Lupus, itself, is a risk factor for heart disease. This may not be obvious to some people who are living with the disease, as they focus on the issues that are more obvious. According to a press release from the Hospital for Special Surgery

“Lupus patients are battling systemic inflammation, which in itself is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” said Doruk Erkan, M.D. the [Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Counseling] program’s director and co-director of the Mary Kirkland Center for Lupus Care at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. “But many of them do not know their risk, so it is extremely important to get counseling to manage risk factors such as smoking, obesity and hypertension, which may help decrease their chances of cardiovascular disease.”

The program launched earlier this month. The goal is to help people with lupus understand the unseen risks of lupus and how to protect themselves as much as possible. Twenty-seven patients were asked to fill out a satisfaction survey after participating in the program, 25 responded. They were asked how they felt about the counseling they received, as well as how they felt about the educational material, and if they would recommend the program to anyone else. Initially, 93% of the group had no idea that they were at risk for heart disease.

~~~

Image: iStock.com

Post from: Blisstree

Cardio Exercise Helps People with Lupus

CNN just listed ten power foods you can eat to help your heart. These are “power foods,” the concept of which is really fascinating to me. I guess I’m one of those people who likes to multi-task and save time, and if I can eat a balanced meal that is somehow better for me than any other meal, I’m all for it!

There are plenty of great choices on this list. One thing I really like is that many of them are easily incorporated into the average diet.

Image: sxc.hu.

Post from: Blisstree

Foods That Help Your Heart

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner you may want to consider giving your love, a heart healthy treat.

For those of us with partner’s that have high blood pressure or heart problems that love their sweets, this article is a great find. Dark chocolate may be just what the answer you are looking for.

Do you know that cocoa is actually a fruit? We all know that fruits are good for us.

Researchers have found a link that shows cocoa and dark chocolate aid in the fight against cardiovascular disease.  The studies show reduced risk for blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks.

Food scientists at Cornell University found that there are twice the antioxidants in cocoa as were in red wine. The study also stated that there were three times more antioxidants in cocoa than found in green tea.  

Cocoa also appears to have anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. And cocoa is a good source of the minerals magnesium, sulphur, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, and manganese; plus some of the B Vitamins.

We have all heard at one time, the chocolate was not healthy. Now the findings are the the right kind of chocolate such as dark chocolate is actually heart healthy.

Studies have also proven that dark chocolate contains an amino acid Tryptophan, that aids in the fight against depression.

To find more on this interesting article click here. Dark Chocolate

Post from: Blisstree

Chocolates For Your Love

You may be in a normal BMI range, but if you carry belly fat you are at a greater risk of cardiovascular disease. On average the risk factor is 17% for men and 13% for women regardless of their BMI.

We all know what our weight is and what it should be, but it seems as though we are always planning to go on a diet tomorrow. Keeping your weight down is important, but we should also keep track of our waist-to-hip ratio. By measuring the circumference around your belly button and your hips you find the waist-to-hip ratio. Your waist should be smaller than your hips and thighs.

Belly fat is the easiest fat to lose. Just by changing your daily eating habits and what you drink along with 30 minutes of daily exercise you can eliminate belly fat.

You will find more information on the site listed Belly Fat. 

Post from: Blisstree

Belly Fat And Your Heart

heart research

The researchers found that the older Amish people were the best test subjects. Older Amish are genetically homogenous, that can trace their families back 14 generations all the way to Europe in the 1700 hundreds. 

Amish people live a slower pace of life and eat homegrown foods that do not contain preservatives. They get more exercise and have higher levels of good HDL-cholesterol, lower levels of LDL or bad cholesterol.

"People who have the mutation all have low triglycerides," said Toni Pollin of the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, who led the study released Thursday.

Pollin and colleagues looked at the genes of about 800 Amish people, finding that about one in 20 had the mutation, and they also had lower triglycerides and less risk of cardiovascular disease.

This amazing article can be found on this MSNBC site.

Post from: Blisstree

Amish Gene Heart Research

Dr. Valentine Yanchou Njike M.D., of Yale Prevention Research Center, conducted a research study on people ages 30-75. Those participating in the research were over weight, this placed them at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Each person in the study was given an 8-ounce cup of sugar-free cocoa, sugared cocoa or a nonfat milk drink each morning for six weeks.

The Hershey Company provided the Hershey’s Cacao Reserve mixture, because it is processed in such a way, as not to destroy the flavonoids that are naturally found in the cocoa beans.

The flavonoids are naturally found in fruits and vegetables, "these antioxidant compounds lower your risk of heart disease," said D.R. Njike.

During the research study there was a definite change in the ability of the arteries to relax and expand to allow for an increased blood flow. Within about two hours the people given the sugar-free cocoa had a 39% increase of blood flow. Those drinking the cocoa with sugar had a 23% increase, in a sharp contrast those drinking the nonfat milk drank dropped 12%.

This is not to say that you can indulge in dark chocolates all day. Some chocolates are processed in such a way that the flavonoids are removed because they taste bitter. You need to read and know just what you are getting. You also need to be aware of the calories in the dark chocolate.

Doctor Njike recommends eating just a little chocolate snack throughout the day. The blood flow tends to fade after six hours, therefore when eaten in small amounts it can be more beneficial.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/26/health/webmd/main2609037.shtml

http://www.hersheys.com/nutrition/antioxidants.asp

Post from: Blisstree

Hot Dark Cocoa

Learn more from The New York Times weekend feature on heart disease:

• Controlling the Risk Factors Can Provide an Aid in Preventing Heart Disease by Dr. Elizabeth Nabel
• It’s not a “Plumbing Problem”: Doctors Also Fight the Popular Misconceptions About the Causes of Heart Disease by Gina Kolata
• Lessons of Heart Disease, Learned and Ignored by Gina Kolata
• Naomi Atrubi, a Survivor of Two Heart Attacks, Shares the Lessons She has Learned

Post from: Blisstree

Atherosclerotic Plaques Are Like Pimples

Lydia Buchtmann of Food Standards Australia New Zealand:

There’s not a huge percentage of trans fat in the Australian diet. We’ve been carrying out a formal review with dietary modelling, and the preliminary findings have been that 0.6 per cent of our total kilojoules come from trans fat, which is well below the World Health Organisation’s maximum limit of 1 per cent.

Australian health experts want their citizens to focus more on saturated fats, the main cause of high LDL “bad” cholesterol, found in butter, cheese, fatty meats, etc.

By the way, more power to you if you’re vegetarian like Jul at Veggie Chic.
The Australian, December 16, 2006
Veggie link via mipmup.

Post from: Blisstree

Australians Don’t Need to Worry About Trans Fats

1. You’d avoid having a foreign body inside your heart
2. The absorbable stent is more flexible and conforms to the shape of the coronary artery
3. A lower risk of late-stent thrombosis
4. Less potential scarring
5. Avoid the hassles a metal stent causes with CT and MRI scans

I’ve previously written about the Abbott XIENCE V Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System and today’s news is, I believe, about this stent (why didn’t BBC News name exactly what stent they’re talking about?!) that is made of a polymer which dissolves into lactic acid over two to three years. Like other stents, it holds the artery open and also releases everolimus which works to prevent re-narrowing. In a study of 30 patients who received the BVS stent in Europe and New Zealand, none experienced adverse reactions.

According to Business Week, the Xience V stent is available in Europe and will be marketed in the U.S. in 2008.

Post from: Blisstree

Bioabsorbable Heart Stents the Wave of the Future

British Heart Foundation nutritionist Sara Stanner:

The pulp oil also contains unsaturated fatty acids and plant sterols, which could help to reduce blood cholesterol levels.

In addition, there is evidence that sea buckthorn juice might help to protect ‘bad’ cholesterol from oxidation, a process which is involved in the development of coronary heart disease.

The oil has also been shown to have a possible benefit in reducing the tendency of blood to clot but more research is needed to clarify whether adding it to foods can have any real impact on reducing risk of heart disease.

But how does it taste?

More info about sea-buckthorns aka seaberries at Wikipedia.

Post from: Blisstree

Sea-Buckthorn Berries for Heart Health