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Preventing Heart Attacks and Strokes

Submitted by Health Gazette on Sat, 2005-09-24 09:15. Alternative Medicine

I spend a lot of my time helping people improve their immune function. A very worthwhile endeavor indeed. However, I must admit that another area of pathology that I am quite conscious of is vascular disease and  its associated dramatic events of heart attacks and strokes.

Widespread or generalized and peripheral vasuclar disease are themselves quite debilitating but it is the events above that call for immediate attention when they threaten, and of course, when they occur. Even with the best management and latest technology these events are frequently fatal.

The statistics tell a shocking story but I am sorry to say they do tend to keep the problem at arms length. It may be just too comfortable relating merely to statistics. The reality is they mask too many untold personal and family tragedies. Without doubt, the best strategy possible is prevention.

My own family history suggests that I am at very high rsik of vascular disease, including heart disease. I take action to overcome the influence of my inherited genetic disposition. Heart disease is a preventable and reversible problem. Not enough people seem to be aware of this.

Consider the following statistics. I happen to have easy access to slightly dated 1998 data so they will have to suffice for now. I know the figures have generally not proportionately improved. In that year:

  • 60.8 million Americans had one or more forms of cardivascular disease
  • 40.6 percent of all deaths in the USA were related to heart disease
  • Almost a million people (946,619) died in the USA from heart disease
  • 12.4 million heart attack survivors lived at high risk of further attacks
  • 4.5 million stroke survivors lived at high risk of further strokes

Life with these conditions can be very uncomfortable to say the least. Family members suffer too. Sometimes the orthodox treatments, which may well extend life in many cases, serve to compound the situation with unwanted side effects.

Rather than make this a very long article or starting another series, I am going to refer you to a report that contains useful information about steps you can take to reduce your risks of having a heart attack. It is well researched, contains very practical advice and is completely free. You will have to provide an email address but I assure you that will never expose you to any spam and will be kept quite secure.

I have the utmost respect for the report's author and commend it to you. It is titled Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention and it is quite suitable for non-medical or laypersons. I would simply make my usual request: when your learn how, for goodness sake take action.

 

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Prevention of more complex heart disease

Submitted by Bart Jarvis on Mon, 2005-09-26 04:12.

Peter,

The report on heart attack and stroke prevention is a great read, I learned quite a lot. The current stats certainly does display how misunderstood heart disease prevention really is. In-fact the methods suggested in the article as being in-effective treatment are the very methods that are emphasised in our health promotion section.

I do note that the article states that brewers yeast is rich in vitamin B6- required to create the enzymes used by the body to remove Homocysteine to keep it at a healthy level. I take it this doesn't mean that we can start brewing and drinking a daily serve of home brewed beer ;-)

One thing that may be worth noting is the omittance of meditation and yoga to lower blood pressure. I can say from experience that I have managed to reduce my systolic BP by almost 20 mm Hg and also lower my resting pulse rate by 20bpm. Although the elevated levels I should add would be a result from a slight genetic predisposition to elevated anxiety levels.

But I guess I should get to the topic at hand of preventing the more complex heart diseases and I will present one for further comment, that being Familial Dialated Cardiomyopathy. As you know there are various types of cardiomyopathy and some of which are totally and easily preventable such as alchohol induced dilated cardiomyopathy. That one I could even easily give advise on how to steer clear of it- stay away from the grog! But for others such as FDC is it possible to keep it at bay even if you may be genetically predisposed to the disease? Maybe you could use this question as a primer for a later post?

Keep the great posts coming.

Bart Jarvis

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Even with advanced pathology, stick to the basics

Submitted by Health Gazette on Mon, 2005-09-26 05:01.
Quote:

Keep the great posts coming.

Thank you very much for your kind and supportive comments Bart, they are really appreciated.

I am very pleased that you read and found value in the report I mentioned in my post. It is very useful. I am absolutely delighted that you read it critically and immediately added constructive observations about meditation and yoga. Absolutely spot on!

I know you're joking about the beer, but it is probably worth mentioning for other readers that all that goodness is lost by the time the beer is made. Some serious complications of excessive alcohol consumption relate to vitamin B deficiency. Beer drinkers actually lose it rather than gain it :( (Boozers are losers)

Cardiomyopathy generally and FDC in particular are certainly more complex and should be treated in a separate article. However, as with all more complex pathology, there is no reason to depart from the foundations. They are still needed to underpin physical health.

It is true that in cases of advanced cardiac disease (as with renal and other disease) the amounts of fluids and types of foods may need to be varied and the exercise may eventually have to be non-strenuous, but pure water and quality nutrients are always needed and the better one is able to maintain the whole foundation the better the result.

Peter
______________
Dr Peter Tylee
Editor

PS. Good work on the blood pressure by the way.

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