Preventing Heart Disease

Louanne Baelde asked:


Are you drinking too much coffee? We seem to need it to wake up in the morning, to stay alert when we drive, and even our work breaks are now referred to as “coffee breaks.” A sign that may indicate that we’re getting a little too carried away is when we have a mug, with a picture of our favorite mug on it. But don’t put your favorite cup away just yet. There’s new evidence suggesting that coffee in moderation can actually be good for you!

New evidence shows that antioxidants are not only in green tea, but are also in coffee. Surprisingly, there’s four times the amount of antioxidants in coffee as what there is in green tea. Of course this doesn’t substitute for the amount of antioxidants that you find in fruits and vegetables. But one to two cups of coffee per day lowers your chances of having cancer and chronic diseases.

Harvard University School of Public Health shows that the risk of Type II diabetes is lower among regular coffee drinkers. Why? It boosts the liver’s ability to break down sugar. Too much sugar that stays in our bodies not only causes us to gain weight, but also weakens muscle strength. And who wants saggy muscles?

Did you know that almonds lower your cholesterol and help to increase your memory? That’s right, a few of those delicious nuts with coffee, and it’s even more of a super memory booster! You actually have an 80% less chance of getting Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s drugs are now being developed with caffeine derivatives for this very reason.

In medicine, caffeine is used as a diuretic (to increase urine) and as a cardiac stimulant. It boosts energy and triggers alertness.

After a large cup of coffee, our muscles tighten up, our heart beats fast and our hands get cold. Coffee stimulates the brain like cocaine and heroin. That’s why it’s so addictive and for the same reason why most of us need it first thing in the morning, to start our day. Once you get into the coffee cycle, you can’t stop. If you try, you get a wicked headache and you start squirming like a snake.

But recent studies reveal that regular coffee drinkers are less likely to contract heart disease. “Until now, we have attributed the cardiovascular effects of coffee to caffeine, but we found non-coffee drinkers given decaffeinated coffee also display these effects,” says Roberto Corti, M.D., a cardiologist at University Hospital in Zurich. Then could there be other ingredients in coffee that are causing the “jitters”? If there is less elevation in blood pressure, could this mean that we are increasing our tolerance to caffeine? Should hypertensive people still drink coffee?

The American Heart Association agrees that there’s a lot of contradiction about caffeine and regular coffee drinkers and the link with cardiovascular disease. If you sit down and calculate how much caffeine you consume in one day, you might be surprised. But could only one or two cups of coffee be harmful for you?

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, there is more risk for a heart attack if a regular coffee drinker carries a gene called cytochrome P450 1A2*1F. This gene metabolizes caffeine slowly. They have decided however, that more research still needs to be done before they can make this conclusion.

Dr. Florian Koppelstatter of the Medical University Innsbruck, in Austria, claims that caffeine boosts brain activity. Vanderbilt University also found coffee to increase blood flow to the brain thereby, preventing degenerative brain diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

Again, maybe there are some good benefits as long as we consume this beverage in moderation. Apparently, adding an extra paper filter in your coffee machine when brewing your coffee, even if you have a plastic filter, helps to lower cholesterol and your blood pressure.

We all know that coffee sometimes prevents constipation. Nothing like that morning brew to get things moving! Some practitioners in alternative health medicine actually suggest doing coffee enemas for bowel cleansing. Myself, I prefer bottoms up to be my cup!

Are we addicted to the coffee or to the lifestyle and habit that we’ve grown into over time? Well at least now we know that there are some healthy benefits.

But can having too much coffee and drinking the brew too late in the day cause insomnia? Without a good night’s sleep, our body can’t replenish itself. Let’s not forget the increased risk of osteoporosis for menopausal women. I think I’ll stick to my martinis and use the coffee grounds for something else.

I heard coffee grounds make good fertilizer in the gardens because they’re high in nitrogen. Use them to fertilize your evergreens, azaleas and rosebushes. Also coffee grounds mixed with orange peels placed around your plants in the garden will keep the cats away. You can even mix some carrot seeds with ground coffee when you sow and pests will stay away. Placing a small container or dish of coffee grounds in the freezer, rids your freezer of spoiled food smells. For you fishermen, coffee grounds mixed with earth will keep your worms wiggly.

Meeting new people and socializing with coffee is one of America’s favorite pastimes. From espressos to café lattes or ice cappuccinos, we keep thinking of new delightful ways to enjoy our quick fix. And now with convenient drive-thru coffee shops, it’s even easier to grab a mug on the go. The coffee places make fabulous meeting places for a quick chat, to play games, or to read the newspaper. Some go alone and others gather in groups. Ironically, we all go out of our way to have something that we can make fast and effortlessly at home.

A man and woman were in the kitchen having a discussion on who should brew the coffee in the morning. She suggested that he do it because he was the first to get up in the morning. “This way you won’t have to wait,” she said. He quickly replied, “You should do it. You usually do the cooking around here.” The wife walked out of the room for a moment and reached for the Bible and opened the New Testament. She pointed to the top of the pages and showed him that indeed it said, “Hebrews. “

So coffee lovers, as long as you drink your coffee in moderation, it doesn’t seem like it will hurt you. It’s apparent that it could benefit you. Studies have shown that coffee has amazing antioxidants, helps persons with bronchial asthma, increases the speed of rapid information, counteracts driver sleepiness, reduces the risk of stone formation and colon cancer, and is even a great source of potassium. Again the key word is moderation, like with everything. Too much of anything is not good.

So java junkies go ahead and drink up! Your coffee fits right in with its cousins tea and cocoa.



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hotchick asked:


for an assignment

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Outdoors G asked:


http://www.mercola.com/2004/dec/15/saturated_fats.htm
The more I research this the more I’m finding out that this is a myth. Your heart prefers saturated fats. To prevent heart disease you need to have plenty of saturated fats and cholesterol in your diet. You need the vitamin A and D to prevent heart disease.

http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm

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Skeptic asked:


According to some reputable nutritional researchers, 98% of the cases of heart disease could be prevented and even reversed by serious changes to diet and exercise. I’ve read the studies (demographic & human & animal research) going back at much as 30 years. Do you believe this is possible?

What would convince you one way or the other?

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Ray La Foy asked:


It’s considered one of the biggest killers in the United States. In fact, an estimated 13.2 million Americans suffer from coronary heart disease. With a number sufferers that rivals the population of some small countries, this disease is serious business. But, what is it and how can it be detected and prevented? When it comes to coronary heart disease, CHD for short, knowledge and action are key. Prevention isn’t always possible, but steps can be taken.

Coronary heart disease is a condition that results from the creation of plaques along the walls of the coronary arteries. This essentially impacts blood flow to the heart. The process is call atherosclerosis. If the condition continues, the heart can become deprived of oxygen, which weakens it and may even lead to the “death” of certain parts of the heart. This, of course, means a heart attack, which can be fatal.

Here are some facts about the disease and its impacts:

* The condition is the biggest cause of death for men and women in the United States. It’s estimated nearly 500,000 people die each year from this most ravaging of conditions.

* The United States alone records about 1.2 million heart attacks a year. Doing the math shows just under half the cases die, which is unacceptable in any book.

* The sad but true fact about coronary heart disease is that in many cases the condition was preventable. Risk factors, for the most part, involve lifestyle choices - with a few exceptions.

The risk factors of coronary heart disease are many, but keep in mind, most are personal choices. They include:

* High blood pressure, which can be medically or stress caused.

* High cholesterol

* Smoking

* Obesity

* Physical inactivity. When the heart doesn’t get a work out, the whole body can pay eventually.

* Diabetes

* Stress

The key to preventing CHD is to recognize its risk factors and take steps to eliminate them or at least lessen them in a person’s life. While not all things that cause CHD can be removed, doing things such as quitting smoking, eating right and adding exercise to a routine can very much lessen the chances of problems down the road.

Detecting CHD in a person involves an invasive test called an angiography. While the condition’s presence can be guessed at otherwise, and in most cases a guess is accurate, the angiography is required for a definitive diagnosis. An invasive procedure, this test involves the insertion of a tube into the artery that releases a dye. A picture is then taken with the dye helping to highlight blocked areas. The test can be done during an inpatient hospital stay or even at an outpatient facility.

While the best treatment for CHD is total prevention, that won’t do the trick every time. Surgery is available and many times those on the path for having a heart attack can change course in time to avoid disaster. Eating right, exercising and not smoking are key to avoiding the disease as is following doctor’s orders.

CHD is the biggest killer in the United States. Its prevention is possible, but people have to be willing to stay the course. There are ways to avoid the tragedy that is a heart attack, but it’s up to the individual to ensure success.



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Cindy Heller asked:


There are many risk factors for heart disease. The two main high risk factors are a diet that is high in fatty food and smoking. Indulging in fatty food will result in the build up of fat in your blood stream. This will then manifests itself in two ways, as high blood pressure or high cholesterol level. Both will means that your heart is working harder to pump the blood, increasing the risk of heart attack. Smoking is a high risk factor for heart disease because the carcinogens in the cigarettes contribute to various heart problems. Together these two risk factors are the most serious because they are hard to kick habits.

Smoking and Coronary Heart Disease

There are still a few who chose to deny the connection between smoking and coronary heart disease. Often, this denial comes from those who profit from the sale of cigarettes. Today, smoking remains legal and is a personal choice although many countries have moved to ban smoking in public areas.

Most people who chose to ignore the danger of smoking are merely hiding their weakness for the habit. It is a serious concern especially as pop culture continues to portray smoking as glamorous. This will breed the next generation of smokers who will then find themselves firmly stuck by their addiction to nicotine. It is important to know that the ill effects of smoking on the human heart are not immediate. It is a slow but steady process. It is also because the effects are gradual that one should not take long living smokers as evidence that smoking is not harmful to human health.

The good news is that an individual who has been smoking for an extended number of years may be able to avoid a life-threatening problem if they quit smoking early enough. Studies have shown that the lungs can regain their efficiency when smoking is stopped. The reversal of clogged blood arteries on the other hand is not so straightforward. So it is still best to avoid smoking or to quit while there is still time.

Effects of Smoking on Heart Disease

Smoking causes a number of negative effects on the human body including respiratory problems and the stunting of growth. The constant inhalation of smoke over an extended period of time will also constrict the arteries. When this occurs, the risk of heart attack will increase.

The carcinogens present in cigarettes are part of the connection between smoking and heart disease. These chemicals get absorbed into the blood stream when one smokes or breathes in second hand cigarette smoke. These chemicals will contaminate the heart and other organs as they circulate around the body. When the nicotine from the cigarettes builds up in the blood stream, the blood becomes thick and is more prone to clotting. Nicotine will also build up in the valves leading to the heart, affect their functions, which can cause a heart attack.

Needless to say, anybody who is concerned about coronary heart disease should not pick up smoking or should stop smoking immediately. It would be the best health decisions a person can ever make.

Not smoking has many benefits besides reducing the risk of heart disease. Just count the saving if you have a pack a day habit. Assuming it costs $10 a pack, it is $300 a month saving or enough saving in a year to go for an overseas holiday if you stop smoking. Besides the immediate financial gain from not spending money on cigarettes (which can add up to a small fortune), smokers who quit will soon be pleasantly surprised to re-discover their taste buds.

Smoking affects the taste buds making food taste bland. The lungs have a certain capacity to repair themselves. So the ex-smokers can look forward to less breathless episodes and better quality of life. Most importantly, the ex-smokers should also know that they are relieving a heavy mental burden from those who love them.

There are a variety of ways to quit smoking. Consult your doctor for treatment options or seek help from smoking cessation help groups. You are sure to find a method that will work for you. It could be the thing that will save your life.



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Miller Thompson asked:


Heart disease is a very generic term that specifically refers to a diseased condition of the heart like heart failure, congenital heart disease, coronary heart disease, heart infections, dysfunctioning of the heart valves and heart arrhythmias. It is estimated that in a total population of a country, one in four people are affected with some kind of heart disease. Heart disease is the number one killer disease in the USA.

Whatever the type of Heart Disease, the primary risk factors for developing heart disease are smoking, hypertension, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, genetic predisposition, menopause, obesity and hereditary. High levels of inflammation related substances, amino acids and homocysteine also pose an increased risk to develop a heart attack. This is due to these substances containing fibrinogen and C-reactive protein that facilitate increased chances of developing heart disorders.

The different types of heart disease are followed by different symptoms, though there are some common symptoms for a number of heart problems. These symptoms vary dependant on the type and severity of the heart disease. It is very crucial to recognize these symptoms and get timely help from the doctors to avoid the condition becoming too severe or frequent. Some of the common symptoms of heart disease are shortness of breath, palpitations, feeling of weakness or dizziness, increased rate of heartbeats, sweating, nausea, irregular heartbeats, heartburn, etc. However, some people face heart attacks without showing any symptoms. Such type of heart attack is referred as a “Silent MI”. It may occur among all people; however it is more frequent in diabetic patients.

Heart Disease Prevention:

We can follow some steps in order to lower the risk of heart attacks and heart diseases. An overall healthy diet is the best way to lower the risks of heart disease. You should include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet, cut down the amounts of salt, cholesterol and saturated fats to lower these risks. Exercise regularly for at least half an hour by engaging yourself in some sort of moderate level of physical activities. More importantly avoiding tobacco and alcohol is critical. These substances increase the chances of heart attack, blood pressure, and stroke.

As we all are aware of the fact that “Prevention is better than Cure”, it is better to follow the preventive measures before. Always remember whatever actions you do today; delay, prevent, minimize or worsen the effects of heart disease. The basic idea is to have control over the risk factors leading to serious heart disease. However, all the risk factors cannot be controlled like family history, etc., but you can definitely control your life style and habits like consumption of substances that are responsible for causing a heart attack.



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Michael Crockett asked:


What is Ischemic heart disease it is the proper medical term for reduced blood flow to the heart it is ultimately caused by hardened or blocked arteries, and it is the number one cause of death in most western countries.

From the time people are very young, as young as five years old, they can start developing tissue deposits, called plaque, in the lining of their arteries. For many people, these deposits never cause trouble. For others, the deposits can grow, harden, and eventually cause death. The growth of these tissues is called arteriosclerosis.

As these tissues grow, the arteries will enlarge some to try and accommodate blood flow. However, if the blob of plaque ruptures, the particles clog blood passages causing a heart attack or stroke, in the worst cases.

Please, Pass On The Fats

Scientists know what causes ischemic heart disease: a fatty diet, inaction, and smoking. While smoking is certainly not limited to rich countries, a fatty diet and inaction are luxuries of middle- and upper-class populations.

In Europe and the United States, calories are cheap and plentiful. For an hour’s wage, a person can buy a meal containing a pound of meat. However, in some countries, a pound of meat is a treat to be divided within one family once a month. No doctor recommends either extreme of poor or rich food, but rather, everyone needs a healthy, balanced, but lean diet to prevent ischemic heart disease.

However, some doctors have an idea about using peer pressure to make westerners make themselves healthier. Thirty years ago, few Americans wore seat belts. And many more smoked cigarettes than do now. Laws played a part in changing behavior, but in both of these cases, peer pressure really started the trend. And many scientists, nutritionists, and activists, worried about ischemic heart disease, are trying to repeat the trend for healthier diets.

And this power of healthy suggestion seems to be working on restaurants. Especially since 2004, fast food chains have started to offer healthier menu choices such as yogurt, salads, and fruit. Many restaurants now print some nutrition information on their menus and offer specifically heart smart recipes.

But the question is will people take advantage of healthier menus, city recreation departments, and fresh vegetables at the grocery store? So far, it does not seem so. Some scientists predict that 75% of all Americans will be overweight by 2008. Yet extra weight and the bad diet and inactivity that usually accompany it are causing an epidemic of ischemic heart disease.



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Christina asked:


There is a great benefit acquired from losing weight, it can greatly help to avoid heart disease, diabetes and many other weight related illnesses.  Though losing weight is not easy, the long term effects brought by it would probably be of help to anyone considering to shed those unwanted and unhealthy pounds.

The following are a few of the remarkable advantages from losing those excess weight.

Weight loss prevents high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke

That is a three in one benefit from losing weight. It is a fact that heart disease and stroke are one of the primary reasons for disability and death in both men and women in the US. People who are overweight have a higher risk to have high levels of cholesterol in their blood stream as well as triglycerides (also known as blood fat).

Angina, one type of heart disease, could cause chest pains as well as a decrease in the oxygen pumped to the heart.

Sudden death also occurs from heart disease and stroke, and usually this strikes with very little warning, signs and symptoms.

It is a fact that by decreasing your weight by a mere five to ten percent, this could positively decrease the chances and help you avoid heart disease or a stroke. Plus, how your heart functions would also improve as well as your blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride count will decrease.

Weight loss prevents type 2 diabetes

Diabetes puts in jeopardy one’s life as well as how one leads his or her life because of the complications that result from having it. Both types of diabetes, type one and type two are linked with being overweight. To those who already have diabetes, regular exercise and losing weight could help in controlling your blood sugar levels as well as the medication you may be currently taking. Increase your physical activity. You could simply walk, jog or dance. It helps get those blood streams moving as well as lose those unnecessary pounds.

Weight loss helps reduce your risk for cancer

Being overweight is linked with a number of kinds of cancer. Specially for women, the common types of cancer that is associated with being overweight include cancer of the uterus, gallbladder, ovary, breast, and colon. This is not meant to scare you, this is only to keep you informed. Men are at risk too from developing cancer if they are overweight. These include cancer of the colon, prostate and rectum. Extra weight, a diet high in fat and cholesterol should as much as possible be avoided.

Weight loss reduces sleep apnea

Or it could eliminate it all together. Sleep apnea is a condition wherein one could temporarily stop breathing for a brief period and then would continue to snore heavily. Sleep apnea could cause drowsiness or sleepiness during the day and – because of being overweight – could result in heart failure. Shedding those excess pounds could help in eliminating this problem.

Weight loss reduces the pain of osteoarthritis

When one weighs heavily, the joints of his or her knees, hips and lower back would have to exert double – if not triple – effort to carry him or her through out his / her waking, walking and moving life. This could cause tension and stress on these joints. Weight loss decreases the load these joints carry thus decreasing – if not eliminating – the pain of one who has osteoarthritis.

Losing weight besides the fact of trying to avoid heart disease will carry many other health benefits as well.



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MoSsiE asked:


Well My Dad had an attack in last June or july. He had his some artery blocked 95% now the docters put spunts at that time he is doing very well right now but he can’t eat any kind of meat, butter, cheese, oil, docters suggest him to eat vegetables his report is
Test Normal Unit 11/16/07 09/01/07 07/16/07
uric acid 3.4-7 mg/dl 6.75 8.32 4.35
Cholestrol <200 mg/dl 159 167 165
Triglycerides<200 mg/dl 138 200 223

Now I wanna have your suggestion about his current situation is he doing fine what should he need to do what would be best to eat to exercise heart specilaist and doctors recommendation will be helpful i need sincere opinion and sugesstions

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