Cardio vascular disease continues to be a leading cause of death among North American’s (Yes, Canadian’s your death rates attributed to heart disease is almost as high as in the US).

As lifestyle factors play such a major role in heart disease, it is important to understands some aspects of the disease and what you can do to prevent it.

The heart is a muscle in the body that like all muscles needs its own supply of blood in order to function. Working properly, it then pumps blood through the circulatory system, delivering oxygen and nutrients to the body and removing wastes such as carbon dioxide.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

Heart disease begins in many when plaque begins to build up in the arteries. This causes the arteries to become narrow thereby restricting the blood flow through them.

As the blood flow is reduced, the amount of oxygen delivered to the heart is reduced. This tends to create pains in the chest, called angina. Heart attacks result when the blood flow to the heart is totally blocked.

Diets low in fat, high in fiber coming mainly from fruit and vegetables help the body respond to CAD. Omega-3 oils found in foods like cold water fish and flax seeds are of benefit for a healthy heart, as they are felt to inhibit the blood from becoming ’sticky’ thereby limiting the likelihood of clots forming and may slow down the process of plaque formation.

Having high cholesterol levels can contribute to this greatly and it is recommended to have your levels checked with a simple blood test at your doctors office.  Your doctor will then give you tips to help lower your levels if they appear high.
In addition, regular exercise and stress reduction are also beneficial.

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

Congestive heart failure and related forms of heart failure affect over five million North Americans. It is a condition in which the heart cannot adequately supply the body’s other organs with blood. While a serious condition, the word failure does not mean that the heart stops beating.

As the pumping action of the heart is decreased, the blood does not move efficiently through the circulatory system and starts to back up, which then causes an increase of pressure in the blood vessels, and forces fluid from the vessels into body tissue. When the left side of the heart starts to fail, fluid tends to collect in the lungs, while when the right side starts to fail, fluid tends to collect in the feet and lower legs.

People with congestive heart failure tend to tire easily, have shortness of breath and can experience fluid retention and swelling. Diabetes, obesity and sleep apnea are commonly associated with CHF.

As with CAD a low fat, high fiber diet is recommended along with treatment for associated diseases. CoQ-10, a powerful antioxidant, has been clinically shown to be of benefit to CHF patients. Though exercise may be difficult for people with CHF, it would still be of benefit and therefore one should consult with their health professional to determine what the possibilities might be.

High Blood Pressure

As a leading cause of heart disease, high blood pressure, often called hypertension, is a condition in which too much pressure is being exerted on the walls of the arteries. Called ‘the silent killer’ high blood pressure can be present without a person experiencing any apparent symptoms.

In about 90% of high blood pressure cases an associated cause is not known. This is defined as primary hypertension. If it results from another disease or condition, it is called secondary hypertension and often returns to normal when the originating cause is treated.

There are some factors that though not causes, are often associated with high blood pressure such as: CAD as previously discussed, arteriosclerosis which is hardening of the arteries, imbalances in organs such as the kidneys, lungs and liver, obesity, lack of exercise, sodium (salt) sensitivity, alcohol consumption, and various pharmaceutical drugs. (Note this is not a comprehensive list.)

Once again a heart-healthy diet containing plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and fish, while low in saturated fats, salt and sugar is recommended for people with high blood pressure. As exercise helps lower blood pressure a regular exercise routine should become part of the daily routine.

Chickpeas, beans, soy products, proteins found in garlic, and other antioxidants such as bilberry help improve lipids in the blood and lower cholesterol. Avocados and nuts have been shown to boost your ‘good’ cholesterol.

Finally, a heart-healthy lifestyle will limit the amount of alcohol consumed as it has been shown to have an affect on cholesterol levels. It is recommended that women consume no more than one drink per day and men no more than two. Smoking has also been linked to heart disease, so the sooner a person can quit the better.

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Are you watching your cholesterol levels?  Concerned about heart disease?

Read any article about high cholesterol these days and you’re likely to find horror stories of how such things will doom you to a future of strokes, heart attacks and other heart disease. But did you know some experts claim the data indicates cholesterol may not be an important factor in the development of heart problems? Experts are in fact torn between these two opposing views about the dangers of high cholesterol.

The Framingham Heart Study claims to show a cause-and-effect relationship between high cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease. This study indicates those with higher levels of blood cholesterol are more likely to develop coronary heart disease (CHD) than those with lower levels.

It shows coronary heart disease is unusual at low cholesterol levels, and therefore claims proof that low cholesterol levels are the key to overall heart health. Another recent series of trials studied the effects of statin drugs (a type of cholesterol-lowering medication) and claimed lowering the total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol reduces the risk of heart attack, angioplasty (a bypass that requires surgery) and death from coronary disease.

But other experts disagree with the findings of the cholesterol-equals-death crowd. Some experts do not see a cause-and-effect relationship between too much cholesterol and heart disease in these studies. These experts go as far as arguing there is no such thing as “bad” cholesterol or “good” cholesterol.

They have observed that mental stress, physical activity and a change of body weight may all influence blood cholesterol levels and conclude that a high cholesterol level is only the reflection of an already unhealthy condition. Cholesterol is seen like a fever: if you remove the flu, then the fever will go away too. Instead of, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”  these experts ask, “Which came first, the high cholesterol levels or the poor health?”

Whichever view seems correct to you, it is undisputed these conditions are often present when heart disease is identified:

•    High total cholesterol levels
•    Low HDL (good) cholesterol and high LDL (bad) cholesterol levels
•    Smoking
•    High blood pressure
•    Diabetes
•    Physical inactivity
•    Obesity or excess body fat

Since so much disagreement exists among experts and their interpretation of cholesterol-related studies, the best answer could very well be to stay on the safe side.

If conditions such as hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol and smoking are in fact present in many people with heart disease, it might be wise to remove as many of these factors as possible. Take steps to lower your blood pressure, lose weight, reduce stress and quit smoking, and you’re likely to experience a better life whether high cholesterol has anything to do with it or not.

It could be argued exercise, proper diet, and healthy lifestyle habits all carry their own reward so continue on with your healthy lifestyle –you’ll feel better.

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