NEWS ON HEALTH HEART & FACTS
February is American Heart month. And if, like most people, you rarely give thought to your ticker - perhaps it is time to start. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States, or about 600,000 dead - or death on three - in this country each year.
The term "heart disease" encompasses a variety of cardiac disorders, but the most common is coronary artery disease, also called disease of the coronary artery (CAD). CAD develops when plaque of waxy cholesterol accumulates in your coronary arteries, the large blood vessels of your heart.
For many years, the theory of the way whose plaques develop and cause problems in the arterial walls revolved around high blood cholesterol caused mainly by consumption of saturated fats and cholesterol-rich foods, said Stephen Sinatra, MD, board certified cardiologist and co-author of The great cholesterol myth. "This whole theory of the evolution of heart disease was released during the cold war when Eisenhower had a heart attack. Heart disease was rising then, and Eisenhower liked his bacon and eggs."
At the time, Sinatra, a researcher named Ancel Keys presented a correlation between death from coronary heart disease and fat consumption in populations living in six countries. Only much later, it was determined that key selected only those countries which correspond to his hypothesis, which has been the consumption of dietary fats have led to heart disease and avoid dietary fat, especially saturated, has a healthy heart.
This theory stuck - for many years, said Sinatra. "But we have condemned the bad man," he insisted. "We need saturated fats for our lungs and our brain and the transmission of impulses throughout the nervous system. And we need cholesterol in our skin to synthesize the sunlight for vitamin d."
Instead of vilifying saturated fats, said Sinatra, we should concentrate on the most important cause of heart disease – systemic inflammation. If you have already had a sports injury, you're already familiar with painful inflammation with redness, swelling and heat resulting from the reaction of the immune system to the injured area. But the inflammation that occurs in the whole of the body, called "chronic systemic inflammation," can wreak havoc in the body. It does not affect only a zone, but several internal organs and systems, including blood vessels. And when the blood vessels are inflamed, they allow to cholesterol to penetrate through the wall of the artery to form plaque deposits. Once there, the plate will oxidize and becomes inflamed, causing a break in the wall of the artery, which leads to the formation of blood clots that might obstruct the flow of blood to the heart and cause a heart attack.
Power plays certainly a factor in systemic inflammation, acknowledged the Sinatra. Fatty substances such as acids trans fats, for example, in some margarines, snack foods such as cookies or muffins and fried like donuts or French fries - foods can increase inflammation. Omega-6 oils (present in the oils of safflower, sunflower, corn and sesame), although important in small quantities in food, can also promote inflammation. And drinks and sugary foods are huge players in the inflammatory process.
Certain diseases are associated with systemic inflammation, too, said Amy L. Doneen, ARNP, medical director of the heart and the center of preventing strokes in Spokane, Washington and coauthor of soon to be released book, Beat The heart attack Gene. "Numerous pathologies, including resistance to insulin, periodontal disease, autoimmune inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and many others, increase inflammation," she says.
But the diet and inflammation are not the only culprits involved in the development of CAD, added Adama, who explained that there is a strong genetic component to heart disease, too. According to Adama, genetic studies and many epidemiological studies have identified genetic markers for CAD, including a form of cholesterol that is a subtype of LDL (bad cholesterol). This type of cholesterol, called lipoprotein (a) or Lipo (one), is linked to genes on chromosome 6 and is an important risk factor for CAD and stroke.
What to do to reduce your risk of CAD? Here are a few important steps in the book of Adama:
Know your family history. Family history of cardiovascular disease are one of the biggest risks to keep in mind, with studies finding as much as a trebling of the CAD in those who have a parent in the first degree with the condition.
Get regular medical care, including blood pressure and cholesterol screening, weight checks and testing for insulin resistance. If you have high blood pressure, diabetes or prediabetes, follow the treatment plan, recommended by your doctor to keep the situation under control. And dental care, including cleaning, must be done ideally every three months to prevent periodontal disease.
If you have problems with chronic health conditions associated with inflammation, such as hypertension, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or periodontal disease, if you have a relative of the first degree with CAD - or if you simply want to reduce your risk of CAD - consider a consultation with a physician who specializes in lipid testing advances, as well as tests for systemic inflammation, formation of blood vessels of plaque and genetic markers for CAD. Many of these tests are reasonably priced and can help you and your doctor to make a plan to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease before problems start.
Keep your weight down. Obesity is associated with insulin resistance and suffering from inflammation. The best diet for most people is a Mediterranean diet that puts emphasis on food herbal, such as fruit and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, legumes and olive oil, as well as normal amounts of cheese, yogurt, fish and wine. Adding one or two squares of dark chocolate (at least 72% of cocoa) daily can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and stave off insulin resistance.
Do not smoke.
Exercise regularly. Workouts do not have to be deep or long for the benefit of heart. Even 15-20 minutes daily walk can do wonders. Better yet, alternate episodes more intensive exercise (like jogging) the market. Training at intervals contributes to lower the weight more efficiently and improve cholesterol levels, as well as decreases the risk of insulin resistance.
6-8 hours a night of sleep. Research links risk of heart attack, diabetes and obesity by sleep debt. MS. & F
9 NATURAL WAYS TO LOWER YOUR CHOLESTEROL LEVELS
According to Janet Bond Brill, PhD, RD, LDN, nutrition and specialist in fitness and author of cholesterol down, there are natural ways to lower your cholesterol. "Statins are a miracle drug, but they put a band-aid on the problem. You can lower your cholesterol with the more powerful drug, it is what you choose to put in your mouth and exercise, "she said. Here are nine things healthy heart that Dr. Brill suggests that you put in your mouth every day:
Oatmeal - Steel cut, preference is rich in soluble fiber, which reduces the absorption of cholesterol from the body's intestines, lowering your levels of LDL (bad cholesterol).
Unsalted raw almonds - almonds are an incredible source of antioxidants and healthy fat case-disease. And research shows that a few tasty nuggets daily can lower your LDL number.
Ground flax seed - the benefits of flax seed come from fibre and omega-3 healthy for your heart and can help reduce the total blood cholesterol and LDL.
Psyllium husk - numerous studies suggest that diets high in soluble fiber in water as envelope of psyllium can lower your triglyceride levels. And psyllium can also help stabilize blood sugar levels, a definite plus for the health of the heart.
Beans - beans have fiber of cholesterol, but they also contain phytonutrients that can play a key role in the reduction of cholesterol.
Composed of Apple - polyphenol antioxidants found in apples, can help inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which is the process that leads to the buildup of plaque in the arteries. Apples are also a good source of soluble fiber.
Sterols and stanols plant - plant sterols and stanols is naturally the compounds present in the membranes of plant cells. They are structurally similar to cholesterol in the body, so when consume you them, they are in competition with the cholesterol for absorption in the digestive system, helping to block cholesterol. The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that those with elevated cholesterol levels consume 2 grams of plant sterols and stanols every day, found in yogurt, juice or milk enriched, either as a supplement.
Soy protein - many studies have shown that soy protein including in food, in particular instead of animal protein, reduce the LDL and total cholesterol levels, especially in those with high levels of cholesterol.
Garlic - some studies have suggested that garlic may have a modest effect on lowering LDL levels.
THE DEBATE OF A STATIN
The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology (ACC/AHA) released new guidelines of cardiovascular prevention that have some professionals of health in arms, in particular concerning the use of Statins cholesterol. According to the authors, the guidelines are based on the best available scientific data. In short, the new guidelines away lipid lowering Statin treatment based solely on targets of LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, triglycerides and HDL (good cholesterol). Instead, the AHA/ACC recommend statin therapy for the following groups:
Those with heart disease confirmed
Those with more than 190 LDL levels
People ages 40-75 who have diabetes
People with a risk of 10 years of disease greater than 7.5%, based on a new risk assessment calculator that uses an equation to determine risk based on race, sex, age, levels of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, use of the drug for hypertension, diabetes and smoking.
Although many who have confirmed heart disease, high LDL and diabetes use already statins, adding the last group (those with a risk of 10 years of disease greater than 7.5 per cent), would amount to about 31 million people in all. This means a full one-third of the population of the America of 40-65 years are placed on Statins, said John Higgins, MD, a cardiologist of sport at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. This is not very pleasant for him. "For people with Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease confirmed, Statins appear to be very beneficial," he said. «But for those who do step diagnosed coronary artery disease, it's a little harder to put some of the latter on a drug for life which is expensive and that has important side effects.»
Amy L. Doneen, ARNP, Director medical of heart attack and the centre for the prevention of stroke in Spokane, Washington and co-author of the forthcoming book soon book, Beat The Gene heart attack, agrees that the guidelines may miss the target, indicating that there are several causes of vascular disease that statin therapy does not help. She said people who have high cholesterol levels but no vascular disease or vascular inflammation rates may be treated unnecessarily. «We use the statin therapy for people who have plaques in their arteries, not simply because someone has high levels of LDL, because it is one of the best classes of drugs for treating vascular inflammation,"she says."»» These guidelines are likely to put many people on moderate to high-dose statin therapy who don't have blood plate and instead, don't miss many of the root causes of vascular disease that cannot be treated with the isolated statin therapy. »
According to the AHA, the new guidelines of cardiovascular prevention are simply a tool to encourage those who are at risk high heart disease discuss risks and benefits of Statins with their doctor. That is a good plan, said Mr. Higgins, because statins, like any medication, have side effects that can be uncomfortable. And for the athletes, he added, 'Statins may alter the effect of training exercise on muscle and the maximum oxygen capacity adaptations.'
While you may ultimately need a Statin, said Mr Higgins, ' exercise, diet and avoiding bad habits are always my first line treatment for many. " If we could do a better job with lifestyle changes, we could reduce the use of statins. "MS. & F
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