It is so important to take control of your heart health. With heart disease as the number one cause of death of men and women and the number one preventable disease, start with your heart.
Gum Disease has been known to contribute to heart disease or process called atherosclerosis which can lead to coronary artery disease or a stroke. Researchers have found that people with periodontal disease (gum disease) are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease as those without periodontal disease.
Well new scientific statement from the American Heart Association has released a statement on April 19, 2012 saying that although observational studies support this association between gum disease and heart disease they do not support a causative relationship. Well the American Dental Association also agrees with this statement.
The issue according to the statement is nothing really to stress about. They reviewed the literature in this field and were not able to find any real scientific evidence that gum disease causes heart disease or that treating periodontal/gum disease has any long term effect on heart disease.
The message from the lead author from the statement, Dr. Lockhart, is that good oral hygiene is important, however patients should not be distracted by periodontal disease in trying to lower their rates of a heart attack or stroke.
I think what they are trying to say is that it is not a major risk factor like high blood pressure, overweight, physical inactivity, poor nutrition and abnormal cholesterol. It is more important to focus on these major risk factors to heart disease versus treating and focusing on mouth health.
The authors in the statement concluded that the association between gum disease and heart disease comes mostly from observational studies and therefore dose not demonstrate that gum disease is the cause of heart disease.
There are some key factors to consider in that yes gum disease interventions results in a reduction in inflammation and endothelial (inner lining of the artery) dysfunction the researchers concluded that there is no evidence that they prevent atherosclerosis heart disease.
While leading researchers have now put some cold water on this topic of gum disease and heart disease, I still feel that it is important to have a healthy mouth with simple strategies such as brushing your teeth at least twice a day, flossing and using a mouth rinse. Gum disease is an inflammatory disease and so is heart disease. So when you can minimize inflammation in your body it will help! Remember that 90% of all illness starts in your digestive system and having good oral hygiene will help minimize inflammation elsewhere in your body.
According to the latest research, the WARCEF (Warfarin and Aspirin for Reduced Cardiac Ejection Fraction) trial, neither aspirin or warfarin is superior for preventing a combined risk of death, stroke, and cerebral hemorrhage in heart failure patients with normal heart rhythm. This is NOT for patients with atrial fibrillation, just patients with reduced ejection fraction.
Aspirin or warfarin
Patients with heart failure are at risk for death and stroke due to thromboembolic events or a blood thrombosis.
A thromboembolic event is a blood thrombosis is the formation of a clot (thrombus) in a blood vessel that breaks loose and is carried by the blood stream to plug another vessel resulting in a stroke, heart attack or even a pulmonary embolism (clot to lungs).
In the WARCEF Trial, the head-to-head comparison or warfarin and aspirin was not statistically significant when accounted for the combined risk of death, stroke, and cerebral hemorrhage.
When looking at stroke risk only, those patients taking warfarin had close to half the stroke risk of those taking aspirin. However, warfarin patients had twice the risk of major bleeding. Long term use of warfarin (4+ years) is however more effective in preventing the combined outcome of death, stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage. More follow analysis is ongoing.
It is important to discuss with your doctors the best course of treatment when you have or at risk of heart failure with normal ECG rhythm. Warfarin requires a prescription and regular blood tests and aspirin can be bought over the counter. The biggest key decision to discuss with your doctors is to accept the increased risk of stroke with aspirin or increase risk of GI (gastrointestinal) bleeding with warfarin.
The number one thing to prevent and reverse heart disease in my opinion is setting the right mindset. If you don’t have the right mindset you are not going to be successful. Hang around the right crowd who are going to help you be a success with heart disease. I found this cool video on youtube with Will Smith.
Can you Reverse Heart Disease?
If you think you can or you think you can you are right.
This is a very common question that we get. What should your heart rate be when exercising? I love this question because you are exercising and want to make a difference or wanting to start an exercise program. There are a few points to consider when determining what your heart rate should be when exercising. I will talk about this below. You can get a lot of information out there but it is so important to really understand your cardiovascular risk, precautions and symptoms of heart disease.
What Should Your Heart Rate be When Exercising
1. For starters it is important to understand what you are doing for exercise. If you have never done an exercise program or starting an exercise program then I would suggest starting off with an aerobic exercise routine. This heart rate will be much lower than doing sprints, boot camps, cross fit or weight training. I would never start off with the higher intensity that is something you can work up to. I will discuss what your heart rate should be when performing aerobic exercises such as walking, biking, swimming etc.
2. If you have never exercised before or you are starting an exercise program after a heart event then it becomes so important to receive the correct education to ensure you are exercising safely and effectively. If you have never had a heart attack and are starting an exercise program then I there are a few things that you can do. Again I would start off by receiving the correct education to really understand your cardiovascular risk factors, understand your precautions to exercise and understand symptoms of heart disease.
In either case I would suggest seeing or consulting with a heart health expert like the Heart Fit Clinic over the phone, email or in person.
3. There is a common formula used to determine your maximum heart rate, which is 220-age. It is just an estimate but you can try this to see. This formula does not work if you are taking any cardiovascular medications.
Here is an example if you are 50 years old with a resting heart rate of 70.
step 1: determine estimated maximum heart rate = 220-50(age) = 170
step 2: determine your heart rate reserve = 170 (max heart rate) – 70 (resting heart rate) = 100
step 3: determine 50% of your reserve = 100 x 50% = 50
step 4: heart rate when exercising would be 120.
4. As mentioned above if you are taking cardiovascular medications or have had a cardiovascular event then you will require more education to determine what your heart rate should be when exercising.
Just take the time to educate yourself to be a success with your heart health. As always I am here to help.
You may have heart disease or you may be at risk of heart disease. Your cholesterol is abnormal so your doctor puts you on a statin, a cholesterol lowering medication. These medications are good at lowering LDL cholesterol but not your HDL cholesterol. How to raise HDL cholesterol is important and doctors know this. What first comes to mind is how we can do this through medical therapeutic treatment. The AIM-HIGH study analyzed whether raising HDL through the combination statin and niacin therapy would reduce the risk of having a heart attack in people with established heart disease. But the therapy showed no benefit and the study was brought to an abrupt halt more than a year before the anticipated end date.
There is no solid data to show that raising the HDL number does anything in these trials. We do not have a qualitative test to measure HDL function so we are stuck with a simple number that does not reflect functionality. In simple terms, there is no test to measure how well your HDL cholesterol works. Yet we know that raising, HDL cholesterol is good for heart health.
So, how to raise HDL cholesterol? Well to raise HDL cholesterol you can have red wine, however I like to promote aerobic exercise. If you truly wonder how to improve your overall heart health and raise HDL cholesterol then this is your ticket. Get moving well and you will increase HDL cholesterol.
Basically what I am saying is according to the AIM HIGH study, niacin in combination with simvastatin does not have any positive effect. There is another trial coming out the HPS2 THRIVE trial that will see if Niacin has a foot to stand on. My thoughts are if your doctor wants to improve cholesterol profile, make sure they discuss the importance of actually reducing inflammatory response. There are all these targets out there to lower LDL levels, however how to raise HDL cholesterol levels do not have a specific target because there is no drug out there to do this yet. Focus on inflammation get this low with possible medications, and really focusing on exercise , heart health nutrition and stress management. I know this sounds like hard work but keep the focus.
What is a heart stint? A heart stint is a bare metal device that goes into the arterial walls of the heart. Heart stints are actually called heart stents. It is a common mistake people make thinking they had a heart stint versus a heart stent. Stint or stent well now we know it is stents.
It is commonly used to treat symptoms of heart disease. But it is not a cure. Heart Stents / Heart stints are not a cure. They are treatment options after a heart attack or angina. It is an invasive procedure however quite common. There is a little drama going on with the cardiology community with heart stents and the philosophy behind it and when should it be used. I will try to post some updates on this. You can also view some past updates on heart stents.
The big question I get is how long will a stent last?. It is really individual as I have seen them last only months to many many years. The best thing you can do to ensure you do not end up with another stent is to focus on your heart health.
It becomes so important to start a cardiac rehabilitation program after a stent. It is the education and then implementing the education to become a success.
Unfortunately when you talk to a cardiologist about heart stents it depends on their philosophy as the reasearch is not pointing towards medications. As always I would like to see a study with 3 comination of groups:
1. implementing strong lifestyle modifications strategies
2. medications
and
3. Surgery.
The big questions is where is the money.
Heart disease is frightening and it can happen to anyone. Heart disease is the number one cause of death and the number one preventable disease. Yes preventable! But if you have heart disease or heading down this path overweight is a big risk factor to heart disease.
How do you lose weight after a heart attack? When you are diagnosed with heart disease it can be overwhelming. Well you can’t dwell over the past and now have to be resilient for the future. It becomes very important to now focus on all your modifiable risk factors to heart disease.
Yes you should stop smoking. Yes you should lower your stress, cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and weight! Your doctor probably told you that you have to lose weight. Well what should you do?
Losing weight after a heart attack can be difficult. You may have been prescribed all these new medications to manage your disease. Having to worry about what you eat, how to eat, and exercise is important but you have to set yourself up with the right cardiac rehabilitation program, online program or coach.
Absolutely this is important, and we have seen many successful people lose weight with heart disease. However there is a reason our programs are not a “weight loss” clinic. Weight loss is important and it will come. But the priority is to first get you healthy. Heart Fitness is more important than losing weight!
Heart Fitness is more important than losing weight states the latest research. Yes those who are in a “healthy” body mass index (<25) yet unfit are at substantial increased risk versus those who are in an “unhealthy” body mass index (>25) but are fit. It becomes more about managing your weight and improving your cardiovascular fitness especially after a heart problem more than anything else. As I always state. Exercise is medicine so make sure you take your daily dose.
A study of 15,000 men published in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, found that maintaining or improving fitness levels was associated with a lower risk of dying, even if bodyweight increased or remained the same. Researchers also found that increased levels of activity, measured over a period of six years, was associated with a 19% lower risk of heart and circulatory disease.
I know you may be struggling with your weight but start with your heart! Get active on a daily basis. The weight loss will come with exercise, nutrition and stress management but don’t let that be your focus. Gets your heart beating for heart health success.
Yoga for heart patients is important and easy to do. It is so important to take control of your heart health. If you have had a heart problem or a heart event starting a cardiac rehabilitation program is important and starting stress management techniques is important. Heart disease is reversible and cardiac yoga for heart health is right up there as a key component.
Cardiac yoga is very important to prevent and reverse heart disease. Research has shown that cardiac yoga can reverse and prevent heart disease. Being healthy it is important to also focus on your mind along with increasing range of motion through cardiac yoga. Cardiac yoga will help you keep focused and develop a positive mindset along with aiding in helping you sleep well.
Cardiac Yoga for Heart Health DVD:
The Heart Fit Clinic has released the cardiac yoga DVD program that can be obtained by clicking the link above. It is a regular price of $47 but will be $10 off plus purchasers will receive a free ebook copy of The Official Guide to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease ($47 value).
So you have heart disease or you may be at risk of heart disease. Losing weight with heart disease is important. Your doctor said you have to lose weight. Absolutely this is important, and we have seen many successful people lose weight with heart disease. However there is a reason we are not a “weight loss” clinic. Weight loss is important and it will come. But our priority is to first get you healthy. Heart Fitness is more important than losing weight!
Heart Fitness is more important than losing weight states the latest research. Yes those who are in a “healthy” body mass index (<25) yet unfit are at substantial increased risk vs those who are in a “unhealthy” body mass index (>25) but are fit. It becomes more about managing your weight and improving your cardiovascular fitness especially after a heart problem more than anything else. As I always state. Exercise is medicine so make sure you take your daily dose.
A study of 15,000 men published in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, found that maintaining or improving fitness levels was associated with a lower risk of dying, even if bodyweight increased or remained the same. Researchers also found that increased levels of activity, measured over a period of six years, was associated with a 19% lower risk of heart and circulatory disease.
I know you may be struggling with your weight but start with your heart! Get active on a daily basis. The weight loss will come with exercise, nutrition and stress management but don’t let that be your focus.
A Soda a Day Will NOT Keep Heart Disease Risk Away!
Sugar drinks are linked to an increased risk of coronary artery disease which also includes negative effects on cholesterol profile, increases inflammatory factors according to a Health Professional Follow up Study. A soda a day increases coronary heart disease risk by 20%.
Just a small amount of sugar a day increases our heart disease risk. I know the lulu-lemon saying that soda will be the new alcohol, well it may be true. Yes, I know alcohol has some heart health benefits, but we know my thoughts on this. Pop, soda, soft drinks , whatever we call it has a 100% negative effect on our heart health. There is nothing good that can come from drinking it. It can lead to diabetes, increased waist girth, and increased triglycerides.
Well what about artificially sweetened beverages such as diet sodas. The researchers in this latest study did not find an increased risk of coronary heart disease with artificially sweetened in this analysis. With that said, diet soda has been show to be associated with weight gain and metabolic diseases in previous studies. Dr. Hu talks about that the problem with diet soda is its high-intensity sweetened taste may condition people’s taste. Of course more research is required with this.
So what are we left with. Fruit juices fall into this high sugar category. We know there is some moderate heart benefits with 1 glass of alcohol a day BUT a serious adverse effect once we abuse this drink a day. The best thing to drink is water, and teas. Doctors should be advising their patients who have heart disease or who are at risk of heart disease to cut down on sugar-beverages. It is a no-brainer, just like smoking and exercise. The research is out there and it makes sense.
