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Nuts Help Lower Cholesterol

November 7, 2010 By 1 Comment

A recent study proposes that eating nuts on a daily basis improves blood cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. The study took place at Loma Linda University in which researchers looked at 25 cases on nut consumption in 7 countries.

They examined 583 men and women with various cholesterol levels. The nuts evaluated included almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, macadamia nuts and peanuts. The patients in this trial ate approximately 67 grams of nuts per day. The results — a 5.1% reduction in total cholesterol concentration, and a 7.4% reduction in LDL (bad cholesterol). In addition, triglycerides measurements declined by 10.2%.

Nuts should be included in your therapeutic and dietary interventions for improving cholesterol levels. It should not be the sole source of dieting for your cholesterol treatment. Also, moderation is key. Please limit yourself to a maximum of 3 ounces per day because nuts have high calorie density.

Filed Under: Diet, Heart Health Tagged With: ,

Is Red Wine Good For Your Heart?

September 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

It has been known that red wine, when taken in moderation, can be good for the heart. This is because it contains antioxidants that may help prevent heart disease and increase levels of “good” cholesterol. However, alcohol has many  harmful effects on the body, if people start to drink in high amounts. A moderate amount is defined as an average of 2 drinks a day for men, and one drink a day for women. A drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of win, or 1.5 ounces of spirits.

Still, physicians agree that the powerful antioxidants, such as flavonoids or resveratrol, have promising benefits for the heart.

Flavonoids: these are found in a lot of foods including oranges, grape juice, apples, onions, tea and cocoa. Nonflavonoids found in red wine also prevent arteries from becoming clogged with fatty blockages, such as resveratrol.

Resveratrol: this can protect against obesity, diabetes, and ultimately heart disease if received in copious amounts. The research for this antioxidant and its benefits towards the heart is still a work in progress. It is found in the skin of grapes, so essentially you could drink grape juice or eat fresh grapes and get the same antioxidant. Other foods containing resveratrol include peanuts, blueberries and cranberries.

How does alcohol help the heart? Moderate amounts of alcohol, not just in red wine, raises the “good” cholesterol, reduces blood clots, and helps prevent artery damage caused by “bad” cholesterol. However, drinking too much increases your risk of high blood pressure, high triglycerides, liver damage, obesity, types of cancer, accidents and other problems. Also, if you take aspirin daily, you should avoid or limit alcohol intake.

If you have more questions about the benefits and risks of alcohol, talk to your physician about specific health suggestions for you.

Filed Under: Life Style

Increased Risk of Heart Attacks on the Slopes

September 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The title might pose an ironic question–how is it possible to get cardiac arrest while performing cardiovascular activity? The answer is: it’s very much possible. Skiing and snowboarding act as wonderful winter sports and hobbies for most Americans, regardless of age or background. However, it is a somewhat demanding physical activity that requires careful preparation. Besides from planning for cabins, rental cars, and plane tickets, people should also plan to physically prepare their bodies to bear the altitude and temperature of the slopes.

Doctor Gert Klug of the Medical University of Innsbruck in Austria says, “Our study of tourists in the Austrian Alps shows that inadequate preparation for the physical exertion required, combined with the effect of high altitude and cold temperatures, led to an increase in heart attacks, particularly during the first two days of vacation.”

Klug also mentions that sound research has shown 40% of death on the slopes was attributed to sudden cardiac arrest, mainly heart attacks.

The European Society of Cardiology Congress completed a recent study that analyzed the data of 110 people who have suffered heart attacks during a winter sports activity from 2006 to 2010. The results show:

* 56% of heart attacks occurred within the first two days of hitting the slopes; 39% struck on the day of arrival.
* About one in five people had suffered previous heart symptoms, and seven in 10 had at least two heart disease risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or smoking.
* Half suffered their heart attack during or within one hour of activity.
* The average time from hitting the slopes to suffering the first symptoms was nearly two hours.
* More than 50% had not been doing the recommended levels of exercise before they left.

So what’s the solution? Exercise at least 2 weeks prior to your vacation. You should put in at least 2 hours or exercise each day in order to physically prepare yourself for such drastic changes on the slopes. The altitude and temperature levels do play a role in increasing risk of a heart attack, although the winter sport itself is typically safe. An increase in altitude of an average 4000 feet and a drop in temperature of an average 50-60 degrees will make you body more vulnerable. Ray Gibbons, MD of the American Heart Association says that physical preparation, high altitudes, and cold temperatures create a “perfect storm” for heart attacks.

In essence, the answer here is to prepare, not avoid the slopes. It is not an act of discouragement, but more so a precursor to let everyone know that skiing and snowboarding would require heart preparation in order to do it safely.

Filed Under: Exercise, Life Style

The Best Foods For A Heart-Healthy Diet

September 6, 2010 By 1 Comment

Heart-healthy foods provide the body with a powerful nutrient called phytonutrients, which prevents cell damage. This is the essence of preventing heart disease. So, what are these so-called foods? It’s in the colorful fruits and vegetables, the whole grains, beans, and legumes that offer all kinds of complex yet heart-protective nutrients. Everyone’s looking for one food that will do the trick. However, heart-healthy is more than just oatmeal and omega 3′s. You have to come at it from a holistic view.

The Cleveland Clinic and the American Diabetic Association has put together a top healthy foods for the heart list and ideas for dishes.

Colorful Vegetables and Fruits

1. Salmon: grilled with a side of brown rice and marinade; or cooked with pasta or salad.

2. Flaxseeds: mix in with yogurt, morning cereal, home-baked muffins, or cookies.

3. Oatmeal: Hot oatmeal with fresh fruits; or oatmeal-and-raisin cookies.

4. Black Beans: stir in these beans with your salad!

5. Almonds: Mix the almonds in your salad, yogurt, trail mix, or just eat them as a snack

6. Walnuts: Do the same with walnuts…add to your salad, pastas, cookies, muffins, or even pancakes.

7. Red Wine: Cheers to good health!

8. Tuna: tuna salad with greens, fresh fruit, and canned tuna.

9. Tofu: grilled or stir-fry with soy sauce.

10. Brown rice: pretty much compatible with every entree.

11. Soy Milk: great for cereal and oatmeal, or a soy smoothie

12. Blueberries: salads, fruit salads, muffins and more.

13. Carrots: Baby carrots with low-fat ranch.

14. Spinach: Salads or pack in a sandwich.

15. Broccoli: Veggie dip or home-made hummus

16. Sweet potato: Eat as is and enjoy the sweetness of it.

17. Red bell peppers: great for wraps, salads, and sandwiches.

18. Asparagus: grill or steam lightly. Eat with olive oil or lemon.

19. Oranges: juiced or sliced, it’s that simple.

20. Tomatoes: pack in sandwiches, salads, pastas, and pizzas.

21. Acorn squash: baked and serve with spinach or nuts.

22. Cantaloupe: great for a quick breakfast or snack or dessert.

23. Papaya: make salsa and mix with pineapple, scallions, garlic, fresh lime juice and black peppers.

24. Dark chocolate: A small chunk of 70% or higher cocoa is great.

25. Tea: Served hot or cold, you can never go wrong with tea.

Also, be sure to look for these nutrients below when shopping for groceries: vitamins C and D, magnesium, potassium, calcium, B vitamins, and omega 3 fatty acids. They all play an important role in preventing heart disease.

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Angioplasty

August 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Angioplasty is a non-surgical procedure used to open blocked heart arteries. What happens during angioplasty is that a cardiac catheterization will take place. The patient will receive local anesthesia as well as medication to relax his/her body. The next step is to insert a sheath into an artery. Then, a catheter (a long, narrow, hollow tube) is passed through the sheath and is then guided up the blood vessel to the arteries near the heart.

Angioplasty Balloon

The doctor will insert a small amount of contrast material through the catheter that will travel through the heart’s chambers, valves, and major vessels. From the contrast material, the doctors can tell whether arteries are narrowed and whether heart valves are functioning correctly. Lastly, the doctor will perform a intervention procedure. There are 5 different procedures for intervention:

Balloon angioplasty: this is where a catheter with a small balloon tip is inflated to compress the fatty parts into the walls of the artery and stretch the artery open to increase blood flow.

  • Stent: this is where a small metal mesh tube acts as a scaffold to provide support inside your artery.
  • Rotoblation: this is where an acorn-shaped, diamond-coated tip catheter spins around at high speed and grinds away plaque on your artery walls.
  • Atherectomy: This is a hollow cylindrical catheter with a ballon that also pushes against the fatty materials. A blade within the cylinder rotates and shaves off any fat that protrudes.
  • Cutting balloon:  this is a cutting balloon catheter with a small blade. The blades turn on when the balloon is inflated.

Following The Procedure

After an angioplasty, you will have to lay flat and not bend your legs for about 6 hours because a groin sheath is in place. You should not eat or drink anything except clear liquids until the sheath is removed. When you resume eating, you should have a low-cholesterol and low-salt diet. Notify your doctor immediately if you have a fever or experience chest pain.

Filed Under: Life Style, Procedures Tagged With: , ,

Metabolic Syndrome

August 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Approximately 47 million Americans have metabolic syndrome; it is as widespread as pimples or the cold. However, not many people know much about it since there have been several debates on whether or not it should be viewed as a “real” condition.

Well, wonder no more about this so-called Syndrom X. Metabolic syndrome is not a disease per se. It’s rather a group of risk factors: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol levels and abdominal fat. When these risk factors are combine, they double the risk for blood vessel disease and heart disease, which can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes.

Abdominal Obesity Affects Metabolic Syndrome

According to the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, there are 5 risk factors involved:

  • Large Waist: Men with 40 inches or larger; women with 35 inches or larger
  • Triglycerides in Cholesterol: higher than 150 mg/dL
  • Low HDL Cholesterol: Men with less then 40 mg/dL; women with less than 50 mg/dL
  • Blood Sugar Level: higher than 100 mg/dL
  • High Blood Pressure: 130/85 mm Hg or higher

If you have at least three out of the five risk factors, you have metabolic syndrome. Since it is not a direct disease, experts are unsure of its exact cause. Some risk factors include insulin resistance, obesity, unhealthy lifestyle and hormonal imbalance. Insulin resistance, the insulin doesn’t work so your body keeps making more and more of it to cope with levels of glucose. Eventually, this leads to diabetes. Obesity, especially abdominal obesity, is also a great factor to metabolic syndrome. Unhealthy lifestyle means that you are eating very high in saturated fats and not getting the right amount of exercise. Hormonal imbalance also plays a role due to polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that relates to metabolic syndrome.

If you feel like your are at risk or have recently been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, it is time to get serious about finding ways to improve your health. Please talk to your doctor about treatments and lifestyle changes that can prevent you from getting serious diseases.

Filed Under: Heart Health, Life Style Tagged With:

High Cholesterol

August 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in certain foods such as seafood, dairy products, eggs and meat. Our bodies need some cholesterol in order to function; however, too much cholesterol can be bad. It can increase the risk of heart disease. While there are some controllable factors that contribute to cholesterol, some cannot be helped.

Some uncontrollable risk factors are:

  • Gender: for women, “bad” cholesterol increases after menopause

    Foods That Can Increase Cholesterol

  • Age: men ages 45 or older, and women ages 55 or older are at higher risk of high cholesterol
  • Family history: if your family member(s) have a history of heart disease, you might have a high risk for cholesterol

Some controllable risk factors are:

  • Diet: the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in the food you eat can raise your cholesterol
  • Weight: being overweight can increase your LDL and lower your HDL
  • Exercise: increased physical activity can help lower your LDL and raise your HDL.

Cholesterol and Coronary Heart Disease

The biggest risk of high cholesterol is coronary heart disease. If your cholesterol is too high, it builds up in the walls of your arteries. Over time, the buildup causes hardening of the arteries, which is known as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis causes less blood to flow to the heart, causing angina (chest pain) or a heart attack.

High cholesterol can also cause strokes if plaque buildup blocks the blood that flows to the brain. It has also been linked to peripheral vascular disease, which is a disease of blood vessels outside of the heart and brain. In this condition, the fatty buildups affect the artery walls and cuts off blood circulation to the legs and feet.

Treatment

The best way to lower your bad cholesterol is to adopt a healthier lifestyle. This includes a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet and plenty of aerobic workouts. Be sure to read food labels when shopping for groceries so that you know what you are eating. Whole wheat, brown rice, fresh fruits and vegetables, fat-free dairy, low-fat cheese, and etcetera are all a part of a healthy diet. Visit your doctor to know where you are at with your cholesterol level. If necessary, your doctor could prescribe you medication to help lower bad cholesterol as well.

Filed Under: Heart Health, Life Style Tagged With:

Heart Palpitations

August 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Heart palpitations are rapid, fluttering, or pounding heartbeats. Palpitations can be triggered by stress, exercise, certain medications, or other medical conditions.

Heart palpitations can seem worrisome, but they are generally harmless. You can always prevent them by avoiding the triggers that cause them. In very rare cases, heart palpitations may be a symptom of a serious heart condition that may require treatment.

Symptoms include:

  • Skipped heartbeats
  • Fluttering heartbeats
  • Fast heartbeats
  • Heartbeats that are pumping harder than usual

You may also feel palpitations in your throat and neck and while you are active or at rest. You should seek emergency medical attention if palpitations are accompanied with dizziness, shortness of breath, discomfort, or fainting.

Causes and Treatment

The common causes of heart palpitations include: strong emotions, stress or anxiety; strenuous exercise, caffeine, nicotine, fever, hormone changes, and medications containing pseudophedrine.

Palpitations can be a serious symptom for conditions like hyperthyroidism, arrythmia, tachycardia, bradycardia or atrial fibrillation.

Risk factors for palpitations include stress, anxiety, pregnancy, stimulants, and hyperthyroidism.

If your doctor finds that you have an underlying heart condition in addition to your palpitations, then he/she will prescribe the proper medications and/or treatment. Otherwise, palpitations are generally harmless and can be avoided with certain lifestyle changes.

Filed Under: Heart Health, Life Style Tagged With: ,

Heartburn, or Acid Reflux

August 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Although the name can be deceiving, heartburn is not directly related to the heart. However, the symptoms are quite similar to those of a heart attack or heart disease. By definition, heartburn is an irritation of the esophagus that is caused by stomach acids.

How Does It Happen?

A muscular valve called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES for short) keeps acid in the stomach. It is located right below the rib cage and slightly left of center. Normally it opens to allow food in and then closes again. But sometimes the LES opens too often or does not close tight enough; stomach acid can reflux into the esophagus, which causes the burning sensation.

Occasionally, everyone will experience heartburn. It can be treated with over the counter medications. However, chronic heartburn can indicate serious problems which might turn into gastro esophageal reflux disease (or GERD).

Foods that trigger heartburn include dishes that are high in fats and oils. Stress, smoking, and overeating can be a major contributor as well.

Is It A Heartburn or Heart Attack?

Heartburns have a burning feeling in the chest, burning in the throat, difficulty swallowing, and a feeling of food sticking to the middle of chest or throat.

The signs that tell you that it might be heartburn and not a heart attack are: the pain does not radiate to shoulders or higher, the symptoms will respond to antacids, and it is rarely accompanied by a cold sweat. For heart attacks, of course, chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, cold sweat, and lightheadedness are a few of the common symptoms.

Treatments

Doctors will most commonly prescribe antacids for heartburn. These can come over-the-counter such as Pepcid AC, Tamaget HR, Axid AR, or Zantac 75. There are also long-term prescription medications if needed. There are usually Prevacid, Prilosec, Nexium, etc. If the heartburn does not decrease, there is also the option of surgery to repair the LES.

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Heart Disease in the United States – Map

August 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment

My old college professor used to tell us almost daily that correlation doesn’t imply causation, but it pretty stunning to see the concentration of heart disease related deaths up the lower Mississippi River and Arkansas River Basins.
[Read more...]

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