you might faint, being tired, out of breath, or feeling exhausted for no apparent reason.

For many people, a pacemaker improves their feelings of well-being, gives them more energy, and gets rid of unpleasant symptoms.

If you need a pacemaker, it does not mean that you are necessarily at risk for other heart disease, a heart attack, or heart failure. However, it does not mean you are out of the woods, either.

If you need a pacemaker, that is a problem involving an arrhythmia. You should still continue to get checked for other signs of heart disease. It is perfectly possible to have more than one heart condition.

Getting a pacemaker is not a complicated procedure. It is sometimes done on an outpatient basis, but most of the time, a short stay in the hospital is in order. The operation itself typically takes about an hour (for a regular pacemaker with no particular complications) and recovery is about four to six weeks. However, you should talk to your doctor, since every person is unique which means that every medical case is unique, too.

Millions of people all over the world have pacemakers. They are generally credited with improving the lifestyle and quality of life of the people who have them. Pacemakers have been at work smoothing out bumpy heart rhythms for over 50 years.

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Want to find out more about pacemakers without having to read a big fat medical book? Visit http://www.paceaker411.com . Straight information, easy to understand.

What is Oral Chelation and how can it help prevent heart disease

2009-06-11T01:27:00.000-07:00

Copyright © 2009 Octocat Ltd

Oral Chelation

Oral chelation is the solubilization of a metal salt by forming a chemical complex or sequestering. One way of doing this is with ethylenediaminetetra-acetic acid (EDTA) salts, which have a multidentate spiral ligand form that can surround metallic and other ions.

The term "oral" simply refers to "mouth." When you take something "orally," you take it into the mouth. Hence, the word oral chelation. This word can be contrasted with "intravenous" which is a word that means that something enters your body through a vein rather than through your mouth.

"Intravenous" actions (including IV Chelation) are generally done by a doctor or a nurse who sticks a needle in a vein, often in your wrist.

The word "chelation" starts with the Greek Root of this word - chele. Chele, in Greek, means the claw part of a crab or lobster. So, "chele" refers to a grabbing action. When combined, getting "chelation" you simply have a word that means the "grabbing action" of some substance. Oral chelation is dispelling substances by taking the preparation orally.

The ingredients which make oral chelation "work" are Cysteine, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine and EDTA.

EDTA is an important ingredient in oral chelation. It has a chemical and physical characteristic that it is attracted to heavy particles. It is not quite like a magnetic attraction, but in any event when there is EDTA in your blood stream, and some heavy particle (such as a particle of lead, mercury, iron, etc.), the EDTA and the heavy particle come together such that the heavy particle is coated with the EDTA, and passed out by your system

EDTA is an artificial amino acid, and since the body regards it as a foreign substance, the body eliminates the entire particle - the heavy particle coated with EDTA.

The body can't tell that underneath the coating is some material (iron mixed with carbon, perhaps) which the body might be willing to keep even though it is harmful to the body. So, this coated EDTA particle gets sent to the kidney and you urinate it out into the toilet. You just got rid of some heavy particles.

EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) is a common sequestrant and antioxidant which is a part of oral chelation. This oral chelation is added to foods, body care, and household products.

The oral chelation also occurs as disodium calcium EDTA, tetrasodium EDTA, and disodium dihydrogen EDTA. As a sequestrant, this oral chelation binds trace minerals such as copper, iron and nickel that may be in the product. If not inactivated, these minerals will lead to discoloration, rancidity and textural breakdown. When added as an antioxidant, EDTA prevents oxygen from causing color changes and rancidity.

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Mike Spencer has been helping people protect their health for many years. To find out how you can help protect your heart and prevent heart disease with oral chelation visit mikes site at: http://www.oral-chelation-reviews.com

Fenugreek Fights Diabetes, Heart Disease And Obesity

2009-06-10T01:25:00.000-07:00

Although fenugreek seeds are used extensively in the recipes of countries in the Middle and Far East, in the West it is not as well known as many other spices. Not only does fenugreek impart a characteristic flavour and tang to food but it also has several very important disease preventing characteristics.

In traditional medicine, fenugreek has been used to treat a number of conditions including diabetes, sore throats, and in poultices used to treat sores and abscesses. Recent investigations into the medicinal properties of this spice suggest it is important not only as a preventive for chronic diseases such as diabetes, but also for enhancing normal physiological processes, especially with respect to athletic performance.

As with most spices it contains many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds such as apigenin, genistein, kaempferol, quercetin, rutin, selenium and superoxide-dismutase. It also contains compounds such as trigonelline that has shown to prevent the degeneration of nerve cells in neuro-degenerative diseases.

Medicinal properties of fenugreek

Cardiovascular disease and blood lipids: Fenugreek has a strong modulating effect on blood lipid levels and can substantially reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. In diabetics, who usually suffer lipid imbalances, it has demonstrated a remarkable ability to lower cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL levels while raising HDL levels.

Another property of fenugreek is the reduction of platelet aggregation which, in turn, dramatically reduces the risk of abnormal blood clotting associated with heart attacks and strokes. Like most spices, fenugreek also contains many important antioxidants and has the added benefit of protecting other dietary and internally produced antioxidants from free-radical damage. This has important cardioprotective benefits, as well as helping to fortify the body against a range of other chronic conditions.

Diabetes: Fenugreek, which has comparable antidiabetic potency to cinnamon, is one of the most valuable spices for the control of glucose metabolism and thus the prevention and treatment of Type II diabetes. Owing to its many properties it helps in the prevention and treatment of diabetes in several ways.

Working in a similar way to the common antidiabetic drug glibenclamide, fenugreek lowers cellular insulin resistance and controls blood glucose homeostasis. It has been shown to lower blood glucose levels of Type II diabetics by as much as 46 percent.

It also increases the levels of several important antioxidants and reduces the damaging oxidation of lipids associated with diabetes.

As an added bonus, fenugreek seeds are a very rich in a type of dietary fibre that modulates post-prandial blood glucose levels by delaying the absorption of sugar in the intestines. This mucilaginous fiber also reduces the absorption of fat and cholesterol from the intestines thus providing additional protection against heart disease and obesity.

Cataracts: Fenugreek is also effective against diabetes-related cataracts which occur commonly in diabetics. The enzymes that control glucose uptake into the lens of the eye do not function normally in diabetics and, as a result, glucose and its metabolites, fructose and sorbitol, accumulate in the lens tissues. The lenses of diabetic patients are also prone damage by enzymes that would normally protect against destructive free radicals, and a combination of these factors leads to the gradual opacification of the lens known as a cataract. As fenugreek has been shown to partially reverse both the metabolic changes in the lens and to reduce the density of the cataract, it is likely to be even more effective as a prophylactic agent against cataract formation in diabetics.

Alzheimer's and other neuro-degenerative diseases: Fenugreek contains the compound trigonellene that has shown to stimulate the regeneration of brain cells. This property has stimulated further research to see whether it can help in the prevention of diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Sport: One of the greatest difficulties facing athletes who compete in endurance events is maintaining a readily available supply of energy in the body. In order to achieve this, muscle carbohydrate stores, in the form of glycogen, must be continuously replenished. In an event lasting more than one-and-a-half hours, glycogen stores become depleted, and for the remainder of the event the athlete has to rely on external sources of energy, such as high carbohydrate drinks, which are inferior to glycogen as an energy source. Post event re-synthesis of glycogen is also very important, and the two hours immediately following prolonged exercise is the crucial time for this process to occur.

Fenugreek has been shown to have a strong effect on glycogen replenishment; increasing post-event re-synthesis by over 60 percent in some endurance athletes. While its effects on glycogen re-synthesis during an event have yet to be tested, fenugreek is likely to exhibit a similarly beneficial effect during, as well as after, exercise.

Hormones: Fenugreek is one of the richest sources of phytoestrogens and is thus a very useful spice for women who have low oestrogen levels. Phytoestrogens are also thought to help protect against certain types of cancer, and fenugreek may well be proven to have anti-tumourigenic effects should this property be investigated in the future.

Selenium: Fenugreek is one of the richest sources of selenium, which is among the most important antioxidant micronutrients. When consumed regularly, selenium appears to have a protective effect against a range of cancers, including those of the colon, lung and prostate. Recent evidence also shows that selenium helps to prevent the progression of HIV and other chronic viral illnesses.

While other spices like chilies and cinnamon hold the culinary and medicinal headlines, the research into fenugreek is showing us that this spice has health benefits on a par with, or even superior to, those of the better known spices.

However it is important to appreciate that synergism between different spices enhances the bioavailability and efficacy of their respective bioactive compounds. Therefore, to obtain optimum benefit from fenugreek, it is important to use it with other common spices in both the prevention and treatment of disease.

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Keith Scott is a medical doctor with a special interest in the healing properties of spices and phytonutrients. He has written several books including "Medicinal Seasonings, The Healing Power of Spices". To download a free pdf copy of his book, "Medicinal Seasonings" and read more about the health benefits of spices go to: => http://www.medspice.com

The Spectrum by Dean Ornish: How to Reverse Heart Disease

2009-06-09T01:22:00.000-07:00

Can chronic disease be reversed?

Absolutely.

Today, I'm going to introduce you to my friend and colleague, Dr. Dean Ornish. Thirty years ago, he bravely made the radical suggestion that heart disease, cancer, and other chronic illnesses can be reversed with diet and lifestyle changes.

That's reversed -- not just prevented or treated.

In his breakthrough book, Reversing Heart Disease, Dr. Ornish explained just how this is possible: Eat a high-quality diet, get regular exercise, manage stress, and connect to a community -- and you can actually unclog your arteries.

In fact, he proved that his program works better than conventional approaches like drugs or surgery -- and without dangerous side effects.

Now Dr. Ornish has published a new, even more compelling book, The Spectrum -- and it's filled with scientific details about why the program works and how to make it your own.

What's the secret?

Nutrigenomics.

That's the name for the way that food talks to your genes and controls your health. When your genes are expressed well, you're healthy. Disease occurs when your genes are expressed poorly.

And the quality of the food you eat has huge effects on your health.

It matters whether you eat whole, real food, or processed, high-sugar, and high-fat food, for example.

In The Spectrum, Dr. Ornish tells you how and why choices like these can make a difference in whether we're healthy or sick.

But it isn't a one-size-fits-all approach.

Dr. Ornish believes -- as I do -- that the future of medicine is personalized medicine. And in The Spectrum, he explains how to match your genes and your health needs by customizing your diet and lifestyle.

If you were a 25-year-old athlete with no family history of heart disease, your approach would be different from a 65-year-old man who has type-2 diabetes and has had two heart attacks.

He also shows us that there's a spectrum of choices for being healthy and feeling great. There are no "good" or "bad" foods -- it's the overall way that we eat and live that matters.

Dr. Ornish gets past all of the nutrition confusion out there and tells you the truth: that our genes were meant to be fed a diet of whole, unprocessed foods.

A Groundbreaking Pioneer

He didn't know it, but Dr. Ornish was the first researcher and practitioner of functional medicine, more than 30 years ago.

He was the first person to suggest that addressing the roots of illness not only helps prevent disease, but reverses it -- and more effectively than conventional treatment.

That's just what functional medicine is. It's a system that addresses the underlying causes of illness by understanding the interaction between your genes and your environment.

And it's what Dr. Ornish talks about in The Spectrum.

His roadmap for good health shows us how to increase energy, lose weight, improve mood, feel more connected to your own life's purpose and meaning, and even have better sex.

It's a recipe for feeling your best.

I have a lot of respect for Dr. Ornish. He wanted to make his program accessible for everyone, but for that to happen, it has to be reimbursed by insurance.

So he asked Medicare to fund a demonstration project based on the research in major medical he'd already published in major medical journals.

But it wasn't so easy.

They told him that, before they'd find the project, he needed approval that it was safe.

Of course, Dr. Ornish's lifestyle plan is much safer than heart surgery or angioplasty or medications with severe, damaging side effects -- and much less expensive.

Still, he needed a letter from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute saying it was safe to eat fruits and vegetables, walk, meditate, and quit smoking!

But he persevered and his program is now approved. Dr. Ornish is also creating an international research collaboration to grain even more understanding about why food is the best medicine.

And his book isn't just helpful, it's enjoyable.

He shares his story with wit and humor, keen intelligence, and lots of tools for successfully implementing his ideas.

These tools include clear nutrition guidance, guided meditations by his wife Anne (with an additional DVD included), an exercise prescription, and more than 100 wonderful, delicious life-giving recipes by a master chef.

So I urge you to get your hands on The Spectrum now and see what you think. It truly is life-changing.

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Mark Hyman, MD is a pioneer in functional medicine, practicing physician and best-selling author. A sneak preview of his book "The UltraSimple Diet" is available. See The UltraWellness Blog for more on Heart Disease.

Heart Surgery And Your Longevity

2009-06-08T01:20:00.000-07:00

Nowadays, heart surgery is commonly performed on patients suffering from heart disease, which is often a threat to longevity. But does heart surgery make you live longer? Is Oriental medicine a better approach to heart disease?

According to the most recent report from Journal of the American Medical Association, at least 12,000 Americans die each year from unnecessary surgery, and tens of thousands more suffer complications as a result.

Every year in the United States, surgeons perform 1.2 million angioplasties, during which a cardiologist uses tiny balloons and implanted wire cages known as stents to unclog arteries. This Roto-Rooter-type approach is less invasive and has a shorter recovery period than bypass, which is open-heart surgery.

Nevertheless, a surgery is still a trauma, and the body responds to it with major blood loss and swelling, and all manner of nerve and pain signals that can plague the patient for months, if not years.

Research has indicated that angioplasty did not appear to prevent heart attacks or save lives among non-emergency heart subjects. If that is the case, then why the surgery?

Dr. William Boden of the University of Buffalo School of Medicine, Buffalo, New York, and author of the study also added: "If you have chest pain and are stable, you can take medicines that do the job of angioplasty." Medicines used in the study included aspirin, and blood pressure and cholesterol drugs, and they were taken along with exercise and diet changes in patients participating in the study.

Dr. Boden did have a point about not opting for surgery. But do medicines, such as aspirin, as well as blood pressure and cholesterol drugs, save lives and prevent heart attacks, or are there better alternatives? Heart health is longevity health. Conventional medicine offers no miracle cures. Healing the heart has to be wholesome because it is the "residence" of the body, the mind, and the spirit. Therefore, medicines play only a minor role, if any, in the cure of heart disease. Modern Western medicine addresses only the symptoms, not the causes, of heart disease. According to the Oriental way, your heart is the "emperor" of your whole being, and the health of your entire system depends upon the normal functioning of your heart. According to Chinese philosophy, heaven and earth merge to make a human being, and the place where they merge is in the heart, which is the "center" of the human body, hence the importance of the heart.

Disturbances in the heart affect your whole body. The movement of blood throughout your body (circulation) is managed by multiple organs, which in turn interact with one another. A failure in any one part of this system can result in pathology.

If there is a circulation issue, all the organ systems in your body will be deprived of the nourishment supplied by your blood, which include nutrients and oxygen. Your heart has a dramatic effect on everything else in your body.

The force that keeps life going is "qi" (internal vital energy), which is determined by the balance of "yin" and "yang." Poor diet, stress, and lack of exercise can cause your "yin" and "yang" to become out of balance, thereby disrupting the flow of "qi." One symptom is "thick" blood, which is the root cause of heart disease.

Severe stagnation in "qi" and in the blood may produce internal heat, which goes into your blood and steams your body, drying out your blood vessels as well as raising your blood pressure.

In Chinese medicine, the basic cause of chest pain is obstruction of the circulation of "qi" and blood. Chest pain may be due to either deficiency or excess patterns of "yin" and "yang," resulting in imbalance and discord. Accordingly, the Oriental medicine focuses on using different foods not only to nourish the body but also to clear any blockage in the flow of "qi."

Truly, foods are directly involved in many of the risk factors for heart disease. Paying attention to what you eat is one of the most important preventive measures you can take.

The foods that best protect you against heart disease include the following: oily fish, fruits and vegetables, fiber from whole-grain breads and cereals and unrefined carbohydrates, nuts and seeds, and green tea, among others.

In addition to the different types of food to protect your heart, you need to understand the importance of energy balance. You need enough calories to maintain your energy level, but no more than what you can burn off. This is energy balance.

Even when you are dieting, you should not drastically cut back your calories such that your energy needs are not met. The number of calories you need depends primarily on age, gender, and activity level.

Essentially, the Oriental medicine employs foods and acupuncture to maintain smooth flow of "qi" and blood.

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Stephen Lau is a writer and researcher, writing synopses of research of doctors and scientists. His publications include "NO MIRACLE CURES - Only Wholesome Self-Healing," "How To Teach Children To Read" and "Blueprint For Success In Affiliate Business."
He has created websites, including “Longevity for You” on health, and “Golfing Success Info” on the art of playing golf.
http://www.longevityforyou.com
http://www.golfingsuccessinfo.com

Turn Back Time: Reversing Heart Disease

2007-02-24T21:17:00.000-08:00

Reversing heart disease can be done by adopting a few lifestyle changes. By avoiding certain risk factors that put you in harm’s way of the disease to begin with, you can turn back the clock, so to speak, and continue to live a long, healthy life despite having a heart disease.

There are many different kinds of heart disease, but one of the factors that leads to most heart disease is a blockage to the arteries that feed blood to the heart. When the heart no longer gets a fresh supply of blood, it can die, and the result is a heart attack. By unclogging these arteries, you are essentially reversing heart disease and, therefore, healing your heart.

How You Can Reverse Heart Disease

Diets high in saturated fats and cholesterol can contribute to the blockage that causes most diseases of the heart. Reversing heart disease can be as simple as cleaning up your diet, by eating more fruits and vegetables, foods with a higher fiber content, and staying away from foods with too much saturated fat. By changing to a cleaner diet, you are one step closer to reversing a heart disease that has already claimed so many lives.

Another technique that works in reversing heart disease is getting more exercise. When you exercise, you increase your cardiovascular health, and your heart begins to work better. Exercise can be had anywhere, anytime, simply walk instead of drive your car, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or just walk around the block every night after dinner.

A more drastic move for reversing heart disease is surgery. Surgeons have been able to unblock arteries or bypass clogged arteries to improve blood flow to the heart. In many cases, surgery helps those who are afflicted with this horrible disease; however, for surgery to be effective, the heart disease must be caught early, just like most other diseases. Surgery can be an effective means for reversing heart disease, but the most effective way is to adopt good living habits once you find out you have it.

By adopting good living habits, eating right, getting more exercise, and reducing stress levels, you can go on to live a long, healthy, productive life even if you already have heart disease. Reversing heart disease does not need to inhibit your life or hold you back in any way; instead, by adopting good living habits, you can improve your life by turning back time to look and feel better.

Learn About the Heart Disease Symptom That Can Save Your Life

2007-02-05T06:54:00.000-08:00

The heart has the most important function of pumping blood throughout our bodies without which we cannot live, ensuring that one’s heart is in good shape and functional should always be on the priority list.

However, sometimes one heart disease or the other creeps on us and by being able to identify a heart disease symptom will save one’s life.

Heart Attack Symptoms

The heart disease symptom that is connected to heart attack is easier to read than other diseases but at the same time it can get confusing; if you are not sure of any one symptom, check with your doctor right away.

- Pain, fullness and/or squeezing sensation of the chest
- Jaw pain, toothache, headache
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea, vomiting and/or general upper middle abdomen discomfort
- Sweating profusely
- Heartburn and/or indigestion
- Arm pain – more commonly left arm but sometimes the right arm as well
- Upper back pain
- General feeling of being unwell

One or more of these symptoms may occur at the same time depending from person to person where as some may have no symptoms what so ever. Knowing to recognize the heart disease symptom is not easy and often it may lead to be just a false alarm however never ignore any symptom – it’s better to be too careful than sorry.

Coronary Heart Disease Symptoms

The symptoms associated with coronary heart disease are pronounced such as:

- Chest pain or angina – is the most common heart disease symptom related to coronary disease however, the intensity of pain may vary from person to person
- Shortness of breath – this is a usual symptom of congestive heart failure; the heart is usually very weak at this point from lack of blood and oxygen and/or from a past heart attack

Heart disease symptom recognizing is usually hard as many of these symptoms can be caused by many other different factors as well; this is probably one of the main causes why some people walk in emergency rooms sometimes too late to be able to be helped.

If you are faced with any kind of doubt about a heart disease symptom that you may have, check with your doctor as soon as possible in order to avoid a disaster.

Your health is the most important possession, learn to listen to your heart and protect yourself from any heart disease by conducting regular check ups, eating healthy and exercising as much as possible.

Heart Valve Disease ; A Brief Discussion

2007-02-05T06:47:00.000-08:00

As you may remember from high school health class, the heart is one of the strongest muscles in the human body. In addition, it is divided into two halves, called the atrium and the ventricle chambers. Between these two chambers are a set of valves that insure that the blood flows in only one direction. Occasionally however, these valves become damaged and the person could suffer from some sort of heart valve disease. If left unchecked, this disease can lead to heart failure and even death.

Signs and Symptoms

It is truly difficult to determine if a set of symptoms are a sign of heart valve disease, since many of them are so mild and can be attributed to a number of different conditions including asthma, heartburn, heart attack, or sometimes even pregnancy. The best thing to do is to have a running conversation with your medical professional concerning your thoughts and physical symptoms. Based on that complete picture, he or she should be able to diagnose your situation professionally. Heart valve disease is a serious condition, and should never be self-diagnosed.

However, there are a few common symptoms of heart valve disease that if you notice on a regular basis you should watch out for. If you experience dizzy spells or faintness brought on by physical activity, shortness of breath, or chest pain while doing physical activity it is certainly something to bring up to your doctor as soon as possible.

Possible Causes of Heart Valve Disease

Often heart valve disease is caused by a malformation of the valves that separate the two chambers of the heart. These deformities can include narrowed valves, and leaking valves.

Narrowed valves that can lead to valve heart disease can be caused by a number of things, some unpreventable, others that can be prevented. One cause of this condition is congenital abnormality, a condition that is often seen since birth. Another cause, one that can be prevented through diet exercise and perhaps medications is degeneration of the valve through atherosclerosis, or hardening of the blood vessels. In addition heart valve disease can also be caused by damage from rheumatic fever or extensive calcification that sometimes occurs in old age.

Leaking valves that can lead to heart valve disease can be caused by a number of additional factors. These include such things as a bacterial infection, or other inflammation of the valve, excessive floppiness of the valve leaflets, or even enlargement of the heart or the aorta. Any or all of these things can be the cause for leaking valves, and therefore heart valve disease.

Of course, heart valve disease is nothing to be flippant about. Although it doesn’t always cause a life and death situation, it can lead to major complications with the heart, which is something that no person in their right mind would ever want. The best course of action, as true in any medical situation, is to talk to your doctor and be honest with him or her. Together you should be able to recognize a potential case of heart valve disease and make the necessary course changes.

Heart Disease Prevention: Adopting a Healthier Lifestyle

2007-01-21T07:14:00.000-08:00

Heart disease prevention is not difficult. In fact, it can be easy with just a few lifestyle changes to prevent the number one cause of death among women. It is said that over 58 million Americans suffer from some form of heart disease, so it would seem natural that heart disease prevention should be a part of our everyday vocabularies.

The number one key to heart disease prevention is adopting better living habits. Simple changes like eating better, getting more exercise, and being more health conscious in general have shown that they can drastically reduce your chances of acquiring heart disease.

Control Your Eating Habits

For optimal heart disease prevention, it’s necessary to improve your eating habits. First,avoid foods high in saturated fat and trans fatty acids. Saturated fats are naturally found in food that comes from animals: meat, eggs, dairy products, as well as some oils. Trans fatty acids are usually found in commercially baked or fried foods. By lowering the amount of these fats from your diet, you will ensure your heart’s health.

Second, eats lots of fruits and vegetables and make sure you take in more fiber. It’s also a good idea to take a multi-vitamin; not only will a multi-vitamin assist you in your heart disease prevention, it will help prevent other diseases as well such as cancer or Alzheimer’s.

Work Out for Your Health

Getting more exercise is another habit necessary for heart disease prevention. Many don’t realize that getting more exercise doesn’t need to include the gym or exhausting aerobic sessions. It can be done at work, home, school, or anywhere else, really. If you can, walk instead of drive, park further away from your destination, or just take the stairs instead of the elevator. When you’re at the store, make an extra trip around the aisles, just to make sure you picked up everything on your list. Wherever you are, stay conscious of the amount of exercise you get daily, and not only will you improve your overall health, but you’ll look and feel better than ever.

Keeping Healthy

More positive habits include: stopping smoking, reducing or eliminating alcoholic drinks, and reducing stress. While that last one might not seem so easy, it can be with the many tricks to stress relief. Merely counting to ten or taking several deep breaths can often calm you down and make you feel more under control in even the most stressful of situations. By keeping your stress managed and eliminating foreign chemicals from your body, you will live longer, healthier, and, ultimately, happier.

Heart disease prevention is not difficult and can be done with a few minor lifestyle changes that will improve your health and make you feel better. Once you’ve adopted these great lifestyle habits, you’ll want to tell your friends and family all about them. After all, when you’re living a long and happy life, you’re going to want someone around to share it with you. By sharing these tips with those you love, you’re showing the ultimate love of all – you’re showing them heart disease prevention and saving their life.

Heart Disease in Women: The Number One Killer

2007-01-21T07:01:00.000-08:00

To understand the seriousness of heart disease in women, we need to first look at the facts. According to recent studies, it’s found that more than 8 million American women are currently living with some form of heart disease. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death of American women and more women than men die of heart disease each year.

Heart disease in women can be diagnosed and treated but the key to staying healthy is prevention. Once a woman finds out that she has heart disease, it may already be too late. Chances are, that woman has engaged in several risk factors throughout her lifetime that contributed to her contracting the disease. Such risk factors that increase the risk of heart disease in women include cigarette smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, not being active, diabetes and obesity.

Women need to understand that these risk factors need to be avoided as much as possible because they are so susceptible to the disease. Heart disease in women doesn’t need to be as much of an epidemic it has become. With just a few lifestyle changes, all women can once more live long and healthy lives without the risk for heart disease.

Of course, there are other risk factors that increase the risk for heart disease in women that can’t be helped. These risk factors include age, heredity, the effects of menopause, etc. By knowing this, women should arm themselves with as much information as they can so that they can know just what they are dealing with.

Heart disease in women doesn’t need to have such a high morality rate.

By adopting a few lifestyle changes such as getting more exercise, eating right, quitting smoking and reducing stress levels, women can drastically reduce the propensity for heart disease. This is important not only for heart disease but for other diseases as well.

Heart disease in women does claim many lives each and every year but the disease can be manageable and preventable. Women need to study and learn as much as they can. They need to be educated. Not many women know that they have such a high probability of getting the disease. All women need to know that they have a greater risk of getting the disease than men. By understanding and knowing this, women will have a step up on this horrible disease and, maybe one day, heart disease in women will be a thing of the past.

Women and Heart Disease; What Everyone Should Know

2007-01-21T06:53:00.000-08:00

When we think of a victim of heart disease, we tend to think of men, but unfortunately, heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women in the United States. Heart disease includes the narrowing of the arteries that bring oxygen to the heart, heart failure, diseases of the heart muscles, inborn defects, and other conditions. Five hundred thousand American women die each year from heart diseases, and the risks increase as a woman ages.

The Change of Life

The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center explains that menopause changes the risks for women and heart disease. Post-menopause, a woman’s body experiences reduced estrogen production, changes in cholesterol levels, changes in the structure of blood vessels, and increased production of the clotting agent fibrinogen.

No one yet knows exactly how much a woman’s risk is affected by each of these changes, but they are definitely associated with greater heart disease risk. Women who have gone through menopause are two to three times more likely to suffer heart disease than a pre-menopausal woman of the same age. Women that have had a hysterectomy experience these same raised risk factors.

In the past, scientists studying women and heart disease hypothesized that hormone replacement therapy could help post-menopausal women fight heart disease; however, long-term studies do not confirm that preliminary idea and doctors no longer recommend hormone replacement therapy to battle heart disease. Menopause we cannot change, but other risk factors are under our control.

Using hormonal birth control (the pill or the patch) is considered safe for women under thirty-five. As of now, doctors do not have proof that birth control hormones can increase or decrease problems for women and heart disease, especially after the age of thirty-five. When talking about your heart disease risk factors with your doctor, get his or her opinion on your personal situation.

A Change of Lifestyle

Scientists studying women and heart disease find that women are knowledgeable about what lifestyles are associated with heart disease, but are also prone to having those lifestyles. For example, according to the National Institutes of Health, fifty-six million American women have high cholesterol, 33% of women have high blood pressure, and 62% of women are overweight. Despite these risks, women are less physically active than men, on average.

For women, as for men, there are a few good guidelines to a healthier heart. Habits such as not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight by regular activity or exercise, cutting down on the fatty foods, and getting your cholesterol tested can dramatically help prevent heart disease. Don’t become another statistic about women and heart disease.

Rheumatic Heart Disease : It is Treatable

2007-01-17T09:12:00.000-08:00

Rheumatic heart disease, also called rheumatic fever, occurs when an untreated strep throat infection migrates to the joints and heart, causing fever, muscle aches, and possible permanent heart valve damage. Just as “rheumatism” refers to joint pain, “rheumatic” fever gets its name because one of its main symptoms is actually pain in the joints rather than the heart.

The National Institute of Health estimate that rheumatic heart disease develops in about 3% of untreated strep throat infections in the United States. Because mainly young people get strep, accordingly rheumatic heart disease mostly strikes people aged between six and fifteen years old.

Most people in the west who get strep will never develop rheumatic heart disease, because the strep throat infection is treated effectively with antibiotics. However, if fever, irregular heart beat, nodes under the skin, and other symptoms appear after a strep infection, a doctor will perform lab tests to diagnose rheumatic fever.

Penicillin treats rheumatic heart disease symptoms, including the contraction of the heart, which may damage heart valves; however, there is no cure for the disease, and patients must continue with penicillin injections. Some doctors argue this treatment should continue for the rest of the patient’s life. Left untreated, besides the symptoms of physical pain, rheumatic heart disease can cause permanent heart valve damage. Without surgery, heart valve damage can lead to fatal heart failure.

Cases And Treatment Worldwide

Doctors working with the Australian National Heart Foundation are working on a vaccine to prevent rheumatic fever. After an unexplained jump in the number of cases among the Aboriginal population of Australia from 2004 to 2006, doctors launched the world’s most advanced investigation of rheumatic heart disease.

In New Zealand as well, rheumatic fever is a problem among some populations, and the treatment there is penicillin shots every month for ten years. One famous rugby player, a childhood victim of rheumatic heart disease, admits to “getting lazy” about having his shots, and the symptoms of the disease returned to him as an adult. Luckily, he knew his problem and how to get help. Some people, especially those with little access to health care, simply suffer through fever attacks, and fall victim to heart valve failure.

In fact, the World Heart Federation in Geneva, Switzerland calls rheumatic fever a disease born of poverty. Though it is easily prevented by a good strep throat treatment, many young people of the world do not have access to the healthcare that would keep their heart valves healthy and extend their lives.

Ischemic Heart Disease and the Western World

2007-01-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

Ischemic heart disease is the proper medical term for reduced blood flow to the heart – it is ultimately caused by hardened or blocked arteries, and it is the number one cause of death in most western countries.

From the time people are very young, as young as five years old, they can start developing tissue deposits, called plaque, in the lining of their arteries. For many people, these deposits never cause trouble. For others, the deposits can grow, harden, and eventually cause death. The growth of these tissues is called arteriosclerosis.

As these tissues grow, the arteries will enlarge some to try and accommodate blood flow. However, if the blob of plaque ruptures, the particles clog blood passages causing a heart attack or stroke, in the worst cases.

"Please, Pass On The Fats"

Scientists know what causes ischemic heart disease: a fatty diet, inaction, and smoking. While smoking is certainly not limited to rich countries, a fatty diet and inaction are luxuries of middle- and upper-class populations.

In Europe and the United States, calories are cheap and plentiful. For an hour’s wage, a person can buy a meal containing a pound of meat. However, in some countries, a pound of meat is a treat to be divided within one family once a month. No doctor recommends either extreme of poor or rich food, but rather, everyone needs a healthy, balanced, but lean diet to prevent ischemic heart disease.

However, some doctors have an idea about using peer pressure to make westerners make themselves healthier. Thirty years ago, few Americans wore seatbelts. And many more smoked cigarettes than do now. Laws played a part in changing behavior, but in both of these cases, peer pressure really started the trend. And many scientists, nutritionists, and activists, worried about ischemic heart disease, are trying to repeat the trend for healthier diets.

And this power of healthy suggestion seems to be working on restaurants. Especially since 2004, fast food chains have started to offer healthier menu choices such as yogurt, salads, and fruit. Many restaurants now print some nutrition information on their menus and offer specifically “heart-smart” recipes.

But the question is will people take advantage of healthier menus, city recreation departments, and fresh vegetables at the grocery store? So far, it does not seem so. Some scientists predict that 75% of all Americans will be overweight by 2008. Yet extra weight and the bad diet and inactivity that usually accompany it are causing an epidemic of ischemic heart disease.

Obesity and Heart Disease ; Are They Related in Some Ways ?

2007-01-11T08:18:00.000-08:00

Many medical professionals believed that obesity and heart disease were only related in an indirect sense. They attributed the major risk factors for heart disease (such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and even arteriosclerosis) to the degree of the obesity of the person involved. While obesity is a contributing factor for many of these conditions, studies are now indicating a more direct link between obesity and heart disease.

A More Direct Link?

Recent longitudinal studies indicate that while obesity can affect a number of risk factors for heart disease, the two are also directly related in that obesity can be a predictive indicator of heart disease. In a fourteen year study, it was indicated that middle-aged women with a BMI index of greater than twenty-three, but less than twenty-five still had an approximate 50% increase in the risk of both fatal and non-fatal coronary heart disease. This indicates a clear, direct connection between obesity and heart disease.

Another factor that may connect severe obesity and heart disease more directly is that of abnormalities in the left ventricular mass and function of the heart. While in the majority of cases, these abnormalities are seen in the presence of both hypertension and obesity, there are recorded causes where these abnormalities are seen without hypertension being apparent. In such cases, the only condition that appears to affect the condition of the heart is severe obesity. This information indicates that obesity and heart disease are intricately linked and can definitely lead to congestive heart failure.

Treatment Choices for Obesity and Heart Disease

Since a connection, either direct or indirect, has long been established between obesity and heart disease, the medical profession has developed a number of avenues over the years to combat these two related problems.

In certain patients with congestive heart failure, for instance, sodium restriction and even a small reduction in weight may dramatically improve the function of the heart and lead to a reduction in the risk of heart disease. In fact, a number of studies have indicated that a drastic weight loss, such as after gastro-intestinal surgery, greatly decreases the occurrence of both heart disease and insulin based diabetes.

There are, of course, any number of ways to treat both obesity and heart disease. These can include changes in diet and exercise practices, medication, and sometimes even surgery. Only you and your doctor can decide what choice is best for you. Whatever method is chosen, the connection between obesity and heart disease is becoming clearer everyday.

Congenital Heart Disease, What Is It ?

2007-01-04T08:10:00.000-08:00

The heart is the most important part of one’s body; it ensures blood circulation throughout the body, without which life would not be possible. Medicine has advanced greatly and, with modern technology, almost all heart diseases can be treated successfully if detected in time.

What is Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease, or CHD, is a malformation of the heart or a large blood vessel near the heart. Congenital heart disease is a condition that one is born with and it is one of the most common forms of major birth defects in newborns, affecting approximately 8% per 1000 infants. It is normally diagnosed within one week from birth in 40-50% of congenital heart disease cases.

This condition is not a problem until after birth, as the blood circulation differs from that after birth. The fetal circulation derives oxygen and nutrients from the mother through the placenta, and the fetal circulation has important communications between the upper heart chambers and the great blood vessels near the heart. Consequently, most types of congenital heart disease are well tolerated during fetal life.

The Cause of Congenital Heart Disease

This disease can have different causes such as:

- Environmental factors such as chemicals or drugs are sometimes to blame. For example, if a mother-to-be catches measles or rubella during pregnancy, the infection can impair the development of the unborn baby’s heart or other organs. Similar effects can take place if the mother-to-be consumes alcohol during pregnancy.
- Maternal diseases for the mother can increase the risks of developing congenital heart disease in the unborn baby.
- Chromosome abnormalities – a common chromosome abnormality causing congenital heart disease is Down’s syndrome where an extra #21 chromosome is present. About 50% of children with Down’s syndrome also have CHD.

Treating Congenital Heart Disease

The treatment depends from person to person due to the huge difference in occurrence from case to case. Everything needs to be taken into consideration in order to follow an effective treatment program.

A treatment program can only be decided after proper diagnosis made by a specialist. While eating healthy and exercising always helps, congenital heart disease is a special case which needs to follow strict doctor’s instructions; no self medication or treatment is advised. Information and guidelines are available both online and in the doctor’s office to help one educate themselves in order to deal better with this disease.

The Cause of Heart Disease - Do Not Blame Your Parents !

2007-01-04T08:01:00.000-08:00

If your mother and your father had heart disease, and their parents before them, you may feel doomed to heart failure. While it is true that heredity is a cause of heart disease, it is only a factor among many others. One recent study even says heredity accounts for less than 10% of a person’s risk of developing heart disease.

So, What is the Other 90%?

Doctors do not agree on the number one cause of heart disease, but smoking, obesity, and high cholesterol are the frontrunners in any study.

The chemicals in cigarettes damage artery walls, making it easier for cholesterol deposits to build an unhealthy, blood-blocking home in the body. Smoking also makes platelets, the component of blood that causes clotting, to be more active, and hence the risk of a killer clot rises.

A body needs cholesterol and can actually produce all it needs, so when we ingest foods high in cholesterols, like dairy and meat products, our bodies get a lot more cholesterol than they need. The body saves cholesterol instead of excreting it, and that cholesterol gets stored along the walls of the arteries. Too many cholesterol deposits lead to artery blockage and clots.

High blood pressure is also a major cause of heart disease. Imagine this, your arteries are narrowed because of all that cholesterol stored in there, yet your body is the same size and needs the same amount of blood; so your heart is trying to pump a lot of blood through a passage that is getting too small. Just as the motor of an air conditioner can get worn out trying to push air through a filter that no one has cleaned, your heart can overtax itself trying to force blood through blocked passages.

Obesity, not just because of all the health problems that come with it, is another cause of heart disease. Often obesity comes with high cholesterol and blood pressure, which we know increase the risk of heart disease, but new studies are also showing a correlation between abdominal fat and heart disease in a way that is not yet fully understood. Either way, as the circumference of stomach increases, the risk of heart disease seems to increase more.

Also, stress causes an overall decline in health and is particularly associated with heart disease. So, unless your parents are stressing you out enough to cause a heart attack, they are not the cause of heart disease.

Quit Smoking Cigarettes - 2

2007-01-04T07:52:00.000-08:00

What does it take to quit smoking cigarettes? Self-Hypnosis? A patch? A sympathetic friend? An admonishment from your doctor? A simple switch to pumpkin seeds?

If you are one of the millions who smoke cigarettes, it is no doubt that these questions have floated through your mind time and again. No matter what approach you take to try to quit smoking cigarettes, one thing I have learned is this: You cannot do it using will power alone. Will power may be a component of the solution, but it does not get to the heart of the matter.

In order to quit smoking, you have to cease beating yourself up about it.

Something fundamentally needs to shift in you. The craving needs to disappear. If you have tried being harsh on yourself and that tough approach has not worked, then you have to go easy on yourself. Try going to the opposite extreme and see what happens.

Will power is a feeling of over-effort, a determination to be in control. Will power goes hand in hand with being harsh on yourself. It is an honorable way to tackle things, but unfortunately, it is one that is uncomfortable and usually offers just a temporary solution.

You have to seek deeper. In order to truly quit smoking cigarettes you have to look within and remove your negative attitudes first. In order to quit the smoking habit, you must first attain a very high degree of self-acceptance for the fact that you do smoke.

"But I already accept myself for smoking!" you may be screaming. Hmmm. Look carefully. Be honest. Be radically honest! If there is even a slight degree of uncomfortableness about not having quit smoking, then you are judging yourself in some way. Judgment locks the craving in place. It has a locking effect because the craving in you is a natural "rebel." If you judge the craving, then that makes the craving fight back even stronger. The "craver" in you rebels and makes you want the cigarettes more intensely

On the other hand, if you let the craving be ok as it is, not being harsh on it, giving it room, not fighting against it, it MUST subside over time. Try it. You have nothing to lose. Smoke slowly. Let your self enjoy every inhale. Let yourself relax with ever exhale. Once you have mastered this practice of acceptance, THEN put your attention on quitting. I am certain you will notice a difference.

At the very least, you will not be as unhappy about learning to quit smoking cigarettes as you were before. Beating yourself up for smoking or for not being able to quit smoking is just as much of a killer as the smoking itself. Beating yourself up kills your mood.

So, take the Zen approach instead. Let yourself feel at peace with the smoking, and then take appropriate action to quit smoking (a patch, a pumpkin seed, or whatever). Make self-acceptance your truest goal, and your goal to quit smoking cigarettes will come much more easily.

Quit Smoking Cigarettes

2007-01-04T07:48:00.000-08:00

Quit smoking cigarettes!!?? Yeah, right. I loved them. They were my solace, my trigger, my friends. They were part of my French heritage, so I told myself, so giving me the out as one of a culture with low disease and death rates.

But my closest friend, a CNS working in a retired living center described to me the fallout: “You’re at risk for cancers, emphysema, and strokes, for starters,” she said, despite my balking. “If you don’t quit smoking cigarettes,” she nagged, “I would hate to see you end up like my people here, gasping for breath, toting around oxygen tanks, needing help doing the simplest of tasks because you’re all stroked out.” So I agreed. I would quit smoking…if she would help me.

That’s the key to quitting cigs—using all the help you can get your desperate, hacking, trembling hands/self on, can wrap your resistant brain around. Here are some steps I took to quit smoking cigarettes, steps you, too, can take to one level or another:

-PREPARE BY READING UP ON QUITTING

The American Cancer Society offers free, thoughtful info on giving up the habit. The pamphlets are written in serious terms and at the same time use gentle language. If you need the soft approach, so you don’t feel like a freak, the ACS might be for you.

There are plenty of books on quitting--many informative, supportive, coaxing, humorous, brilliantly researched, and helpful. I can’t recall the title (it was about 15 years ago I quit smoking cigarettes), but you’ll know it when you see it, as it has something like twenty words in the title, all hyphenated: something like, The No-nagging-low-pressure-how-to-really-quit-smoking-cigarettes-book!

And it’s written by an MD offering info on how smokes are a dual drug…unlike any other: they are, he says, upper/downers. When you’re nervous or agitated, you take long…slow…drags and are tranquilized; when you’re logy, sluggish, tired, you take short.quick.puffpuffpuffs, and are instantly energized, hyped up.

Doc X exclaims, “No wonder it’s so hard to quit smoking!” He also defines another characteristic that helps us appreciate why we’re so hooked. He gives the times for onset, noting how there’s only one other drug, of all drugs (OTC, street, prescribed that hits the brain faster, and that’s crack cocaine. If I recall correctly, crack hits you in 3 seconds, heroin in 10, 7.

Cigarettes are harder to quit than heroin!

-INTERVIEW SUCCESSFUL QUITTERS

No need for brutal interrogation; just informally ask how others who stopped smoking did it. Here are a few tricks told to me:

1. Drink water. A lot of it. Our bodies take at least 8 ten-ounce glasses of water a day anyway, so whenever you feel the urge to puff, do water instead.

2. The oral act is a big part of smoking. Use a pencil, an imaginary butt, or even—if you’re brave—a real unlit cig, and each time you have the crave to drag, inhale really deeply and satisfyingly, instead.

3. Say, “If I still want a cigarette in 20 minutes, I’ll have one.” What? Give in? No. Give yourself permission to. BUT…truly wait the whole 20 minutes (for most cravings cycle through and pass away in 20 mins.). Then, here’s the trick, repeat the permit. If you still want a cigarette in 20 minutes, you can have one. The next thing you know, 8 hours have passed.

4. Reward yourself. First, when you plan to quit smoking cigarettes, note how much you spend on smokes. During white-knuckle moments, remember you have a treat coming. Use the same money you’d use on cigs to buy a toy, new bauble, health drink (not coffee!), magazine, DVD (yes, some of us smoke that much).

5. Use slogans. 12-step programs have something there. Easy does it. This too shall pass. I think I will have to wring the neck of the crazy driver in front of me.

Well, not that last one…but you get the idea. Do whatever works. Pray. Meditate. Run. Walk. Bike. Hike.

I did a lot of hiking. My friend drove us to Mt. Tam every day, and we scaled trails I bitched about, cried over, resented. But the tricks worked. For a year and a month, exactly. Then I stupidly picked up the lung bleeders again.

Quit smoking cigarettes? Aw, crap. Here we go again.

The Effects of Kidney and Heart Disease

2007-01-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

Good health is something you cannot take for granted; thus, constantly maintaining it by eating well, exercising, and having regular check ups is what every one of us must strive for.

All our body parts and organs are vital for a happy existence; however, the heart is one of the most important organs, without which living is not possible. When faced with heart disease, treatment can be challenging, but when heart problems combine with another major organ failure, there can be fatal consequences.

Kidney and Heart Disease

Renal and coronary artery disease may progress parallel to each other, and there are many heart related diseases that affect the kidney, as well.

Kidney’s function is to filter wastes and excrete fluid by using the bloodstream’s own natural pressure. There are a number of causes that can trigger damage to the kidneys, and some of them are:

- Decreased blood flow, which is usually caused by clogged arteries that, in turn, will cause a kidney and heart disease.
- Acute tubular necrosis (ATN) – this may occur when tissues are not getting enough oxygen or when the renal artery is blocked or narrowed.
- Over-exposure to metals, solvents, radiographic contract materials, and certain types of medications.
- Myoglobin in the urine (myoglobinuria) – this condition occurs when one consumes excessive amounts of alcohol, tissue death of muscles for any given cause, or other disorders.
- Direct kidney injury.
- Infections such as acute septicemia.
- Blood disorders, which affect the heart and can lead into a joint kidney and heart disease.

There are many other causes, which can lead to the deadly combination of kidney and heart disease. You need to do everything in your power in order to avoid this dangerous duo attack. It is more than likely that in a situation where you are faced with kidney and heart disease at the same time that the outcome is fatal.

Prevention is Better Than a Cure

The only way to prevent a double failure of your body’s systems is to be constantly aware of your health’s situation by conducting regular check ups with your doctor and following his/her advice.

Knowing in time that you are in danger of some major failure, or that you will be faced with a serious disease should you not take precautions right away, will help save your life. Most people who have heart attacks never suspected one and usually end up in emergency room in a critical state. Take charge of your life and take care of your health today.

Guide to Coronary Heart Disease

2007-01-03T07:42:00.000-08:00

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), also known as Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and atherosclerotic heart disease, is the result of accumulation of atheromatous plaques (an abnormal inflammatory accumulation of the macrophage white blood cells) within the walls of the arteries.

The symptoms and signs of coronary heart disease can only be noted in the advanced state of the disease. Most individuals who suffer from coronary heart disease can have no evidence of its existence for long periods of time before they have a stroke.

Causes of Coronary Heart Disease

- Family history of coronary heart disease
- Males are more prone to this particular disease
- Being 65-years-old or greater
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Lack of physical activities
- Menopause in women
- Infection that causes inflammation of the artery wall

Symptoms leading to coronary heart disease may not always be easily readable, as many live with clogged arteries for years before they realize they have a problem. Usually people suffering from coronary heart disease walk in the emergency room with a heart attack on their hands.

Here are some of the symptoms that may help you recognize this disease:

- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath

As prevention is always better then treatment, one should try and have regular check ups and follow the doctor’s advice. Knowing in time that you are likely to have a heart problem may save you from being faced with an emergency situation, which can sometimes turn to be fatal.

Preventing Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease is the most common of heart diseases in the western world. Here are some ways to prevent ever suffering from it in the near future:

- Decrease your cholesterol level.
- Maintain your ideal body weight – obesity is one of the main factors of coronary heart disease.
- If you are a smoker, this is yet another reason you should stop smoking.
- Have a healthy diet and exercise – some doctors strongly recommend diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C.

Proper diet and exercise have always have always been the key to maintaining one’s health, and for centuries man has practiced this as being the best natural medicine.

Health is our most valuable possession, which often cannot be bought back once lost. One should try to make an effort to maintain what we naturally have – good health; as an old saying goes ‘health is wealth’ after all, treasure it while you still have it.

A Discussion of the Risk Factors for Congestive Heart Disease.

2007-01-03T07:40:00.000-08:00

Congestive heart disease affects approximately five million Americans, and some medical professionals believe that within five years time approximately half of those people will unfortunately die from their condition. Congestive heart disease is marked by the heart's inability to pump efficiently enough to supply the body with freshly oxygenated blood. It is the leading cause of hospitalization among senior citizens and accounted for nearly 20% of the hospitalization of this age group in 2003.

Since congestive heart disease is a condition that warrants attention, a brief discussion of some of the risk factors might be in order. While some of these factors cannot be helped, there are many things a person can change about their lives to reduce the risk.

Risk Factors That Cannot be Helped

There are a number of risk factors for congestive heart disease that simply can't be helped. One such factor is a previous heart attack, and advanced age, specifically over the age of 65, is another common factor for this condition. Another, of course, is a history of diabetes. Both these factors, although treatable cannot be reversed, and if you have had one of these medical conditions, there is a distinct possibility that congestive heart disease might be a condition to watch out for.

Another risk factor that cannot be changed when dealing with congestive heart disease is having a genetic disposition to the disease. Genetic testing and knowledge of the complete family history can go a long way in indicating whether or not congestive heart disease is something that should be a concern for you.

Risk Factors the Can Be Changed

While some factors that indicate the potential for congestive heart disease cannot be helped, there are a number that can. These factors include such things as chronic high blood pressure, drug or alcohol abuse, thyroid disease, and even heart valve disease. All these risk factors, especially drug and alcohol abuse can be managed with help from your medical professional or friendly neighborhood physician. The best course of action is talk to your doctor to design a plan to attack congestive heart disease and hopefully stop it from affecting your life.

Unfortunately, congestive heart disease is difficult to diagnose because it often occurs as a result of or in conjunction with other forms of heart disease. Perhaps the best hope for patients with this disease is to catch it early and begin treatment as soon as possible.

Smoking and Heart Disease

2007-01-03T07:33:00.000-08:00

Cigarette smoking is a major cause of heart diseases, such as heart attack, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease.

Some Heart Disease Facts Due to Smoking:

- Tobacco contains more then 4,000 chemicals, many are known to be poisonous.
- Nicotine increases blood pressure, because the carbon monoxide makes the heart beat faster and takes the place of oxygen in the blood.
- Tar in tobacco causes cancer, which can be a fatal disease.
- Smoking for long periods of time will cause artery clogging, which in turn leads to heart attacks from overworking the heart by reducing its oxygen supply. It also makes clots more likely to form in the blood vessels increasing the risk of potentially fatal changes in the heart beat.
- Those who are regular, long-time smokers have a 70% greater risk of death from coronary heart disease than non-smokers.
- 80% of new smokers are children and adolescents who are trying to copy a parent or other hero figure.

Passive smoking can cause heart disease, and those who do not smoke directly but inhale smoke from others are at direct risk, as well.

- Living with an active smoker increases one’s risk of heart disease by 30%.
- Inhaling smoke is especially dangerous for children and unborn babies (pregnant women) and can lead to low birth weight babies, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), bronchitis, pneumonia, asthma, and middle ear infection.

Stop Smoking to Improve Your Health and Increase Your Life Span

Many choose smoking to cope with stress, loose weight, because of poor self-esteem, or simply to fit in the friend’s circle by looking ‘cool.’ Most of the first time smokers get their first cigarette from someone else or find it readily available in the house from a smoking parent.

Here are some great reasons to stop smoking now:

- Smoking causes heart disease, which can lead to a heart attack.
- Your smoking can cause the same bad effects on your family and friends around you who don’t smoke.
- Save money from not buying cigarettes – if you do the math, depending on how much you smoke, you are looking at couple of thousand dollars a year.

Getting Help

If you think you cannot do it with just plain will power and/or if you are a heavy smoker, get help before you start so you can successfully quit the habit.

- Check with your doctor first and see what course of action he/she recommends.
- Nicotine patch/pills/chewing gums are a great substitute.
- Try to quit along with a friend or a group.

Cigarette smoking can cause you to die early and those who live close to you to inhale the smoke – that in itself should be reason enough to quit. Enjoy a healthy life and offer clean air to your family and friends – quit smoking today.

Information on Heart Disease: Learning is the Key

2007-01-03T07:30:00.000-08:00

Heart disease is the number one killer in America. It’s estimated that more than 58 million Americans have some form of heart disease. The key to stopping such as a problematic illness like heart disease is to find out as much as we can about it and, more importantly, how to prevent it.

Information on heart disease is not hard to find; in fact, your doctor probably has several good reads on the subject in his office. If you don’t have a doctor, then just open your local newspaper. With such important status, you would be hard pressed not to find an article or other piece of information on heart disease from your local health center or hospital. Also, search the web where all the information on heart disease that you want is only a few keystrokes.

What to Look For

The information you’ll want to research are things such as: risk factors, prevention, the latest scientific research, symptoms, and treatments. This vital information on heart disease is important to understanding it. By learning as much as we can about heart disease, we can hopefully prevent it and all go on to live long, healthy, productive lives.

By looking at such information on heart disease, we learn that certain risk factors that can cause it. These risk factors include: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. More personal risk factors include: being overweight, smoking, a lack of physical exercise, and stress. By learning what behaviors attract heart disease, we can find out just which habits we might want to avoid.

Why You Should be Informed

Prevention is the best way to avoid ever having to deal with the disease. Through information on heart disease, we can adopt certain lifestyle changes, avoid getting heart disease, and possibly stop this problem from spreading any further.

By reading about the latest research, symptoms, and treatments, we can keep abreast of the latest findings regarding this killer disease. More importantly, we can educate others about this horrible disease, others who may be seeking information on heart disease just like you.

It’s important that we seek out information on heart disease to learn as much as we can about it so we can stop it in its tracks. Only by learning about it and applying what we’ve learned, can we stop this disease. The more information we have, the more ammunition we have to defeat this killer of so many Americans.