Dr. Garth Graham from the Office of Minority Health at the Department of Health and Human Services, spoke about minorities and DVTs at the Venous Disease Coalition (VDC) Annual Meeting. The Venous Disease Coalition is a network of people who are working together to help raise awareness of venous disease. They offer this quick quiz so you may see if you are at an increased risk of developing a DVT.

The statistics for DVT in the United States are high. According to the Coalition,

Approximately 350,000 to 600,000 Americans suffer from DVT and PE each year, and at least 100,000 deaths may be directly or indirectly related to these diseases. African Americans have a remarkable 30 percent higher risk of DVT and PE than the Caucasian population.

Are you at risk?

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Image: iStock.com

Post from: Blisstree

African Americans: Higher Blood Clot Risk

Medications affected by grapefruit juice include medications to treat high cholesterol, such as simvastatin (Zocor), lovastatin (Mevacor), and atorvastatin (Lipitor); for seizures, carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol); blood pressure medications, felodipine (Plendil), nifedipine (Procardia), nimodipine (Nimotop), nisoldipine (Sular); and antidepressants, such as buspirone (BuSpar), sertraline (Zoloft) – to name a few.

Now, an interesting case came to light in the most recent issue of the journal The Lancet , which described a slightly overweight 42-year-old woman who went on the grapefruit diet for three days in a row. After going on a lengthy car trip, she developed a clot in her leg, which almost resulted in amputation.

While taking the patient’s history, the doctors found that she was taking oral contraceptives (which can increase risk of clots) but the cause – according to doctors – may have been the grapefruit diet. According to this CTV article, Grapefruit diet nearly costs woman her leg , “Grapefruit can block the action of a key enzyme that normally breaks down the form of estrogen in her contraceptive. In some people, eating a lot of grapefruit can lead to a increase in drug concentration, increasing any side effects those drugs might cause — in this case, the clot risk posed by the birth control pills.”

So, be careful. If you have any doubts, speak to your pharmacist or doctor. They’re there to help you.

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Images: Stock.xchng, iStock

Post from: Blisstree

Be careful with grapefruit – blood clot

In the past birth control pills had high levels of progestin and estrogen, which caused women to be at a greater risk of heart disease and stroke. If the women were smoker’s and over the age of 35, they were at a greater risk.

The birth control pills that are prescribed today contain lower levels of hormones and considered safe. Women that are younger than 35 that do not have a history of high blood pressure or smoking are in this category.

Those women over the age of 35, with high blood pressure and other high risk factors including smoking still put themselves at risk for heart disease and blood clots.

Discuss the risk factors with your health care provider. The American Heart Association suggests that women should have yearly check-ups that test their blood pressure, triglyceride, and glucose levels.

To learn more about birth control pills click here Texas Heart Institute

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Birth Control And The Heart

I am not trying to push dark chocolate, but the fact is that we are all trying to improve our health. Our heart is the jewel of our body, when the heart is not functioning properly the whole body suffers.

While looking for ways to improve our heart health we all look for everything available on heart. Finding that a small amount of dark chocolate daily is good for the heart, is a great treat. Dark chocolates are fully loaded with many flavaniods. So by simply eating 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate daily we may improve our heart health.

A spot on CBS News, told of a research study that included 20 male smokers’ that were divided into two groups. The men were given 1.4 ounces of dark chocolate or white chocolate and then waited for two hours for the results.

The men that ate the dark chocolate found that the function of the endothelial cells were significantly improved these cells, line the artery walls. There was also a reduction of the platelets, which help to form blood clots. It has been proven that the disruption of these two cells leads to hardening of the arteries and heart disease.

The researchers also pointed out that two much of the dark chocolate could lead to other problems such as blood sugar levels, heart disease, body fat and body weight. They also pointed out that a small amount of dark chocolate daily may reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.

How could such a small amount have such a powerful effect? The authors say it’s probably because dark chocolate is so rich in antioxidants. “Dark chocolate has a much higher [antioxidant] content per gram than do other antioxidant-rich foods such as wine, tea, or berries,” they write. “Therefore, only a small daily treat of dark chocolate may substantially increase the amount of antioxidant intake” and improve cardiovascular health.

Below you will find three sites that have more research on the effects of dark chocolate on the heart.

CBS News, DarkChocolate,  Web MD

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Chocolate And Smokers Hearts

Some over the counter drugs can cause problems for a number of people, especially those with heart problems and high blood pressure.

Not everyone can take an aspirin daily due to the fact some people are resistant to them. Women have proven to be more likely to be resistant to the blood-thinning effects of aspirin.

An aspirin daily is used by millions of people to prevent heart attacks. The aspirin breaks up platelets in the blood that could eventually form blood clots.

I found this information on the CNN health, click on the CNN site to view more information. 

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Will Aspirin Work For You

Research that has taken place suggest that moderate alcohol consumption my actually be beneficial for your heart. Drinking one drink a day for women or lightweight individuals and two drinks per day for men is suggested. Some examples are 12 ounces of beer or wine coolers, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.

Some of the benefits of alcohol on your heart are it may raise your good cholesterol level HDL. Alcohol may also help prevent artery damage caused when your LDL is higher then normal. You may also find that your blood pressure will become lower.

Drinking the recommended amounts of alcohol may also prevent blood clots, which is a benefit in some cases, but there is also an increased risk of bleeding. This is why you need to discuss alcohol consumption with your health care provider.

Drinking alcohol can be harmful for some people. Those who have heart failure, cardiomyopathy, high blood pressure, diabetes, arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm), a history of sudden cardiac death or stroke, obesity, high triglycerides, or are taking medications should speak to their doctor before drinking alcohol. Also, if you are pregnant or have a history of alcoholism, you should not drink alcohol.

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/heart-disease-alcohol-your-heart

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Alcohol And The Heart