ED and your heart

Erectile Dysfunction is a predictor of mortality and cardiovascular disease. The study was published yesterday in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. 1549 cardiovascular patients underwent a double-blind in 13 countries, they reported 16.2% of ED patients died from cardiovascular problems, suffered heart attacks or strokes, or were hospitalized for heart failure. Only 10.3% of men with no or mild ED had similar outcomes.

ED is closely associated with conditions that occur in atherosclerosis and vascular problems, such as plaque buildup, which often precedes heart attacks and strokes.
photo credit: Nevada Tumbleweed

Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a widespread issue among Americans—47 million Americans have it. It’s not actually a disease. It is a combination of health issues that can lead to some of the top health concerns in our country today. Metabolic syndrome is the combination of high blood pressure, poor cholesterol levels, high blood sugar, and abdominal fat. This combination is particularly dangerous because it doubles the risk of blood vessel and heart disease, which lead to stroke and heart attack. It also increases the risk for diabetes by five times. How do you know if you are at risk? According to WebMD, these are the risk factors that lead to metabolic syndrome.
• Large waist size: 40 inches or larger for men, and 35 inches or larger for women.
• Cholesterol—high triglycerides: 150 mg/dL or higher or if you are taking a cholesterol medicine.
• Cholesterol—low good (HDL) cholesterol: less than 40 mg/dL for men, and less than 50 mg/dL for women, or you are taking a cholesterol medication.
• High blood pressure: BP above 130/85 mm Hg or you are taking a blood pressure medication.
• High blood sugar: fasting glucose level is above 100 mg/dL.
You are considered to have metabolic syndrome if you have 3 or more of these risk factors. Fortunately, there are lifestyle changes you can make to decrease your risks. Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly helps many people reduce their risks.
photo credit: jasleen_kaur

Eat More Purple

You often hear the advice to “Eat your greens!” However, it’s important to eat food of a variety of colors because they contain different nutrients. Purple and blue are often neglected colors in the average diet. In fact, eighty-eight percent of people don’t get enough purple and blue in their diet. Purple and blue foods only make up three percent of the average diet. These foods are packed with disease-fighting antioxidants. Scientists believe that compounds known as anthocyanins, found in these foods, get rid of free radicals and soothe inflammation. A study done by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study found that people who ate blue and purple fruits and vegetables had a lower risk for high blood pressure and were less likely to have low levels of HDL “good” cholesterol. These people are also less likely to be overweight. By reducing three of the five risk factors for metabolic syndrome, it is also believed that eating purple and blue foods will reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Good sources include fresh or frozen berries, plums, grapes, and chopped red cabbage. One of the easiest ways to obtain these benefits is by adding Concord grape juice to your diet.
photo credit: See-ming Lee 李思明 SML

The Spice of Life: Cinnamon

• Just a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon sprinkled on your food can help prevent an insulin spike. This spike normally occurs after a meal and signals the body to store fat instead of burning it. It could help in your battle of the bulge!
• Because cinnamon helps regulate insulin, it may also be beneficial for diabetics.
• Studies have also shown that eating half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day may lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.
• Cinnamon has been found in some studies to reduce the proliferation of cancer cells in both leukemia and lymphoma.
• Cinnamon has an anti-clotting effect on blood.
• A study done at Copenhagen University found that arthritis patients who consumed cinnamon mixed with honey daily had significantly reduced pain after a month.
• It inhibits bacteria growth in food and drinks.
• The smell of cinnamon may boost cognitive function and memory.
• Cinnamon is a good source of fiber, manganese, iron and calcium.
photo credit: Lady AnnDerground

One of the Cheapest Ways to Help Your Heart

Yet another study has linked gum disease to heart disease. The same inflammation that comes with gum disease affects your blood and your heart. According to the American Academy of Periodontology, people with gum disease are twice as likely to have heart disease. In fact, one study found that oral problems such as cavities, missing teeth, and gum disease were as a good a predictor of heart disease as cholesterol. Scientists aren’t sure exactly how gum disease is linked with heart disease, but they do know that bacteria can enter your blood stream through your gums. This same bacteria has been found clumped in artery plaques. It may be that the bacteria adhere to artery plaques, or it may be that the body’s natural defenses to the bacteria form the plaque. Either way, you can do something about it, and the treatment is cheap! Flossing and brushing your teeth is the best way to fend off gum disease. If you keep your mouth clean, it’s very hard for gum disease to get started. If you have a history of heart disease, its best to take an antibiotic when you get dental procedures done, including cleanings.
photo credit: jho

Dr Oz Helps a Man Change His Lifestyle and Save His Life

Amazing changes can be made when lifestyle changes are made.  Rocco a meat loving cowboy makes drastic changes for drastic results!

BPA May Cause Irregular Heartbeat

The FDA made a controversial conclusion that BPA (bisphenol A) is not a health risk, but there is new evidence that it may not be good for you. BPA is found in some plastic food containers. A study from the University of Cincinnati found that it causes irregular heartbeats in female rodents. It seems that when BPA is combined with estrogen it may harm the human heart. Female estrogen receptors are responsible for this effect on the heart muscle cells. These cellular changes caused the improperly controlled beating of the female heart. These effects are female specific. While this study is controversial, the FDA is reviewing its previous conclusions. In the meantime, store and heat your food in ceramic or glass instead of plastic. photocredit:reegmo

Alcohol and Depression

Alcohol is connected to depression in two ways—either a person drinks too much and as a result feels depressed or a person drinks to relieve anxiety and depression. Either way, alcohol affects the chemistry in the brain, which increases the risk for depression. Hangovers create a vicious cycle of waking up feeling sick, anxious, jittery and guilty. Life can become depressing because of the problems alcohol creates—relationship difficulties with family and friends, problems at work, memory issues and sexual problems. For many depressed drinkers, cutting out alcohol consumption can drastically improve their mood. Most start to feel better within a few weeks of cutting out alcohol. The best idea is stop drinking first to see whether that is what is causing the depression. Friends and family may find it easier to get along with a sober person. If after four weeks of not drinking, the depression has not lifted, a General Practitioner may suggest cognitive therapy or prescribe medication. Some of the symptoms of alcoholism include using alcohol as a way to cope with anxiety, anger, frustration, depression or a lack of self-confidence; relationships are negatively affected; feelings of guilt, depression or self-loathing; large amounts of time spent drinking; drinking early in the day and hiding the amount being consumed from friends and family. If this sounds like you or someone you love, you can contact your local Alcoholics Anonymous for help.
photo credit:PTRA

Bumming a Cigarette Bums out Your Heart

If you think you’re beating the bad effects of cigarettes because you don’t smoke regularly, but still bum one now and then on a night out—you’re kidding yourself! Every puff you take increases your potential for arterial damage. A University of Georgia study found that sporadic smokers who smoked two cigarettes after two days of not smoking were 36 percent less responsive to blood flow changes than nonsmokers. After four cigarettes the arterial response was even worse. Impaired arterial response is the first step to heart disease. Cigarette smokers also have more build up of fatty deposits in their arteries. In fact, the Surgeon General has declared smoking “the leading preventable cause of disease and deaths in the United States.” Secondhand smoke will cause these same effects, so try to avoid it if possible. Smoking also decreases you HDL (good) cholesterol. And don’t forget—it’s bad for your lungs, too!

photo credit: vramak

BK Menu & Nutrition

Are you ever curious about what is actually in the fast food you’re eating? I decided to check out Burger King’s nutrition facts to see how their sandwiches compared. Here’s the low-down.

BK Veggie Burger
• 420 calories
• 16 grams of fat
• 2.5 grams of saturated fat

Whopper
• 670 calories
• 40 grams of fat
• 11 grams of saturated fat

Tendercrisp Chicken Sandwich
• 800 calories
• 46 grams of fat
• 8 grams of saturated fat

The coolest part of the website is their interactive nutrition facts. You can look up any menu item and add or subtract sandwich toppings and see how the nutrition facts change. For example, if you subtract the mayo from the BK Veggie Burger and add mustard you cut out 80 calories, 8 grams of fat and 1.5 grams of saturated fat. Check out the website.
photo credit: tiltti

Trader Joe’s Breaded Chickenless Nuggets vs. Morningstar Farms Chicken Nuggets

Trader Joe’s Breaded Chickenless Nuggets vs. Morningstar Farms Chicken Nuggets

Both of these brands of vegetarian chicken nuggets are quite tasty. Trader Joe’s comes out on top for nutritional value, though.

Morningstar Farms Chicken Nuggets
• Serving size: 4 nuggets
• Calories: 190
• Total fat: 9 grams
• Saturated fat: 1.5 grams
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 600 mg
• Total carbohydrates: 19 grams
• Dietary fiber: 4 grams
• Sugars: 2 grams
• Protein: 12 grams
Trader Joe’s Breaded Chickenless Nuggets
• Serving size: 4 nuggets
• Calories: 130
• Total fat: 5 grams
• Saturated fat: 0 grams
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 310 mg
• Total carbohydrates: 15 grams
• Dietary Fiber: 5 grams
• Sugars: 0 grams
• Protein: 12 grams
photo credit: PurpleDinosaur

Calorie Bomb for Breakfast

Having a big breakfast can help carry you through the day and can even aid in weight loss. Make sure you get the most out of the calories you have for breakfast, or it could backfire on you. A breakfast that includes carbs and lean protein and comes in around 600 calories is the best for losing weight.
A sausage, egg and cheese sandwich with a latte packs 1,140 calories and 54 grams of fat. These are the culprits:
• Medium vanilla latte: 330 calories
• Bagel with cheese baked in: 340 calories, 6 grams fat
• Sausage: 210 calories, 20 grams fat
• Butter: 100 calories, 12 grams fat
Healthy alternatives for a big breakfast:
• 2 Kashi GoLean Strawberry Flax waffles with 2 tbsp. peanut butter on them, 1 banana, 8 ounces of skim milk: 539 calories, 20 grams fat
• Mexican omelet (2 eggs, ¼ cup shredded mozzarella, 4 tbsp. chunky salsa), 1 whole wheat English muffin, 1 orange, small nonfat cappuccino: 527 calories, 17 grams fat
• Parfait (6 oz. nonfat Greek yogurt, ¼ cup Bear Naked Apple Cinnamon granola, ¼ cup raw almonds, 1 cup berries), coffee with skim milk: 535 calories, 24 grams fat

Source: Beware the 1.140-Calorie Breakfast! Glamour Magazine, September 2009
photo credit: orangeacid

Olive Oil: Good for Your Heart

A lot of research has been done on the benefits of olive oil for healthy people. It lowers the chances of having a heart attack or stroke. New research is suggesting that it may benefit those who undergo heart bypass surgery by decreasing the chance that they will die in the month following surgery. It has been found that those who ate less than 1 tablespoon of olive oil a day were four times more likely to die from a heart attack or stroke than those who ate 3 or more tablespoons of olive oil a day. It is especially beneficial when it is used to replace other fats, such as other vegetable oils, butter and margarine. Out of all the oils, olive oil has the most heart-protecting antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting properties. Extra virgin olive oil is the most beneficial. It is best to buy it in dark bottles, if possible and keep it in a dark cabinet since light and heat can cause it to become rancid. The Journal of Food Science found that after six months of storage, the antioxidants in olive oil are 40 percent less effective at fighting cell-damaging free radicals. The highest quality olive is imported from Greece, Spain and Italy, so check the label.
photocredit:horaceko

Having a Bad Attitude Can Hurt Your Heart

In one of the largest studies on the impact of personality on health, it was found that attitude really does make a difference. Not only does optimism have a positive impact on heart health, pessimism has a negative impact on it. Women who were the most hostile and cynical were more likely to die than those who had the cheeriest dispositions. The study included 162,000 post-menopausal women and was conducted over a 15-year period. Women who were most optimistic had a nine percent lower risk of developing heart disease and a fourteen percent lower risk of dying of any cause than those who were least optimistic. Among the pessimistic women, they had a sixteen percent higher risk of death than those women who scored lowest for hostility and cynicism. People who have negative attitudes tend to make poorer health choices than positive thinkers. But don’t despair if you see the glass as half empty! You can learn how to think more positively. A study at Duke University found that heart patients who attended a workshop that taught them coping skills for dealing with hostility and anger had lower blood pressure and less depression than those who didn’t. Changing your attitude can change your health and may even save your life!

Another reason not to do drugs

lThis is straight out of The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). If a patient comes to you with chest pain, one question you must always ask is their use of substances, specifically cocaine. According to Billy May's autopsy report, Cocaine use was contributed to the heart disease.

Cocaine can raise the arterial blood pressure, directly cause thickening of the left wall of the ventricle and accelerate the formation of atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries. Drugs are bad hmmk?
photo credit: Eric Mil

Skip This: Au Bon Pain Caprese Sandwich

Fresh mozzarella, tomato, romaine, and basil pesto may sound harmless, but this sandwich have more fat than BK's Whopper Jr. or a McDonald's Quarter Pounder. It's got 680 calories, 32 g fat (15 g saturated fat) and a whopping 1,200 mg sodium.

What is a Cardiac CT angiography?

It measures your coronary artery calcium score, calculate how much plaque is piling up in your arteries. The lower the calcium score, the lower the risk. If you reach 112, your physician might recommend aspirin or statins. The cost of this procedure is $350 to $900. Most insurance companies will reimburse you if you've previously had an abnormal stress test or chest pain.

Skip this: Blimpie Special Vegetarian Sub 12'

Isn't vegetarian supposed to be healthy? Not really, the sub comes with 3 different kinds of cheese, pickles and olives. Total of 1186 calories, 60 g fat and a whopping 3532 mg sodium. Here'a a tip, skip the added salt, oil, skip the cheese and go easy on the pickles and olives, your blood vessel with thank you.

Skip this: Arby's Sausage Gravy Biscuit

This is one breakfast you can skip, with 1040 calories, 60 g of fat and 4699 mg sodium! That's almost 3-4 times exceeded the recommendation. Remember excessive sodium cause fluid retention, constriction of the blood vessel which lead to high blood pressure. Your breakfast is the most important meal of the day, don't blow it.

Eat this: Celery

According to the Hypertension Institute at St. Thomas Hospital , eating four sticks of celery a day can lower blood pressure—about 6 points systolic and 3 points diastolic. Celery contain phytochemicals in called phthalides, it relax muscle tissue in artery walls and increase bloodflow. Celery also fills you up with almost no calories. photo credit: •Saif•