XML RSS
What is this?
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Add to Google

Home
Updates
Aneurisms
Heart Attack
Heart Failure
Cardiac Death
Heart Disease
Blood Pressure
Cholesterol
Triglycerides
Eating Healthy
Antioxidants
CoEnzyme Q10
Omega-3
Top Products
Dietary Supplements
Free Newsletter
Your Website
Contact Us
Site Search

Coronary Heart Disease:
Number 1 Killer
You May Be The Key
To Preventing It




Coronary Heart Disease: Statistically Our Most Serious Threat
Coronary Heart Disease (or Coronary Artery Disease) is the number one killer of men and women in the US and other developed countries. Estimates for the year 2004 tell us that nearly 16 million people in the US have coronary heart disease involving…
  • 8.9 million cases of angina (chest pain)
  • 7.9 million cases of myocardial infarction (heart attack)
Of these nearly half a million people die of CHD in the US every year.
That’s half a million people.
The sad fact about that statistic is many of these deaths could have been prevented. They could have been prevented because many of the underlying causes of coronary heart disease are controllable.

Every year US law makers pass laws to protect the American population from injury and death from a number of causes. It is the same in other countries. Yet hundreds of thousands of people die every year from a disease that is in many cases preventable.




What Is Coronary Heart Disease?
Very simply coronary heart disease is a potentially life threatening condition resulting from the narrowing of the coronary arteries by the build up of fatty deposits known as plaque. The process of depositing plaque is called atherosclerosis.

The heart, like any other muscle, needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients. As the coronary arteries become increasingly clogged by plaque the heart becomes starved and unable to function properly.

Coronary heart disease, of course, makes the heart work harder. But the problem is much more serious than that. A number of other serious conditions can (and very often do) result including…
  • Angina – chest pains which can be quite painful.
  • Myocardial infarction – heart attack due to irreversible heart muscle damage.
  • Congestive heart failure – a condition in which the heart cannot effectively supply the rest of the body with blood.
  • Arrhythmia – irregular heart rate which can lead to sudden cardiac death.




Major Risk Factors For CHD
The conditions listed above can be very serious. Therefore it is important for us to identify the factors that increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Avoiding some of these risk factors can in turn help us avoid the complications that stem from the development of coronary heart disease.

There are a number of risk factors that we can not change. These are…

Age is beyond our control. As long as we are alive we are going to age. Statistically 83% of people who die from complications of coronary heart disease are at least 65 years of age. However you will want to keep in mind that coronary heart disease develops over time. Take care of yourself early to avoid further complications later in life.

Men have a greater risk of heart disease than women. Men also tend to have heart attacks earlier in life than do women. A women’s risk of dying from heart related diseases increases after menopause. Even then the risk is higher for men.

Heredity is an important risk factor for coronary heart disease. If your parents suffer from heart disease you are more likely to develop it yourself. Certain racial groups are more likely than others to develop heart trouble. However this fact is not due purely to genetics.

Different ethnic groups have different habits. Some of these habits are linked to the development of coronary heart disease. Diet is a good example. Dietary habits of some groups can increase their likelihood of suffering from heart disease.

Blood pressure and diabetes are two other examples. Both of these conditions increase the likelihood of developing coronary heart disease. And both of these conditions can be influenced by us.

This fact, then, brings us to the next point. And listen to this point very carefully.
There are many risk factors of coronary heart disease that we CAN control.
For example…

Smoking has a huge influence on heart disease. Cigarette smokers have a 2 to 4 times greater likelihood for developing coronary heart disease than do non-smokers. Pipe and cigar smokers increase there likelihood for heart disease though the risk is not as high as it is for cigarette smokers.

Non-smokers who are exposed to second hand smoke are at increased risk for developing heart disease as well.

High cholesterol increases one’s risk of CHD. As one’s blood cholesterol levels rise so does the risk of suffering from conditions related to coronary heart disease.

High triglycerides also affect the development of CHD. Though medical science has talked about high cholesterol risks for some time, triglycerides were not identified as an independent risk factor. That is all changing. Increasingly high triglycerides are identified as an independent risk factor for developing CHD.

Heart Health Note:

At Optimal Heart Health we are always concerned with naturally occurring substances that can help support good heart health. Omega-3 is one such substance. Omega-3 has a positive effect on cholesterol and triglycerides as well as a reversing effect on the development of atherosclerosis. In fact the American Heart Association recommends 2 to 4 grams of marine sourced Omega-3 every day for anyone with high triglycerides. The AHA also recommends 1 gram of Omega-3 per day for anyone with coronary heart disease.

Take your time and study the relationship of Omega-3 and coronary heart disease. I have provided the following links for that purpose.

Omega-3 and Triglycerides

Omega-3 and Coronary Heart Disease

Research or purchase marine sourced Omega-3 supplements online.

If you can't consume fish products consider this vegetative Omega-3.


By the way, adding a high quality (and high potency) Omega-3 supplement to your heart health regime does not have to be expensive. It is a simple way to safeguard your heart.

Here is a great Omega-3 supplement at a very good price.

Physical inactivity is another major contributor to CHD. Exercise helps reduce some of the factors promoting coronary heart disease. For example moderate to vigorous exercise can help…
  • Control cholesterol
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Control diabetes
  • Reduce heart and blood vessel disease
  • Reduce weight
While exercising it is helpful to pay attention to your target heart rate. It helps guarantee that you are getting enough exercise.

The subject of exercise naturally takes us to a discussion on obesity.

Obesity contributes to overall likelihood of heart disease and stroke. The heavier you are the harder the heart has to work. Being overweight contributes to…
  • High blood pressure
  • High blood cholesterol
  • Low HDL (the good cholesterol)
  • High triglycerides
All of these factors promote the development of coronary heart disease.

High blood pressure has already been mentioned a couple of times. Hypertension increases the heart’s workload. Like any muscle the heart adapts by thickening the heart muscle mass. This in turn causes the heart muscle to become stiff and less flexible. The result is an increased risk of… If you have high blood pressure along with other risk factors such as…
  • high blood cholesterol
  • diabetes
  • smoking
  • obesity
Your likelihood of having a heart attack or stroke is increased several times.

Heart Health Note:

High blood pressure is a serious heart health concern. We should not accept it as a necessary part of life. If your blood pressure is high…get it down. The long-term effects of hypertension can be severe. Whatever your doctor prescribes do it.

There are some natural things you can take to help lower your blood pressure. Omega-3 has already been mentioned. Studies have shown that Omega-3 has a blood pressure lowering effect in many people.

There are other natural products that have helped many people control their blood pressure. Don't miss what nature has to offer.

Omega-3 and Hypertension

Here is a high potency Omega-3 supplement at a very good price.

Consider this all natural blood pressure lowering supplement.


We simply must take coronary heart disease seriously. It is killing too many people. Though genetic influences do affect the development of CHD many other risk factors are in our control.
This is one area where we absolutely must take charge of our own condition.
If you have any of the controllable risk factors mentioned above then make every effort to control them. When possible use natural means to better your heart health.

Imitrex and Coronary Heart Disease

Home

footer for coronary heart disease page