Category Archives: Heart Diseases

Facts You Need To Know About Heart Disease

Heart disease is a disease of the heart that has several variations such as hypertension, congenital heart disease, heart infection, disorders of the heart valves and heart arrythmias. Heart disease doesnt develop all at once but comes on slowly and insidiously; with the patient seldom knowing that the disease is forming.

It is a fact that exercise, a healthy diet or low cholesterol can protect or prevent the various forms of heart disease. It is interesting to note; however, that not all types of heart disease are the result of unhealthy lifestyle habits. There are some variations of heart disease that are brought on by viruses. An example of this would be a baby born with a defect in a heart valve.

What most physicians recommend and suggest when talking about preventing heart disease is preventing coronary heart disease.

The facts state that more than 60 million Americans suffer from some form of heart disease. Sadly, statistics show that around 2600 people die each day from heart disease. Cancer comes in second as the nations largest killer.

But, these statistics need not frighten you because there are things you and I can do to prevent or lessen the chances of getting heart disease.

The major risk factors that lead to heart disease are high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, obesity, lack of physical activity, heredity, gender and age. Most of these major risk factors can be lessened such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, obesity, and inactivity. By being aware of how we can lessen or eliminate these factors by being vigilant and taking better care of our health, we can do a great deal to keep heart disease out of our lives.

There are also risk factors that contribute, or make it more likely that you will have heart disease such as stress, sex hormones, birth control pills and alcohol. These factors we do have some control over and with guidance from our physicians and practicing better health habits, we can keep these heart risk factors low.

And there are additional factors we can initiate to prevent heart disease. First of all if you smoke, stop. Next if you dont have an exercise program, begin one and start out smallsay 15-20 minutes and each week add on a few minutes more. Begin with walking or riding a stationary bike. You will feel healthier in a short time and your body will thank you.

Next, eat a diet that is healthy for your heart such as fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, more salads, nuts and whole grain breads and cereals. Stay away from saturated fats found in such food as muffins, pies, high-saturated meats and cheese. And, keep a healthy weight. Find out what your BMI isa figure that looks at your height in comparison to weight, and get regular health screeningsespecially for blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Don’t wait around and allow an unhealthy lifestyle lead to heart disease, for with preventative measures you can can prevent heart disease and add years to your life!

How Does Nutrition Affect Heart Disease

Can nutrition play a role in heart health? How does nutrition affect heart disease? These are really good questions and some of the answers might really surprise you. So if you have a few minutes to spare why dont we jump right into our article about how does nutrition affect heart disease.

Nutrition has been much maligned in recent years due to the so called advances in cholesterol lowering medications. The most prominent of these are the statins which work by blocking the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme which is needed for the body to produce cholesterol. Because of their effectiveness it is my belief that a certain amount of complacency has crept into many medical professional. After all, why worry about something as arcane as nutrition when statin medications can lower cholesterol faster than a cowboy can say gettie up.

But what if there were other factors at work that contributed to heart disease besides cholesterol. What if I told you that there were over 15 studies linking a destructive amino acid called homocysteine to heart disease, and nutrition can play an important role in eliminating this risk.

No one would argue that managing cholesterol is an important piece of the puzzle but we might be looking at a disease which attacks our bodies on multiple fronts.

In order for cholesterol deposits to form in our arteries the surface of the arterial wall must be torn, damaged, or roughed up in some way otherwise dangerous LDL cholesterol would float right by and eventually be disposed of in the form of solid waste. What the latest studies suggest is that homocysteine amino acids chew up cells in the lining of your blood vessels creating a rough pitted surface conducive to triggering blood clots, and/or plaque deposits consisting of cholesterol, dead cells, and calcium.

The question as to how does nutrition affect heart disease is central to managing these harmful amino acids. There are currently three B vitamins which have been shown to reduce the risk of damage for homocysteines. They are folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. When taken together recent research suggests they work to protect and heal the lining of the arteries, thus minimizing the damage of these hazardous homocysteine amino acids. While this may be the case, researchers have yet to prove that lowering homocysteine levels alone can actually reduce the incidence of heart disease. Nevertheless, until this risk factor can be discounted it should not be ignored. Lets take each one of these nutrients individually and see what foods contain high quantities of these B vitamins.

*Folic acid: beans, whole grain, fortified wheat flower, tomatoes, citrus fruits, and green leafy vegetables.

*Vitamin B6: Asparagus, bananas, beans, bok choy, cauliflower, grains, tuna, turkey, mustard greens, and turnip greens.

*Vitamin B12: Fish, milk, poultry, eggs, and red meat

As you can see B12 may prove to be the most problematic for those striving for a heart healthy nutrition due to the high cholesterol content in many of the best natural sources, with fish being the exception due to its high omega 3 fatty acid content. The good news is that B12 nutritional supplements are both affordable and readily available at your local supermarket or drugstore.

What else? Certainly we have answered many of the questions surrounding how does nutrition affect heart disease. While this may be the case homocysteine management alone will not carry the day prompting many to enlist the help of a natural cholesterol reduction supplement. Natural cholesterol supplements are very safe and have been found to be an excellent tool for lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglyceride levels.

The Source of Teas that Fight Strokes Heart Disease and Cancer – the Amazing Tea Tree

Camellia sinensis.

This is the scientific name for the tea plant. It is native to south east Asia which explains why China was the birthplace of the tea industry. Did you know that all types of tea come from this plant? The differences come from the fact that there are two varieties, the time of picking and the method of processing. Green tea is the least processed, in fact it is not really processed, thus preserving the natural compounds that are reputed to do you good.

But what good can drinking tea do for you? Depending on the type, research indicates that in certain cases it can assist your body to heal itself or stay healthy:

– Digestion
– Anti-bacterial action
– Slimming
– Cancer prevention
– Heart (blood vessel suppleness and cholesterol levels)
– help keep strokes at bay
– Tooth care
– Longevity/anti-aging
– Menopause symptoms
– Menstrual cramps

But the research on humans is not widespread and utterly conclusive. However, pure, organic loose teas taste good whether they do you good or not.

OK, back to Camellia.

It is a small shrub which has small white fragrant blossom during late winter and the spring. In warmer climes is grown outdoors as an ornamental garden plant – the leaves are a bright green and often have a hairy underside making the plant tactile as well as a visual ornamental. The fruits are a dull brown-green. Left wild, it grows to a tree standing just less than 20m in height so to grow it as an ornamental will normally require pruning. Propagation is normally by cutting as it is notoriously hard to raise from seed. The reason for that is that if the seeds are dried, viability is reduced – they need to be planted fresh whilst they are still moist. However, if the seeds are stored in moist conditions at a temperature a little above freezing, they can remain viable for a year or more. It prefers a slightly acidic well drained sandy soil. Chinese tea is produced from the hardier variety Camellia sinensis var. sinensis which is hardy to about -5 degrees C. The leaves are more delicate than its Indian counterpart Camellia sinensis var. assamica.

In cooler climates such as Northern Europe, the plant can be grown in a greenhouse. The ideal climate will have warm wet summers and moderately cold but dry winters. If you have an alkaline soil, it Camellia sinensis grows well in a container so no problem there. When planting an established bush, for example one bought from a garden centre, add plenty of organic material to the hole, well rotted compost or leaf mould is perfect. Do not plant it too deeply; the base of the stem should be a little higher (around a couple of centimetres) than the surrounding soil. Mulching with bark or whatever will help the plant to establish by retaining moisture and minimising freeze-thaw during the winter. A newly planted camellia sinensis should be watered weekly, unless there has been a lot of rain. During the first winter, water during dry spells if the weather is mild and the ground is un-frozen. There is little need to feed the plant, if you do, a light application of an acidic fertiliser can be made in early spring. Pruning is done to shape, control the height and to remove dead or leggy branches. If you need to prune heavily, do it in early spring before the new growth appears.

For growing at home, it is best to spend money on an established plant; it can take many years for a new plant to reach maturity and begin to flower. If you are not growing it for purely ornamental purposes, you can pick the young leaves and shoots and dry them in different ways to make your very own green or oolong tea. To make oolong, the initial drying needs to be in the sun, for green tea the initial drying needs to be in the shade. Oolongs are usually rolled into small balls. That breaks the cells and allows some fermentation to occur, which gives the characteristic oolong flavour. Harvesting your Camellia can take place throughout the growing season. In the tea industry, the harvests are referred to as ‘flushes’, early spring is the time of the first flush harvest, late spring and early summer the second flush and late summer into the autumn is the final flush.

Disclaimer: This article is intended for entertainment only; it is not a medical guide. If you suffer from any of the medical conditions mentioned you should consult your GP for advice specific to your own personal situation. Likewise, the care of your tea plant is your responsibility. Please ensure that you double check our information and consult the grower from whom you purchase your tea tree. We cannot accept any liability for the health of your plant; there are too many variables that are beyond our control. Should you decide to make your own tea from your plant, we strongly recommend that you consult a professional with detailed knowledge in order to avoid problems.

Effectively Managing Blood Lipid Levels

The term blood lipid is synonymous with fat, and in fact most blood lipid molecules found floating around in our blood stream are primarily fat. These molecules play an important role in providing us with energy and are the primary building blocks for a number of compounds including bile, vitamin D, testosterone, and estrogen.

As you can see managing blood lipid levels is not as much about doing away with them completely as it is finding a way to balance their benefits and risks.

What are the risks if we fail to manage blood lipid levels?

The most obvious one is high cholesterol leading to atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerosis is process where the smooth interior lining of the arteries and veins becomes damaged leading to the accumulation of plaque deposits. Over time blood lipid particles floating by in the blood start to accumulate eventually culminating when calcium and fibrous tissue start to form causing hardening and narrowing of the artery. When this happens in the arteries surrounding the heart it is known as coronary artery disease, which is single largest cause of heart attack.

Are there any genetic conditions that make managing blood lipid levels difficult?

The answer is yes, and if you have any of these three genetic condition such as hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemia, or hypertriglyceridemia your blood lipid levels will be dangerously high primarily due to the overproduction of cholesterol by the liver. These conditions are very dangerous requiring more aggressive blood lipid management methods often including prescription medications such as statins or prescription strength niacin.

How do lipoproteins factor into my management plan?

Blood fats, including cholesterol, are transported through the blood stream by the lipoproteins HDL and LDL. HDL molecules are lean, being composed of primarily protein whereas LDL molecules are primarily fat. It just makes sense that finding ways to keep LDL low and HDL high would be one of the best ways to manage blood lipid levels.

Three helpful management tools for blood lipid levels

*Stay active: As the aging process takes hold and aches and pains become more severe it is easy to fall into a state of semi inactivity. But if you are really serious about lowering blood lipid levels and thus reducing your chances of atherosclerosis and heart disease then you must find creative ways around your maladies. Your doctor is one of the best resources you have to accomplish this. Examples he might suggest are pool aerobics, walking, or even something as simple as gardening.

*Watch your diet: Many blood fats such as triglycerides are very sensitive to diet. Be sure to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables all the while keeping saturated fat and cholesterol to a minimum. One last important point is that some research suggests that increasing the consumption of polyunsaturated fat foods such as fish and avocados are essential to lowering triglyceride levels.

*Supplements can help: The latest research continues to support the idea that supplements can play a pivotal role in lowering blood fat levels. Three that have been getting a lot of press recently are vitamins B12 and B6, omega 3 rich fish oil, and of course safe and effective natural cholesterol reduction supplements.

High Prevalence Of Heart Disease Expands Job Opportunities For Technicians

Heart disease has become widespread in the United States because of the increasing rate of chronic medical conditions related to a poor diet and the lack of routine exercise. Diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure negatively affect the ability of vital organs to function and can result in debilitating illnesses and even death. The poor health behaviors of the general public along with an increase in the size of the population and the number of Baby Boomers now entering retirement has created a spike in demand for cardiac care services. Because many healthcare facilities lack the advanced personnel and resources needed to meet the current demand, many administrators have begun hiring unlicensed technicians to perform many of the routine tasks associated with the provision of daily care. This trend has created many new job opportunities for EKG technicians as well as those who are working in other specialties.

The heart is one of the most important organs contained within the human body because of its role in circulating blood through the vast network of vessels that supply oxygen to tissues and transport waste to organs that specialize in filtration and excretion. Like all other organs, the heart requires oxygen to survive and must have a healthy network of vessels that supply it with the nutrients it needs. Individuals who suffer from clogged cardiac arteries are highly susceptible to developing heart attacks and may even die if a severe cardiac event occurs. Many of these patients must receive regular treatments in a cardiac unit in order to ensure that their heart remains functional. An EKG technician is someone who works under the supervision of a registered nurse or licensed physician and whose job it is to carry out the basic tasks associated with the delivery of care to heart disease patients.

Some of the most common responsibilities that an EKG technician has include vital sign collection, medical history documentation, procedure preparation, electrocardiogram administration, telemetry, Holter monitoring, new technician training, and a variety of administrative tasks. The contributions of the technician to the patient care team is very important because it allows advanced medical personnel to spend their time evaluating new patients, developing treatment plans, and managing cases that involve complex heart diseases. Without the technician, access to cardiac care would become severely limited and many patients would not receive the life-saving treatment that they need. For this reason, many facilities have begun hiring more technicians to help manage the growing demand for care.

In general, the technician may only perform patient care tasks that are considered routine and that have a predictable outcome. Responsibilities that require advanced medical knowledge, judgment, or skill must be carried out by the nurse or physician and can never be delegated to the technician under any circumstances. The nurse or physician must evaluate a task before delegation to ensure that it has very little chance of jeopardizing the health and safety of patients and they must provide supervision as the technician is performing the task. These requirements are designed to protect patients and to ensure that the interests of medical personnel are preserved in cases of negligence. Most healthcare facilities have policies and procedures that determine how a task may be delegated and the steps that must be taken prior to assigning a responsibility to an unlicensed member of the team.

The fact that the EKG technician is an unlicensed member of the medical team means that most states do not regulate the profession. Employers often set their own education, training, and certification requirements for new technicians. While some employers will consider hiring individuals who have only a high school diploma or GED, they generally prefer those who have at least a two-year college degree and prior patient care experience. Those who do not possess formal credentials may still be able to secure employment after completing a training program provided by the hiring institution and successfully passing a nationally recognized certification exam. Direct contact with potential employers is the best way to ensure that their expectations are being met.