Statins therapy and muscle- is there a weakness
Posted on April 27, 2009
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Long term statins therapy has been show to cause muscle weakness, aches,pains and muscle breakdown. It is estimated to affect around 0.1% of people on statins therapy and leads to diseases such as myositis and can be fatal if left untreated due to rhabdomyolysis.
Statins and muscle weakness must be monitored and the measurement of a muscle enzyme CK helps diagnose muscle damage. Generally with mild aches creatine kinase (CK) will be 2-7 times the upper limit of normal, but in rhadomylosis CK can be as much as over a hundred times the upper limit of normal. Before commencing statins therapy it is a good idea to have your muscle enzymes such as CK measured for a baseline reading. Your CK level should be monitored on a 6 monthly basis for any signs of damage.
Perhaps before commencing statins therapy you should consider using natural ways to lower your cholesterol without the risk of statins side effects.
Say goodbye to grapefruit juice if you are on statins therapy
Posted on April 23, 2009
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Grapefruits and statins therapy can be deadly
How does grapefruit interact with statins?
Grapefruits and grapefruit juice contain a component called bergamottin which inhibits protein enzymes such as cytochrome P450 and P glycoprotein involved in the metabolism and breakdown of many drugs including statins such as simvastatin and atrovastatin. The effect of grapefruit on statins therapy is not as pronounced with a few statins such as fluvastatin. By inhibiting the metabolism and breakdown of the statin drug, the drug is present is a much higher concentration than normal in the bloodstream, with the consequence being liver damage, muscle weakness and kidney damage.
Wheres the evidence?
There are many scientific and pharmaceutical studies which illustrate the fact that consumption of grapefruits increase the plasma concentration and half life of many statins.
If you are on statins therapy and you wish to consume grapefruits, or drink grapefruit juice please consult your clinician first, perhaps you can reduce the dose of your statin. However it is best if you refrain from eating grapefruits, to avoid the harsh statins effects.
Do statins cause memory loss?
Posted on April 16, 2009
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Statins therapy and statins memory loss
Doctors reported that some of their female patients, especially those on Lipitor reported a loss of memory and thinking. In one particular patient, a woman in her forties, experienced an inability to concentrate or remember words. When the women stopped taking Lipitor the symptoms disappeared but when she commenced the drug again the symptoms returned. A 69 year old woman also complained of an affect of statins on memory loss after she tried three different statins. They all caused her to experience memory loss, which convinced her she was developing Alzheimers disease. Eight days after she stopped taking the statin her memory returned.
The problem with researching whether statins therapy causes memory loss or not lies in the fact that the majority of people who take statins therapy are at least middle aged and older. This population already have an increased risk of memory loss due to decrease in the number of neurons.
The jury is still out about statins memory loss and more long term research on statins therapy will hopefully provide the answer soon and uncover once and for all is statins memory loss is indeed true.
The best ways to achieve a healthy resting heart rate
Posted on April 11, 2009
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A healthy resting heart rate is important for a healthy heart. Many people who are obese and lead a sedentary stessful lifestyle have higher than normal resting heart rates. A higher than normal resting heartbeat is dangerous and can lead to increased risk of heart attacks and heart disease. Aim for a resting heart rate of between 70 and 80 beats per minute.
1) Get a good night’s sleep
It has been shown that if you are awakened several times a night and your sleep is disturbed you are likely to have a higher resting heart rate than someone who gets 8 peaceful hours sleep each night.
2) Do thirty minutes exercise daily
By exercise I mean aerobic exercise, that is exercise that raises your heart rate and gets the blood pumping. This is essential to achieve a healthy resting heart rate. Top athletes have lower resting hearr rates as they frequently do long cardio workouts which improve the efficiency of their heart. The best aerobic exercises are swimming, running, rowing and many others.
3) Try to relax
If you lead a stressful lifestyle try and take some time out for relaxation, and if possible try to erase or reduce the stress from your life. Yoga, walking and socialising with friends and family is a great way to relax and gain a healthy resting heart rate.
These are three simple steps which should help you achieve a healthy resting heart rate. Remember a healthy resting heart rate means a reduced chance of getting heart disease, so get walking and relaxing today.
How fast should your heart beat
Posted on April 10, 2009
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A heart beat is necessary for our heart to transport blood and oxygen around our bodies, but have you ever questioned how many times your heart should beat each minute and what your healthy resting heart rate should be?
It is best to measure your heart rate first thing in the morning after at least 7 hours sleep, before you get out of your bed.
The average heart rate for men is 70 beats per minute
The average heart rate for women is 75 beats per minute
It is important to remember that heart rate rises with age and whilst doing exercise, and that heart rates in athletes and those that exercise frequently is normally lower than those that do not take much aerobic exercise.
Calculate your target aerobic heart rate for exercising using the following steps
1) Subtract your age from 220
2) Subtract your resting heart rate
3) Divide by 2
4) Add your resting heart rate
Here is an example: Take a 50 year old with a heart rate of 70
1) 220-50 = 170
2) 170 – 70 = 100
3) 100/2 = 50
4) 50 + 70 = 120
This person’s target aerobic heart rate for exercising is 120.
High resting heart rate has been linked to a higher risk of heart attack in some studies., so it is important to try and maintain a healthy resting heart rate.
My next post will consider ways to get a healthy resting heart rate.
How to achieve weight loss for good
Posted on April 7, 2009
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Obesity is one of the biggest direct and indirect causes of heart disease. Directly it makes the heart work harder to pump blood and oxygen around the body causing an increase in blood pressure, and indirectly it leads to diseases such as diabetes which confer an added additional risk of heart disease.
The national health service states that body mass index should be between 20-25 for a normal weight, whereas values of over 25, 30 and 30 confer added risks and are causes of heart disease including heart attacks and stroke.
Weight loss for good is one way to achieve a reduced risk of heart disease and diseases such as diabetes, but how can you achieve weight loss for good. Many people do well to slim down initially only to pile on the pounds again.
Here are five key tips to help you keep weight loss for good.
1) Eat a healthy breakfast containing some fibre and fruit. Fruit can be in the form of a fruit juice drink or else it can be added to cereal or porridge. Do not skip breakfast as breakfast kick starts your metabolism
2) Avoid foods high in saturated fat, sugar and salt such as chocolate, cakes, buns and processed meals. One large bar of chocolate alone can make up half of your daily calorie allowance.
3) Take up some form of exercise
Brisk walking is a good form of exercise which can be done at any time of the day. It is recommended that you carry out one form of aerobic exercise for at least 20 minutes once a week.
4) Break habits
If your habits consist of being a couch potato and filling your face with junk every night, STOP IT, right now!! Get out more, go and exercise and stop eating. This is probably the hardest thing to do!! If you do want to eat or have something in your mouth, snack on fruit and not on chocolate.
5) Set goals
If you have to lose 5 stone then you may want to break this five stone down into smaller amounts and aim for a weight loss for good of 3 pounds or so a week. If you lose the weight too quickly there is a danger of you gaining it again. Keep a record of your goals on a wall chart in your bedroom to keep you motivated.
Weight loss for good is not as hard as you think, it just takes a little motivation and determination. Just think of the benefit to your heart when you shed the pounds and how good you will look in your bikini.
Polycap may prevent heart disease
Posted on April 1, 2009
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Heart disease is on the rise and leads to millions of deaths each year. One of the main causes of heart disease in Indians is a genetic mutation and it is estimated that by next year Indians will be the major cultural group with heart trouble. Additionally high cholesterol and high blood pressure are other more common generic causes of heart disease worldwide. There are several drugs available to reduce the risk factors of heart disease but multi pharmacy leads to non compliance. Some people find it hard to remember to take a combination of drugs and indeed some people believe the prescription medications are doing no good so avoid taking them regularly.
Recent research has indicated that a single pill containing four or five drugs can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 80 %. The two year long study was carried out on just over 2000 Indians aged 45-80 with no known heart disease, and at least one risk factor of heart disease such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Measurements taken in subjects at the end of the study showed that those individuals who had consumed the pill has a lower heart rate, lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels.
The good news is that this polypill (polycap) looks set to reach India in the next months, and will sure be a hit to help reduce the causes of heart disease.
Air pollution hidden cause of heart disease
Posted on March 25, 2009
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The quality of air you inhale has been shown to affect the risk of having a heart attack and having heart disease in general. Recent research carried out in 250 areas worldwide showed that in cities with high levels of air pollution from factories and car exhaust fumes, people were at a higher risk of having heart disease than people who lived in less polluted areas. Shockingly the study was even able to show a relationship between heart disease risk and the length of time in crowded traffic, with those spending longer in crowded traffic having a higher risk of heart attack. Of course the more time you are in traffic the more likely you are to experience road rage, increased blood pressure and stress, all things which could contribute to a higher risk of heart disease.
With reagrds to the air pollution the worst pollutants were ozone, nitrates, metal and sulphates, which cause your blood pressure to increase 15 minutes after inhalation. Your body mounts an immune response to these pollutants as it recognises them as foreign, antigens, which it must destroy, however the result of this may damage blood vessels. It is recommended those that live in polluted areas do all they can to help reduce pollution, and only exercise outdoors outside peak traffic times. Diabetics, the elderly and those already with coronary artery disease are at a higher risk of being affected by air pollution and must take additional measures to reduce their risk.
High blood pressure tablets – side effects
Posted on March 18, 2009
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If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure and the natural ways to achieve ideal blood pressure of 120/80 are not effective then you need to seek advice from a doctor who will prescribe high blood pressure tablets. There are many high blood pressure tablets including angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and angiotensin 2 receptor antagonists.
ACE inhibitors
There are many different ACE inhibitors which are effective in achieving ideal blood pressure via expanding the body’s blood vessels making it easier for the heart to pump blood throughout the body. However as with all high blood pressure tablets ACE inhibitors have a range of side effects including itchness, dry cough, chances of hyperkalemia are increased in those with kidney disease.
Diuretics
These high blood pressure tablets work by increasing fluid output through the kidneys, and can lead to an excessive loss of potassium resulting in hypokalemia. Other side effects of these high blood pressure tablets are fatigue.
Beta blockers
These high blood pressure tablets achieve ideal blood pressure via a mechanism which lowers heart rate, but can backfire resulting in a low heart rate as well as sleep disturbances and depression.
Calcium channel blockers
These high blood pressure tablets operate via a mechanism which disturbs the entry of calcium into the human heart, helping to achieve ideal blood pressure. However they can bring on some unwanted side effects including GI upsets with nausea and constipation. Headaches and drowsiness may also be more frequent when taking these particular high blood pressure tablets.
Angiotensin 2 receptor antagonists
These high blood pressure tablets prevent angiotensin 11 from acting on the heart and associated blood vessels thus preventing a rise in blood pressure. However they have negative effects on the kidneys decreasing urine output and leading to increased risk of high blood potassium levels as well as dizziness.
Before commencing any high blood pressure tablets be sure to discuss each available tablet with your doctor to see what is best for you.
Quit smoking cigarette – is nicotine replacement the answer
Posted on March 8, 2009
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In the UK alone 114 000 people die from smoking -related illnesses each year ; the sad news is that around 70% of these want to quit smoking cigarette for good but believe that they cannot live without cigarettes.
There are many ways to quit smoking cigarette including nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) which has shown to be successful in helping 70% of those trying to quit. The therapy operates by supplying nicotine into your bloodstream at slow rate, mimicking the nicotine you receive from cigarette smoke without the carcinogenic chemicals. For those trying to quit smoking cigarette it provides a way to control and reduce cigarette cravings due to nicotine withdrawal.
NRT is available as :-
- Patches – These stick to your skin and are commonly worn on the arm and are one of the most common ways to quit smoking cigarette. They release nicotine for 16 hours to cover the time you are awake when you would love a cigarette.
- Chewing gum- Sometimes smokers need to have something in their mouth to help them quit smoking cigarette and the chewing gum facilitates this. 4mg gum should be used for those who normally would smoke more than 18 cigarettes a day, while the 2mg gum is for those that smoke less than 18 a day.
- Inhalers – These give smokers something to hold and keep their hands busy while releasing nicotine once inhaled. This nicotine helps beat cravings and helps smokers to quit smoking cigarette once and for all.
- Tablets- Can be placed under the tongue and release nicotine
- Nasal spray – A spray which releases nicotine through the nose lining
These five therapies offer something to suit everyone trying to quit smoking cigarette. Unfortunately NRT has a few side effects such as itchy skin from patch wear, upset sleep patterns, nauseous stomach, light headness and possibly coughing as a result of the nasal spray. However the dangers of smoking far outweight these minor symptoms, so quit smoking cigarette today with the help of nicotine replacement therapy.
« go back — keep looking »Recent Posts
- High Cholesterol Levels in Teens leads to greater chance of heart disease
- Early menarche leads to increased risk of heart disease
- Caffeine high blood pressure- why Caffeine may be responsible for your high blood pressure
- High Blood Pressure Diets- how diet can help you lower your blood pressure
- How to measure your blood pressure accurately at home with wrist blood pressure monitors
