Posts Tagged ‘pharmaceuticals’

• Exercise and Heart Health a Life Giving Marriage

  Date: 2007.10.20 | Category: Heart Tips | Response: 0

  Most people get their health out of a bottle these days, be it a bottle of vitamins or pharmaceuticals. However, with a little effort and dedication you really can get a hold on your life, turn it round and live it to the full!

  If you’ve been diagnosed with heart disease or are at risk of developing heart disease regular exercise is essential for the health of your heart, body and mind. In fact, aerobic exercise and heart health really do go hand in hand.

  With busy lifestyles and lack of time, regular use of home equipment, such as a treadmill, an elliptical trainer, a stationary cycle, a stair-climber, etc. is becoming increasingly popular. These items are now precision health giving apparatus that really can help get you in shape. Gyms are also getting more and more members, but often people slack off because of time restraints. If this is you, working out at home may be the answer for you

  However, before jumping into your gym shoes talk to your doctor about your desires and objectives. Your doctor may be able to give you some useful insights you didnt consider as well as coaching from a medical point of view. If your doctor gives you the OK, try to work some exercise into your daily routine. The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests, for example, that patients start by walking five minutes a day, then increasing gradually to 30 minutes over several weeks. Walking is a wonderful way to start, as it is low impact, you need no special equipment, and it costs nothing. Swimming may be another good choice. This type of exercise is called aerobic training that involves large muscle groups, such as the legs, and keeps your heart rate pumping for a set amount of time. Unless there are deformities of the heart muscle, aerobics and heart health are often found together and not only does the heart benefit, there are other advantages too.

  Aerobic Exercising and Heart Health

  As you can see, take it slow initially; its really not necessary to sign up at the local gym or aerobic class. Although, after some time you might want to do just that.

  Depending on where you live walking or swimming may not be an option. In such cases, you may like to consider a piece of home aerobic equipment such as a treadmill, stationary cycle or elliptical trainer. However, before purchasing a home trainer consider whether you will really use it. If the answer is yes, best get the best home aerobic equipment you can afford. Your heart will thank you.

  Lack of exercise and heart disease

  The American Heart Association has now added “lack of exercise” to the list of major risk factors for heart disease. The other risk factors are smoking, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol.

  Exercise not only helps fight heart disease and gets you in shape, but if you live a sedentary lifestyle, a regular exercise routine can also:

  help control high blood pressure,

  reduce the risks of type II diabetes,

  help prevent osteoporosis,

  improve your general wellbeing and help fight depression, anxiety and stress,

  greatly help to lose weight

  Those are just some of the benefits of doing regular exercise. I wanted to make a list of some of the disadvantages, but I cant think of any!

  In an ideal world, in order to get the best results possible you should exercise three to five times a week for 30-60 minutes within your target heart rate. But even normal day to day events, such as taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking to work, walking the dog, or gardening can help. You can do many things to increase physical activity during the day; just try thinking about what you can do. The benefits are well worth the effort.

  Another thing that has proven to be effective is cross training. In cross training you participate in 2 or more different types of exercise during the week, for instance: Monday walking, Tuesday treadmill, Wednesday swimming, Thursday elliptical training, etc. You may also like to insert some strengthening exercises too, such as weight lifting.

  Not only will cross training help to tone your whole body, it will help stop boredom setting in. Many people stop training not because they dont have the time (thats the reason they dont start), but because they get bored. If you can arrange a routine where you do something different each day, it is going to be difficult to get bored.

  So, talk with your doctor and start now! Once you notice the result, nothing will stop you. Youll loose weight, be more toned and fit, will have a sharper outlook on life and, oh yes I almost forgot, youll live longer!

  About The Author

  Nicholas Webb, of AllAbout Heart Disease, speaks and writes with a passion telling it is as it is; helping others to live life to the full. This article is extracted from his newsletter The Webs Heart.

  To subscribe, or read other articles visit The Webs Heart To learn more about how to beat heart disease and get into shape visit: www.AllAbout-Heart-Disease.com.

  Written By: Nicholas Webb

• 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

• Add years to your life and save your heart for free

  Date: 2007.05.18 | Category: Heart Tips | Response: 0

  If you were told that you can add years to your life, get your cholesterol levels back to normal and protect yourself from heart disease and atherosclerosis, all for free would you believe it?

  No need for the latest fashionable supplement or designer drug. No need to worry about unwanted drug side-effects and expense. You dont even have to be too concerned about your bad LDL cholesterol! Yes, you read correctly.

  It sounds too good to be true, but it isnt

  Every day the evidence is piling up that links an increased risk of heart disease and stroke more strongly to low levels of the good HDL cholesterol rather than to high levels of the bad LDL. Studies have clearly shown that for every one-milligram rise in HDL, the risk for developing cardiovascular disease falls by 2 to 3 percent. There is a really simple, zero cost way of increasing your HDL by 5mg that means a 15% reduction in the possibility of suffering from heart disease!

  For some time it has been known that HDL cholesterol is a so-called negative risk factor, meaning high levels zeros one of your other risk factor on your overall health profile. But this latest evidence takes the HDL issue one step further.

  The good news is that it is quite easy to increase levels of HDL and while doing so often levels of the so-called bad LDL decrease. So, you actually get twice your moneys worth. In fact, the HDL actually cleans up the potentially harmful cholesterol from your arteries and sends it off to the liver where it is eliminated. But it doesnt end there, it also acts as an antioxidant that helps stop oxidation the bad cholesterol. Inflammation has also been receiving a lot of press coverage as being one of the culprits for heart disease, well guess what? HDL is also an anti-inflammatory agent, helping to repair what artery disease. It can also help keep blood clots from blocking arteries.

  So now all the buzz is on the good guy, which unlike LDL, that should be a low as possible; the higher your level of HDL cholesterol the better for your health. So now you can give your health a natural, zero cost boost and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.

  So, what should your HDL cholesterol levels be?

  For some time it has been known that people who live into their 90′s without evidence of heart disease, typically have very high levels of HDL. You should do your best to get your HDL levels up to at least 60 milligrams; levels below 40 mg for men and 50 mg for women, according to the most important international health institutions, are associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

  Come on over to our site now by selecting the link below and find out how to get YOUR levels of HDL up to standard. Dont worry we dont push supplements or pharmaceuticals; we just give you the tips you need.

  About the Author

  www.allabout-heart-disease.com the site that tells you how it is, about getting your life back and living it to the full! Articles, tips, advice and the latest news on how to take care of your heart. You can get articles like this in your mailbox each month by submitting to our eZine The Webs Heart by clicking here.

  Written By: Nicholas Webb