Category: Heart Diseases

Inflammatory Heart Disease The Basics

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Inflammatory heart disease occurs when the surrounding heart tissue or muscle is inflamed from exposure to an infection like a bacteria or virus or from an internal oddity. This kind of inflammation may appear in cases of rheumatic fever and kawasaki disease. The disease may be categorized as either endocarditis, myocarditis or pericarditis.

Types of Inflammatory Heart Disease

Pericarditis

The heart is engulfed by a sac called the pericardium. The sac is composed of two layers the fibrous pericardium and the serous pericardium. The serous pericardium has two layers which both provide lubrication to the active heart to reduce friction. The fibrous pericardium is the outer layer of dense connective tissue that firmly holds the heart to the bordering walls, prevents the total flooding of the heart with blood and protects the heart.

There are many instances where pericarditis materializes without a known cause however, there are some factors that will incite the disease including:

1.Viral and bacterial infections
2.Connective tissue disease such as sarcoidosis and rheumatoid arthritis
3.Previous injury to the heart like heart attack, trauma and heart surgery
4.Metabolic disorders chiefly hypothyroidism and uremia (kidney failure)
5.An adverse reaction to a certain type of medication
6.Tumours and cancers

Endocarditis

Endocarditis is incited by an infection of the endocardium or inner lining of the heart resulting in subsequent inflammation. It generally manifests when pathogens from other areas of the body come in contact with the bloodstream and latches on to weakened areas of the heart. If is not treated it may partially or entirely ruin the heart valves and may also progress into a life- threatening condition. The disease rarely affects individuals with healthy hearts. The greatest risk factors are impaired condition of the heart, artificial heart valve and having any other heart defect.

Myocarditis

Myocarditis describes inflammation of the heart muscle. It is prompted by several infections inclusive of viruses like sarcoidosis, pregnancy, and immune diseases. The most common form of infection is by a virus which will attack the heart muscle inciting local inflammation. Once the infection has ceased the immune response will be perpetuated, lengthening the duration of the myocarditis.

Symptoms

It may sometimes occur with no symptoms. The most often seen symptom is pain in the chest. In severe cases the disease may induce deterioration of the heart muscle. It is subsequently possible for it to cause heart failure with evident shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, oedema, extreme tiredness and so on.

Prognosis

It is not known from the outset of the disease how well an individual will recover. Some persons recover completely while others may develop chronic heart failure due to considerable damage to the heart muscles. Rarely a person may be afflicted with fulminant heart failure which is deadly if a heart transplant is not performed. If the damage to the muscle is extreme a defibrillator may be implanted to increase the heart’s overall function.

Understanding child heart disease

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Heart disease is a disorder, which affect the proper functioning of the heart. Child heart disease is common affecting many newborn and older children. This article examines the various child heart diseases and their treatment.
Congenital Heart Disease
Heart disease is a serious ailment and often leads to premature death. Many children can also suffer from heart disease. Child heart disease is actually quite a common worldwide. When a child is born with an existing defect in the heart, it is called congenital heart disease. Congenital heart disease is fairly. It affects almost one percent of all newborn.
Often, the first diagnosis of child heart disease is made during routine examination when the pediatrician detects heart murmur. Heart murmur is the noise that the blood makes as it flows through the heart. Heart murmurs are fairly common in children. It is not necessarily a sign of child heart disease.
If a heart murmur is due to a problem in a child’s heart, it is caused either by a hole in the heart, a leaky heart valve, or constricted heart valve. To confirm the diagnosis, an examination by a pediatric cardiologist is necessary. Pediatric specializes in child heart disease.
Abnormalities of the heart may or may not be noticeable at birth. For example, a hole in the heart wall will allows blood to travel from one side to the other. In such case, the baby may have blue lips or fingers. This is one of the signs of child heart disease.
Another example of child heart disease is an abnormal heart valve, which allow blood to flow in the opposite direction. Such a problem will usually require surgery once the child is older.
Congenital heart disease must be treated promptly or it will lead to more serious complications. Hence, early detection is important. Unfortunately, many heart defects are not detected at birth resulting in more damage to the heart and requiring more extensive treatment.
Some forms of congenital heart disease are actually self-healing. However, in many cases, major surgery will be required to rectify the problems.
While there are risks associated with surgery, the chances of full recovery and a normal life are very high. So the situation is not hopeless.
Connection between Premature Infants and Heart Disease
A baby is considered premature if born before 37 weeks. Most premature babies are born with some form of heart problem. A premature infant’s organs are also not fully developed, and thus require special care in a nursery or intensive care unit while their organ systems continue growth.
Although there is no sure way to avoid premature labor, one of the most important preventive measures to receive proper prenatal care. Statistics show that proper prenatal care greatly reduces the odds of premature birth and related deaths.
The pregnant mother should also maintain a healthy lifestyle, eat a diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, keep well hydrated and have at least 30 minutes of exercise each day.
Hereditary Heart Disease
Hereditary heart disease refers to heart disease, which is passed down through genes. It is not preventable. If one has a history of heart disease in the family then one is at risk of hereditary heart disease.
The risk is greater when first-degree relatives, such as your mother, father, brother, sister and so on, have heart disease.
In rare cases, high cholesterol level runs in the family. This is called familial hypercholesterolaemia. It is a genetic problem, which results in exceptionally high level of cholesterol. As a result, there is a high of heart disease.
Hereditary heart disease is caused by various factors. Sometimes, it is merely a pattern of heart disease rather than true hereditary heart disease. These are actually avoidable. For example, the family lifestyle such as poor diet, lack of exercise and smoking. All of these factors contribute to heart disease and can be the start of the chain of hereditary heart disease. In such cases, changing these risk factors will reduce the likelihood of heart disease. This means eating a proper well-balanced diet, getting plenty of exercise, as well as avoids smoking and excessive drinking.
By living a healthy lifestyle, it is possible to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, even if one’s genes are predispose to heart disease.

Heart Disease Penalty For Your Healthy Life

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Today heart disease is a major factor due to which people are facing death and is considered as an important health complication. Over 83 percent of people who die of coronary heart disease are 65 or older. There are many risks factors that can lead you to heart disease. Heart disease is a common word that refers to a variety of acute and chronic medical conditions that affect one or more of the components of the heart. According to a study, smokers are 4 times that of nonsmokers who suffers from coronary heart disease. Most people with a strong family history of heart problems have one or more other risk factors. Another factor is increasing age. So if you want to say healthy it is important that you should take care of your heart. High cholesterol and high pressure are two important reasons that cause diseases related to heart. High pressure increases the workload causing the heart to thicken, and become stiffer. It increases the chances of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and cognitive heart failure. There is a saying of course prevention is better than cure so living a healthy life style, eating healthy fruits ,vegetables and proper exercise can prevent you from getting heart problems.

Are you suffering from problems like shortening of breath, heart palpitation, and unusual awareness of the heart beat? You may run the risk of getting heart failure if you are not serious about your problem. With heart beat a set of blood enters the heart and is pumped out again therefore heart failure is the inability of the heart to meet the demands of tissues and organs. The commonest cause of heart failure is ischemic heart disease also know as coronary heart disease. This disease obstructs the flow of blood thus resulting in chest pain or angina that may result to heart attack. It is important that patients with heart failure must be educated about the causes of heart failure and they should take proper care of their diets, should reduce salt intake, exercise regularly, reduction of alcohol consumption, dieting if overweight, and cessation of cigarette smoking. All these can help you to prevent getting any kinds of problems related to heart.

Even after taking proper imitative if you are still facing abnormalities regarding your heart then its better you get in touch with a cardiologist who offers help for heart issues. Singapore always has been on top in the health care sector and it provides the best medical care in the world. If you are getting any kind of issues regarding heart, then contact the best cardiologist Singapore Dr. Lim Ing Haan to cure your heart problems. Dr. Lim with her team of nurses and cardiac technologists will ensure best care for patients. Dr.lim is of the few cardiologists Singapore who perform stenting via the radial (wrist) artery. With many years of experience in complex intervention, including rotablation, Dr Lim offers treatment options for patients with advanced heart disease requiring second opinion. So if you have any problem regarding your heart it will be advisable to visit drliminghaan cardiology clinic, to get best treatment facilities from the finest cardiologist Singapore.

The Red Dress Lapel Pin Fights Womens Heart Disease

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If you were asked to name the leading cause of death for women in the United States, could you do it? Breast cancer, right?

Wrong. Heart disease kills one in three U.S. women each year about six times as many as breast cancer. The American Heart Association, in conjunction with other health organizations is trying to raise awareness of the risk of heart disease in women. One of the ways the AHA is trying to raise awareness is through the red dress lapel pins.

Although many people consider heart disease a mans disease, its an equal opportunity killer. In 2006, heart disease killed 315,930 women in the United States just about exactly half of the total number of heart-related deaths that year. The AHA created the Go Red for Women campaign featuring the red dress lapel pin to make people realize that heart disease is a serious threat to women.

Lapel pins have long been a way to show support for causes, including AIDS awareness, cancer research and support for those living with many chronic diseases. But the most common style, the ribbon-shaped lapel pin, has some drawbacks.

Ribbon lapel pins have been common for many years, usually with a specific color assigned to a specific illness or other cause. But with a limited color palette to choose from, it quickly becomes almost impossible for the casual observer to know what cause a particular ribbon lapel pin represents.

The red dress lapel pin, introduced in 2004, is meant to remind people that heart disease is not limited by gender, age or any other factor, and that women need to be conscious of their heart health. The simple red lapel pin is a low-key way to draw awareness to the cause, equally suited to an office or casual environment.

The red dress lapel pin, like the pink ribbon lapel pin that promotes breast cancer awareness, is a low-key way to get an instantly recognizable message to many people. Its distinctive dress silhouette is easily recognizable. Unlike most ribbon pins and other styles, it has only one known meaning. The unique dress shape, unexpected in a sea of ribbon lapel pins, might prompt people to ask what its about. That gives the wearer an opportunity to discuss the need for heart health in a way that the more commonly shaped ribbon lapel pins might not.

Thats not to say that other lapel pins cant make the same point. Red ribbon lapel pins also have a history of representing heart disease awareness, just not necessarily specifically for women. While February is American Heart Month, a red lapel pin in either style can easily serve as an awareness reminder throughout the year.

Ribbon lapel pins have a distinguished history of representing disease awareness campaigns. The first ribbon lapel pins were red strips of actual ribbon in the now-familiar looped shape. They were created in the early 1990s to promote AIDS awareness, and made their first appearance at the 1991 Tony Awards. The red dress lapel pin is one of the few awareness lapel pins that break free of the customary ribbon shape.

The Signs Of Heart Attacks Your Bodys Alarm System

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According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Heart attacks kill about 460,000 Americans every year. People usually die within one hour of when symptoms start, but before they get to the hospital. If more people recognized the signs of heart attacks and acted sooner, more people would survive them.

One reason that people dont always recognize the warning signs of heart attacks is that they act differently. Even people who have had a heart attack before might not recognize another one because it could be completely different. The main thing to remember is that if you arent sure, have it checked out. It is better to have a false alarm than to not respond to the real thing. Quick response greatly increases your chances for surviving heart attacks.

Most heart attacks start out with some sort of discomfort to the chest.
It may not be the searing pain that you might expect from a heart attack, but there will probably be something. Some people have described before a squeezing sensation, or simply a pain or fullness. The pain may last for a few minutes, or it may come and go away and come back again.

Many people also experience some sort of pain in the upper area of the body during heart attacks. It may show up in the arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach. If you have pain or even a mild discomfort in any of these areas you should have it checked out, especially if theres a history of heart disease in your family or if youve been diagnosed with heart problems. Many people try to wait this type of pain out, but it only gets worse. If you wait, you may be too late. Heart attacks arent something to wait around on. Make sure that you get help immediately.

There are many other symptoms of heart attacks that you can identify. Some people experience a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness. Most people also experience shortness of breath. There are many different symptoms that you can identify as warning signals of heart attacks. The most important thing is that you react quickly to these symptoms. Even if you dont like doctors or hospitals, a short stay in one is better than leaving immediately.

On top of learning warning signs of heart attacks, you can take preventative measures to keep yourself safe. Exercise properly, eat right, and see your doctor for regular checkups. Remember that heart disease doesnt mean your life will be cut short undiagnosed and untreated heart disease will put you on the fast track for heart attacks.

Know About The Types Of Heart Disease

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Heart disease is a category of illnesses that affects the regular functionality of the heart that can start from different causes. These diseases cause damage the different muscles and blood vessels connected to the heart and affects its ability to work properly. Since the 1900’s, cardiac disease has been recorded as the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Wales and Canada. Cardiac disease is responsible for killing someone every 34 seconds in America and over 60 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disfunction. There are many individuals who are uneducated about its causes, symptoms and ways of preventing it affecting you and your family.

There are several category of cardiac disease which all have the same type of symptoms and treatment methods. Ischaemic Heart Disease affects the heart by minimizing the blood circulation to the cardiac muscle. Ischaemic Heart Disease displays symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, swelling of the legs and can also reduce an individuals ability to exercise.

Coronary Heart Disease is a disease that causes the artery and the blood vessels leading to the heart to tighten. This takes place as a result of plaque accumulation made up from fatty material, scar tissues and calcium. These vessels transport precious blood and oxygen to other vital organs so when they become obstructed the cardiac muscle is not properly fed with enough blood to perform its usual function. Warning signs include severe chest pain, heart attacks and even cardiac arrest. There are particular factors that maximizes the possibility of developing Coronary Heart Disease. Obesity, High blood pressure, Diabetes, smoking, high stress level, insufficient physical activity, high cholesterol level and in some women menopause.

A valvular Heart Disease is any disease which affects one or more of the valves in the heart. This illness can either be contract from birth or it can be attained over the course of a person’s life. If the disease does not turn out to be severe then medications are available to correct the ailment, but if it becomes critical then an operation will have to take place in order to either repair the valve or replace it. Valvular heart disease can be caused from rheumatic fever, hypereosinophilic syndrome, bacterial infection and cancer, just to name some.

Hypertensive Heart Disease includes any problems that cause high blood pressure. Symptoms of hypertension include, bloating, irregular pulse rate, fatigue, unexpected weight gain, frequent urination at nights, shortness of breath. Cardiovascular disease affects the cardiovascular system by causing damage to the arteries and veins.

Other forms of these diseases are Inflammatory heart disease which inflames the heart’s surrounding tissues, Cardiomyopathy which deteriorates the muscles of the heart, and congestive heart failure which occurs when the heart is unable to provide sufficient amounts of blood throughout the body to fulfill its needs. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle which includes regular exercise, upkeeping a nutritious diet and eliminating bad habits such as smoking, can lower the chances of someone developing cardiac disease. Various treatments can also be used to monitor the functions of the heart and sometimes depending on how devastating the damage is, surgery may be required.

Abana Himalaya – An Effective Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine To Treat Heart Diseases

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Some Evidences of Cardiovascular Diseases or Heart Diseases

Each year, the American Heart Association (AHA), in combination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and other government agencies, brings together the data on heart diseases and ailments, stroke, other vascular diseases, and their risk factors and presents them in its Heart Disease and Stroke Statistical Update. In the year 2007, it was established that the overall death rate under the Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD) was around 251.2 per 1,00,000. The rates was surprisingly high for black males 390.4 per 1,00,000. Mortality data recorded for the year 2007 reveals that Cardio Vascular Diseases accounted for approximately 33.1% of 2,243,712 deaths or 1 in every 2.9 death across the United States of America. Data from the National health and Nutrition Examination survey records that 33.5% of US adults greater than the age group of 20 years advocate hypertension. The existence of hypertension is nearly equal among both the genres in the United States of America. Among these adults, nearly 80% of them are aware of their conditions, 71% of them are using anti-hypertensive medications. All these attributes to the Cardio Vascular Diseases or CVD ailments.

Abana Himalaya – Herbal Supplement for Healthy Heart Functioning

However there is a pure natural and herbal way to treat the Cardio Vascular Diseases (CVD), Himalaya Herbals Abana. Abana helps regulation of serum lipids by controlling the blood cholesterol levels, also reduces triglyceride and low density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein levels. In one word it helps controlling and maintains the normal lipid levels across the heart. Abana improves the heart contractility by exerting a optimistic inotropic action. Abana benefits patients from symptoms of Atherosclerosis by reducing blood clots which endanger the risk of heart attacks and heart ailments like stroke ranging from mild to severe. It also reduces the hypertension which can at times induce cardio vascular diseases. Abana is also a proven medicine towards reducing nervousness and anxiety.

Currently Abana is advised towards administering a degraded functioning of the heart and its capillaries. Abana from Himalaya Herbals is available in the market in the form of tablets and is advised to be taken under the guidance of a medical expert who can administer heart or cardio vascular diseases. The ingredients of Abana from Himalaya Herbals include Arjuna, Amlaki, Yashti-madhu, Ashvagandha, Sunthi, Makardhwaj etc. which are all renowned forms of Ayurvedic medications. Abana also has Calmint which inhibits the quality of treating the uncharacteristic cardio vascular situations.

Researchers, medical experts and medical practioner across the globe prescribe Himalaya Herbals Abana as a medication and towards treating multiple Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) since it is already a proven medicine towards healing all types of heart diseases and ailments. Abana is worldwide endorsed by 2,50,000 doctors across the globe and is available throughout the world due to its non-harming and effective capability to treat Cardiovascular Disorders. Abana can also be taken as a daily supplement towards maintaining a healthy heart and can be very beneficial for those who are mild or moderately stressed smokers and are overweight or consume diets which contain high amounts of fats.

Benefits of Himalaya Abana:
Abana from Himalaya is an effective herbal remedy that supports healthy heart functioning.
Abana from Himalaya promotes healthy blood circulation
Abana from Himalaya helps in controlling normal cholesterol and lipid levels
Abana from Himalaya helps to reduce platelet accumulation
Abana from Himalaya useful in relieving stress, anxiety and nervousness

Steps To Prevent Heart Disease

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Heart diseases are rampant in US and other western countries. Developing economies, such as India, are also not far behind. And therefore this is the high time we should start learning more about our hearts and what can be done to prevent heart diseases. Here are 5 steps that a heart specialist in India shared with me:

1. Know which foods to eat more of, and which ones to limit

You might know that certain foods increase your risk for a heart disease while others help you keep your heart healthy. In general, you should have more of vegetables and fruits as they are rich in vitamins and minerals. Refined, processed or fast foods, on the other hand, should be limited.

2. Take a look at your portion size

There are people who keep on eating until they feel stuffed. Overeating leads to eating more calorie, fat and cholesterol. And this is certainly not good for your heart. Remember, how much you eat is as important as what you eat. Control your portion size and bring down your chances of developing a heart disease.

3. Whole grains do wonders to your heart

Whole grains, like barley, contain fibre and many other nutrients, which can help regulate blood pressure and heart health. Substitute the refined products with the whole grains. Ground flaxseed is a great addition to a heart healthy diet. It is full of fiber and nutrients. Try it.

4. Reduce your intake of sodium

Excessive sodium can lead to high blood pressure and poor heart health. Therefore reduce it. Reducing the amount of salt from the food that you prepare at home is the first thing you should do. However, you should be more careful about the salt that comes from the consumption of canned and processed foods, such as soups and frozen dinners.

5. Heart healthy exercise

Make exercise a part of your daily life. Yoga, aerobics, Ti-chi, whatever fascinates you, start it and save your heart.

6. When you are diagnosed with a heart disease

There is no need to lose heart. There are treatments available for almost all heart diseases. If its costly in your country, you can get the treatment in some other countries, which offer affordable treatments. Cardiology treatment in India, for example, would cost you a fraction of what you would spend in a hospital in US or UK.

The best thing is cardiology treatment in India is performed with the same precision and care that you would receive at a hospital in US or UK.

Heart Disease Treatment – Donot Let Heart Disease Destroy You

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Our heart is one of the most vital organs of the body. For this reason, it is very important that the heart is always in good physical shape in order to enjoy a healthy and vigorous life. When a person’s heart is not in the normal state, the person is having heart disease.

Heart disease usually causes pain in the heart. There are different kinds of heart diseases: congestive heart failure, hypertension, coronary heart disease, congenital heart disease, heart infections and others. Heart ailment happens more frequently in infants and teenagers than adults.

Heart diseases can be caused by many reasons. Some reasons are sedentary lifestyle, smoking habits, improper diet, diabetes, hypertension and other hereditary factors. Part of the heart disease treatment is to trace the early signs of the condition. Unfortunately, The symptoms of the early stage of the heart disease are not very evident. Most of the symptoms are noticeable when the condition is already at its critical level such as cold sweating, severe chest pain, sickness and heart attack.

With the advancement of the medical science, we have many different diagnostic procedures to determine whether a person has a heart disease. The part of the initial diagnosis is ECG and Angiography. If you had heart disease, it is important that you consult a heart specialist immediately. Usually, the heart disease treatment begins with basic medical tests to identify the actual state of your health condition. It is only through the doctor’s advice that you will know whether you will undergo certain medication or surgical procedures. The usual medication given to heart disease sufferers are beta blockers, aspirin, ACE inhibitors and drugs that can reduce the cholesterol level of the body. The surgical procedure is also the options for heart disease treatment. Because of major technological advancements in the medical field, many surgeries are now available in different hospitals such as Angioplasty, Coronary Artery Bypass and heart transplant.

When taking medications, always ask your doctor about what heart disease treatments are better in your condition. It is also vital that you are familiar with each medication particularly the generic names and the proper dosage prescribed by the doctor. Also, read the label carefully to make sure that you are following the correct medication.

To avoid serious damage to your health, you must have a regular exercise and proper diet. The initial step towards a successful heart disease treatment is eating healthy food and exercising regularly. Talk to your doctor or a certified heart specialist to know what food you ought to eat and the kinds of physical activities that are suitable for your condition. You also need to break bad habits such as smoking and overeating. These two are the major risk factors that cause heart ailments. If you want to have a healthy heart, then stay away from these habits. If you do not change your lifestyle, all heart disease treatments can not help you much.

The Heart Of Heart Disease

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A multi-billion-dollar industry has been built around the concept that large, cholesterol-filled blockages in the arteries cause heart attacks. That concept is just plain wrong. The reality is that as many as 80 percent of all heart attacks occur when smaller plaques, destabilized by inflammation, rupture and attract a blood clot that blocks blood flow to the heart.
So while cardiologists are placing stents to prop open large blockages or bypassing them altogether with surgery, inflammationthe real culprit in heart diseasecontinues unimpeded.
The Ins and Outs of Inflammation
Inflammation is the bodys frontline immunological response. Without it, youd fall prey to each and every infection that came along. But sometimes inflammation turns from friend to foe, and that is precisely whats going on in coronary artery disease.
Although there are many markers for inflammation, the best studied for relevance to cardiovascular disease is C-reactive protein (CRP). Studies have shown that men with the highest CRP levels have three times the risk of heart attack and twice the risk of stroke as men with the lowest levels. In women, a high CRP level is the single most important predictor of heart attack riskmore so than elevated cholesterol.
This may explain why half of heart attacks occur in individuals with normal cholesterol levels and a quarter occur in people with no risk factors at all. For these clean-living folkswho dont smoke, and dont have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabeteschronic low-grade inflammation and the resulting damage to arteries may be the culprit.
A high level of inflammation isnt just a harbinger of heart attack and stroke. Research reveals that individuals who have elevated CRP levels are at greater risk of macular degeneration, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, peripheral artery disease, colon cancer, osteoporosis, and Alzheimers disease. In fact, an elevated CRP level is a marker for increased risk of premature death.
Get the Red Out
How do you reduce inflammation and, by extension, lower your risk of disease? For starters, reduce your weight to a healthy level. Fat cells are not just a parking lot for excess calories but are metabolically active, churning out hormones and inflammatory chemicals. Excess body fat, especially in the abdomen, closely correlates with chronic inflammation.
Second, eat a low-fat, high-fiber diet with plenty of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables and healthy fats from olive oil and cold water fish. At the same time, reduce your intake of saturated and trans fats and refined carbohydrates. In a 2004 study by UCLA researchers, postmenopausal women who followed this type of diet reduced their CRP levels by 45 percent in just two weeks.
Third, exercise. People who exercise regularly have lower CRP levels than sedentary folks. In a JAMA study, middle-aged couch potatoes who took up a walking program (just 30 minutes five times a week) reduced their CRP levels by 35 percent in only six months.
Fourth, take a high-potency multivitamin and mineral supplement. A 2003 survey of more than 14,000 Americans revealed that those with the highest blood levels of vitamins A, C, and E, selenium, beta-carotene and other carotenoids had significantly lower levels of CRP than those with the lowest levels. And in a six-month study at the Cooper Clinic, taking a high-dose multivitamin and mineral supplement lowered CRP levels 14 to 30 percent, with those with the highest levels experiencing the greatest reductions.
My Plaque-Busting Regimen
Next, get serious about oral health. Plaque that builds up in your gum line and plaque in your arteries are connected. Dental plaque causes gingivitis (inflammation of the gums), and as it progresses, your mouth becomes a breeding ground for bacteria that pass into the blood and cause inflammation elsewhere. People with gum disease invariably have higher CRP levels than those with healthy gums. They also have greater risk of heart attack and stroke.
Start by investing in a Sonicare toothbrush. Studies show that this toothbrush, which uses high-frequency vibration, outperforms its competitors in reducing the bacterial biofilms that take hold between the teeth and below the gum line. I also recommend that you use an antibacterial mouth rinse that contains chlorhexidine gluconate. (Get a prescription for Peridex or make your own rinse by combining a half ounce of Hibiclens, an over-the-counter antibacterial scrub, with 16 ounces of mouthwash.)
Another suggestion is to chew xylitol gum throughout the day, especially after meals when you cant brush. Unlike table sugar, this natural sweetener creates an unfavorable environment for bacterial growth and has been shown to reverse the progression of early tooth decay.
More Ways to Deflate Inflammation
Youve probably heard that statin drugs not only lower cholesterol but also lower CRP. However, these drugs have myriad side effects, including muscle pain and weakness, blurred vision, gastrointestinal problems, and liver damage. In fact, in a recent clinical trial, more than one in five participants dropped out during the first year and one in three disappeared by year two due to intolerable side effects of these drugs.
The real wonder drug when it comes to reducing inflammation and protecting against heart disease risk is aspirin. This little white pill relaxes the arteries, enhances blood flow, and discourages the formation of blood clots, but its anti-inflammatory effect may be its most important feature. In one study, small doses of aspirin cut the risk of heart attack in half in men with the highest levels of CRP.
Unfortunately, aspirin isnt for everyone, but there are several safe, natural anti-inflammatories. Kaprex, an herbal product that contains extracts from hops, rosemary, and olive leaf, was recently shown to significantly lower CRP levels. Fish oil (2,000 mg per day), curcumin (1,4001,800 mg), and guggulipid (2,000 mg three times a day) also curb inflammation.
Because chronic inflammation adversely affects virtually every organ system in the body, by following this program you will reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease as well as Alzheimers, cancer, macular degeneration, and other aging-related diseases.
Recommendations
If your CRP level is above 1.0 mg/L, get serious about implementing the therapies discussed here.
Look for Sonicare toothbrushes in your local drugstore or department store.
The suggested dose of aspirin is one baby aspirin (81 mg) every day, with food. Consult your doctor first if you are on Coumadin or have a stomach ulcer, an aspirin allergy, or a history of gastrointestinal bleeding.
The suggested dose of Metagenics Kaprex is one tablet three times a day.
Look for fish oil, curcumin, and guggulipid in your health food store.
References:
Church, TS et al. Am J Med. 2003 Dec 15;115:702-7.
Ford, ES et al. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2003 Sep;57(9):1157-63.
Harris TB et al. Am J Med 1999;106:506-12.
Ridker PM et al. N Engl J Med 1997;336:973-9; 2002;347:1557-65.
Smith JK et al. JAMA 1999;281:1722-7.
Wegge JK et al. Metabolism 2004;53:377-81.
For more information visit http://www.searchhearthealth.com

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