Urgent: New Risks for Heart Disease Often Overlooked or not Realized

We've typically been told that heart disease is due to risks related to obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and family history. But lately science has become baffled by the mystery of some people who succumb to heart disease without any prior history at all. Of that number there are also some who have no symptoms what so ever of the "typical" presentation of heart disease such as chest pain, shortness of breath or palpitations. Medical science has now had to rely on statistics to "risk stratify" these candidates. The atypical presentation of heart disease has lead to defining newer risk factors as well. Some are objectively measurable factors some are more subjective. These include poor dentition. Bacteria in the gum have been known to set up "vegetative" emboli that can occlude a valve or vessel. These have known to break off and go to the brain as well. Good oral hygeine is key. An Amino Acid known as Homocysteine appears somehow crept into becoming a serious risk factor many of times over looked. Is it merely a statistical co-factor that shows up or does effect real damage to the heart is still being studied now. Heart disease is associated with certain mechanisms of inflammation. Diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis is related to heart disease. It appears that inflammation can cause interaction with platelets to cause aggregation. Fibrinogen is a protein particle that increases that hypercoagulable state of platelets which may form clots. The lack of sleep is associated with increased risk factor for heart disease and diabetes both.New studies are looking seriously at diet soft drinks that have both aspartame that is known to have nerve interaction effects and high fructose corn syrup that cause obesity. These and many other addititives to food my be the reason there is a rise in strokes according to the American Stroke Association.Certain drugs appear to higher risk of heart disease such as oral hypglycemics, particularly Avandia . Exogenous estrogens called HRTs also pose a risk for heart disease. While causing high blood pressure, clot, thrombi and stroke it also poses a risk of some cancers in younger aged females. A very lengthy Women's Health Initiative study published findings in the New England Journal of Medicine from Havard should that older post-menopausal women were at greater risks taking HRTs and that younger women who were post-menopausal were also at slightly less risk for heart disease with HRTs. Thes study had to be suspended because of so many heart attacks.
What to do: Ask your physician about taking CRP test that measures your risk to inflammation and perhaps look at other inflammatory factors related to arthritis.A serum fibrinogen level can tell you of risk for blood clot formation as well. If you are a type 2 diabetic ask the name of the type of oral hypoglycemic agent you take as well as check your hemoglobin A1C. For younger pre-menopausal women be aware that bcps(birth control pills) are still drugs at puts you at higher risk for a cardiovascular event such as a blood clot. For more mature menopausal women, you should ask your physician to weigh the benefits to cost of being on HRTs. Ask your physician about bio-identiacal hormone therapy. Know your family history and understand that a number of people have coronary spasm as the cause of a heart attack and presentation can be quite different.
In the meantime more than 910,000 people die annually due to heart disease at a cost of some $800,000 B/annually. Heart disease can be reduced based on preventive measures implemented with a healthier lifestyle including leisurely walking for 30 minutes, reduce salt,saturated and trans fats, losing weight on a consistent basis, improving the foods that are more vitamin rich with plenty of antioxidants such as those with flavnoids:spinach, onions, celery, grapes, citrus, and berries. Eating more vegetables with Carotenoids that contain beta carotene and using more Omega oil from salmon, sardines, and almonds.Use flax, flax seed oil, safflower oil, and canola oil as alternatives as well.Learn more about these and more in the book "Fit Family" at www.fitfamily360.com
Dr. Marcus Wells is the author of "Fit Family", the book.

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