Friday, January 29, 2010

For your Heart on Saint Valentine's Day

Saint Valentine's Day is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.



Ok so the Segue to the heart and blood pressure may be a bit of a stretch, but here you go.




Hypertension tension, or high blood pressure, is dangerous because it can lead to strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, or kidney disease. The goal of Hypertension treatment is to lower high blood pressure and protect important organs, like the brain, heart, and kidneys from damage.

High blood pressure is classified as:

Normal blood pressure: less than 120/80 mmHg

Prehypertension: 120-139/80-89 mmHg

Hypertension: greater than 140/90 mmHg

Stage 1 Hypertension: 140-159/90-99 mmHg

Stage 2 Hypertension: 160 or greater/ 100 or greater mmHg

*For blood pressure over 140/90 mmHg seek immediate qualified medical advice. Treating Stage 1 hypertension involves lifestyle changes noted below AND possibly drug therapy.

Natural ways to keep healthy blood pressure include:

You should consider lifestyle modifications. You should do some type of enjoyable low impact exercise. This should be done for ONE hour, FIVE days a week.

Eating healthier should be an obvious approach. From my clinical experience eating “healthy” is not enough. The foods we have to choose from in our country are tainted. Patients who are considered “at Risk” should supplement with 3 to 5 grams of highly distilled EPA/DHA Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s). There are hundreds of solid studies showing the health benefits of EFA’s from marine sources are effective in promoting good cardio vascular health. Other health benefits include decreased pain, decreased inflammation of nerves, brain and bowels.

Acupuncture provides an excellent complement to other treatments. Specifically, when a needle is inserted at certain points on the wrist, forearm and legs, by doing this, opioid chemicals are released this will reduce excitatory responses in the cardiovascular system. The result, a decrease in blood pressure and improvement of heart-related conditions.

Adequate amounts of sunlight, several studies on UV rays (sunshine) have been shown to improve the production of Vitamin D, This improves the system of chemicals in the blood and brain that slows the production of renin-angiotensin. This chemical is one more way the body regulates blood pressure, blood volume as well as electrolyte homeostasis. Vitamin D is a monitor of cell ageing, as a cell is ending its useful life, Vitamin D causes cell apoptosis (cell death), if this action is not done cells would grow out of control. This cellular overgrowth is a form of cancer.

L-Arginine is a supplement that in many cases may work best at a higher dosage level. This is because the liver and intestines break down a good part of the amino acid before it is absorbed by the vessels in the rest of the body. The higher dosage levels (sometimes up to 20 grams) will in most cases ensure that the benefits of L-Arginine reach the vessels throughout the entire body. For those who are considering taking L-Arginine as a supplement that they hope will provide some relief to symptoms of heart disease, the potential for side effects is generally not high enough to justify compromising the potential for relief from their discomfort. Although producers of L-Arginine do not make the claim that L-Arginine provides a cure of any kind, there are many pieces of research that strongly support the possibility that L-Arginine prevents the onset or rapid progression of a variety of heart related ailments by keeping the blood vessels and arteries clear from obstruction and allowing the heart to work with less resistance. Heart health is a concern for many Americans as heart disease claims more lives every year than any other disease. Take the time to consider if L-Arginine can help you to live a more fulfilling lifestyle. Talk about any concern that you may have about this supplement with your physician. You may find that you've been missing out on this opportunity to improve the health of your heart.
www.thespineline.com

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