By Heidi Hoke, BS, NC, MH, HHP
Symptoms and Risk Factors of Cardio Vascular Disease
The American Heart Association estimates for the year 2006, approximately 81,100,000 people in the United States suffered from one or more forms of cardiovascular disease (CVD). There are many options available for conventional screening and treatment, but first, let us review risk factors and symptoms to watch for. According to Dr. Barry Wheeler, over 60 million Americans are currently at risk for cardiovascular disease. These are some for which to consider:
- High cholesterol: Cholesterol levels are believed to contribute to the buildup of plaque causing atherosclerosis. The management of your cholesterol levels can be achieved by a complete lipid panel, a simple finger-stick screening.
- Elevated C-reactive protein: C-reactive protein (CRP) is a substance that is released into the blood in response to injury or infection. High CRP levels are believed to be associated with cardiovascular disease, stroke, coronary heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, and type 2 diabetes.
- Peripheral arterial disease is also known as hardening of the arteries. The ankle-brachial index is used to detect PAD.
- High glucose is a symptom of type 2 diabetes that results when the body does not produce or properly use insulin to convert food into energy. This can easily be screened by a glucose tolerance test. Diabetics monitor their own glucose levels throughout the day.
- Adrenal stress often develops after periods of intense or lengthy physical or emotional stress, when overstimulation of the glands leave them unable to meet your body’s needs
- Family history of cardiovascular disease
- Lifestyle stress
- Chronic illness (CFS, FMS, Lupus)
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Use of oral contraceptives
- Post-menopause and hormonal imbalances (estradiol, cortisol, insulin, melatonin)
- Kidney disease
Initial symptoms can start as a mild discomfort and progresses to significant pain. Symptoms such as these can be very serious and should never be overlooked or ignored; seek medical intervention immediately. Listed are the symptoms of CVD for which to be aware:
- Angina is often mistaken for indigestion and described as heaviness, pressure, aching, burning, fullness, squeezing, or painful feeling in the chest, shoulders, arms, neck, throat, jaw, or back.
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling of choking
- Chest discomfort: radiating pain in the back, jaw, throat, or arm
- Palpitations (irregular heart beats, skipped beats, pounding in chest, or rapid heartbeats)
- Weakness or fatigue
- Anxiety
- Dizziness or Fainting
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sweating
Options for Screening and Treatment
Millions of people are learning how to take better care of their heart. It is known that the best form of therapy is prevention. This brings us to ask at what age screening should be considered. Risk factors can begin as early in life as childhood or adolescence. To answer this question, all considerations should be made based on risk factors and lifestyle, discussed with your medical doctor or pediatrician.
Let us review the basics of cardio-vascular disease (CVD). According to Merck Sharp & Dohme, there are three terms used in reference the most common of CVD specifically, coronary artery disease (CAD). Atherosclerosis refers to deposits of yellowish plaques containing cholesterol, lipoid material, and lipophages, which are formed within the inner walls of large and medium-sized arteries. Mönckeberg’s arteriosclerosis refers to medial arteriosclerosis with extensive deposits of calcium in the media of the artery. Arteriolosclerosis is the hardening and thickening of the walls of smaller arteries, due to the loss of elasticity.
Sources provided by the Mayo Clinic explain that atherosclerosis may start with damage or injury to the inner layer of an artery caused by high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, or diabetes. Once the inner wall of an artery is damaged, blood cells called platelets often clump at the injury site in effort to repair the artery, leading to inflammation. Fatty deposits (plaques) made of cholesterol and other cellular waste products then build up at the injury and harden, narrowing your arteries. Early symptoms of CAD include chest pain (angina pectoris) from inadequate blood flow to the heart.
Common initial screening tests for CAD include an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) which detects underlying heart conditions by measuring the electrical activity of the heart. Leads, (electrical sensing devices) are positioned in standardized locations on the body, relaying characteristic patterns of electrical changes, suggesting various conditions of cardiovascular function. Depending on these results, the physical exam may proceed with initial screening tests such as Exercise Cardiac Stress Test, Physiologic Stress Test, or Stress Echocardiography. Coronary Angiograms are used to identify the exact location and severity of CAD by inserting a small catheter into an artery in the groin or arm. With the use of a fluoroscope, the catheter is moved to the opening of the coronary arteries as radiographic contrast solution containing iodine is injected into each coronary artery. This produces images called the angiogram, which indicates the exact location and severity of coronary arterial blockages.
The Texas Heart Institute explains various treatment options to clear the blockages within the vessels. Medications that help relieve angina pain associated with CAD begin with aspirin because it decreases the chances of blood clots forming at the sites of the blockages. Nitroglycerin is used is used to dilate the arteries thus improving blood flow. Beta-blockers are used to “block” the chemical messages sent to your heart due to physical or emotional stress. Calcium channel blockers open the arteries and reducing the blood pressure by relaxing the smooth muscle tissue surrounding the arteries.
In addition to medication, surgical procedures such as Angioplasty opens narrowed arteries by the insertion a catheter that has a small balloon on its tip. They inflate the balloon at the blockage site in the artery to flatten the plaque against the artery wall. Atherectomy is used in patients who cannot have balloon angioplasty. A small high-speed drill on the tip of a catheter is used to shave plaque from the artery walls. Laser ablation uses a catheter that has a metal or fiber-optic probe on the tip. The laser uses light to “burn” away plaque and open the vessel so that a balloon can further widen the opening. Percutaneous transmyocardial revascularization (PTMR) is performed by inserting a catheter in an artery in the leg that leads to the heart. A laser is then fed through the catheter and used to create tiny holes in the heart muscle, which become channels for blood to flow to oxygen-starved areas of the heart. Coronary artery bypass surgery involves “bypassing” blood flow around one or more narrowed vessels. A vein (a graft) is removed from the thigh or upper part of the chest to reroute blood flow in the chest. After making an incision in the chest, the surgeon connects this graft at points above and below the blockage to restore blood flow. Transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMLR) uses a laser to create tiny channels in the lower left chamber of the heart to increase blood flow within the heart. Surgeons make an incision in the left side of the chest and use the laser to make small channels through the oxygen-deprived heart muscle and into the left ventricle. These channels give a new route for blood to flow into the heart muscle, which may reduce the pain of angina.
Heart Smart Prevention
It may be astonishing to note that according to a new study and analysis performed by Dr. Markus Juounala of Turku University Hospital in Finland, people who are at high risk of developing subclinical atherosclerosis in adulthood can be identified as early as the age of nine. Dr. Juounala states, “The preventive health work against atherosclerosis should be started in childhood, as the early risk factors matter,” This is substantiated in the United States by the dramatic increase of type 2 diabetes (formerly known as adult-onset diabetes) in children and adolescents with increasing frequency. The best strategy toward the prevention of heart disease is adopting a healthy lifestyle today including these guidelines:
- Avoid use of tobacco and its smoke
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Exercise moderately for 30-60 minutes at least 3-4 times a week.
- Eat a heart-healthy diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables (five to ten servings daily), minimally processed whole grains, low-fat dairy products, unsalted raw nuts, beans, and lean meats such as chicken and fish.
- Avoid saturated fat and trans-fat (partially hydrogenated fat) lessens the risk of coronary artery disease. Sources of these unhealthy fats include:
- Fatty or processed meats
- Deep-fried fast foods
- Bakery products
- Processed, packaged snack foods
- Margarine and butter
- Crackers, chips and cookies
- Take Omega-3 fatty acids in forms of flaxseed oil, borage, and purified fish oil.
- Occasional use of alcohol: many medical opinions suggest moderate uses of alcohol as a beneficial for heart health suggestion. However, it is also the well-documented conclusion that alcohol contributes to chronic inflammation, a related contributing factor to cardiac disease. I suggest that even moderate use of alcohol may be too much. For optimal benefit of alcohol, limit use to one glass of wine with a meal, no more than once a day.
- Get regular health screenings for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes
In conclusion, one of the most caring gifts of prevention we can give to ourselves is the heart-healthy habit of self-education. It is important to explore the benefits and risks of all available options of prevention, therapy, and treatment.
Heidi Hoke has earned a BS degree in Holistic Health as a Nutritional Consultant, Master Herbalist, and Holistic Health Practitioner, in addition to earning required qualifications as a Dementia Care Specialist from the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA). She presently continues her graduate work toward a MS degree in Homeopathy followed by a Ph.D in Naturopathy.
To learn more visit her website: https://heidihoke.com/