Heart Facts

High Cholesterol Levels in Teens leads to greater chance of heart disease

Posted on January 23, 2010
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The association between high cholesterol levels including high triglyceride, high low density lipoprotein and high total cholesterol is well known. What was not as well known was the fact that many teenagers have cholesterol levels that increase their risk to heart disease, with one in five at risk.

Worryingly even those teenagers as young as 12 were affected by the abnormal lipid profile, and those of normal body weight also had an abnormality on one or more lipid parameters. However the percentage increased from 14% to over 22% in those who were overweight and as high as 42% in those who were in obese. Such obesity in the young has been associated with disorders such as diabetes and high blood pressure which were normally more common in middle aged.

Obesity management and prevention is the number one way to ensure high cholesterol levels do not occur. However when obesity is present the two best ways to reduce high cholesterol levels are through a balanced healthy diet and at least 5 periods of aerobic exercise a week. Statin use in teenagers is not encouraged due to the large range of side effects associated with long term statin use. Without weight loss and reducing cholesterol levels the chances of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease are greatly increased.

Early menarche leads to increased risk of heart disease

Posted on January 5, 2010
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Heart disease is one of the biggest killers worldwide, and much research is involved in investigating heart disease causes. The latest research has indicated that early menarche in women leads to an increased risk of heart disease and an increased risk of dying from heart disease.

Early menarche, termed as having your first period before the age of 12 years old, is thought to be detrimental late in life. Some earlier studies have indicated that those with early menarche are more likely to have an increased body mass index, and also more susceptible to diseases such as diabetes. Diabetes and obesity are both heart disease causes.   Women with early menarche also have a higher risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, two other heart disease causes.

The most recent study followed over 15 000 women between the ages of 40 and 79, and after adjusting for heart disease risk factors such as smoking and exercising, it was found that the women who had menarche younger than 12 years old were 23% more likely to have heart disease, and 285 more likely to die from a heart attack or stroke. They also had a 25% greater chance of dying from cancer.

The latest heart disease causes tell us that if you have had early menarche you must be aware of your increased risk of heart disease, and must look at other heart disease risk factors and modify them in order to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Caffeine high blood pressure- why Caffeine may be responsible for your high blood pressure

Posted on January 3, 2010
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Caffeine high blood pressure

Are you addicted to caffeine and do you suffer from high blood pressure. Is there a link between caffeine high blood pressure? There certainly seems to be in some people. Caffeine is thought to even increase high blood pressure in those who have normal blood pressure when they dont consume any caffeine. All it takes is three or even as little as two cups of coffee daily to increase systolic blood pressure by as much as 14, and diastolic blood pressure by as much as 13. In otherwise normal individuals this can send your blood pressure above the 120/80 normal range.  This increase in blood pressure caused by caffeine is said to be short lived but could present a problem for those that already suffer from high blood pressure. If you think caffeine is giving you high blood pressure why not measure your blood pressure around half an hour after consuming a cup of coffee, and see if your systolic and diastolic blood pressure have increased.

 Caffeine high blood pressure, what is making caffeine increase your blood pressure? The actual mechanism is unknown but it is thought that caffeine increases the release of adrenaline which in turn raises your blood pressure.  If you are a caffeine addict and suffer from high blood pressure which is made worse by caffeine ingestion then it is time to limit your caffeine consumption if not avoid drinking it for good. However be wary when weaning yourself off caffeine as caffeine withdrawal is associated with headaches

High Blood Pressure Diets- how diet can help you lower your blood pressure

Posted on January 3, 2010
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If you have a systolic blood pressure of greater than 140 and a diastolic of greater than 90 then you are classed as having high blood pressure. The intial way to treat high blood pressure is to follow high blood pressure diets. High blood pressure diets can give you diet which is low in fat, low in salt and rich in fruit and vegetables. Although many high blood pressure patients still find it impossible to lower their blood pressure despite cutting down on fatty and salty foods; the key is to follow high blood pressure diets.

Here is a daily sample menu of high blood pressure diets

Breakfast

Half a cup of orange juice, I cup of skimmed milk, 1 medium sized banana, 2 slices of whole-wheat toast, 1 small scoop of margarine

Lunch

Medium portion of spaghetti with a low sodium sauce, 1 apple, 1 small portion of green salad with low salt additive, 1 slice of wholemeal bread, or other bread which contains fibre. You can also drink water, orange juice, apple juice or grape juice.

Dinner

The best high blood pressure food is fish such as salmon. However if you are not a fish lover then you can eat white meat such as chicken. Try and limit yourself to 3oz of chicken breast, and grill it instead of frying it. You can eat a pasta salad with a garlic sauce to accompany it.  Here again for the bread content make sure you stick to wholemeal.

If you feel like snacking why you are following high blood pressure diets make sure you stick to a food which is not high in salt. Good foods to snack on include oranges, strawberries, blueberries and tuna. If you are unsure about the salt content of foods make sure you check the food packaging. By following high blood pressure diets you are one step away from having normal blood pressure again, and this will perhaps mean you do not require high blood pressure medication.

 

     
 

How to measure your blood pressure accurately at home with wrist blood pressure monitors

Posted on December 26, 2009
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If you suffer from high blood pressure and wish to monitor your blood pressure at home you can do so with wrist blood pressure monitors. Wrist blood pressure monitors provide an accurate and reliable way to measure blood pressure at home provided they are used correctly. So just how do you use wrist blood pressure monitors.

Before measuring your blood pressure using wrist blood pressure monitors there are several things you must do. Firstly refrain from consuming alcohol, tea, coffee or any caffeine related products for at least 30 minutes before taking your blood pressure measurement. Smoking should also be avoided in that 30 minute period also. It is important you sit at rest, without talking or feeling stressed out. It is best to sit in a comfortable chair with your back supported and your legs uncrossed. Crossed legs affect blood flow. Next place your left arm on a table and raise it to the height of your heart, whilst the rest of your body remains still. Place the cuff around your wrist tightly. Now you are ready to take your blood pressure measurement using wrist blood pressure monitors.

For a more detailed description and for some of the best wrist blood pressure monitors go here

High blood pressure cured by 60 minute operation

Posted on December 26, 2009
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High blood pressure is a massive problem for many million people in the Uk and worldwide. Many high blood pressure remedies are dangerous and do not help cure high blood pressure.  A new high blood pressure operation called renal sympathetic-nerve ablation is thought to help cure high blood pressure by disrupting brain signals. A wire is placed into a blood vessel near the kidneys to disrupt the nerves/signals which actually cause high blood pressure.

It is thought this blood pressure operation can lower blood pressure enough to reduce risk of stroke by as much as 50%. A 68 year old man undergone the renal sympathetic-nerve ablation high blood pressure operation and said his blood pressure was lowered after 14 days. It is hoped that this high blood pressure operation will help many suffering from hypertension come of their hypertensive drugs within a three month period. This should help solve symptoms of compliance and high blood pressure medication side effects.

First Artificial Heart

Posted on June 22, 2009
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The first artificial heart made from titanium has been created and will help those with heart disease. The device is as small as a human fist and works like the human heart when placed inside the body. Bivacor, the name given to the artificial heart has the ability to pump blood that corresponds to the way the left and right atria pump blood throughout the human body.

It has taken 7 years to design the artificial heart, but it is worth it as it will save a number of lives and also reduces the risk of infection. The artificial heart costs around $60 000.

Lipoprotein a- responsible for heart attacks

Posted on June 11, 2009
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High cholesterol levels are normally treated with statin drug therapy, however in many high cholesterol patients statins do not reduce lipoprotein a level, they only reduce LDL. Lipoprotein a is one of the lipoprotein subclasses which contains apolipoprotein(a).

The concentration of lipoprotein a levels varies between individuals from as little as <0.2 to over 200 mg/dl, and is thought to be largely determined by our genes. In a recent study involving 45 000 individuals, those with high levels of lipoprotein a had a significantly greater risk of heart attack. Despite these patients being on a statin their lipoprotein a levels would probably stay elevated increasing their risk of heart attack, and other pathologies such as stroke.

The main focus will now be on other cholesterol lowering drugs which have the ability to reduce lipoprotein a levels as well as LDL levels. Niacin and aspirin have both been shown to reduce Lipoprotein a, however niacin is associated with red flushes rendering it unsuitable for long term use. Long term trials now will no doubt focus on obtaining a safe drug which is effective in reducing all forms of bad cholesterol.

Tomato pills to beat heart disease- the truth

Posted on June 7, 2009
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Tomatoes have been shown to contain the beneficial lycopene which helps to reduce the incidence of prostate cancer, and now local newspapers are saying that tomatoes are indeed beneficial in preventing heart disease. Are they right or are they jumping the gun a little?

Lycopene is known as an antioxidant, and antioxidants have been shown to have numerous health benefits including reduction in oxidation which is responsible for high blood pressure and high cholesterol involved in heart disease. Lycopene can be difficult to absorb and the majority of our lycopene comes from tomato puree, tomato sauce, tomato juice and pizza toppings would you believe, whoever said pizza was bad for you could be wrong!!

However studies involving lycopene have yet to show that it reduces stroke, heart disease and heart attacks. The fact that it may lower oxidative processes within the body is not enough to warrant giving up your statins just yet. Another flaw in the very small studies conducted was the fact that no placebo was used. If you do not use a control then you can not compare your results to anything. The studies conducted only involved around 12 subjects, which is far too small a group to determine if lycopene is indeed useful for preventing heart disease.

It is back to the drawing board for this one, as many large scale trials are needed to indeed show the benefits of lycopene in preventing heart disease. Without such concrete evidence one cannot be sure that it is indeed lycopene and not another dietary factor which is responsible for the prevention of heart disease.

A bunch of grapes a day helps achieve ideal blood pressure

Posted on May 4, 2009
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Strawberries, blueberries and bananas have been shown to be effective in achieving ideal blood pressure, in those individuals suffering from high blood pressure. It seems like another member of the fruit family is going to join these fruits in being successful at achieving ideal blood pressure if recent evidence is anything to go by.

A study carried out on rats has demostrated the benefit of grapes in lowering blood pressure. Two rat groups were monitored, one group that ate a diet composed of powdered green, red and black grapes along with a high salt intake, and the other group fed a high salt diet and mild blood pressure drug. After several weeks the rats were tested and it was shown that the rats eating the diet containing grapes had lower blood pressure, better heart function and less evidence of any damage to the heart muscle than the rats fed the high salt diet on the blood pressure drug. The rats on the blood pressure drug did actually show a reduction in blood pressure but their hearts were not protected from damage.

This beneficial effect is being attributed to phytochemicals present in grapes. These phytochemicals have been shown to stimulate the action of genes involved in glutathione production. As mentioned before glutathione helps prevent free radical damage to the heart. Free radical damage leads to high blood pressure. Glutathione levels in high blood pressure patients are often reduced, therefore a diet rich in grapes will help restore glutathione levels and achieve ideal blood pressure.

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