4 Must-Have Heart Tests - MUST READ

Heart disease is tricky. Like other “silent” conditions, such as high blood pressure and kidney disease, you may not know that you have it until you’re doubled over from a heart attack.

HEALTHWISE

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June 1, 2015

 

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Bottom Line Health

 

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Joel K. Kahn, MD, Wayne State University School of Medicine

THEY TRULY ARE LIFESAVING…

Heart disease is tricky. Like other “silent” conditions, such as high blood pressure and kidney disease, you may not know that you have it until you’re doubled over from a heart attack.

That’s because traditional methods of assessing patients for heart disease, such as cholesterol tests and blood pressure measurements, along with questions about smoking and other lifestyle factors, don’t always tell a patient’s whole story.

Shocking finding: In a recent study, doctors followed nearly 6,000 men and women (ages 55 to 88) who had been deemed healthy by standard heart tests for three years and then gave them basic imaging tests (see below).Result: 60% were found to have atherosclerosis. These study participants were eight times more likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke, compared with subjects without this fatty buildup (plaque) in the arteries.

THE MUST-HAVE TESTS

Below are four simple tests that can catch arterial damage at the earliest possible stage—when it can still be reversed and before it has a chance to cause a heart attack or stroke. My advice: Even though doctors don’t routinely order these tests, everyone over age 50 should have them at least once—and sometimes more often, depending on the findings. Smokers and people with diabetes, very high cholesterol levels (more than 300 mg/dL) and/or a family history of heart disease should have these tests before age 50. Having these tests can literally save your life…

For more on this topic, see our
Guide to Surprising Things 
That Help—or Harm—Your Heart

• Coronary calcium computed tomography (CT) scan. This imaging test checks for calcium deposits in the arteries—a telltale sign of atherosclerosis. People who have little or no calcium in the arteries (a score of zero) have less than a 5% risk of having a heart attack over the next three to five years. The risk is twice as high in people with a score of one to 10…andmore than nine times higher in those with scores above 400.

While the American College of Cardiology recommends this test for people who haven’t been diagnosed with heart disease but have known risk factors, such as high blood pressure and/or a family history of heart disease, I advise everyone to have this test at about age 50.* The test takes only 10 to 15 minutes and doesn’t require the injection of a contrast agent.

Cost: $99 and up, which may be covered by insurance. 

I use the calcium score as a onetime test. Unless they abandon their healthy habits, people who have a score of zero are unlikely to develop arterial calcification later in life. Those who do have deposits will know what they have to do—exercise, eat a more healthful diet, manage cholesterol and blood pressure, etc.

One drawback, however, is radiation exposure. Even though the dose is low (much less than you’d get during cardiac catheterization, for example), you should always limit your exposure.

My advice: Choose an imaging center with the fastest CT machine. A faster machine (a 256-slice CT, for example) gives less radiation exposure than, say, a 64-slice machine.

• Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). The intima and media are the innermost linings of blood vessels. Their combined thickness in the carotid arteries in the neck is affected by how much plaque is present. Thickening of these arteries can indicate increased risk for stroke and heart attack.

The beauty of this test is that it’s performed with ultrasound. There’s no radiation, it’s fast (10 minutes) and it’s painless. I often recommend it as a follow-up to the coronary calcium test or as an alternative for people who want to avoid the radiation of the coronary calcium CT.

The good news is that you can reduce CIMT—with a more healthful diet, more exercise and the use of statin medications. Pomegranate—the whole fruit, juice or a supplement—can reduce carotid plaque, too. In addition, research has found Kyolic “aged” garlic (the product brand studied) and vitamin K-2 to also be effective.

Cost: $250 to $350. It may not be covered by insurance.

• Advanced lipid test. Traditional cholesterol tests are less helpful than experts once thought—particularly because more than 50% of heart attacks occur in patients with normal LDL “bad” cholesterol levels.

Experts have now identified a number of cholesterol subtypes that aren’t measured by standard tests. The advanced lipid test (also known as an expanded test) still measures total cholesterol and LDL but also looks at the amounts and sizes of different types of cholesterol.

Suppose that you have a normal LDL reading of 100 mg/dL. You still might have an elevated risk for a heart attack if you happen to have a high number of small, dense LDL particles (found in an advanced LDL particle test), since they can more easily enter the arterial wall.

My advice: Get the advanced lipid test at least once after age 50. It usually costs $39 and up and may be covered by insurance.

If your readings look good, you can switch to a standard cholesterol test every few years. If the numbers are less than ideal, talk to your doctor about treatment options, which might include statins or niacin, along with lifestyle changes. Helpful supplements include omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E and plant sterols.

• High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). This simple blood test has been available for years, but it’s not used as often as it should be. Elevated C–reactive protein indicates inflammation in the body, including in the blood vessels. Data from the Physicians’ Health Study found that people with elevated CRP were about three times more likely to have a heart attack than those with normal levels.

If you test low (less than 1 mg/L) or average (1 mg/L to 3 mg/L), you can repeat the test every few years. If your CRP is high (above 3 mg/L), I recommend repeating the test at least once a year. It’s a good way to measure any progress you may be making from taking medications (such as statins, which reduce inflammation), improving your diet and getting more exercise.

Cost: About $50. It’s usually covered by insurance.

* People already diagnosed with heart disease and/or who have had a stent or bypass surgery do not need the coronary calcium CT.

Source: Joel K. Kahn, MD, a clinical professor of medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine and director of Cardiac Wellness at Michigan Healthcare Professionals, both in Detroit. He is also a founding member of the International Society of Integrative, Metabolic and Functional Cardiovascular Medicine and the author of The Whole Heart Solution.

http://bottomlinehealth.com/4-must-have-heart-tests

Are Low Cholesterol Levels Bad For Your Health?

High Cholesterol, Low Cholesterol - Lipid Levels Are Best At Middle Ground

This post is on Healthwise

By Maureen Salamon

Updated October 04, 2008

(LifeWire) - 
There's so much talk about the dangers of high cholesterol, but can low cholesterol levels be equally bad?

Healthy cholesterol levels seem to follow one of life's major rules: Avoid extremes.

Cholesterol levels can fall within one of three ranges. For adults, normal cholesterol levels are between 140 and 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Total cholesterol levels above 240 mg/dL are considered high, and levels below 140 mg/dL are considered unusually low, although many perfectly healthy people have levels in this range.

High total cholesterol levels are bad -- that is a no-brainer. Too much of this wax-like, fatty substance in the blood can lead to artery disease (atherosclerosis), heart disease, or stroke.

But compared to high cholesterol, low cholesterol is pretty much off most people's radars. While there is no question about the value of reducing high cholesterol as a strategy for preventing or treating heart disease, there is much less agreement on how (or whether) to respond to very low cholesterol levels.

Can cholesterol levels be too low? From the standpoint of heart health, probably not. On the other hand, unusually low levels of cholesterol could undermine the body in other areas, including the brain, liver, and digestive system.

But there is a chicken-and-egg aspect to this problem, which scientists have been sorting through for at least two decades. Sometimes low cholesterol causes harm; other times, it simply seems to be a result of an existing disease. It can provide benefits in one areaand do harm in another.

For example, over a long period, very low cholesterol levels increase the odds of hemorrhagic stroke, which occurs when a blood vessel ruptures and bleeds into the brain. Such strokes are more likely in individuals with low cholesterol levels because blood with small amounts of cholesterol does not clot as easily. However, and ischemic stroke (which is far more prevalent) occurs when clots or other material blocks blood flow to the brain -- cholesterol is a major source of such blockages.

Cholesterol also plays a role in brain function. It appears that insufficient brain cholesterol hinders the action of serotonin, a chemical that carries messages between brain cells and that is closely associated with mood. Abnormally low cholesterol levels have been linked to depression and anxiety.

For other conditions, low cholesterol is more of a symptom than a cause. The liver produces about three-quarters of our body's cholesterol supply, with the remaining supply coming from diet, especially from meat, eggs, dairy and seafood. Not surprisingly, cholesterol levels can drop if the liver is compromised due to alcoholism, cancer, or another disease. Any serious disease of the gastrointestinal tract or malnutrition can also reduce cholesterol levels.

The Bottom Line

Cholesterol is absolutely essential to the body and is present in every cell. Without it, sex hormones would not be produced and food digestion could not take place.

The best plan of action is to keep total cholesterol within the middle range, somewhere between 150 and 200 mg/dL. Since high cholesterol is far more common than low, the best way to keep cholesterol levels within the normal range is to maintain healthy lifestyle choices: Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads and nuts; limit whole-fat foods, processed flours and sugars; and get plenty of exercise.

Sources: Gau, Gerald. "Cholesterol Level: Can It Be Too Low?." Mayo Clinic. 17 July 2006. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. 22 Feb 2008 <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol-level/AN01394>.

Moran, David T.. "Cholesterol Test." Diseases and Conditions Encyclopedia. 22 Sep 2006. Discovery Health. 25 Feb 2008 <http://health.discovery.com/encyclopedias/illnesses.html?article=1129>.

Broderick, J.P.. "Guidelines for the Management of Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage." Stroke 30(1999): 905-915.

"High Blood Cholesterol: What You Need to Know." National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. June 2005 29 Feb 2008 <http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/chol/wyntk.htm>.

LifeWire, a part of The New York Times Company, provides original and syndicated online lifestyle content. Maureen Salamon is a freelance writer who has written for newspapers, websites and hospitals, as well as the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. She is co-authoring the memoir of the pediatrician who discovered AIDS in children.

http://cholesterol.about.com/lw/Health-Medicine/Conditions-and-diseases/Can-Your-Cholesterol-Be-Too-Low-.htm

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Simple Lifestyle Strategies to Decrease Your Stroke Risk

Are You Using These Simple Lifestyle Strategies to Decrease Your Stroke Risk?

June 24, 2013                    

Story at-a-glance

• Stroke is the number one cause of long-term disability and the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Fortunately, up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable
• Lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, body mass index, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and smoking can have a direct bearing on your individual risk
• Reducing your systolic blood pressure by 20 millimeters (regardless of how high your blood pressure currently is) decreases your risk of stroke by 50 percent. Not smoking, or quitting smoking equates to a 40 percent lower risk
• According to recent research, for every seven-grams more fiber you consume on a daily basis, your stroke risk is decreased by seven percent
• There’s also compelling evidence showing that your vitamin D status, grounding, stress, and use of statin drugs and hormone replacement therapy and/or birth control pills play a role

By Dr. Mercola

According to the National Stroke Association,¹ stroke is the number one cause of long-term disability and the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. The most common type of stroke is called "ischemic stroke," which results from an obstruction in a blood vessel supplying blood to your brain. Once you suffer a stroke, the damage, should you survive it, can be absolutely devastating. 

Thankfully, up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable. According to researchers,² lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, body mass index, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and smoking can have a direct bearing on your individual risk.  

There’s also compelling evidence showing that your vitamin D status, grounding, stress, and use of statin drugs and hormone replacement therapy and/or birth control pills play a role.

Even Small Changes in Habits Can Make a Big Difference

Daniel Lackland, a professor of neuroscience at the Medical University of South Carolina and a spokesman for the American Heart Association, has developed a scale of lifestyle factors that have a bearing on stroke risk, called the “Life’s Simple Seven” scale, ³ which includes:

• Get active
• Control your cholesterol
• Eat better
• Manage your blood pressure
• Lose weight
• Reduce your blood sugar, and
• Stop smoking

The really good news here is that even minor changes can reduce your stroke risk. As reported by the featured NPR article:⁴

“[The] scientists dug into a large study that tracked 30,239 people to see how much improvement it takes to prevent stroke....The good news is it doesn't take much to make a difference.  

Each risk factor for stroke was scored from 0 to 2, with 0 being crummy, 1 kind of OK, and 2 terrific. Even a one-point improvement in the total score across all seven factors significantly reduced stroke risk.  

Each improvement of a point on the 14-point scale meant an 8 percent reduction in stroke. ‘The neat thing of this finding is that anything makes a difference... If you make a small change, you make an improvement," Lackland says. "If you make a bigger change, you make a bigger improvement.’

Some changes can give you a really great payoff. The study showed that reducing your systolic blood pressure by 20 millimeters (regardless of how high your blood pressure currently is) decreases your risk of stroke by 50 percent. Reduce it by another 20 mm, and you cut your individual risk in half yet again. Not smoking, or quitting smoking equated to a 40 percent lower risk.

Beware of Flawed Dietary Recommendations

First, with regards to cholesterol and stroke risk, what we’re looking for is a proper balance. Proper balance between these ratios is best achieved through a healthy diet, as outlined in my Nutrition Plan, and exercise. It’s well worth noting that cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins have been found to boost stroke risk.  

Total cholesterol will tell you virtually nothing about your disease risk, unless it's exceptionally elevated (above 330 or so, which would be suggestive of familial hypercholesterolemia, and is, in my view, about the only time a cholesterol-lowering drug would be appropriate). Two ratios that are far better indicators of heart disease risk are:

1. Your HDL/total cholesterol ratio: HDL percentage is a very potent indicator of your heart disease risk. Just divide your HDL level by your total cholesterol. This percentage should ideally be above 24 percent. Below 10 percent, it's a significant indicator of risk for heart disease
2. Your triglyceride/HDL ratios: This percentage should ideally be below2

When it comes to diet, you’d be well advised to scrutinize the standard recommendations,⁵ which include cutting down on saturated fats and dietary cholesterol.

It’s important to understand that cholesterol is in fact essential for your good health, as it carries out essential functions within your cell membranes, and is critical for proper brain function and production of steroid hormones. Vitamin D is also synthesized from a close relative of cholesterol: 7-dehydrocholesterol. In fact, we now have evidence showing that cholesterol deficiency has a detrimental impact on virtually every aspect of your health.  

For example, there's reason to believe that low-fat diets and/or cholesterol-lowering drugs may cause or contribute to Alzheimer's disease, and violent behavior, due to adverse changes in brain chemistry. 

Furthermore, studies have shown that dietary cholesterol has little to do with raising your serum cholesterol. For example, although egg yolks are relatively high in cholesterol, numerous studies have confirmed that eggs have virtually nothing to do with raising your cholesterol. For instance, research published in the International Journal of Cardiology showed that, in healthy adults, eating eggs every day did not produce a negative effect on endothelial function (an aggregate measure of cardiac risk); nor did it increase cholesterol levels.  

But that’s not all. One 2009 study⁶ discovered that proteins in cooked eggs are converted by gastrointestinal enzymes, producing peptides that act as ACE inhibitors—common prescription medications for lowering blood pressure, which would actually lower your stroke risk!

Most Saturated Fats Are Actually Good for You

The same can be said for saturated fats, which provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone like substances in your body. They also act as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Dietary fats are also needed for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption, and for a host of other biological processes. When you eat saturated fats as part of your meal, they also slow down absorption so that you can feel satiated longer.  

It's important though to understand that not all saturated fats are the same. There are subtle differences that have profound health implications, and if you avoid eating all saturated fats, your health will likely suffer. There are in fact more than a dozen different types of saturated fat, but you predominantly consume only three: stearic acid, palmitic acid and lauric acid.  

It's already been well established that stearic acid (found in cocoa and animal fat) has no adverse effects on your cholesterol levels, and actually gets converted in your liver into the monounsaturated fat called oleic acid. The other two, palmitic and lauric acid, do raise total cholesterol. However, since they raise "good" cholesterol as much or more than "bad" cholesterol, you're still actually lowering your risk of heart disease. Sources of healthy fats include: 

Avocados	Butter made from raw grass-fed organic milk	Raw dairy	Organic pastured egg yolks
Coconuts and coconut oil	unheated organic nut oils	Raw nuts, such as almonds or pecans, and seeds	Grass-fed meats

Trans fats, on the other hand, should clearly be avoided. They are known to promote inflammation, which is a hallmark of most chronic and/or serious diseases, not just strokes and heart disease. For example, in one 2010 study,⁷ post-menopausal women who consumed the most daily dietary trans fat had a 30 percent higher incidence of ischemic strokes. So please, understand that while most health journalists and "experts" will lump saturated fats and trans fats together, they have markedly different health impacts, and the vilification of saturated fat, which arose from an unproven hypothesis from the mid-1950s, is a myth that has since been firmly debunked by nutritional science.

Fiber May Also Be Important for Stroke Prevention, Study Shows

In related news,^{8, 9} researchers have found that for every seven-grams more fiber you consume on a daily basis, your stroke risk is decreased by seven percent.¹⁰ This conclusion was drawn based on data from eight observational studies. Fiber is the non-digestible parts of plants, which can be either soluble or non-soluble. Water soluble fiber was found to reduce stroke risk the most. Soluble fiber can also help propel food, sugars, cholesterol and fats cleanly through your digestive tract, and aids in the formation of beneficial bacteria in your gut, which is a critical aspect of optimal health. Healthful sources of soluble fiber include:

• Chia seeds
• Berries
• Vegetables such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts
• Root vegetables and tubers, including onions and sweet potatoes
• Almonds

While conventional recommendations call for 25 grams of fiber daily, I believe most people need upwards of 32 grams a day. Most Americans get nowhere near this amount. According to the New York Times:¹¹

“...the current average fiber intake in the United States is about 13 grams a day for women and 17 for men. Increasing these amounts by seven grams a day would bring them close to the recommended levels of 21 to 25 grams for women and 30 to 38 for men. ‘Seven grams a day increase is an achievable goal,’ Dr. Burley said. ‘You’re talking about... increasing vegetable and fruit by two portions a day.'”

Ideally, your diet will have foods high in both soluble and insoluble fiber, such as:

• Psyllium seed husk, flax and chia seeds
• Green beans
• Cauliflower
• Dried beans
• Peas

Other Stroke-Prevention Guidelines

It's important to realize that the vast majority—up to 80 percent, according to the National Stroke Association—of strokes are preventable, so your lifestyle plays a major role in whether or not you're going to become a statistic here. Exercise is clearly at the top of the list in terms of recommendations, as maintaining a regular fitness program will go a long way toward improving your insulin and leptin receptor signaling.  

I recommend a comprehensive program that includes Peak Fitness exercises along with super slow strength training, Active Isolated Stretching and core work. If you've had a stroke, exercise is also very important, as research shows it can significantly improve both your mental and physical recovery.¹² Besides exercise and the specific dietary factors already discussed above, other lifestyle factors that can have a direct impact on your stroke risk include:

• Processed meats: Certain preservatives, such as sodium nitrate and nitrite found in smoked and processed meats have been shown to damage your blood vessels, which could increase your risk of stroke. I recommend avoiding all forms of processed meats, opting instead for organic, grass-fed or pastured meats
• Diet soda: Research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference in 2011 showed that drinking just one diet soda a day may increase your risk of stroke by 48 percent. Ideally, strive to eliminate all soda from your diet, as just one can of regular soda contains nearly twice my recommended daily allowance for fructose in order to maintain good health and prevent disease.
• Vitamin D deficiency: According to research presented at the American Heart Association's (AHA) Annual Scientific Sessions in 2010,¹³ low levels of vitamin D—the essential nutrient obtained from exposure to sunlight—doubles the risk of stroke in Caucasians. To get your levels into the healthy range of 50-70 ng/ml, appropriate sun exposure is your best bet. If sun exposure is not an option, a safe tanning bed (with electronic ballasts rather than magnetic ballasts, to avoid unnecessary exposure to EMF fields) can be used.
As a last resort, a vitamin D3 supplement can be taken. Research suggests the average adult needs to take 8,000 IU's of vitamin D per day in order to elevate their levels above 40 ng/ml, which is the absolute minimum for disease prevention. If you opt for a supplement, you also need to make sure you’re getting sufficient amounts of vitamin K2, as it works synergistically with vitamin D and activates matrix GLA protein, which inhibits arterial calcification.

• Stress. According to a 2008 study,¹⁴ the more stressed you are, the greater your risk of suffering a stroke. The researchers actually found that for every notch lower a person scored on their well-being scale, their risk of stroke increased by 11 percent. Not surprisingly, the relationship between psychological distress and stroke was most pronounced when the stroke was fatal. My favorite overall tool to manage stress is EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). It's a handy, free tool for unloading emotional baggage quickly and painlessly, and so easy that even children can learn it. Other common stress-reduction tools with a high success rate include prayer, meditation, laughter and yoga, for example. For more tips, see my article 10 Simple Steps to Help De-Stress.
• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and birth control pills. If you're on one of the hormonal birth control methods (whether it's the pill, patch, vaginal ring or implant), it is important to understand that you are taking synthetic progesterone and synthetic estrogen -- something that is clearly not advantageous if you want to maintain optimal health. These contraceptives contain the same synthetic hormones as those used in hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which has well-documented risks, including an increased risk of blood clots, stroke, heart attack, and breast cancer.
• Statins. Statin drugs are frequently prescribed to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. However, research shows that these cholesterol-lowering drugs actually increase your risk of a second stroke if you’ve already had one. There are two reasons why this might happen: the drugs may either lower cholesterol too much, to the point that it increases your risk of brain bleeding, or they may affect clotting factors in your blood, increasing the bleeding risk.
Chances are greater than 100 to 1 that you do not need a statin drug. Seventy-five percent of your cholesterol is produced by your liver, which is influenced by your insulin levels. Therefore, if you optimize your insulin level, you will automatically optimize your cholesterol. For a refresher on how to do this, please see my recent article, Statin Nation: The Great Cholesterol Cover-Up.

• Grounding. Walking barefoot, aka “grounding,” has a potent antioxidant effect that helps alleviate inflammation throughout your body. The human body appears to be finely tuned to "work" with the earth in the sense that there's a constant flow of energy between our bodies and the earth. When you put your feet on the ground, you absorb large amounts of negative electrons through the soles of your feet.
In today's world, this is more important than ever, yet fewer people than ever actually connect with the earth in this way anymore. High-sugar diets, smoking, radiofrequencies and other toxic electromagnetic forces, emotional stress, high cholesterol, and high uric acid levels are examples of factors that make your blood hypercoagulable, meaning it makes it thick and slow-moving, which increases your risk of having a blood clot or stroke.
Grounding helps thin your blood by improving its zeta potential. This gives each blood cell more negative charge which helps them repel each other to keep your blood thin and less likely to clot. This can significantly reduce your risk of stroke. Research has demonstrated it takes about 80 minutes for the free electrons from the earth to reach your blood stream and transform your blood, so make it a point to regularly walk barefoot on grass or on wet sand for about 1.5-2 hours, if possible.

[-] Sources and References

• ¹ National Stroke Association
• ² NPR.com June 6, 2013
• ³ Mylifecheck.com, Life’s Simple Seven
• ⁴ NPR.com June 6, 2013
• ⁵ Mylifecheck.com, Life’s Simple Seven, Dietary Recommendations
• ⁶ Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 2009, 57 (2); 471–477
• ⁷ Eukalert February 24, 2010
• ⁸ Medical News Today March 29, 2013
• ⁹ New York Times March 28, 2013
• ¹⁰ Stroke March 28, 2013 [Epub ahead of print]
• ¹¹ New York Times March 28, 2013
• ¹² Study presented at the 3rd Canadian Stroke Congress, Calgary, October 1, 2012
• ¹³ Science Daily November 15, 2010
• ¹⁴ Neurology March 4, 2008: 70(10); 788-794

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/06/24/lifestyle-changes-may-decrease-stroke-risk.aspx?

Clot with greater risk

Posted on 10 August 2009 - 06:09pm

PEOPLE who have even slightly elevated cholesterol when they are middle-aged have a higher risk of dementia later on, researchers reported.

The study of nearly 10,000 people found that those with high cholesterol in their 40s – a ­reading of 240 or higher – had a 66% higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease 40 years later.

People whose cholesterol was lower – 200 to 239 – had a 52% higher risk in old age than people with lower cholesterol levels, the team at the University of Kuopio in Finland and Kaiser ­Permanente’s Division of Research reported.

“Our study shows that even moderately high cholesterol levels in your 40s put people at greater risk for Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia decades later,” Rachel Whitmer of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California, said in a statement.

“Considering that nearly 100 million Americans have either high or borderline ­cholesterol ­levels, this is a disturbing ­finding.

“The good news here is that what is good for the heart is also good for the mind and this is an early risk factor for dementia that can be modified and managed by lowering cholesterol through healthy lifestyle changes.”

Exercise and healthy diet can help lower cholesterol, as can drugs.

The researchers said in the journal Dementia & Geriatric ­Cognitive Disorders that they recruited people aged 40 to 45 from 1964 to 1973 and followed up with them for some 40 years.

Over this time, 598 of them were diagnosed with ­Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia ­between 1994 and 2007, when they were between 61 and 88 years old.

The study did not look at whether the high cholesterol levels caused the Alzheimer’s or whether controlling them with drugs might reduce the risk of developing dementia.

Two genes associated with cholesterol are also linked to Alzheimer’s and researchers have known there must be a link.

Other studies have suggested that statin drugs, which lower cholesterol, might lower the risk of Alzheimer’s, too, although this is not yet proven and the way it works is not clear.

Alzheimer’s, a mind-wasting condition for which there are few treatments and no cure, affects 26 million people globally.

Cholesterol, on the other hand, is a waxy, fat-like substance that is found in all cells of the body and in some of the foods you eat.

Our body needs some ­cholesterol to work the right way and it makes all the cholesterol it needs.

Our body uses cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help us digest food.
Blood is watery and ­cholesterol, fatty. Just like oil and water, the two do not mix.

To travel in the bloodstream, cholesterol is ­carried in small packages called lipoproteins, which are made of fat (lipid) on the ­inside and proteins on the outside.

Two kinds of lipoproteins – low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) – carry ­cholesterol throughout our body. It is ­important to have healthy levels of both lipoproteins.

LDL cholesterol is sometimes called bad cholesterol because high levels of this lead to a buildup of cholesterol in the arteries. The higher the LDL level in our blood, the greater the chance we get heart disease.

HDL cholesterol, or good ­cholesterol, carries cholesterol from other parts of our body back to our liver which removes the cholesterol from our body. The higher our HDL cholesterol level, the lower our chance of getting heart disease.

High blood cholesterol on its own does not cause symptoms, so many people are unaware that their cholesterol level is high.

Cholesterol can build up in the walls of our arteries (blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to other parts of the body). This build-up is called plaque.

Over time, plaque can cause the narrowing of the arteries. This is called atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

Special arteries called ­coronary arteries bring blood to the heart. Narrowing of these arteries due to plaque can stop or slow down the flow of blood to our heart.

When the arteries narrow, the amount of oxygen-rich blood is decreased. This is called coronary heart disease (CHD).

Large plaque areas can lead to chest pain called angina. This happens when the heart does not receive enough oxygen-rich blood. Angina is a common symptom of CHD.

Some plaques have a thin covering and can burst (rupture), releasing cholesterol and fat into the bloodstream. This release may cause our blood to clot. A clot can block the flow of blood. This blockage can cause angina or a heart attack.

Lowering our cholesterol level not only decreases our chance of a plaque burst and heart attack but also slows down, reduces, or even stops plaque build-up. – Agencies

http://www.thesundaily.my/node/152573

A-Z of cholesterol

Posted on 8 September 2009 - 08:24am

CHOLESTEROL is found in every cell in our body. It is a vital building block in many organs including our brain, nerve and hormonal system.

Too much of cholesterol will lead to fat being deposited in blood vessels, subsequently leading to the thickening and blocking of the arteries (arteriosclerosis).

If blood flow to the heart is reduced, it causes angina or heart attack; if the blood vessel affected is in the brain, it causes stroke.

The types

A routine blood test for cholesterol will show the following indicators – LDL, HDL, and triglyceride.

LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein. Lipoprotein, a combination of cholesterol and protein, is how cholesterol is transported in our blood.

LDL is considered ‘bad’ cholesterol because as it transports cholesterol in our body, it causes cholesterol to be deposited in the blood vessel, making it hard.

HLD, or high-density lipoprotein, on the other hand, is good cholesterol as it removes excess cholesterol back to the liver.

Triglyceride is not cholesterol but another type of fat in which its excess is deposited in the arteries causing a narrowing of the passage.

There are many factors that lead to high cholesterol – lack of exercise, diet, smoking, obesity, diabetes and family history.

Lack of exercise increases your blood cholesterol level as exercise helps push the HDL level higher and reduce the LDL level. Diabetes or high blood sugar can lead to higher LDL and lower HDL level while smoking reduces the good cholesterol and damages the blood vessel lining and causes more fat deposition.

If a person has very high cholesterol at a very young age plus strong family history of heart attack or stroke, then the likely reason is hereditary.

The target level

The total cholesterol level should be below 5.2mmol/L (200mg/L) and HDL above 1.3mmol/L (50mg/L). But LDL level is a more important target as LDL is the one that causes deposition of cholesterol and fat in blood vessel.

The target LDL level varies according to your underlying risk factors to develop heart disease or stroke.

If you have risk factors such as diabetes, previous heart attack, hypertension, family history of early heart attack, smoking, over 45 years old for male and 55 for female and low HDL level, then your target LDL level should be below 2.6mmol/L (100mg/L).

If you have a very high risk, your doctor may even aim to reduce your LDL level to less than 1.8mmol/L (70mg/L).

Tackling high level

See your doctor and get a proper assessment first. Your doctor may prescribe medication to lower your cholesterol level if the level is very high or concomitantly, you have many risk factors of heart attack or stroke.

The medications may include statin, cholesterol absorption inhibitor, bile acid binding resin or fibrates. In general, these medications are well tolerated, but some may experience muscle ache, constipation or abnormal liver function.

Keep an optimal weight by exercising regularly, stop smoking if you smoke, and watch your eating habit.

Try to reduce intake of food high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol such as red meat, dairy products, fried food or egg yolks which raise the cholesterol level.

Choose the leaner portion of meat, low fat milk and oil rich in monounsaturated fat such as olive or peanut oil.

Foods that help to reduce cholesterol level are whole grain, fruits, vegetables and omega-3 fatty acid-rich products such as salmon, herring, walnut and almonds.

Alternately, products like barley, fish oil, garlic extract, oat bran found in oatmeal and artichoke extract have been proven to reduce cholesterol level in some.

http://www.thesundaily.my/node/151561

Why Erectile Dysfunction Can Signal Heart Disease

'Canary In Your Trousers': Why Erectile Dysfunction Can Signal Heart Disease

If you're a man who has trouble maintaining an erection, put your embarrassment aside and seek help, as your heart health could be at stake.

 February 11, 2013                   

 

Story at-a-glance

• Even slight problems maintaining an erection can be a sign of serious health problems elsewhere in your body, namely in your heart.
• Men with erectile dysfunction (ED) have an increased risk of heart-related problems, including heart failure, stroke and heart disease, according to new research.
• Even among those with mild ED, the risks of certain heart problems, as well as the risk of dying prematurely from any cause, was greater than in those without.
• Erectile dysfunction appears to be an important biomarker for heart disease, which means if you have it you need to get your heart health checked out right away by a qualified health care practitioner.
• There are a number of lifestyle choices and supplements that can contribute to restoring healthy sexual function without resorting to potentially dangerous drugs like Viagra.

By Dr. Mercola

Many men are reluctant to discuss erectile dysfunction (ED), but this isn’t only a matter that affects your intimate life.

Even slight problems maintaining an erection can be a sign of serious health problems elsewhere in your body, namely in your heart.

The Connection Between Erectile Dysfunction and Heart Problems

You may be aware that the inability of your arteries to dilate fully and to subsequently harden, also known as atherosclerosis, is a major cause of heart disease and can lead to stroke, heart attack and sudden death.

In a nutshell, this occurs because as the inner lining of your blood vessels (endothelium) undergoes damage and dysfunction and plaque accumulates, the subsequent narrowing and hardening of your arteries makes it harder for blood to flow through them and reach your heart and other organs. As the disease process unfolds the smaller arteries in your body, such as those in your penis, often get blocked first, before the larger arteries leading to your heart.

The lack of blood flow to the penis results in erectile dysfunction, and this is why ED has been called the “canary in the trousers” for future heart problems. If you have any type of erection difficulty, it’s a good idea to see a qualified health care practitioner who can give your heart health a thorough check-up and help you develop a plan to fix the underlying causes of both issues...
 

New Research Shows Erectile Dysfunction Linked to Increased Heart Risks

An Australian study of 95,000 men¹ found that with ED had an increased risk of heart-related problems, including:

• Heart failure
• Stroke
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Ischemic heart disease
• “Other” cardiovascular disease

Those with the most severe ED and a history of heart problems had a more than 60 percent greater chance of having been admitted to the hospital, or died, from a heart-related problem. But even those who had no prior heart problems had a 35 percent greater risk of developing one if they had severe ED.

Even among those with mild ED, the risks of certain heart problems, as well as the risk of dying prematurely from any cause, was greater than in those without.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that erectile dysfunction causes heart problems, but, more likely, that both share a common pathology of the blood vessels known as endothelial dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction, therefore, is a biomarker for heart disease, which means if you have it you need to get your heart health checked out right away.
 

If You Get a Heart 'Check-Up' Make Sure You Check This...

If you end up going to see a physician about ED, potential heart disease or both, be sure your physician doesn’t simply give you a total cholesterol test and leave it at that. Total cholesterol will tell you virtually nothing about your disease risk, unless it's exceptionally elevated (above 330 or so, which would be suggestive of familial hypercholesterolemia, and is, in my view, about the only time a cholesterol-lowering drug would be appropriate). Two ratios that are far better indicators of heart disease risk are:

1. Your HDL/total cholesterol ratio: HDL percentage is a very potent indicator of your heart disease risk. Just divide your HDL level by your total cholesterol. This ratio should ideally be above 24 percent. Below 10 percent, it's a significant indicator of risk for heart disease

2. Your triglyceride/HDL ratios: This ratio should ideally be below 2

Four additional risk factors for heart disease are:

1. Your fasting insulin level: Any meal or snack high in carbohydrates like fructose and refined grains generates a rapid rise in blood glucose and then insulin to compensate for the rise in blood sugar. The insulin released from eating too many carbs promotes fat and makes it more difficult for your body to shed excess weight, and excess fat, particularly around your belly, is one of the major contributors to heart disease.
Your fasting insulin level can be determined by a simple, inexpensive blood test. A normal fasting blood insulin level is below 5, but ideally you'll want it below 3. If your insulin level is higher than 3 to 5, the most effective way to optimize it is to reduce or eliminate all forms of dietary sugar, particularly fructose, from your diet.

2. Your fasting blood sugar level: Studies have shown that people with a fasting blood sugar level of 100-125 mg/dl had a nearly 300 percent higher risk of having coronary heart disease than people with a level below 79 mg/dl.
3. Your waist circumference: Visceral fat, the type of fat that collects around your internal organs, is a well-recognized risk factor for heart disease. The simplest way to evaluate your risk here is by simply measuring your waist circumference. For further instructions, please see my previous article, Your Waist Size Can Be a Powerful Predictor of Hypertension and Other Chronic Diseases.
4. Your iron level: Iron can be a very potent cause of oxidative stress, so if you have excess iron levels you can damage your blood vessels and increase your risk of heart disease. Ideally, you should monitor your ferritin levels and make sure they are not much above 80 ng/ml. The simplest way to lower them if they are elevated is to donate your blood. If that is not possible you can have a therapeutic phlebotomy and that will effectively eliminate the excess iron from your body.

Not ALL Cases of Erectile Dysfunction are Due to Physical Issues

It should be noted that while many cases of ED may have an underlying physical issue, some are undoubtedly emotionally based.

Your brain and nervous system control your sex glands and genitals, and this is why they also control your sexual desire, as well as orgasms. There are many similarities between men and women in regard to desire; contrary to popular belief, for example, visual images trigger sexual desire in both sexes. Likewise, anxiety, defensiveness, fear, and failure of communication are destructive psychological forces that can take a heavy toll on your libido, whether you’re a man or a woman, by acting as roadblocks to desire.

For men, every erection begins in the brain.

Your brain stem emits nerve impulses that control erectile function. These nerve impulses navigate through the erection center of your spinal column to the erectile tissue of the penis, where they trigger a chain reaction in the membranes of your vascular muscle cells. This sophisticated chain reaction is dependent on a messenger molecule called cyclic guanosine monophosphate, or cGMP.

However, this works in reverse as well; an erection softens as soon as another enzyme called phosphodiesterase starts to degrade the cGMP molecules.

Drugs like Viagra, Levitra and Cialis work by inhibiting phosphodiesterase and increasing nitric oxide production, which may help maintain erections. But, these pills will not create an erection in and of themselves. Initial erection still has to be triggered psychologically. Without that initial impetus, potency pills will have no effect whatsoever.

Because sexual dysfunction can worsen due to stress, relationship troubles and anxiety, taking control of your emotions by learning the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can really help. EFT is a psychological acupressure technique that can help you effectively address your stress-related thoughts and leave you feeling calmer and more able to face your challenges, whatever they may be.
 

Why Natural Viagra Alternatives are Important...

There are a number of lifestyle choices that can contribute to restoring healthy sexual function, and as for sexual potency pills, there are alternatives that are far safer than Viagra. In case you were wondering, Viagra does carry a risk of potentially serious side effects, including:

Headache	Upset stomach	Flushing of the face
Blue/green color blindness	Blurred vision	Vision sensitivity to light
Sudden decrease or loss of vision in one or both eyes	An abnormally long-lasting erection that may cause permanent damage to your penis	Sudden loss or decrease in hearing, sometimes with ringing in the ears or dizziness
Heart attack, stroke, irregular heartbeat and death have occurred in men taking Viagra

As far as natural alternatives go, there are many options to consider including L-arginine, an amino acid that is the precursor to nitric oxide, a natural compound that helps relax your blood vessels.
 

How L-Arginine May Improve Sexual Function Via Nitric Oxide

Nitric oxide signals the smooth muscle cells in your blood vessels to relax, so that your vessels dilate and your blood flows more freely. This helps your arteries to regain their elasticity and stay free of plaque. L-arginine may also lead to increased microcirculation in genital tissues, which results in stronger erections and better sexual responsiveness, via this nitric oxide mechanism.

In fact, this is how a leading ED drug treats erectile problems — it increases nitric oxide production, relaxing your blood vessels, which increases penile blood flow. However, the price you might pay for these ED drugs is a slew of potentially dangerous side effects, including reducing blood pressure too low. L-arginine increases the action of nitric oxide — similar to ED drugs, but WITHOUT the side effects.

Scientific studies have shown that L-arginine can be particularly effective when used in combination with another natural agent, pycnogenol, which resulted in significant improvement in sexual function in men with ED, according to a Bulgarian study.²  

Similarly, a pilot study published in the journal European Urology found 6 grams of L-arginine combined with 6 mg of yohimbine, a compound found in the herb yohimbe, was successful in treating men with ED.³
 

More Natural Solutions for Erectile Dysfunction

Aside from L-arginine, other natural alternatives include:

• Panax ginseng and maca root, which have been used for centuries as libido-boosting tonics
• Choline and vitamin B5. The neurotransmitter that triggers sexual messages in your brain, whether you're male or female, is acetylcholine (ACH). With too little ACH, sexual activity goes down. One way to safely and effectively enhance your ACH levels is to take choline supplements (1,000-3,000 mg) and vitamin B5 (500-1,500 mg).

You will also want to be sure your overall lifestyle is a healthy one, as the habits below will further help to enhance your sexual health. Remember, even mild erectile dysfunction can be a signal of an underlying heart problem, so addressing the issue on a foundational level could very well save your life:

• Reduce, with the plan of eliminating, grains and sugars in your diet. It is vitally important to eliminate sugars, especially fructose.
• Eat a healthy diet, like the one described in my nutrition plan, which will help to normalize your insulin levels. This simple measure has a profound influence on every area of your health, including your sex life.
• Optimize your vitamin D levels, ideally through appropriate sun exposure as this will allow your body to also create vitamin D sulfate — another factor that may play a crucial role in preventing the formation of arterial plaque.
• Exercise regularly. Make sure you incorporate high-intensity interval exercises, which also optimize your human growth hormone (HGH) production.
• Avoid smoking or drinking alcohol excessively.
• Be sure to get plenty of high-quality, restorative sleep.
• Manage your stress

[-] Sources and References

• PLOS Medicine January 22, 2013
• Forbes January 30, 2013

• ¹ PLOS Medicine January 22, 2013
• ² J Sex Marital Ther. 2003 May-Jun;29(3):207-13.
• ³ Eur Urol. 2002 Jun;41(6):608-13; discussion 613.

'Canary In Your Trousers': Why Erectile Dysfunction Can Signal Heart Disease