Archive for September, 2007

• Why Risk Your Heart For a Decaf?

  Date: 2007.09.30 | Category: Heart Tips | Response: 0

  Decaffeinated coffee could increase risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

  A study showed that decaffeinated coffee increased LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. It may have done so by increasing levels of apolipoprotein B, which is associated with LDL cholesterol.

  Measured for Many Factors

  Almost 200 participants were divided into groups given either three to six cups of regular coffee each day, the same of decaf per day, or no coffee at all, for a period of three months. Then the levels of caffeine in their blood were measured, along with a number of other factors including blood pressure, heart rate, body mass index, triglycerides, HDL and LDL cholesterol, insulin, glucose, fat present in the blood stream, and apolipoprotein B.

  Increase in LDL and Blood Fat

  At the study’s end, the decaf group showed an 8 percent rise in fatty acids, and an 8 to 10 percent rise in LDL levels. Bloodstream fat also increased in the decaf group, by an average of 18 percent.

  Different Beans

  The difference could be caused by a difference in the types of beans used rather than the decaffeination process. Because decaffeination can strip the coffee of flavor, a flavorful bean called Robusta is often used to make it; regular coffee is usually made from the mellower Arabica beans.

  Coffee drinkers in the United States consume an average of 3.1 cups of coffee a day.

  Yahoo News November 16, 2005Forbes.com November 16, 2005

  Dr. Mercola’s Comment:Earlier this month Iposted a blog item onhow soft drinks, but not coffee, elevate your blood pressure. But it seems coffee, or at least decaf, isn’t trouble-free after all.

  Interestingly, the lead researcher used the term dose as an important consideration about drinking coffee, particularly because his study patients drank as much as six cups a day. Although coffee is certainly a better alternative than fruit juices or soft drinks, it’s not nearly as healthy for you as drinking pure water.

  Drinking coffee may interfere with your body’s ability to keep homocysteine and cholesterol levels in check, most likely by inhibiting the action of the vitamins folate, B12 or B6.

  Coffee has also been previously associated with an increased risk of stroke and rheumatoid arthritis. And studies have shown that caffeine in coffee can raise blood pressure and levels of stress hormones, and if consumed in large quantities it can lead to heart palpitations, jitters and nervousness.

  It is also imperative that you avoid any coffee if you are pregnant.

  So if you have the coffee habit it is time to consider stopping. However, please avoid the mistake that most people make when deciding to eliminate coffee from their diet. Caffeine is a drug and if you go off cold turkey you will needlessly suffer.

  I recommend weaning yourself off coffee (or regular soda for similar reasons) by cutting down the amount you drink gradually over a period of days or even weeks. It’s important to drink plenty of water during the process in order to keep your body well hydrated.

  While you’re doing that, here are some tips to reduce the chance of harmful effects until you can completely eliminate it:Use organic coffee. Coffee is a heavily sprayed crop, so drinking organic coffee might reduce or eliminate your exposure to toxic herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. It will also help the people working in the coffee fields, as they will be exposed to fewer pesticides as well.

  Try “Swiss Water Process” decaf. If you are going to drink decaffeinated coffee, be sure that it uses a non-chemical based method of decaffeination. The “Swiss Water Process” is a patented method and is the best choice. Most of the major brands are chemically decaffeinated, even if it says “naturally decaffeinated” right on the container. If you are unsure of the methods, contact the manufacturer.

  Avoid sugar and milk. These are actually much worse for you than the coffee itself. Don’t compound the detrimental health effects by adding milk or sugar to your coffee.

  Only use unbleached filters. If you use a “drip” coffee maker, be sure to use non-bleached filters. The bright white ones, which most people use, are chlorine bleached and some of this chlorine will be extracted from the filter during the brewing process.

  About the author:

  This article is reprinted from Mercola.com, the world’s #1 most visited and trusted natural/alternative health website. For a limited time only, you can take the FREE “Metabolic Type Test” to help you learn the right foods for your particular body type so you can achieve optimal fitness & health. Just go to http://www.mercola.com/forms/mt_test.htm right now to take this quick test!

  Written By: Dr. Joseph Mercola

• The Elimination of Heart Attack – Is it Possible?

  Date: 2007.09.25 | Category: Heart Tips | Response: 0

  Heart disease is the largest killer of Americans — more people in the United States die from diseases of the heart and blood vessels than all other diseases combined. Despite the fact that our country has the best heart hospitals and the finest cardiovascular specialists in the world, the heart attack rate here is not substantially different than the heart attack rate in any other country.

  The most common culprit in this deadly scenario is atherosclerosis — premature plaque build up, which clogs the coronary arteries that supply the heart muscle with vital oxygen and nutrients.

  Seventy percent of heart attacks take place in coronary blood vessels that are not severely blocked enough to require balloon, stent, or bypass. These small, unstable plaques that are barely visible at angiography are often the culprit lesions where heart attacks occur.

  For one-third of patients with atherosclerosis, death is their first symptom. Another third experience heart attack and almost half of those are dead in one month.

  We now have the tests and drugs to abolish coronary heart disease in the first quarter of the 21st century. Lifestyle intervention with exercise, nutrition, weight control, smoking elimination, and stress management would likely reduce by more than 50 percent the expression of premature cardiovascular disease through control of risks such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and the sedentary life.

  Fortunately, we are now living in an era blessed by the promulgation of incredible pharmacologic advances that allow us to actually ponder the extinction of atherosclerotic heart attack. Four drug classes now exist that if prescribed appropriately and aggressively could eliminate atherosclerosis. These four classes include: aspirin, statin, ACE and niacin. Heres how they work:

  1) Aspirin: The drug inhibits the platelets that form the clot that adheres to the unstable, fractured plaque, which could potentially block blood flow down the coronary artery and cause a heart attack. Research has consistently shown the benefits of aspirin therapy to generally reduce vascular events by about 20 percent for those suspected of having atherosclerosis (Physicians Health Study, 2003).

  2) Statin: There are several of these plaque drugs on the market, which are often mistaken for cholesterol drugs. This distinction is important: 30 to 50 percent of patients with atherosclerotic plaque have relatively normal cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that even patients with normal cholesterol profiles have fewer cardiovascular events when taking a statin drug.

  3) ACE Inhibitors: These medicines have traditionally been used to treat heart failure and high blood pressure. However, recent trials have shown them to be highly beneficial to those with coronary artery disease even if blood pressure is normal, reducing heart attack death by an additional 26 percent in the heart outcome prevention education. Therefore, the benefits of the ACE inhibitor seem to extend beyond the lowering of blood pressure. This should encourage us to clamor to receive such medication even if our blood pressure is normal.

  4) Niacin: The vitamin niacin has long been known to benefit the heart. As early as 1975, the Coronary Drug Project showed that high doses of niacin contributed to a 27 percent reduction in coronary events when compared with placebo.

  For prevention to work, each person must take control of their health and proactively take steps towards a healthier heart. A good place to start is by becoming a more informed and educated healthcare consumer. I encourage people to get all the information they can, by talking to their doctor, researching on the Internet, and reading.

  Another avenue for education is healthcare seminars. Houston is going to be hosting Cardeo, a consumer education event, Feb. 12 to15, 2004. This Medical Conference & Consumer Expo will bring together an estimated 20,000 healthcare professionals, patients, insurers, vendors and the general public to discuss the complete eradication of heart disease, which is an extremely achievable goal. The event will move the community towards true prevention.

  In reality . . . the patient has to be the one to decide to take control and then the healthcare system will move in that direction.

  About the author:

  Courtesy of ARA Content

  Written By: ARA

• Dealing With Pregnancy And Heart Disease

  Date: 2007.09.20 | Category: Heart Tips | Response: 0

  Do you have a heart problem and you’re pregnant? Cardiovascular diseases complicate approximately one percent of all pregnancies. Usually, a pregnant woman with a heart problem would entail the care of a health care team that would include an internist, an obstetrician and a nurse.

  During pregnancy, the heart exerts more effort because both blood volume and cardiac output increases. This generally occurs in the first 28 weeks of pregnancy and is sustained throughout the pregnancy. These changes result in detections of abnormal heart sounds, such as murmurs, and heart palpitations during pregnancy. Both of which are just the bodys response to the increased demand due to the presence of the infant.

  The pregnant woman is in danger because of this increase in circulatory volume. The pregnant womans heart may become overwhelmed that it may not delivery blood properly. When this happens, oxygen and nutrients (both of which are carried by the blood) are not delivered to the cells and the fetus adequately. This condition may endanger the life of both the mother and the infant.

  The type and extent of the heart disease determines if the woman can successfully undergo a complete pregnancy. This could be roughly classified as uncompromised, slightly compromised, markedly compromised and severely compromised.

  o Women who are uncompromised are those who have no limitations in physical activity, no cardiac insufficiency and no anginal pain.

  o Women who are slightly compromised are those who have slight limitation in physical activity and who experience palpitations, shortness of breath and anginal pain during physical activity.

  o Women who are markedly compromised are those who have a marked limitation of physical activity and experience palpitations, shortness of breath and anginal pain during less than an ordinary physical activity.

  o Women who are severely compromised are those who are unable to carry out physical activity.

  Women who are uncompromised and slightly compromised usually undergo normal pregnancy. Women who are markedly compromised are advised to maintain bed rest during pregnancy. While, women who are severely compromised are described to be poor candidates of pregnancy.

  The pregnant woman with a heart problem, be it mild or severe, should visit her obstetrician or family physician once she finds out that she is pregnant. The doctor would evaluate the clients condition and establish baseline data of the client. The doctor and the other members of the health care team can also advise steps to attain a successful pregnancy. Prenatal care should be stressed and close assessment of the pregnant mother should be instated to monitor both the mothers health and the growth and development of the fetus.

  The following steps could help the pregnant woman with a heart problem:

  1. Get enough rest
  A woman with cardiac disease needs more rest than the average pregnant woman. Rest lessens the strain of the increased burden of the pregnant womans heart. Promotion of rest can include discontinuation of work and reduction of heavy physical activity like certain household work.

  2. Eat healthy.
  Nutrition is essential even to the average pregnant woman. Weight gain should be watched carefully because additional cells entail additional demand from the heart. It is also essential to monitor for anemia.

  3. Be informed.
  Like any condition, the pregnant woman should be informed regarding her specific heart condition. She can help herself be searching other alternatives that may help her during her pregnancy.

  Heart problems are nothing to be lax about especially during pregnancy. Although a lot of new technologies have been established in dealing with heart problems, the woman with the heart problem should be extra careful during pregnancy. The essential course of action is of course through prevention and early detection of possible problems. These can be achieved through regular visits to the doctor and religiously following the doctors orders.

  Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the AUTHOR’S resource box at the bottom of this article is included and all links must be Active/Linkable with no syntax changes.

  About the Author:

  For up to date links and information about Pregnancy, please go to: http://PregnancyClue.com

  Written By: Elysiana Canlas

• Target Heart Rate and the Mature Exerciser

  Date: 2007.09.15 | Category: Heart Tips | Response: 0

  Anyone who has ever become involved in exercise, especially aerobic exercise, has probably heard the term “target heart rate” or “target heart range” or THR. This is a very important concept for anyone who is involved in an exercise program or someone who wants to start a program. Unfortunately, some exercise professionals gloss over this concept and don’t let people know just how important it is. My wife belongs to a Jazzercise group and she tells me that the instructors hardly bring up the need for monitoring your THR during an exercise session (my wife wears a heart rate monitor to keep checks on her THR all the time, so I guess I’ve had a positive influence on her in that respect). I sure am glad that I’m not the insurance company handling the liability insurance for this group. You see, not monitoring your THR can actually be dangerous. And, not only can it be dangerous for mature people, but it can also be dangerous for younger people too.

  So, let’s look at the concept of THR and why it is so important. Under normal circumstances, the human heart can only beat so many beats per minute. If it goes above or below these certain parameters, it usually means that something is wrong, and that’s one of the reasons we need to know what it is. For the average person, a simple rule of thumb to determine your maximum heart rate (MHR) is to subtract your age from 220 (women can use 210). Example: a 60 year old male can calculate his MHR by taking 220 – 60 = 160, so his MHR is 160. A 60 year old female would take 210 – 60 = 150, so her MHR is 150. Keep in mind that this is just a rule of thumb. If you want to find out what your exact MHR is, you will need to have a doctor put you through an aerobic exercise test to exhaustion (a “max test”), which isn’t usually worth while for most of us. When I was in graduate school they would put me through a “max test” about once every other week to give the other students a chance to see how all the equipment worked and what they needed to do to run everything properly. They used me because I was a well conditioned triathlete and a little stupid too. Believe me, those tests are tough, and you don’t want to go through one unless you absolutely have to.

  The reason you need to know your MHR is that it is used to determine your THR for different exercise goals. What do we mean when we say “different exercise goals”? Some people are going to exercise just to stay or get healthy. Others will want to exercise to lose weight. And, still others may be exercising to increase their aerobic or anaerobic capabilities for a certain sport (swimming, sprinting, marathons, etc.). Whatever these goals are, the THR to achieve them is going to be different. If someone just wants to use aerobic exercise to help become or stay healthy, a good THR for them might be 65% – 80% of their MHR. Using our 60 year old male whose MHR is 160, his THR for staying healthy would be 160 x 65% = 104, 160 x 80% = 128, so his range would be 104 – 128 heart beats per minute (this is measured by taking your pulse). If he wants to lose weight, he might use a THR of 60% – 70% of his MHR because this level will burn more fat. And, don’t forget, monitoring your heart rate isn’t only to achieve your exercise goals. It is important that you keep track of your heart rate so that if anything unusual starts to happen while you’re exercising you will be able to stop.

  A really convenient way to keep track of your target heart rate is with a heart rate monitor. These can cost anywhere from about $60 up to $250 and more depending on how many bells and whistles you want. You can also just take your pulse at your wrist or neck (how to do that is food for another article), several times during an exercise session to make sure you stay within your range.

  Knowing your THR and MHR is very important, both for safety and for appropriate exercise goal setting. Learn what they are, and monitor them regularly.

  2005 Thomas D. Manfredi, MS

  About the author:

  Online fitness coach Tom Manfredi is the creator of the site fitness-after-50.com. He has a master’s degree in exercise physiology and over 20 years of practical exercise experience.

  This site is designed with the mature adult in mind. Learn more by going to fitness-after-50.com

  Written By: Thomas D. Manfredi, M.S.

• Acai Berry Making for a Healthy Heart

  Date: 2007.09.10 | Category: Heart Tips | Response: 0

  Acai is a new fruit from Brazil that offers vital nutritional benefits for people over 40 years of age. The Acai contains 33 times the cholesterol fighting anthocyanin than a glass of red wine, a Daily Value (DVS) of calcium, twice the DVS at the antioxidant ‘Vitamin E and a substantial amount of dietary fiber (2)

  Cardiovascular Maintenance, Anthocyanins are cholesterol regulating compounds with well researched data (indicating their value in Cardiovascular support Elevated blood cholesterol is one of the major modifiable risk factors for coronary heart disease (5) and the leading cause of death in the US The fact is that 490,000 Americans die of Coronary Heart Diseases each year (3) with cost of over $60 billion annually in medical expenses and lost productivity ( 4) Therefore, regulating and reducing cholesterol through dietary means can contribute to prolonging life and reducing medical expenses.

  Low cholesterol foods and exercise are only a part of the natural program to prevent and mitigate cardiovascular diseases. The consumption of foods rich in compounds that reduce cholesterol, reduce blood pressure and carry antioxidant protection completes the program. Acai is an excellent example of such a functional food that is now accessible to food, beverage and supplement markets in an economical and convenient form.

  Calcium rich Acai also provides several cardiovascular health benefits. According to a research summary by the Just-Food.com editorial team. More than maintaining skeletal strength and reducing the impact of osteoporosis, studies have shown that people who suffer from high blood pressure often also have diets low in calcium, When calcium is added to their diet, blood pressure drops. Some research also suggest that calcium may help reduce LDL cholesterol levels. Also the lower risk of stroke, found in a study of 86,000 women, was attributed to calcium. Diets rich in calcium have also been linked to reduced occurrences of colon and breast cancer in various laboratory studies.

  The generous amount of Vitamin E in Acai, twice the D.V., (Daily Value), is essential for regeneration of damaged tissue and as a protective antioxidant. Cancer prevention and Intestinal function: “Acai” high fiber content is very favorable to the consumers proper intestinal function, ” reports Dr. Herve Rogez , “Fiber accelerates the intestinal processes and has a very important role in avoiding colon cancer, The D.V. is 35g of fibers/adult a day, Acai consumers reach this dose very easily,” (2)

  References (1)Claire Madden, VP Marketing at MarketResearch.com, (2) “Biochemical and Technical Studies on Acai” by Dr. Herve Rogez 2, Sofia Pascal 2, Jesus N.S. de Souza, Arlete R. Aquino & Raphaele Buxant Dept.. de Engenharia Quimica – Centro Tecnologico, Diaouiweir ria I niinnin, Beligica) (3) National Contor for Health Statictice. Annual summary of births, marriages, divorces, and deaths United States, 1993, Monthly vital statistics report-, vol 42 no 13. Hyattsville, MD: Public Health Service, 1594. (4) American Heart Association. Heart and stroke facts 1995 statistical supplement. Dallas, TX: American Heart Association, 1994, (5) National Cholesterol Education Program. Second report of the Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults Adult Treatment Panel II). BeM6sda National Heart, Lung

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• Women and heart disease

  Date: 2007.09.05 | Category: Heart Tips | Response: 0

  How do you start to transform the long ingrained opinions that heart disease affects primarily men? Most people are surprised when told that not only is heart disease the #1 killer of women, but that more women die from heart disease than breast cancer. According to the American Heart Association, nearly 500,000 women die each year from heart disease.1 And although today’s advances in cardiology are many, 38% of women will die within one year of a first heart attack. Clearly, we can and should do a better job at treating women with heart disease. These facts haven’t gone unrecognized by the healthcare community, who produces a wealth of educational literature, websites, and symposiums focusing on women’s heart care. Additionally, new and established heart centers are beginning to concentrate on cardiac issues specific to the care of women. These efforts do demonstrate favorable steps for progress, but more is needed to reduce the alarmingly high mortality rate. Recent research reveals a disparity between the cardiac treatments given to females vs. males. The dramatic improvements in pharmaceuticals, time to treatment, interventional cardiac catheterization, and cardiovascular surgery aren’t consistently applied to both genders. Resolving inequities The following organizational steps can be useful in resolving cardiac care inequities: ? Begin at the organizational level by providing educational programs to your nursing staff and physicians with topics such as: –the prevalence of heart disease among women –identification of cardiac symptoms in women –primary prevention methods This fundamental intervention that is a vital foundation to affect a change in medical practice that can save women’s lives. ? Formulate a community awareness program to address issues on the following: –risk factor identification specific to women –risk factor reduction methods specific to women –identification of cardiac signs and symptoms specific to women –discussion topics with your physician –cardiac screenings. Hospitals offering these programs report capacity attendances and waiting lists for sessions, supporting evidence that there’s need and interest. The programs serve two objectives: providing a needed educational opportunity for the women in your community and showcasing your cardiac services. Developing a program Since cardiac disease is a chronic condition, a disease management model proves suitable. Develop organizational strategic initiatives to provide continuous services that will significantly impact this condition. (See “Sample outline.”) Trendsetter programs are paving the path for others to follow by providing proof of the clinical and financial benefits to offering a cardiac program specific to women. Research on the profitability of women’s cardiac programs demonstrates a favorable bottom-line impact. Additional non-cardiac diagnostic testing is reported to increase as a result of these programs. This research provides the evidence of the value of directing organizational efforts toward provision of women’s cardiac services.3 For many years it has been known that women are the primary decision makers in healthcare. Hospitals have responded to this by developing women’s health centers that address OB/Gyn needs, screening for osteoporosis, and breast care. These programs were developed to meet what was considered to be the most pressing health issues for women, but by continuing to offer only these services they fail to address heart disease. Seize the opportunity to become a “full service” women’s health program by providing women’s cardiac services. REFERENCES 1. American Heart Association: Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2003 Update. Dallas, Tex.: American Heart Association, 2002. 2. Heartwire: Women with heart disease are “substantially undertreated,” Theheart.org; Jan. 20, 2003. 3. The Advisory Board Company: Cardiovascular Roundtable. Enterprise in Transition, National Membership Meeting, Washington, D.C., 2002.

  About the Author

  Cynthia Havrilak has frontline experience in the initiation and management of medical cardiac programs. Her health care background includes clinical experience in medical intensive care, cardiovascular surgical care, and peripheral vascular angioplasty.

  Cynthia Havrilak is a senior consultant for Health Care Visions, Ltd., Pittsburgh, PA. (412) 364-3770 orwww.hcvconsult.com

  Written By: CYNTHIA J. HAVRILAK, RN, MSN