Opinion and Research

Jason Jantzi asked:


There are numerous diseases that affect the heart. Among the most common are coronary heart disease, heart failure, congenital heart disease, hypertension, heart valve problems, heart arrhythmias and heart infections. These all fall under the term “heart disease.”

Heart disease occurs for a variety of reasons, including genetics, sedentary lifestyles, smoking, diabetes, clogged arteries and hypertension. Fortunately, there are a number of lifestyle behaviors you can adopt to help you avoid the pitfalls of heart disease. The two most important elements are eating a heart-healthy diet and getting regular exercise.

The cornerstone to a heart-healthy diet is replacing foods high in saturated fats with healthier alternatives such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat milk and dairy products, poultry and fish. Eating healthier alternatives can help to lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol level and raise your HDL (good) cholesterol level. Both are significant in being heart-healthy.

Regular physical activity also helps to keep your good cholesterol higher and your bad cholesterol lower. Even a small amount of daily exercise can make a big difference to your heart.

Smoking is very damaging to the heart, and maintaining a healthy weight and a reasonable level of alcohol consumption are very important as well.

Heart disease may offer no symptoms during the early stages. Often the first symptom is a pain or discomfort in the chest (called angina pectoris), which can be brought on by physical exertion and relieved by rest. Any sort of chest pain calls for medical attention right away.

If you are diagnosed with heart disease, lowering your cholesterol level and adding adequate levels of exercise to your daily routine, combined with medication your doctor will prescribe, can help you live a long and healthy life. The key to success is understanding that your daily activities control the progress of the disease, and therefore making heart-healthy choices is vital.

So, what steps can you take to make it easier to identify and manage heart disease? Keep a journal of any symptom that you may encounter. For instance, when you measure your cholesterol levels, make a note in a journal. Or when you eat certain foods or participate in certain activities, make a note of the results — how do you feel? Then on a regular basis keep track of any changes in these symptoms.

Once a heart-healthy diet, daily exercise regimen, and course of treatment has been prescribed for you, keep another journal in which you describe the results. Have the symptoms improved? Are they worse?

If you are taking medication for your heart, keep a record of what you take and when. Is it helping the symptoms? Are there any side effects? Keep track of when side effects occur and how severe they are. Having this information handy will help your doctor prescribe the treatment that best addresses your overall health.

Setting up journals like the ones described here is easy to do. You can use a paper worksheet, a computer word processing program, or even a spreadsheet program like Excel.

You owe it to yourself to take an active role in managing your own health. Heart disease can be deadly. However with proper management, it can be controlled and in many cases even reversed. You need to use every tool at your disposal to make sure you get the best health care possible.



Pill

Juliet Cohen asked:


Amenorrhea is absence of menstruation. Amenorrhea is a normal feature in prepubertal, pregnant, and postmenopausal females. Amenorrhea can be caused by any number of changes in the organs, glands, and hormones involved in menstruation. Stress due to internal or situational concerns can cause secondary amenorrhea, because stress interferes with the brain’s control (through hormones) of the ovaries. Amenorrhea may be classified as primary or secondary. primary amenorrhea - from the beginning and usually lifelong; menstruation never begins at puberty. Primary amenorrhea is defined as the failure of menses to occur by age 16 years. Secondary amenorrhea - due to some physical cause and usually of later onset; a condition in which menstrual periods which were at one time normal and regular become increasing abnormal and irregular or absent. Secondary amenorrhea is defined as the cessation of menses once they have begun. This problem is seen in about 1% of women of reproductive age. Amenorrhea occurs if the hypothalamus and pituitary fail to provide appropriate gonadotropin stimulation to the ovary, resulting in inadequate production of estradiol or in failure of ovulation and progesterone production. Amenorrhea can also occur if the ovaries fail to produce adequate amounts of estradiol despite normal and appropriate gonadotropin stimulation by the hypothalamus and pituitary. Chronic conditions (eg, starvation, excessive exercise, depression, psychological stress, marijuana use, Crohn disease, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, thalassemia major, HIV infection, renal disease, thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus, anorexia nervosa)

Physiologic states of amenorrhoea are seen during pregnancy and lactation (breastfeeding). The hypothalamus is the initiator of the follicular phase. The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pump located in the hypothalamus releases GnRH in a pulsatile fashion into the portal vessel system surrounding the anterior pituitary gland. GnRH interacts with the anterior pituitary gland to release follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in the follicular phase. FSH is secreted into the circulation and interacts with the granulosa cells surrounding the developing oocytes. As levels of progesterone, estradiol, and inhibin decline 2-3 days before menses, the hypothalamus begins to release higher levels of FSH, which recruits oocytes for the next menstrual cycle. As FSH increases during the early portion of the follicular phase, it interacts with granulosa cells to stimulate the aromatization of androgens into estradiol. Early in the follicular phase, both estradiol and FSH increase the FSH-receptor content of the developing follicles. Over the next several days, the steady increase of estradiol (E2) levels exerts a progressively greater suppressive influence on pituitary FSH release. Only one selected lead follicle, with the largest reservoir of estrogen, can withstand the declining FSH environment. The remaining oocytes that initially were recruited with the lead follicle undergo atresia. Immediately prior to ovulation, the combination of E2 and FSH leads to the production of luteinizing-hormone (LH) receptors on the granulosa cells surrounding the lead follicle.

Hormonal contraceptives that contain only progestogen like the oral contraceptive Circulating estradiol stimulates growth of the endometrium. Progesterone, produced by the corpus luteum formed after ovulation, transforms proliferating endometrium into secretory endometrium. During the late follicular phase, estrogen positively influences LH secretion, instead of suppressing pituitary LH secretion as it does early in the follicular phase. To have this positive effect, the E2 level must achieve a sustained elevation for several days. The LH surge promotes maturation of the dominant oocyte, the release of the oocyte and then the luteinization of the granulosa cells and the surrounding theca cells of the dominant follicle resulting in progesterone production. The appropriate level of progesterone arising from the maturing dominant follicle contributes to the precise timing of the mid-cycle surge of LH. E2 promotes uterine endometrial gland growth, which allows for future implantation. Other signs or symptoms along with the absence of periods, such as milky nipple discharge, headache, vision changes, or excessive hair growth on your face and torso (hirsutism).

Treatments of Amenorrhea based on the condition. Medical care needs are defined by the etiology of the menstrual cycle disturbance and the desires of the patient. Progesterone supplements (hormone treatment). Gonadotropin therapy or the use of pulsatile GnRH therapy is required to induce ovulation for patients with infertility whose underlying pathology cannot be reversed. Dopamine agonists are effective in treating hyperprolactinemia. Oral contraceptives (ovulation inhibitors). Dietary modifications (to include increased caloric and fat intake). Hormone replacement therapy is required to maintain bone density in patients whose underlying pathology cannot be reversed to restore normal endocrine function. In most cases, physicians will induce menstruation in non-pregnant females who have missed two or more consecutive menstrual periods, because of the danger posed to the uterus if the non-fertilized egg and endometrium lining are not expelled. Without this monthly expulsion, the risk of uterine cancer increases.Women with evidence of hyperandrogenism and disordered menses have many other medical issues that must be addressed. Specific treatment for amenorrhea is your opinion or preference and expectations for the course of the condition.



free trial acai

Donald Saunders asked:


Weight loss surgery has been around for well over fifty years now and, while there are of course risks the majority of patients are very happy with the results and enjoy a an enormously improved standard of living. However, there is a price to pay and you will have to lead a very different lifestyle following surgery which may be very hard unless you are prepared for the change.

Some of the post-surgical changes are obvious as the principle behind weight loss surgery is to drastically reduce the size of your stomach and physically restrict the quantity of food that you can eat. This simply means that those days of sitting down to a big meal are gone forever.

However some of the other consequences of surgery are less obvious.

For instance, even in small quantities the days of eating foods that are high in fat or sugar are also over. The results of eating foods of this nature can be extremely unpleasant as their rapid absorption in your newly shortened digestive tract can produce very disagreeable feelings of faintness.

You will also discover that the change in your eating pattern leaves you very short of water so that you need to get used to drinking small amounts of water during the day in order to avoid becoming dehydrated.

This is all very well but just what can you expect from obesity surgery when it comes to weight loss?

Results will of course vary from one person to the next but it is important to begin by looking at just how post-surgical weight loss is measured.

Here you have to begin by calculating how much excess weight you are carrying and this is done by working out your ideal weight. Working in pounds, for a man this will be 106 plus 6 times your height in inches minus 60. For example, for a man who is 5ft 10ins tall the ideal weight will be (106 + [6 x (70 – 60)]) which works out at 166 pounds. For a woman the principle is the same but here a women’s ideal weight is calculated as 100 plus 5 times her height measured in inches minus 60.

Thus, if we take the example of the man above and give him a weight of 366 pounds then he is carrying 200 pounds in excess weight. Weight loss is then measured in terms of the percentage of excess weight lost over time. So, if at the end of 6 months he has dropped 100 pounds then his weight loss will be 50 percent.

In the majority of cases you could expect to lose around 50 percent of your excess weight within the 6 months following surgery climbing to approximately 70 percent one year after surgery and to perhaps 80 percent at the end of 2 years. For the majority of patients however weight loss will stop after 2 years and some long-term weight gain will be evident. Long-term weight gain is typically around 10 to 15 percent of your excess weight.

Once again, as a general rule, if you are very overweight you will shed a greater percentage of your excess weight (possibly as much as 90 to 95 percent) while if you are not so heavily overweight you may shed as little as 60 percent within 2 years of surgery.

You will almost certainly not shed 100 percent of your excess weight and are not going to reach your ideal weight as a result of surgery. As a consequence, it is occasionally said that gastric bypass surgery is not a completely successful. Nevertheless the overwhelming majority of patients would not agree with this statement and will tell you that the improvement in their quality of life is simply unimaginable.



Diet Pill Reviews

Sharyce Arciaga asked:


High blood pressure is one of the most serious problems today with reports estimating that more than 50 million Americans suffer from the condition. High blood pressure usually doesn’t cause any symptoms in the early stages and often runs in families.

High blood pressure illness is the force in the arteries when the heart beats (systolic pressure) and when the heart is at rest (diastolic pressure). High blood pressure or (hypertension) is defined in an adult as a blood pressure greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg systolic pressure or greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg diastolic pressure. High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher.

The illness can also be caused by an underlying conditions: such as kidney disease, hormonal disorders, thyroid disease, adrenal gland disease, and the use of certain drugs, such as oral contraceptives, or herbs such as licorice. 

High blood pressure is a very dangerous, sometimes life-threatening condition, affecting people all around the world.  It occurs when there is an increase of force against the arterial wall, with potentially damaging consequences. 

The illness occurs more often in men than in women, and in African Americans almost twice as often as in Caucasians. The disease is dangerous because it makes the heart work harder to pump blood to the body and it contributes to hardening of the arteries.

It can occur in children or adults, but it’s more common among people over age 35. It is believed by some in the medical profession that High blood pressure can be cured by taking high amounts of magnesium and calcium in food.

High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, but it can cause serious problems such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure.  It is also estimated to affect about two million American teens and children and the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that many are under-diagnosed.

Herbal medicines rarely have significant side effects when used appropriately and at suggested doses. Herbal remedies can effectively be used to treat high blood pressure instead of the pharmaceutical drugs by those who want to avoid such adverse reactions as dizziness, drowsiness, insomnia, dry mouth, headaches, bloating, constipation, depression, and others caused by anti-hypertensive medications.

Herbs are effective but it is important that you consult your doctor and understand the severity of your condition first so that the correct approach is taken. Herbs have shown overwhelming evidence that they work. Herbs that lower blood pressure such as Stevia and Passionflower have been scientifically validated in a study in the early 1980’s.

They act in almost magical and astonishing ways: spasms may relax, pains vanish, constipation overcome, nervousness recede, headaches disappear, colds banished, allergies counteracted, fevers controlled, and blood flow arrested. 

High blood pressure tea, a mixture of valerian root, ginger root, motherwort leaves, and hawthorn berries and flowers can also be used to reduce hypertension. Herbal tea is more available nowadays and has become more popular among mainstream consumers who are discovering the benefits of herbal tea.  

Garlic helps to break up toxins which leads to abnormal blood pressure and heart problems.  Garlic is one of the most ancient of herbs going back to 3,000 BC. This bulb that is so common and abundantly available has shown to be beneficial. 

Garlic (Allium Sativum) has been used to treat high blood pressure and lower cholesterol effectively. In a meta-analysis of seven randomized controlled trials of garlic supplements, it was indicated that in three trials it showed a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure and four in diastolic blood pressure. 

Garlic supplements should only be used under the supervision of a qualified health practitioner. High blood pressure garlic can be taken but should not be taken alone for it can increase dullness of the mind. 

Herbal hawthorn and vitamin C helps in widening of blood vessels and regulate heart rate.  Herbal products like fish oils and flax-seed oil help in proper blood circulation as well.



Mona Vie

Jan Richards asked:


It is scientifically proven that the genes you inherit have something to do with high-rise cholesterol levels in the body. The vast majority factor is due to lifestyle, saturated fat intake and calorie, poor eating habits especially without exercise, excessive drinking (alcohol enhance rise of cholesterol), and menopausal stage in women when estrogen is on the brink to diminish, and mostly with the senior citizens group.

Lowering Cholesterol Level is definitely gird to right-on-the-spot suspension to what’s already been existing (bad LDL) that’s exposed to some tolerating factors triggering fatal risk to life in the absence of any remedial measures.

INSTANT SOLUTIONS TO LOWER CHOLESTEROL LEVEL

Many people have the primary notion, by merely engaging in exercise, eating the right food without saturated animal fats, lard and dairy, it could be a total solution to treat high cholesterol levels. Going thru these food lipid sources does not mean it instantly suspends the side effects to various cardiovascular diseases, and disorders in the artheroma degeneration relating to the arterial walls.

A research that would benefit a great deal to suspend the existing risk to high cholesterol level that calls for instant decrease is introduced from credibly efficient, and effective medication from reliable Medical Groups doing prescriptions of “Statins,” the CRESTOR (rosuvastatin calcium), actual medicine to put to a halt on too high bad cholesterol levels down by 52%, at a 10mg. dosage, compared to the 7 mg placebo. 

Additional advantage of this statin type drug “Crestor,” it increases the HDL (good cholesterol) by 14%, versus to 3% up HDL of the placebo. Imagine, medicating to lower the LDL- bad cholesterol, and at the same instant working to increase the HDL-good cholesterol. Its indeed significant pro-life saving approach-defense to a rise in the side effects disorders, and ailments that link to bad cholesterol.

The application of the medicine could only be fully administered by your licensed physician to qualify for a prescription. Best inform your medical consultant about other things affecting your life and lifestyles, your pre-conditioned health status, and among other things; as, (1) liver, kidney problems, and woman-pregnancy, (2) excessive or non-excessive drinking, alcohol affects functions of the liver, (3) family history-line of high cholesterol cases, (4) if you’re currently with problems on diabetes, thyroid functions, and hypothyroidism, recently been heart or hypertension attack victim, (5) have any problem other than these diseases that are associated with high cholesterol (6) of Chinese or Japanese ancestry, (7) taking over the counter medicines, “antacids,” (8) also inform what prescriptions are you taking aside from all the rest.

Side effects may arise in the event you’re taking the CRESTOR, like constipation, muscle aches, abdominal pain, weakness and nausea. These are just mild symptoms and tend to go away in time.

The importance in maintaining normal cholesterol level is to get thru minimal access to fatty substances that are unsaturated. A reliable research on the effect of “olive” oil for use in our daily cooking is best introduce in reducing bad cholesterol. 

On the other hand, the “coconut oil” from among several vegetable oils like sunflower, corn, soy, rapeseed, palm kernel, and cottonseed still excel as the best to be cholesterol reducing medium to bad cholesterol. This is based on a report from Dr. P. Rethinam and Mohartuyo, Asian and Pacific Coconut Community press Released and quoted from the Jakarta Post, June 18, 2003. All other things about the coconut oil are good advantage to health concerning cholesterol levels were contents in that PR issue.



Mona Vie

Daniel Sherwood asked:


What causes heart disease may be a question weigning on your minds. With more and more people dying each day from heart attacks, it is only natural that you want to know what is going on, what is causing you or a loved one’s poor health, and how to rectify the situation. I have listed some valuable information for you to read in one easy-to-read webpage. This is a free service which can be found on this link: Heart Disease Causes.

Heart disease is a somewhat loose phrase used interchangeably to describe a broad range of heart problems. Some of the illnesses that fall under the heart disease category are high blood pressure, heart attacks, heart failure, strokes and coronary artery disease. Heart disease is a leading cause of death around the world. So what ultimately causes heart disease?

Heart disease is caused by a number of factors including:

Poor diets full of saturated fats  usually from eating too much junkfood and not enough fruits and vegetables. Poor exercise habits, or no exercising at all. The heart is a muscle and needs exercise in order to maintain proper and healthy operation. Smoking is a leading cause of heart disease. Being overweight is a major factor in developing heart disease.

When your arteries harden, this places restrictions on blood flow to organs and tissues, which is what causes heart disease. This deprives your body’s organs of vital oxygen and nutrients needed to function in the right way. It should be noted that what causes heart disease is not always due to hardening of the arteries.

Some forms of heart disease are caused by other genetic or heredity diseases, such as heart valve diseases, congenital heart defects and disease, heart infections, and cardio myopathy. While some heart problems you may not be able to control, most are developed over a lifetime of unhealthy living habits. Remember, prevention is better than cure. For more information on heart disease causes feel free to visit our website.



Colon Cleans

Juliet Cohen asked:


Byssinosis, also called brown lung. Byssinosis is a form of reactive airway disease. Byssinosis is a disease of the lungs caused by breathing in cotton dust or dusts from other vegetable fibers such as flax, hemp, or sisal while at work. It commonly occurs in workers who are employed in yarn and fabric manufacture industries. Brown lung can ultimately result in narrowing of the trachea in the lungs. This disease often occurred in the times of the industrial revolution. Most commonly young girls working in mills or other textile factories would be afflicted with this disease. Long-term exposure to cotton, flax, hemp, or jute fibers.

Dusts may cause permanent scarring of the lungs and airways, leading to debilitating lung diseases. Smoking increases the risk for this disease. Symptoms of byssinosis, are chest tightness and dyspnea that lessen with repeated exposure. Symptoms develop on the 1st day of work after a weekend or vacation and diminish or disappear by the end of the week. Signs of acute exposure are tachypnea and wheezing. Patients with more chronic exposure may have crackles. Chronic bronchitis symptoms are common among those exposed to cotton dust.Treatment includes avoidance or reduction of exposure and use of asthma drugs.

Controlling dust is the best way to prevent byssinosis. Workers with symptoms who also experience sudden drops in lung function on the first day of the workweek should be removed from exposure. Wheezing and chest tightness can be treated with the drugs used for asthma. Medications such as bronchodilators will usually improve symptoms. Corticosteroids may be prescribed in more severe cases. Antihistamines may be prescribed to reverse airway narrowing caused by byssinosis. It is also common to use ronchodilators to help improve air flow into and out of the lungs. Stopping smoking is very important for people with this condition.

Home oxygen therapy may too be needed if blood oxygen levels are reduced. Nebulizers and postural drainage, may be prescribed if the circumstance becomes chronic. Physical drill programs, breathing exercises, and diligent training programs are frequently really useful for folk with a chronic lung disease. If blood oxygen levels are reduced, oxygen therapy may be prescribed. Byssinosis can be prevented by using exhaust hoods and cheek masks, improving ventilation during manufacturing activities.



Health Product Reviews

Cindy Heller asked:


A prescription drug for yeast infection is needed to finally kill the fungus causing the infection. When a straight couple has unprotected sexual intercourse and the female is suffering from yeast infection in her vagina, her partner may get a penile infection as well. This may develop into a more severe condition if not treated properly. Another way of developing a yeast infection sometimes happens after using antibiotics.

You should seek immediate professional help in order to get a prescription drug such as broad spectrum drugs Fluconazole or Difulcan. In case the yeast infection is severe, your doctor may prescribe you a stronger drug called Ketaconazole. Having your yeast infection treated with a prescription drug is the only way to ensure it will be cured for good and to prevent future recurrent episodes.

Actually, it is popular among men to treat their yeast infection with OTC medicines or even use Monistat instead of going to the doctor for a prescription drug.

By going to the doctor you will ensure you will have the best diagnosis and treatment. Your doctor will tell you what the best treatment is and will rule out any other serious condition.

As well as curing your yeast infection, prescription drugs will improve your general condition, alleviating the pain caused by the yeast infection as well as relieving the nasty symptoms it causes: itchiness and white cheese-like discharge.

As long as prescription drugs are used, laboratories will devote more money and resources to yeast infection research, that’s why you should go to the doctor to get the latest information about it.

Prescription drugs may have disadvantages, though. For instance, the medicine is specific. This means that the prescription drug meant for penile yeast infection is not suitable for another area of the body that may be infected by the yeast fungus. Another disadvantage of prescription drugs is the price. The fact is that these drugs are not cheap, making it quite difficult for average people to buy it. And in case your infection spreads to other part of your body then you will need to buy another drug for treating it. Last but not least, prescription drugs may not cure the yeast infection for good and you may suffer from recurrent episodes or long term effects if the infection doesn’t clear up well.

Sometimes, a treatment using a prescription drug for yeast infection may cause you certain nasty secondary effects and that’s the main reason why some people prefer not to use them.



Monavie Bad

Kyle J. Norton asked:


As we mentioned in previous articles depression is a normal response as part of our daily lives such as the loss of a job, the death of a loved one, or illness. Over 30 million Americans suffer from depression and the amount is increasing in an alarming rate. Depression may be a mental disorder that can affect the way you eat and sleep, and the way you feel about yourself. In this article, we will discuss how to treat depression with foods.

1. Fish

Our western diet contain high amounts of omega 6 and not enough omega 3 fatty acid. The imbalance of these 2 types of omega fatty acids may lead to memory loss, mood swing and depression. Cold water fish contain high amounts of omega 3 fatty acid that not only help to restore the hormone imbalance, but also decrease the arteries clotting up by bad cholesterol and triglycerides resulting in more oxygen being transported to the brain.

2. Spinach

Spinach contains high amounts of iron that not only help to boost the production of red blood cells and increase the blood circulation but also help in preventing and treating memory loss, tiredness and trouble concentrating as well as depression.

3. Dark green leaf juice

Weakened immune system may cause concentration, memory problem, trigger anxiety and acerbate the symptoms of depression. Dark green leaf juice contains high amounts of vitamin C, that help to strengthen our immune system and prevent the forming of free radicals and inflammation.

4. Peanut

Peanut contains high amounts of folate. Study shows that people with the symptoms of depression have low levels of folate, one of the members of B vitamins.

5. Cereal

Cereal contains high amounts of niacin that help to maintain normal function and neural function. Deficiency of niacin causes memory loss, low mood, tiredness, and inactivity as well as other symptoms of depression.

6. Fresh raw vegetable

Fresh raw vegetable contains high amounts of amino acids and they are vital to the formation of antibodies to combat bacteria and viruses and are part of the enzyme and hormonal system. Deficiency of amino acids cause hormone imbalance, tiredness and poor concentration.

I hope this information will help. If you want to more information of the above subject, you can follow my series of articles and visit my home page at:

http://medicaladvisorjournals.blogspot.com

or http://depressioniv.blogspot.com

All rights reserved. Any reproducing of this article must have all the links intact.



Dieting Pills Reviews

Article Manager asked:


High blood pressure, or hypertension, is often characterized as the silent killer–and for good reason. Although it affects an estimated one in five North Americans, many people don’t experience any symptoms. As a result, less than one-quarter of sufferers actually receive treatment. Left untreated, however, it can severely damage the cardiovascular system, leading to death from stroke, heart attack or kidney failure.

Most high blood pressure patients are candidates for medications, including ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers and diuretics. However, statistics show that of the 20 to 30 million individuals diagnosed with high blood pressure, less than half stay on their medication for more than one year. Moreover, 60 per cent of those who lower their medication do so because of side-effects. Given this information, the use of nutritional and botanical supplements, along with the adoption of a healthier lifestyle, can be of immense benefit in fighting this hidden killer.

Lifestyle and Dietary Approaches

If you wish to either prevent or treat high blood pressure, changing how you eat, sleep, and respond to stress are very important considerations. In the eight-week DASH trial conducted by the Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in 1997, 70 percent of volunteers who eliminated meat and sugar, decreased unhealthy fat intake, and increased fruit and vegetable consumption decreased blood pressure to below 140/90 mm/Hg compared to just 45 percent of those who only ate more fruits and vegetables.

Individuals with high blood pressure should decrease sodium intake to approximately three grams per day and add at least four daily servings of foods rich in potassium (beans, spinach, melon, potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, avocados). Decreasing sodium intake alone has reduced blood pressure by 8.4 mm/Hg systolic and 4.4 mm/Hg diastolic. Moreover, alcohol intake should be reduced to less than two drinks per day. Research has shown that a shift from five to two drinks daily can decrease blood pressure by 8 mm/Hg systolic and 4.4 mm/Hg diastolic.

A structured exercise program is another important factor. In one study, an average weight reduction of 4.5 kg by individuals who were 10 to 65 per cent overweight led to a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure after just six months. In addition, stopping smoking is a must for anyone diagnosed with hypertension.

Stress Management and Sleep

Those with high blood pressure need to employ stress management and relaxation techniques. This concept was investigated by Dr. D. Shapiro and associates from the department of psychiatry and bio behavioural sciences at the University Of California Los Angeles School Of Medicine. Individuals with a mild to moderate increase in blood pressure were given blood pressure-lowering medications and then divided at random into two groups. One group performed simple stress management techniques, while the other did not. Remarkably, 55 percent of those who employed stress-reducing strategies were able to remain medication free, compared to only 30 percent in the control group, as found after a one-year follow-up examination.

A good night’s sleep is also important. Researchers from the University of Pavia in Italy found that high blood pressure patients deprived of sleep had significant increases in blood pressures and heart rates, especially during the evening.

CoQ10, Magnesium and Fish Oil

Several supplements have proven to be of great value in the fight against hypertension. One is coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), or ubiquinone. One study of 18 patients with high blood pressure concluded that 100 milligrams of CoQ10 daily for 10 weeks lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 10.6 and 7.7 mm/Hg respectively.

In addition to CoQ10, 480 mg of magnesium oxide daily for two months decreased blood pressure on average by 2.5 mm/Hg systolic and 1.4 mm/Hg diastolic over 24 hours in individuals with mild to moderate hypertension. (Those employing magnesium therapy are cautioned that this may lead to episodes of diarrhea.)

Fish oils rich in the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are also helpful adjuncts in the control of blood pressure. Individuals with mild increases in blood pressure were given either two grams of EPA and 1.4 g of DHA from fish oil (approximately 12 1,000-mg capsules of an 18 percent EPA/12 percent DHA mixture) or a placebo every day for four months. After only eight weeks, blood pressure was reduced by 6 mm/Hg systolic and 5 mm/Hg diastolic. Individuals wishing to try this high-dose fish oil approach should also increase vitamin E intake to 800 IU per day.

Garlic and Reishi Mushroom

For those with mild to moderate elevations in blood pressure, garlic and reishi mushroom may be of value. The use of standardized garlic (Allium sativum) supplements at a dose of up to 900 mg per day for 12 to 16 weeks decreases both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in individuals with moderate elevations in blood pressure. In fact, one study concluded that garlic supplements decreased standing diastolic pressure from 101 to 90 mm/Hg and systolic pressure from 171 to 150 mm/Hg after 12 weeks.

Unlike garlic, the use of reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum or Ling zhi in Chinese) in the treatment of hypertension is not well recognized. However, the conclusions of a recent trial suggest that it may be another helpful, natural, blood pressure-lowering agent. Fifty-five individuals on anti-hypertensive medications with moderate increases in blood pressure were given either 55 mg of concentrated reishi mushroom extract or a placebo, three times a day for one month. Unlike the 14 individuals in the placebo group, those taking the concentrated mushroom extract had a significant reduction in blood pressure.

In conclusion, high blood pressure is a serious problem that affects one in four adults. It is important that individuals afflicted with this problem adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes quitting smoking, reducing stress, eating better, losing weight and increasing exercise. These changes, along with the judicious use of supplements and herbal therapies, can help combat this silent killer.

Alistrol Natural Supplement

Alistrol is a patented, proprietary blend of natural ingredients that have been used for centuries to help support healthy blood pressure. Use Alistrol everyday to help maintain healthy circulation and support cardio-vascular health. Time-tested for safety, the herbal extracts in Alistrol have no known side effects.

Studies confirm this unique blend of natural ingredients support healthy heart function. Helps maintain healthy arteries, helps support blood flow and central and peripheral vascular circulation. Furthermore, Alistrol helps maintain blood flow to the heart and supports healthy blood pressure in the pulmonary artery and all arteries in general.

What is Blood Pressure?

Blood pressure is simply the pressure of blood against the walls of the main arteries. Two readings, systolic (when the heart is contracting) and diastolic (when the heart is relaxing), are measured by a device that records pressure changes in millimetres of mercury (mm/Hg). Various factors–age, stress, diet, exercise–will affect the readings. The following chart shows a continuum of blood pressure values including both healthy and unhealthy states.

Blood pressure

Systolic

Diastolic

Ideal

Less than 120 mm/Hg

Less than 80 mm/Hg

Mild hypertension

140 to 159 mm/Hg

90 to 99 mm/Hg

Moderate hypertension

160 to 179 mm/Hg

100 to 109 mm/Hg

Severe hypertension

More than 180 mm/Hg

More than 110 mm/Hg



Monavie