HOW TO REDUCE YOUR RISK
Heart disease kills more people in North America than any other health ailment. Your risk for getting this disease increases slowly over time as you age. Certain risk factors can tell if you are in danger of developing this disease within the next 10 years. These risk factors include:
• Age
• Blood pressure
• HDL ("good") cholesterol
• Total cholesterol
Let’s take a look at some RED FLAG warning signs that indicate increases in the likelihood you will develop heart disease in the near future.
ÿ HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
§ Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers:
o Systolic pressure, the higher number, represents the pressure in the artery when the heart beats. A healthy systolic pressure reading will be in the neighborhood of 115, a reading much higher than this would tend to indicate the beginning of your arteries becoming stiff, inflexible, inflamed or too narrow. These conditions cause your heart to beat harder and this will create a higher systolic number.
o Diastolic pressure, the lower number, represents the pressure when the heart is at rest. A healthy diastolic pressure reading will be in the range of 75 or lower. High diastolic numbers may indicate that your lungs, kidneys and liver are not properly detoxifying your body.
§ Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) - Some people find that their blood pressure will not go down no matter what they do, OSA may be the culprit. With OSA, a person stops breathing during sleep. Sensing the shortage of oxygen, your brain increases blood pressure to compensate.
ÿ HIGH TOTAL CHOLESTEROL
§ High cholesterol levels in the blood contribute to atherosclerosis, which is the build-up of cholesterol, fat and fibrous debris along the arterial walls. This build-up, called plaque, eventually accumulates to the point that it narrows the artery and stiffens the arterial wall. If the plaque is severe enough, it can impair blood flow past the blockage. A normal, healthy cholesterol level is 170 mg/dL or lower.
ÿ LOW HDL "GOOD" CHOLESTEROL
§ High density lipoproteins (HDL) absorb cholesterol and take it back to the liver for disposal. A normal, healthy HDL level is over 60 mg/dL. HDL cholesterol levels rise with moderate exercise. In order to increase your HDL and reduce your risk of heart disease, you need to establish a regimen of regular cardio type exercise (walking, biking, running, swimming etc.). Start out gradually and increase the intensity and length of the workout to a moderate intensity level for at least 20 minutes.
Your risk of developing atherosclerosis (another term used to describe heart disease) is a combination of several factors. It is important to understand that while the indicators above may indicate a tendency for you to be more susceptible to heart disease they DO NOT tell you if you are going to have a heart attack. Markers in your bloodstream that signal an imminent heart attack include Total Plasma Homocysteine (tHCY) and C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP).
Here is an online calculator to aid you in assessing your personal risk factor for heart disease. Before going to the calculator listed below, have the following information available:
§ Your blood pressure readings
§ Your total cholesterol number
§ Your HDL reading
After accessing the calculator, scroll down and click on "Health Risk Assessors – Coronary Heart Disease." Then simply enter your data and the calculator will automatically calculate your risk factor.
WARNING SIGNS FOR HEART ATTACK
Cholesterol levels and blood pressure, on their own, do not provide accurate indications of your personal risk of heart attack. Homocysteine levels are a much more accurate method of predicting who is at risk for cardiovascular disease and C-Reactive protein (CRP) is the very best predictor available to analyze your immediate risk of experiencing a heart attack (as well as indicating many other really serious conditions!).
Elevated homocysteine levels can be reduced with certain nutrients called "methyl donors." C-Reactive protein has been reduced quite consistently with Essential Fatty Acid supplements and betalain bioflavonoids.
Elevated homocysteine levels can be reduced with certain nutrients called "methyl donors." C-Reactive protein has been reduced quite consistently with Essential Fatty Acid supplements and betalain bioflavonoids.
SUMMARY
Warning signs from your body that you are at increased risk for heart attack are: high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and low HDL levels. High levels of homocysteine sound a louder alarm and high C-Reactive protein levels sound the loudest siren of all. Find out NOW what signals your body is sending you regarding the health of your cardiovascular system to avoid being a victim of North America’s #1 killer.
ACTION STEPS TO REDUCE YOUR RISK OF HEART ATTACK:
§ Regularly check your blood pressure
§ Have an annual medical check-up
o Test total cholesterol, HDL and LDL
o Test homocysteine and C-Reactive protein
§ Reduce stress and increase nutrients
§ Increase methyl-donors for HCY reduction
§ Exercise 30 minutes most days of the week
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