Health and Fitness Blog » Heart

Understanding Cholesterol Levels and Decrease the Risk of Heart Attacks and Strokes

admin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:42:55 +0000

Fact:

* heart disease claims about ½ million lives in America per year
* high cholesterol levels play a ignificant role in heart disease
* studies show if you lower cholesterol levels, the risk of heart disease is reduced by up-to 40%

What is Cholesterol?
Before we go into how to reduce your cholesterol, let’s take a look at what exactly cholesterol is.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is produced by the liver and its job is to:-

* produce bile acids to help with the digestion of fat
* build and repair cells and
* produce estrogen and testosterone hormones

Therefore cholesterol is an important function of the body, but too much cholesterol in the body becomes a risk
as it can clog up arteries and this can be the cause of heart attacks and strokes.

Cholesterol Symptoms

It is surprising to learn that there are virtually no symptoms to diagnose if you have high cholesterol. High cholesterol is normally identified by a blood test.

However, if you are having health issues such as coronary disease, vascular disease or stroke, then this could be the end result of high cholesterol levels in your body.

Symptoms of:

Coronary Disease
* Angina
* Chest pains
* Nausea
* Shortness of breath

Vascular Disease
* A tightening sensation in the lower extremities
* Ulcers or open sores on the lower extremities

Stroke
* loss of balance and dizziness
* slurring of speech and difficulty in understanding
* numbing sensation of the face, arm or leg
* this can be a sudden event with little or no warning

People who are overweight and do no exercise at all tend to be the ones with higher cholesterol levels.

Therefore, it is recommended that you have a cholesterol blood test every three years if you are overweight and every 5 years if you are a normal healthy weight.

How to Lower Cholesterol

If your blood test shows that your cholesterol levels are too high, then you should take immediate measures to help
lower your cholesterol. Your doctor will advise you on the best course of action, but initially it is the norm for
you to follow a low cholesterol diet.

A low cholesterol diet is normally a diet which is low in saturated fat and will include eating:-

* skinless poultry
* lean meats
* fish and shellfish
* low fat dairy products
* fruit
* vegetables
* whole grain foods

Cook your food by either

* grilling
* baking
* steaming
* boiling
* poaching
* microwave

Do not fry your food in lard or oil.

Your doctor also might prescribe you with a cholesterol lowering medication if he/she feels that the low cholesterol diet will not be enough.

Make the Link between Diabetes and Heart Disease

admin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:35:31 +0000

Diabetes is a complex disease that can be difficult to understand and an even greater challenge to manage. The most life-threatening complications of diabetes are heart disease and stroke, which strike two out of three people with diabetes. Alarmingly, most people who have diabetes are unaware of their increased risk for heart disease and stroke. The good news is that people with diabetes can help reduce these risks by understanding and properly managing their disease.

First, managing the ABCs of diabetes — A1C (a blood test which provides a “big picture” of your average blood sugar), Blood pressure and Cholesterol — will help reduce the risk for heart disease, stroke and other health problems. Beyond managing the ABCs, successful diabetes care also means understanding the disease itself and how it affects your body. Link for Life is an interactive, online tool filled with practical tips and valuable information about diabetes.

“Type Two Lou,” an animated character who hosts the program, takes visitors into a virtual classroom, Diabetes 101. Link for Life consists of four distinct “courses”:

1. What is diabetes?

2. Diabetes and related health problems

3. The ABCs of diabetes

4. Medications

Through colorful animation, Link for Life describes how diabetes affects your body and describes the key components of diabetes care. Special features include tips on meal planning, managing medicines, diabetes self-care, and getting the most from visits with your health care providers. Most importantly, the program shows that by increasing knowledge and taking charge of diabetes, people with diabetes can reduce their risk for heart disease, stroke and other long-term health problems. To log onto Link for Life, visit www.diabetes.org/makethelink and click on the Link for Life icon in the center of the screen. To learn more about the link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease, call (800) DIABETES (342-2383)

Heart Attack

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 01:31:07 +0000

If you’re male and you lead an inactive lifestyle you probably have at least 3 risk factors associated with heart disease.

I know, I know, you feel fine but so do most people before they have a heart attack. Unfortunately, most people find out they have heart disease the day they are admitted in to hospital, and they are the lucky ones!

Ladies, don’t think this is just something for men to worry about (as it has been in the past). Women, as well as men, are more likely to die of heart disease than of any type of cancer.

This is because of our modern lifestyle. We are working longer hours, so we eat fast food, and there’s no time for exercise. To make matters worse, machines are taking the ‘work’ out of work. We are less active and it’s killing us!

So what are the risk factors for heart disease?

Firstly, there are two types of risk factors: those that can be changed, and those that can’t be changed. It’s important to know that you only need to have 3 of these to be at risk. Each extra risk factor that you have increases your chance of having a heart attack substantially.

Risk factors that can’t be changed:

Heredity: You are at greater risk if your parents, grandparents, brothers, or sisters, have heart disease.

Gender: Men are at greater risk than women, though the risk for women increases after menopause.

Age: As you increase in age, so do your chances of having a heart attack. Once you reach 40 you should have regular check-ups.

Risk factors that can be changed:

Smoking: A smoker is twice as likely than a non-smoker to have a heart attack. It not only places extra strain on the heart and lungs but also makes blood cholesterol stickier, making it easier to block arteries.

High Blood Cholesterol: Cholesterol is produced naturally by the body and is essential to our health. The problem comes when we consume too much in our diet.

High Blood Pressure: Just like with high cholesterol there are no early symptoms. The first most people learn they have this is when it’s at a dangerous level.

Physical Inactivity: If you are inactive, you are more likely to have a heart attack. Even a 10 minute walk each day can make all the difference.

Obesity: If you are obese, you are placing your heart under a great deal of strain even at rest.

I might be at risk, what should I do?

If you think you could be at risk, the first thing you should do is visit your doctor. Secondly, you need to modify your lifestyle. Exercise for at least 10 minutes per day (30 minutes is better but anything is better than nothing!). You also need to eat foods that are low in fat. If you smoke you need to give up.

Even if you don’t have many risk factors it’s a good idea to visit your doctor each year. Some risk factors can change within a short period of time and getting on to them early can make all the difference.

Food That’s Good for A Healthy Heart

admin — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 01:28:06 +0000

Here’s a conundrum: While experts agree that high cholesterol and blood pressure are crucial heart disease risk factors, many people who suffer chest pain or even heart attacks have levels that are perfectly normal. This puzzle has prompted researchers to scour the body for other cardiovascular villains. Several have emerged in recent years, but the one that stands out the most is inflammation.

The latest studies suggest that chronic inflammation of the lining of arteries is an important factor in the development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. What causes this inflammation is not clear, but the good news is that (1) the advice that is given for lowering cholesterol, blood pressure and triglycerides also works fine for fighting inflammation; and (2) you can tackle all 4 culprits with the help of dietary weapons. In fact, you can plan your war against heart disease in your kitchen. Here is how:

1. Think like an artist when you choose fruits and vegetables: Eat those with the brightest colors. They have the most heart protective antioxidant pigments. A diet high in fruits and veggies also provides another important heart benefit, salicylic acid, which is the same anti-inflammatory compound created when aspirin is broken down in the body.

2. Increase food sources of omega-3 fatty acids which target high triglycerides in the blood. Good sources of omega-3s include fish such as sardines, mackerel; nuts and seeds; green leafy vegetables; grains like wheat, bajra; legumes like rajma, cowpea, and black gram.

3. Reduce the amount of meats you eat, especially red meats, and always select lean cuts. Use meat as a seasoning for vegetable dishes rather than the focal point of a meal.

4. Cut down on salt and instead use herbs and spices like ginger, garlic, turmeric and fenugreek liberally in your cooking; the first three are naturally anti-inflammatory and the last has soluble fibre which helps sweep away cholesterol from the arteries.

5. Shift to groundnut, mustard, rice bran and olive oils which contain monosaturated fatty acids that help lower (bad) LDL and maintain levels of (good) HDL cholesterol. Drastically limit margarine, vegetable shortening, butter and all products made with partially hydrogenated oils.

6. Fruits and vegetables, whole grains (wheat, brown rice, oats), beans and pulses, are also great sources of soluble and insoluble fibre, which trap LDLs and usher them out of the body.