One out of every four Americans has high blood pressure, according to the American Diabetes Association. This means that many Americans have hearts pumping way too hard and arteries clogged by LDL cholesterol and fatty acids. It's natural to panic when people first learn they may be more at risk for congestive heart failure, a stroke, kidney disease, diabetes or atherosclerosis. The good news is that reversing heart health is easier than we may think.
Over at the Harvard School of Medicine, researchers have developed a dietary program known as "DASH," an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet includes: 8 grain servings, 5 vegetable servings, 2-3 low fat dairy servings, 1-2 servings of meat, poultry or fish and 5 servings per week of nuts, seeds or beans. Saturated fats and sugars should be limited and serving sizes generally run ½ cup cooked, 1 cup raw or 2 tbsp nuts and seeds. Exercise is crucial! Within just two weeks, the diet already began having an effect on Dr. Gabe Mirkin's patients, with 70% returning to normal blood pressure levels. He says that increasing minerals like magnesium, calcium and potassium had a strong impact, as did limiting fat and sodium. The diet triggers a diuretic effect, much like certain medications that work to "flush the system."
For some people, the thought of monitoring their diet may seem like an overwhelming obsession. How do you know if you're doing the right thing to lower high blood pressure or making the right choices to maintain heart health? Generally, most people need a little help getting started. Some people may try a free website like sparkspeople.com, where you enter everything you eat each day and receive a report tallying up your fat, calories, protein and nutrients, in relation to your weight loss or heart health goals. Or others may spend a little money on a dietician who can offer guided meal plans tailored individually to their needs. Many books have been written on the subject as well. After looking around a little, you'll find something that is enjoyable, you feel comfortable with and that works. Once you get into a routine, you won't even think about it anymore. Suddenly, your cardiovascular health will improve and your life will seem so much more manageable.
If you have high blood pressure and you're at a high risk for having a stroke, then be aware that small exercise is probably better for you. A 2000 study found that men who took a one-hour brisk walk five days/week cut their stroke risk in half. Intense workouts should be avoided for high risk individuals, particularly those who may have had congestive heart failure or some sort of medical emergency in the past. These activities include: shoveling snow, heavy lifting, heavy gardening, jogging, tennis and even speed walking. Roughly 40% of young men who die suddenly during a workout have previously experienced, and ignored, symptoms of poor heart health like chest pains, irregular heart beats and undue shortness of breath.
As we become older there are all-important numbers that begin to weigh to a great extent upon us. We have to concern ourselves about our weight, levels of cholesterol, as well as our blood pressure. These are some of the things that most of us have ignored for the vast majority of our lives now all of a sudden they have significant importance. However these are things that should not have been ignored. A lifetime of mistreatment on the body renders just unfavorable things when left unrestrained.
Your cholesterol level is certainly important if you want to remain healthy and your body working properly. High levels can lead to heart attacks and stroke, both of these things you do not want to have to contend with. Being mindful about your cholesterol level is not simply for the aging. It is something both younger people as well as old need to be concerned with and be conscious of if they want to conduct a healthy lifestyle. In this article we will go over the basics of cholesterol and hopefully you will understand how essential a healthy level is to your body and peace of mind.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a lipid that is found in the bloodstream of humans and all animals. It can be there from two different sources. The first source is your body itself. The body naturally produces cholesterol. The second source of cholesterol is the food that we eat. It may surprise you to know that not all cholesterol is bad for you. There is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. But you have to know the difference if you want to protect your health and your heart.
What types of medicines are given for high cholesterol?
Obviously the first choice of physicians is exercise and a healthy diet low in trans fats. But when that does not work or there is a high level of LDL present then medications must be brought in to help. There are many different types of medicines currently being used to treat high cholesterol. The goal of each type of medicine is to lower the amount of LDL present in the blood stream and to help remove blockage and build up that has occurred. Some of these medicines are statins, bile acid resins, and nicotinic acid and fibric acid derivatives.
How is the blockage from the arteries withdrawn?
The initial stage is through medicines however if there is a critical constrictive or occlusion in the artery or blood vessel then a somewhat more intrusive operation is necessary. The actual processes might change but one popular method is through a balloon angioplasty. The mechanical device is inserted into the artery and navigated to the obstruction where the build up of plaque has taken place. The balloon is then inflated to clear the passage. Nowadays the procedure is minimally invasive and the majority of patients are able to going home that day.
How do I know what my cholesterol is?
Well in order to know what your cholesterol is you should have a blood cholesterol testing performed at least every five years. The most recommended test is a fasting lipoprotein blood profile. This test measures not only your total cholesterol but it also specifies the LDL and the HDL levels. It is a great idea to be knowledgeable about where your numbers are and to ensure that they are in the proper healthy range.
For additional informative information click here: High Cholesterol Levels similarly Cholesterol Chart as well as Lower Cholesterol
No comments:
Post a Comment