Metabolic Syndrome and its Ties with Cardiac Problems

Trying to capture all of the different threads that weave itself into heart disease is darn well near impossible. So many different health issues exist that play into the disease including the genetics ties. There is one particular medical condition that has ties with a variety of cardiac problems called metabolic syndrome or metabolic syndrome X.

This metabolic syndrome is actually a collection of heart disease risk factors grouped together as a result of your body’s resistance to insulin, which occurs when your body does react as it should to insulin. People with metabolic syndrome are at greater risk for heart disease and could fall to the sudden death syndrome.

Threatening components of metabolic syndrome include not only the resistance to insulin but also hypertension (aka high blood pressure), obesity, lipid deformities, problems with blood clotting and more. A doctor will slap the metabolic syndrome tag on you if you have at least three of these factors present in your body:

1. High triglyceride level at least 150 mg/dl or more
2. Higher than average blood pressure but not quite in the hypertensive stage
3. Thick waist circumference
4. High glucose levels even during times of fasting
5. Low readings for high density lipid cholesterol (HDL), the good cholesterol

Why metabolic syndrome is a problem

Your body’s resistance to insulin is the main issue with metabolic syndrome and as it attempts to compensate for the shortfall your body ends up producing too much insulin. When this happens it can produce a build-up of abnormalities on the metabolic level and could even segue to diabetes-type 2. Diabetes can affect the heart and cause complications.

Families that already have diabetes in the family, particular cases stemming from obesity and lack of exercise, tend to develop metabolic syndrome. The good news is you can stem the damage from your poor lifestyle habits and change them. While you may still end up with insulin issues or heart disease, you will be healthier than before if you incorporate exercise. Losing weight is a big part of reducing your heart disease risk that is tied with the metabolic syndrome.

Treatment for metabolic syndrome varies

The treatment for metabolic syndrome varies from person to person. If you are insulin resistant, diet, exercise and cleaner living can reverse the problem. In fact, incorporating exercise is important as it can greatly reduce the chances of heart disease on its own merits. Exercise can also help lower your triglycerides and bad cholesterol (LDL), another side problem stemming from metabolic syndrome. Unfortunately, until you can get a better handle on these matters, medications may be necessary to lower your cholesterol.

Aspirin may become part of the treatment for metabolic syndrome as it helps prevent blood clots from forming, a cause of heart attacks. As far as hypertension is concerned, there are medications that can help keep that condition in line. A healthy diet and exercise can great reduce your blood pressure readings and lower your heart disease risk. The bottom line is that by treating the symptoms associated with metabolic syndrome, you are essentially treating the syndrome itself.

Can Stress Really Contribute to Heart Disease?

Stress has often been named as a contributor to a higher risk of heart disease but the question of the day is whether or not this is a valid belief. If stress indeed increases risk, what type of stress would it be? For the everyday person, stress is viewed as something emotional, such as problems at home or work. However, the medical community views stress as physical factors that can affect your health.

Taking a look at physical stress

Physical stress is something that can be measured and quantified and thereby is considered to be good. You exercise and get your heart rate up or wear a pedometer to count your steps in a day ? both actions are easily measured. However, what if you do not do any exercise and lead a rather inactive life? Introducing physical stress, particularly in the form of exercise, can be bad and can actually put you at risk for a heart attack.

The conclusion is that physical stress can be good as long as you are already healthy. With a sedentary lifestyle, you must be evaluated by a doctor before introducing the physical strain of exercise to ensure you do not provoke a heart attack.

Now, if you have undetected heart disease or previous family history suggests you might get it, intense exercise can be detrimental to your health. The demands of physical stress on your heart could cause chest pain or you could experience dizziness or fainting because your heart is not getting the oxygen it needs to function. The bottom line is if you are in otherwise good health, the physical stress of exercise and other activities is fine.

Emotional stress factors

When you say you are stressed out, chances are you are referring to the emotional kind. It could be work that is the problem, death of a loved one or anything else that makes you mentally wiped out. But does this really affect the physical condition of the heart? Many medical researchers and doctors do believe that severe emotional stress can be harmful but the jury is still out on whether it contributes to heart disease.

Most evidence that points to emotional stress being a factor of heart disease has been incidental. Huge or severe changes in life where your emotional state has been tied to something that is suddenly gone can contribute to a tendency of heart disease, many experts feel just as someone who is always negative or hostile may be more predisposed. But does it directly relate to heart disease?

Emotional stress is not always bad and in fact, cannot be avoided. Many times the stress becomes a learning experience, especially when that emotional stress can be released in a healthy way. Doctors and researchers feel this is the key as to why some people in severe emotional angst may be more predisposed to heart disease.

When stress is internalized and not released, doctors feel that this can lead to a host of behaviors such as drinking, smoking and overeating which could then lead to heart disease. In addition, the continuous ebb and flow of adrenaline could affect the heart muscle and also cause problems with blood clotting which in turn could contribute to heart disease as well.

The conclusion that stress causes heart disease is not a faulty one, particularly when it could lead to bad lifestyle choices. Therefore, doctors suggest finding ways to release stress by adopting exercise programs and even learning to talk about what you are going through.

Pollution Could Be a Factor in Your Heart Troubles

Did you know the air you breathe could directly be related to a higher risk of heart disease? Breathing in air pollution sounds more like you would have respiratory issues and while that may occur, several studies show that the pollution can exacerbate current heart ailments already known as well as bring heart disease risk to light for those that don’t know they could get it. Women in particular are susceptible, especially because they use chemicals to clean in the home which can contribute to air pollution inside.

As mentioned above, the use of cleaners contributes to the air pollution you breathe in inside the home. Your smoking habit or even second hand smoking is another polluting problem. Of course, you have the everyday things you breathe in outdoors too. Cars pollute the air every day they are on the roads. Factories, oil and gas companies and many other businesses also contribute to air pollution. Depending on where you live will depend on the level of exposure you get that can contribute to heart disease and its risks.

Different Studies, Different Conclusions

While there were different research studies that examined the effects of air pollution on the body, all of them agreed that the pollution basically unmasked heart disease in those who were at risk and exacerbated conditions that the subjects in the research study already knew they had. Air pollution causes swelling and inflammation not only in the respiratory tract but also the arteries in the body, the very blood vessels responsible for transporting oxygen and other nutrients throughout the body, including the heart.

For many people with heart disease (whether they know they have it or not) their conditions are exacerbated. The pollutants can and do speed up the formation of atherosclerosis, a build-up of plaque in the arteries which stiffens this flexible blood vessel as well as thicken it. As a result, this impairs the function of the heart. Another theory is that the air pollution also affects the nervous system responsible for the beating function of the heart. It could actually alter the rhythm and beating of the heart.

What happens is that the particles of soot and other contaminants in the polluted air build up over time in your body and cause harmful effects, not only in the lungs but in the blood and arteries mentioned before. The research studies showed that the higher the concentration of air pollution breathed in, the risk of heart disease and other related ailments such as stroke increased, particularly in women.

Men and women have different body chemistries and hormonal issues but researchers are still somewhat baffled as to why women have a much greater risk of heart disease over men when it comes to pollution. The best thing to do is watch the weather each day and gather an air quality report so you know exactly what will greet you that day whether it is clear sunny skies or a hazy day with an ozone alert. Go green and invest in renewable energies. There are several things you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease.

A Clever Device that Can Detect Heart Disease in Its Early Stages

Almost 33% of people with heart disease have no idea they have it. That is quite a scary figure and definitely not a little statistical blip in the health radar. There are many heart attack symptoms that resemble other ailments which is a big reason why this 33% figure is so high. In fact, some people never know they have heart disease because they will just drop dead ? a sudden death.

What if you knew there was a small machine in your doctor’s office that could scan the arteries in your neck (a common area where plaque can develop in the vessels)? Would you make a special doctor’s appointment or ask that it be used during your regular yearly physical? Comprehensive testing for heart disease sometimes requires an overnight hospital visit or at least an extensive battery of tests taken on expensive hospital equipment. However, with this new ultrasound machine weighing in at less than two pounds and the size of a laptop, heart disease could be found early enough to make a big difference in your life.

This machine is a smaller version of an ultrasound machine so it’s portable enough to scan the arteries in your neck for possible blockage. The theory most doctors have is that if the neck arteries show signs of the plaque build-up or even clogging, chances are the same thing is happening around the arteries of the heart as well. When the clogging or plaque build-up is apparent, more tests could be run to reach a definitive diagnosis. Knowing this information sooner rather than later could allow you to start taking medication to help alleviate the problem and reduce your risk of heart attack.

The good news for doctors is that this new miniature ultrasound machine is affordable so it can easily become a part of the diagnostic tool set they need to be more effective. Of course, this means you (the patient) do not have to expend a lot of money on testing. The primary objective for this new machine is to identify those people who may have no discernible or known heart attack symptoms but do have a genetic or predisposed risk of heart disease.

Keep in mind that the new machine only helps with a preliminary diagnosis of possible heart disease. It is not the only test that should be taken to determine risk. It is a great diagnostic tool for those doctors who are concerned that their patients have a possible risk of heart disease. If any conclusive results do occur, a referral for more comprehensive tests should be made for you. The prescription of medications for cholesterol, high blood pressure or the heart should not be made by the results of this one new ultrasound machine.

There is a move to market these ultrasound machines directly to the consumer but many doctors feel this may not be wise. The chance that false positives could result from personal ultrasound machines is quite high. Specialized training to administer the ultrasound machine is needed as well as interpreting results, something a layman like you would likely not be able to do.

The next time you are in for a physical; ask about the new ultrasound machine. When it comes to your health, especially heart disease, ignorance is definitely not bliss.

Homeopathy a Possibility for Treating the Heart

While heart disease should definitely be treated with medical intervention, there are times when its symptoms could be alleviated through homeopathic means. Homeopathy is a naturally safe form of medicine which focuses on treating the person as a whole rather than just the illness. Treatment using homeopathy is rather personalized and based on your temperament, physical attributes, general likes and dislikes and even psychological profile. Because homeopathy is individualized according to the patient, any treatments for your heart disease would likely be different from someone else’s.

Why homeopathy for heart disease?

What happens if you are in the hospital for a heart attack and you are scared and stressed? Doctors cannot give you any medications until they evaluate your health. However, your fear and stress could make things worse during testing and diagnosis. A homeopathic remedy in this case could alleviate your fear and anxiety, enough to calm you so that testing and diagnosis are not skewed.

One of the most known medications for heart disease, nitroglycerin, was once classified as a homeopathic remedy due to its outstanding properties in alleviating numbness and chest pain brought on by angina. Many homeopathic remedies work fast and they are actually gaining favor in some coronary care units around the world, even in the United States.

How homeopathic remedies work

Homeopathy works much like that of the development of vaccines. Remember when the smallpox and other vaccines were created? They actually used the disease itself to create the cure. The same principle works for homeopathic remedies. Practitioners of homeopathy use substances that may cause the same symptoms, only the treatment is given in diluted forms. Repeated doses often help alleviate the symptoms.

An example of this is the nitroglycerin mentioned above. In large doses, nitroglycerine can cause extreme chest pain. However, in small doses, it actually aids in alleviating the pain. Some components that may actually be poisonous for you can be used in creating treatments as they are quite safe in micro-doses.

Homeopathic training is essential

There are at least 1,000 or more homeopathic remedies suitable for various forms of heart disease which means you would need the services of an experienced and educated professional. Because each treatment is specially formulated for each person, the homeopathic must be well-versed in what each of those 1,000+ remedies can do. Some will help dilate blood vessels while others are more of a calming agent. Others help lower blood pressure while others work to clear the plaque build-up in the arteries.

Knowing the right combination is essential so that the homeopathic remedy brings you the most relief. What is interesting is that homeopathy shows positive signs of being able to reverse certain trends in heart disease. For example, the blood vessels may have lost elasticity which can cause hardening and narrowing of the arteries. In certain individuals, homeopathy has actually made their blood vessels suppler and dilated them to allow for better blood flow.

There is still quite a bit of testing to do in certain areas, especially when it comes to heart disease. However, there are still plenty of tried and true homeopathic remedies that can help you in those times of need.

Two Main Causes of Heart Disease for Children

You do not expect children to have heart disease; after all, isn’t heart attacks and other ailments for old folks? Unfortunately, that is not the case! It’s heartbreaking but kids do get heart disease too. For them, there are two different types of heart disease – congenital and acquired. Sometimes known as a congenital heart defect, congenital heart disease is one that a child is born with. As far as the acquired version is concerned, this type of heart disease is one that develops over time during childhood. It can be caused from any number of minor ailments to major diseases.

Three of the most common congenital heart defects include ventricular septal defects, ductus arteriosis and atrial septal defects. As far as the acquired heart disease is concerned these can be caused by rheumatic fever, infection of the heart sac, an infected endocarditis and something called Kawasaki disease. Kawasaki disease usually afflicts children under the age of 5 while rheumatic fever is quite a common disease that is usually prevented by vaccination shots. Rheumatic fever is not deadly but its effects can cause damage throughout the body that may not be detected for several years – most notable is damage to the heart muscle, thus causing heart disease.

Approximately 1% of all babies born each year have some sort of heart defect. Some of these congenital problems are something they eventually outgrow while others may require surgery to correct. Even babies with the severest of defects can benefit from surgery. The hope is that the repair to the defect will give the babies the jumpstart they need to live a normal life. The fact is, some babies will require multiple surgeries to truly find some normalcy.

It is important to note that with congenital heart defects, there is nothing that you can do as a parent to have prevented it. Many parents wonder if it was that joint they smoked in high school or the excessive partying from college that “tainted” their gene pool. Sometimes, deformities and defects just happen whether by mutation or family biological history, luck of the genetic draw.

Testing for heart problems is sometimes a bit trickier with children because of their size. The catheterization is particularly tricky because children’s blood vessels are a lot smaller and a catheter must be threaded through a blood vessel to get to the heart. This action is to take samples and shoot dye into the heart in order to get special x-rays completed which show the extent of the heart problems.

Blood tests, an echocardiogram, x-rays and electrocardiogram are just a few more testing procedures that children are put through in order to test for congenital or acquired heart defects. Each child is different so the diagnostic tests may differ for one child to the next. Doctors and nurses work hard to ensure the testing experience is not traumatic. The tests often help the doctors decide if whether or not surgery is a necessity or whether more non-invasive procedures could be tried out first.

Understanding the Effects of Cardiomyopathy

Many categories of heart disease exist and one of them, cardiomyopathy, affects the heart muscle itself. There are three types of this particular disease ? dilated, restrictive and hypertrophic ? and all of them affect the muscle of the heart. The result is that your heart has a problem efficiently and easily pumping blood so that it can be sent to the rest of your body to provide the nutrients and oxygen it needs. Cardiomyopathy is typically caused by other types of heart disease such as those that affect the heart valves and arteries.

All forms of cardiomyopathy can be treated but the type you have will determine the treatment you receive. In addition, the seriousness of your disease will also play a part in whether you have to get a heart transplant, take medications, have implants surgically inserted to regulate your heart or any or all of the above.

Typical symptoms of cardiomyopathy

Early on in the disease, you may not have any symptoms or at least none that are recognizable as such. However, the longer the disease progresses, the more the symptoms will present themselves. You can expect lethargy and fatigue as well as possible fainting and dizziness. You will have swollen lower extremities like your ankles, feet and legs. Your abdominal area will swell due to bloating and you may also have an irregular heartbeat.

It is important to get treatment for the symptoms as quickly as possible. This will help provide you some relief as well as slow the progression of the cardiomyopathy. Of course, every person is different; you may progress slowly while another patient’s state may decline rapidly.

What causes the disease?

In many cases, the cause of cardiomyopathy is not clearly known, although some guesses could be made based on your previous health and family history. However, in a small percentage, doctors can pinpoint legitimate factors that contribute to the disease. Some of these factors include:

* Persistent fast heart rate, hypertension, metabolic disease such as diabetes, problems with the heart valves, chemotherapy, pregnancy, long term illegal drug use, alcoholism and even viral infection.

Nutritional deficiencies or excesses can also cause cardiomyopathy. The lack of certain B vitamins, magnesium and other heart healthy minerals can pose a risk. Excessive iron in the blood may build up in the heart, weakening it.

Treatment

Cardiomyopathy is not a one size fits all kind of heart disease because treatment can be different for each patient. You may require ACE inhibitors or beta blockers to improve the pumping action of your heart. A specialized pacemaker may be implanted inside your chest to provide tiny shocks should your heart start acting up and even an implantable defibrillator is an option. If your cardiomyopathy disease is dire, a heart transplant may be your only hope and chance at a normal, healthy life.

You likely cannot prevent cardiomyopathy from striking but you certainly can slow it down. With a healthy diet, moderate exercise as prescribed by the doctor and other clean lifestyle choices, you can live quite a while with this heart disease.

Herbal Treatments for a Healthier Heart

Your heart beats involuntarily so it is quite easy to forget about the one of the most important organs of the body. This is definitely a problem if you follow a sedentary lifestyle and load up on foods high in fat, cholesterol, salt and other ingredients bad for you. Sprinkle a little stress and a smoking habit and you have a recipe for heart disaster. Luckily, you can control heart disease with a few changes in your life.

The number one component of a healthy heart is the need for healthy blood vessels to promote good circulation. Your body cannot get all the oxygen and nutrients it needs to survive unless your heart can easily pump your blood throughout your arteries and veins from the tip of your toes to the top of your head.

In order to have the best blood vessel health possible, you must eat a sensible diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low fat dairy, lean meats and fish. Add exercise and plenty of water and you have great blood flow. Sometimes though your body could use a bit of a helping hand in the diet department and herbs can definitely fit the bill.

Herbal treatments work

Herbs are often consumed as a way to improve the health of the blood vessels that provide passage of your blood to the heart. Without good circulation, your heart has to work a lot harder, which is where heart disease comes in. Here are some great herbal remedies that can help:

1. Garlic ? This herb is perhaps the most widely touted treatment for heart disease as well as the prevention of it and many other ailments. There have many studies of garlic and most of them prove that this herb can effectively lower cholesterol levels as well as triglycerides and raise the good HDL levels in the blood. Garlic also can help reduce the amount of plaque build-up in the blood vessels as well as protect against the signs of aging.

2. Cayenne pepper ? Various peppers including cayenne contain capsaicin, an herbal component that can help lower cholesterol and reduce blood clotting. Cayenne can help improve the strength and elasticity of the blood vessels in the body, namely the small capillaries. This pepper helps regulate blood flow and strengthens the heart muscle. Overall, it also helps lower blood pressure too.

3. Hawthorn ? This herb contains power antioxidants that can help reduce atherosclerosis, a build-up of plaque in the arteries. Hawthorn regulates the liver by preventing too much cholesterol from being produced. It also helps expand the blood vessels to promote better blood flow.

4. Bilberry ? This is a type of herb related to blueberries and contains some powerful antioxidants called flavonoids which help strengthen blood vessels.

5. Valerian ? This common herb has been widely used for sleep aids but it also does wonders for the heart as well. If you are by nature nervous, hyperactive or stressed, valerian can soothe those nerves and calm blood pressure.

There are dozens more herbal remedies out in the world and each one has particular strengths. Your body chemistry, tolerance for the herb and current medications will likely dictate which herbs are best for you and the best at preventing heart disease.

Cholesterol Not Necessarily the Bad Guy in Heart Disease Sagas

Cholesterol has long been touted as a major bad guy in heart disease. That view has been slowly changing in the medical community, thanks to a number of studies and unanswered questions. First of all, if cholesterol is such a blood vessel blocker, why doesn’t it affect the veins in the body? Cholesterol travels in both arteries and veins so why don’t the binding components of it only really stick in arteries? This question puts forth another one ? is cholesterol really the one behind the blockages of blood vessels that can cause heart disease and attacks?

Cholesterol’s role in the body is many. One of the things it does is use the lipoproteins as a type of bandaid to protect any tears or structural damage along the walls of the arteries. This action is the same thing cholesterol does for other body wounds as well often with life-saving results. It is the binding to the arterial walls that gives cholesterol a bad name in the world of heart disease.

There are two different cholesterols – high density lipoproteins (HDL or “good”cholesterol) and low density lipoproteins (LDL or “bad” cholesterol). The theory has been that the LDL cholesterol builds up in the arteries, restricting blood flow and proper oxygenation throughout the body, thus creating a malnourished environment for muscles (of which your heart is one). The thought was that by cutting out as much cholesterol from your diet as possible, you could lower the LDL levels and avoid a heart attack.

Casting blame elsewhere

Some recent theory breaking studies have taken place which shows that cholesterol may not really the bad guy after all in the world of heart disease. First of all, there is no real link between the cholesterol you derive from your food and the cholesterol levels found in the blood. In certain test groups, cholesterol levels rose and yet the heart attack incidences decreased. One of the largest health studies in China showed no real connection between the consumption of cholesterol and heart disease either.

In one ten year study, about 5,000 people with high cholesterol levels were given a top statin drug to help lower their cholesterol levels. Another 5,000 people with high cholesterol were told to follow a healthy diet along with appropriate exercise. The results were quite surprising. The statin drugs did indeed lower cholesterol but it did nothing to really lower the risk of heart attacks or heart disease and related deaths. In fact, taking the drug raised their risk of forming other ailments such as liver disease. The diet and exercise group also showed lower cholesterol levels and a modest improvement in heart health. However, they too were just as susceptible to heart disease and heart attacks.

Cholesterol studies in a number of countries also proved surprising. In a study of 20,000 people in Denmark with heart disease, the huge majority of them had normal cholesterol levels, meaning that cholesterol was not to blame for their disease. Thus far, there has been no definitive proof that cholesterol is indeed the bad boy in the heart disease world. That is not to say that cholesterol may not be a small contributing factor; the fact remains though that that are many other dietary changes that could take place to lower your risk of heart disease, mainly the reduction of saturated and trans fats.

Basically, the jury is still out on how bad cholesterol is. If you are told you have high or borderline high cholesterol levels but you otherwise feel fine, go ahead and get tested for heart disease. Chances are your arteries will look just fine, free and clear, in an angiogram and other tests that search for arterial blockages. To err on the side of caution however, revamp your diet and lower your cholesterol intake. Your body makes enough on its own without you adding more to it.

Making Healthy Food Choices for Heart Health

You might have had your heart broken by love but you don’t want it to happen as the result of heart disease. There are a number of ways you can change your eating habits and start making healthy food choices for the best heart health possible. Theoretically, you may know the best choices but you have to put those theories into practice to see good results.

A heart healthy eating plan is not boring and all nuts and twigs like you might imagine. It can be quite delicious and definitely varied. Following the basic food pyramid, you need plenty of fruits and vegetables along with whole grains, low fat dairy, lean meats and fish. However, some choices within the food pyramid may not necessarily be the best thing for you so you need to make smart choices and know which foods within the food pyramid are your best options.

Up close and personal with fats

Choose foods that are low or absent of saturated and trans fats. These will not only add fat pounds to your body but also raise your cholesterol levels. Look for foods with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Nuts, olive oil and other vegetables oils are rich in these types of fats and while healthier, should still be consumed sparingly.

When eating meats, you will need to remove the fatty parts and skin as this will remove most of the saturated and trans fats. Select lean meats such as chicken or turkey breast, beef and pork with little marbling or go for fish instead. Pass over processed sandwich meats, organ meats that are high in cholesterol and bake or grill over frying.

Choosing fish a few times a week is optimal as many varieties are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which help lower heart disease risk by keeping arteries clear. Salmon, mackerel, herring and trout are great examples and should be baked, grilled or broiled for maximum health.

Hydrogenated oils are super bad for your diet as they are high in trans fats. These hydrogenated oils are often found in bought cookies, cakes and other goodies. Make your own sweets so that you can control the ingredients in them.

Salt, sugars, cholesterol and more

Choose dairy products that are either 2% milkfat or fat free as the whole milk products increase your fat intake considerably. Lower your cholesterol intake as your body often produces its own and does not need the extra you eat. Lower your salt intake as it can cause you to retain water which in turn raises your blood pressure and can contribute to heart disease. Sugars are simple carbohydrates which help you gain weight easily and have no nutritional value.

Fiber is an important part of a heart healthy diet. It is broken up into two categories ? soluble and insoluble. While both are important, it is the soluble fiber that shows great promise in lowering your cholesterol levels as well as reduce the risk of heart disease.

The most important thing you can do is shop when you have plenty of time to spare so that you can read food labels. You want to ensure the food you are getting is indeed what the packaging is touting it to be. Taking your time will allow you to find the best choices in produce as well. Remember, spending the time now to eat right saves you the extra time, effort and expense that you would incur if you were diagnosed with heart disease.

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