Cindy Heller asked:


There are many risk factors for heart disease. The two main high risk factors are a diet that is high in fatty food and smoking. Indulging in fatty food will result in the build up of fat in your blood stream. This will then manifests itself in two ways, as high blood pressure or high cholesterol level. Both will means that your heart is working harder to pump the blood, increasing the risk of heart attack. Smoking is a high risk factor for heart disease because the carcinogens in the cigarettes contribute to various heart problems. Together these two risk factors are the most serious because they are hard to kick habits.

Smoking and Coronary Heart Disease

There are still a few who chose to deny the connection between smoking and coronary heart disease. Often, this denial comes from those who profit from the sale of cigarettes. Today, smoking remains legal and is a personal choice although many countries have moved to ban smoking in public areas.

Most people who chose to ignore the danger of smoking are merely hiding their weakness for the habit. It is a serious concern especially as pop culture continues to portray smoking as glamorous. This will breed the next generation of smokers who will then find themselves firmly stuck by their addiction to nicotine. It is important to know that the ill effects of smoking on the human heart are not immediate. It is a slow but steady process. It is also because the effects are gradual that one should not take long living smokers as evidence that smoking is not harmful to human health.

The good news is that an individual who has been smoking for an extended number of years may be able to avoid a life-threatening problem if they quit smoking early enough. Studies have shown that the lungs can regain their efficiency when smoking is stopped. The reversal of clogged blood arteries on the other hand is not so straightforward. So it is still best to avoid smoking or to quit while there is still time.

Effects of Smoking on Heart Disease

Smoking causes a number of negative effects on the human body including respiratory problems and the stunting of growth. The constant inhalation of smoke over an extended period of time will also constrict the arteries. When this occurs, the risk of heart attack will increase.

The carcinogens present in cigarettes are part of the connection between smoking and heart disease. These chemicals get absorbed into the blood stream when one smokes or breathes in second hand cigarette smoke. These chemicals will contaminate the heart and other organs as they circulate around the body. When the nicotine from the cigarettes builds up in the blood stream, the blood becomes thick and is more prone to clotting. Nicotine will also build up in the valves leading to the heart, affect their functions, which can cause a heart attack.

Needless to say, anybody who is concerned about coronary heart disease should not pick up smoking or should stop smoking immediately. It would be the best health decisions a person can ever make.

Not smoking has many benefits besides reducing the risk of heart disease. Just count the saving if you have a pack a day habit. Assuming it costs $10 a pack, it is $300 a month saving or enough saving in a year to go for an overseas holiday if you stop smoking. Besides the immediate financial gain from not spending money on cigarettes (which can add up to a small fortune), smokers who quit will soon be pleasantly surprised to re-discover their taste buds.

Smoking affects the taste buds making food taste bland. The lungs have a certain capacity to repair themselves. So the ex-smokers can look forward to less breathless episodes and better quality of life. Most importantly, the ex-smokers should also know that they are relieving a heavy mental burden from those who love them.

There are a variety of ways to quit smoking. Consult your doctor for treatment options or seek help from smoking cessation help groups. You are sure to find a method that will work for you. It could be the thing that will save your life.



Clinton

Jordan S asked:


The body mass index, I, can be used to determine an individuals risk of heart disease. An index less then 25 indicates a low risk. The body mass index is given by the formula: I= 700w/H^2 where w=weight and H=height in inches. Francis weighs 173 pounds and stands 74 inches tall. What is his BMI? Find an inequality describing all weights W that Francis can have and be in low-risk category.

Howard

Stuart Miles asked:


Aerobic Exercise and Heart Disease

It is without question that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and Canada. Even with this being so common, people still are not sure what heart disease actually is. And so do I.

What is Heart Disease?

Quickly said, heart disease is a topic that describes a large number of diseases that affect the heart. Coronary heart disease (or heart attacks), cardiovascular disease, and hypertensive heart disease are just a few of them.

It is also without question that doing various aerobic exercises can lower the incidents of heart disease. However, there are still many people who are unfamiliar with aerobic exercise.

What is Aerobic Exercise?

Simply stated, aerobic exercise is a physical activity that keeps muscles active and the heart beating faster. Examples include a quick walk or jog.

This differs from an anaerobic exercise, which concerns burst uses of energy. Sprinting is a great example of anaerobic exercise. A ton of energy is used up over a very short space of time.

How do aerobic exercises help reduce heart disease?

That s a very good question. Aerobic exercises battle heart disease by reducing some chemicals the body makes that finally result in a type of heart disease. Aerobic exercises also keep your muscles big, bones strong, improve reception of oxygen, and even release chemicals to enhance the sense of feeling well (endorphins).

All those factors help contribute to a strong, healthful, disease free heart.

What are a few aerobic exercises that I can try?

The variety of exercises a person can do are unlimited. From running, jogging, and strolling to going for a swim, skipping, and skating, the choices are endless.

Getting involved in a challenging sport is a fantastic way to stay in shape. A recreational soccer or hockey team or perhaps basketball or softball leagues, all of which is an aerobic exercise that should help stop heart disease. I personally played soccer on two recreational indoor teams

Overall, the correlation between heart disease and aerobic exercise is easy to see: physical activity and exercise are the main factors when eliminating diseases of the heart. Maybe some people have yet to figure out what any of this means. But rest assured, as times goes by more people will make the time to learn.

For more articles please visit our health and fitness website.



Brent

Kyle J. Norton asked:


As we mention in the previous article, the heart is a four chambered hollow muscle and double acting pump that is located in the chest between the lungs. Heart diseases caused by high blood pressure contributes to hardening of the arteries. High levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) build up in the arteries as a result of uncontrolled diet with high levels of saturated fat and trans fat. All these add to the formation of atherosclerosis lesions and eventually arterial blockage.

In this article, we will discuss heart disease affecting the heart chambers.

Heart failure is caused by the heart not pumping as much blood as it should and so the body does not get as much blood and oxygen that it needs. The malfunctioning of the heart chambers are due to damage caused by narrowed or blocked arteries leading to the muscle of your heart.

There are 4 heart chambers as follow:



The right atrium

The left atrium

The right ventricle

The left ventricle.





 

Heart diseases affect the heart chambers include:

1. Congestive heart failure

Heart failure is caused by the heart not pumping as much blood as it should and so the body does not get as much blood and oxygen that it needs. The malfunctioning of the heart chambers are due to damage caused by narrowed or blocked arteries leading to the muscle of your heart.

a) Diastolic dysfunction:

The contraction function is normal but there’s impaired relaxation of the heart, impairing its ability to fill with blood causing the blood returning to the heart to accumulate in the lungs or veins.

b) Systolic dysfunction:

The relaxing function is normal but there’s impaired contraction of the heart causing the heart to not pump out as much blood that is returned to it as it normally does as a result of more blood remaining in the lower chambers of the heart.

2. Pulmonary heart disease

Pulmonary heart disease is caused by an enlarged right ventricle. It is known as heart disease resulting from a lung disorder where the blood flowing into the lungs is slowed or blocked causing increased lung pressure. The right side of the heart has to pump harder to push against the increased pressure and this can lead to enlargement of the right ventricle.

I hope this information will help. If you want to read more information of the above subject, please visit my home page at:

http://medicaladvisorjournals.blogspot.com

http://heartdiseasesiii.blogspot.com/



Chad

Garey Simmons asked:


If you find yourself craving more carbs and more sugars and feeling tired and sluggish, it may be that your body is not converting the starches and sugars into energy. Your bodies cells may be starving.

Diabetes and heart disease go hand-in-hand. Diabetic persons are at much greater risk to having heart attacks, high blood pressure, and strokes. People who have diabetes have often much higher blood sugar level that can cause damage to many parts of the body including the blood vessels.

Vascular problems due to diabetes may also include poor circulation to the legs and feet, unfortunately these problems can go undetected and can start early in life.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends early diagnosis, treatment and management of risk factors.

Risks of getting diabetes and heart disease can start before the age of thirty. Two most common types of diabetes are type 1 and type 2.

Type 1 diabetes also called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks the pancreas cells that produce insulin, resulting in low amount of insulin or no insulin at all.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy. When you eat food, the body breaks down all of the sugars and starches into glucose, which is the basic fuel for the cells in the body. Insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can cause two problems:

* Right away, your cells may be starved for energy.

* Over time, high blood glucose levels may hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart.

Diabetes and heart disease sufferers experience changes in the blood vessels where the linings of the blood vessels may become thicker making it more difficult for the flow of blood through the vessels. Blood vessels in other parts of the body can also be damaged due to diabetes that can lead to kidney problems, eye problems, and poor circulation to the legs and feet.

Heart disease rates in adults are two to four times higher than adults without diabetes. The risk of stroke is also two to four times higher for diabetic people. Seventy- three percent of diabetic adults also has high blood pressure and has heart attacks at an earlier age.

The most common symptoms of heart disease may include chest pain, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, and swollen ankles. However, every person may experience symptoms differently. These symptoms may also resemble other medical conditions and so it is always advisable to seek the help of a physician for diagnosis.

Heart disease may still occur to a person taking proper self-care. The physician will determine specific treatment of the heart disease according to age, medical history and overall health of the person. It will also be based on the extent of the disease and the tolerance for specific medications, procedure or therapies.

When risk factors for a person with diabetes are eliminated or reduced, the risk for heart disease may also be reduced. Taking care of ones health and controlling blood sugar can often slow down or avoid the onset of complications for diabetes and heart disease. The test you need to ask for is the hemoglobin A1C.

Many doctors recommend this test as it gives a look at blood factors over the last 90 days and is more comprehensive than taking the daily blood sugar reading.

Take the A1C test then start a herbal treatment containing chromium, cinammon, banaba leaf,and guggal for example and retest after 90 days to see how much herbal supplements can change your life and your numbers!



Marie

Leeann Simons asked:


Copyright (c) 2008 At Peace With Food

It’s in the news all the time: heart disease. Why don’t we take a few moments and look at some of the ways you can lower your risk for developing this #1 killer of men and women.

It is about what is called ?risk reduction.? No one can promise you that if you make all the changes in the world you will never have a heart attack (hey, you can get hit by a car while crossing the street after buying your lowfat soy mocha). What you need to do is work on reducing your RISK for developing the disease.

To that end, let me tell you about the different types of risk factors involved in heart disease.

I divide risk factors into two categories:changeable and non-changeable; ones you can do something about, and ones you can?t.

There are three non changeable risk factors for heart disease: age, gender and genetics. You can?t change the fact that, even as you read this article, you are getting older, and the older you are, the greater your risk for heart disease. The plan is to delay that event for as long as you can! Males tend to have more heart attacks than women, particularly pre menopausal women. Studies show the level of heart disease in post menopausal women is the same as men. It is possible that there is a hormonal reason for this, but none of the studies have been able to prove that replacing the hormones lost during menopause (particularly estrogen and progesterone) eliminates the risk. However, research is ongoing, so we shall have to wait and work on our changeable risk factors!

The third non changeable factor is genetics. Unfortunate, but true-you cannot pick your parents. If either of your parents had heart disease, especially at an early age, your risk is much higher than someone whose parents did not have heart disease.

Which brings us to: changeable risk factors. There are many ways you can modify your behavior to reduce your risk for heart disease-including the following:

1-Diet. By changing the composition of your diet, you may be able to reduce the buildup of cholesterol (actually what is known as ?plaque?) on your artery walls. Lowering your intake of saturated fat is a major step. Saturated fat is found primarily in animal foods, so try to buy lean cuts of meat, fish, poultry. Using unsaturated fats, such as nuts, seeds, oils may help lower your cholesterol levels as well.

2-Exercise. Increasing activity may help make your heart stronger, and increase your blood levels of HDL, also known as healthy cholesterol.

3-Quit smoking. While cigarettes do not raise blood cholesterol levels, the chemicals act on your arteries to make them inelastic, a condition known as arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

4- Reduce stress. However you define stress, find a way to deal with it! Yoga, pilates, meditation-you need to lower your stress levels because they may be related to raising yet another risk factor->

5-Blood Pressure. If you are overweight, unable to deal with stress, your blood pressure may rise, increasing your risk for heart attack and stroke. Lifestyle change and medication may be very helpful at reducing blood pressure.

These are only a few of the ways you can modify the changeable risk factors in your life to lower your chances for developing heart disease. You need to decide what you are capable of doing, working together with your health care providers and your family. While there are no guarantees, there are no downsides to making time to take care of yourself.

Now get started!



Chester

Spaz, The Great American Woman asked:


How can The Powers That Be compare the two? A broad category shouldn’t be compared with a single entity. There are numerous types of cancer, but ‘heart disease’ is specific. Isn’t that like saying “fruit has replaced corn as children’s favorite food”?
Again, I say “A broad category shouldn’t be compared with a single entity”… Please answer the whole question, not just the initial one.

Thank you.

Scott

Lisa Jenkins asked:


Fish has achieved health food status due to research that shows eating fish lowers the risk of heart disease. Public health agencies have recommended eating fish for several years. But new research continues to support additional links between diets that include fish and various measures of heart health.

While fish is a healthy source of lean protein, it is the omega-3 fatty acid content of fish, particularly fatty fish like salmon and tuna that is thought to help protect against heart disease. The key to lowering your risk of heart disease with fish seems to be eating enough fish each week to raise your blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

A recent study compared the omega-3 fatty acids in the blood of Japanese men living in Japan, Japanese men living in the U.S. and American men living in the U.S. Japanese men living in Japan had twice the blood level of omega-3 fatty acids and the lowest rate of heart disease as the other two groups. In addition, higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the Japanese men improved at least one measure of atherosclerosis. This and other studies provide ample evidence that it may be omega-3 fatty acids from fish and seafood that are keeping the rates of heart disease in Japan so low compared with other countries.

The omega-3 fatty acids are richest in fish with the most fat. The American Heart Association recommends that healthy people eat fish at least two times per week and to include fish like salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, lake trout, herring and sardines. These fatty fish are rich in two of the long chain omega-3 fatty acids associated with lower rates of heart disease.

There are many ways that omega-3 fatty acids might help the heart. They are thought to reduce platelet aggregation and make the blood thinner, reduce triglyceride levels, and prevent arrhythmia. Supplementing the diet with fish or fish oil seems to greatly reduce the chances of having a heart attack. Supplementation is even being considered as a common intervention for people at a very high risk of having a heart attack.

But eating other types of fish can be heart healthy as well. Fish is low in saturated fat and eating fish can help keep levels of dietary saturated fat low and lower your risk of heart disease. And while fatty fish are highest in omega-3 fats, most fish have some of the heart these heart healthy fats. The levels of omega-3 fatty acids also vary with the diet fed to the fish. So, farm raised fish can have a very different fatty acid profile than wild fish of the same species. Because of this variability, a good approach is to eat a different types of fish and to consistently include fatty fish.

A new study compared fatty fish and lean fish for their affects on heart disease risk. While heart disease patients who were placed on a diet that included fatty fish several times per week had higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids at the end of the study, blood pressure actually decreased in the patients who ate lean fish several times per week. The effect of eating fish on blood pressure may be due to some other component of fish than omega-3 fatty acids.

What’s the best way to gain the heart health benefit of omega-3 fatty acids from fish? Eating fatty fish is the best way. Many research studies support the heart health benefit of eating fish. But if you can’t eat fish, don’t like fish, or can’t eat enough to meet recommendations, supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids or fish oil is a good alternative. Intervention studies have proven some benefit of taking these supplements to reduce the risk of heart disease. Talk with your health care provider if you are considering taking a dietary supplement.



Lloyd

David Cowley asked:


Not every indication of heart trouble is preceded by flashing lights and ringing bells, and the signs of heart disease can be somewhat subtle in their appearance. However, person who are at risk for heart trouble should be knowledgeable of them as being conscious of the signs of heart disease can be a lifesaving experience. Unfortunately some of the signs are often confused with other ailments and even when presented are often ignored, which can be a fatal error.

The most common of the signs of heart disease is angina, or chest pain. It can be in the form of pain or a tightness in the chest are that may or may not radiate into the arms, neck, ears and back and many times it is confused with acid indigestion. Those experiencing a burning pain in their chest may believe it to be caused by something they ate and not one of the signs of heart disease and fail to seek emergency medical care.

Other signs of heart disease can include a shortness of breath, a rapid heartbeat a feeling of weakness along with nausea and sweating, even if the person feels cold. Most emergency medical workers would rather inform someone they have indigestion than have the signs ignored and wind up with a fatality.

Make Others Aware Of Symptom.

When a person believes they are showing the signs of heart disease, it could be a prelude to a heart attack. Someone should be apprised of the feelings and immediate medical care should be sought. Those having a heart attack may experience a discomfort or pain the chest with the pain radiating to the throat, neck and usually to the left arm. They may also experiencing a burning that resembles acid indigestion along with a feeling of being full.

Irregular heartbeat is another of the signs of heart disease, and may also indicate a heart attack, along with anxiety and difficulty breathing. When a person experiences any of the signs of heart disease or a heart attack, time is of the essence in seeking professional help. A delay in getting to the emergency room can cause major medical complications and even death.

While many people are able to survive a heart attack due to the quick response of qualified medical personnel, knowing the signs of heart disease can often stop a heart attack before it hits. If someone has these indications, they should inform their doctor so tests can be conducted to confirm or deny the signs of heart disease are real or imagined.

Common Vitamins and over the counter products can help with Arteriosclerosis such as Vitamin E, Isotretinoin and Sytrinol.

Vitamin E improves circulation and promotes normal blood clotting. Vitamin E is also known to help the red blood cells to live longer and keep them from breaking down too soon.

Isotretinoin, a Vitamin A derivative, is an oral drug that is usually taken once or twice a day with food for 4 to 6 months. Isotretinoin has been shown to be very effective in treating severe acne and can either improve or clear over 80% of patients studied. Isotretinoin has a much longer effect than anti-bacterial treatments and will often cure acne for good. It reduces the size of oil glands and much less oil is produced and as a result the growth of propion bacteria is reduced.

Sytrinol are known to be useful in helping maintain a healthy cholesterol level in the body by reducing triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels.



Tara