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 crucial numbers that start to weigh heavily upon us. We have to worry about our weight, levels of cholesterol, as well as our blood pressure. Things we may have ignored our entire lives now suddenly they have significant importance. However these are some of the thing that should not have been forgotten. A lifetime of misuse on the body establishes merely damaging things when left unrestrained.
Your cholesterol level is absolutely pivotal if you wish to continue healthy and your body functioning the right way. High levels has the ability to lead lead to heart attacks and stroke, both things you do not want to have to deal with. Being concerned when it comes to your cholesterol level is not simply for the elderly. It is something both younger people as well as older people need to be concerned with and be aware of if they want to conduct a healthy life. In this article we will go over the fundamentals of cholesterol and hopefully you will understand just how crucial a healthy level is to your body and peace of mind.
What is bad cholesterol?
LDL cholesterol is bad. All cholesterol is carried by lipoproteins but the low-density lipoproteins moves in the blood stream and allows the cholesterol to begin to accumulate. If there is too much LDL then the cholesterol begins building up on the walls of the arteries. It begins to form plaque which makes the arteries hard and not as flexible. When clots form and block the artery a heart attack or stroke can occur.
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.
In what way is the blockage from the arteries removed?
The initial stage is through medicines however if there is a measurable narrowing or blockage in the artery or blood vessel then a somewhat more intrusive operation is needed. The actual procedures may change but one popular method is through a balloon angioplasty. The mechanical device is entered into the artery and navigated to the obstruction where the plaque build up has happened. The balloon is then inflated to clear the passage. Nowadays the operation is minimally invasive and the majority of patients are capable of going home on that very day.
Does a diet rich in fish really help lower my cholesterol?
You may be surprised but a diet rich in fish, particularly salmon, can help you lower your overall LDL cholesterol while helping raise the HDL cholesterol. It is the omega-3 fatty acids that have been shown to help the body. But do not stop at just salmon. There are other great foods that can help you reduce your LDL's and raise your HDL's such as: avocados, garlic, black beans, uncooked soy and even Shitake mushrooms.
To find out additional information head on over to Lipitor Cholesterol Medication and more information at Hdl Or Good Cholesterol in addition to Total Cholesterol Levels
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