PHW Newsletter - Edition 14

A Word from Karen Wheeler, APRN

Keep Your Heart Healthy

When I was a nursing student back in the early 1980s, one of my first rotations was in Coronary Care. I fell in love with the challenge of caring for critically ill patients and did that for 17 years before completing my Master’s Degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner. The heart and the entire circulatory system are so wonderfully complex that, here I am, decades later, still fascinated with them! American Heart Month is celebrated in February to raise awareness about heart disease and promote heart health.

Understanding the Risk Factors

According to the Center for Disease Control, heart disease is the number one cause of death in this country for both men and women. Almost 50% of American adults are diagnosed with heart disease. Dr. Mark Houston, a cardiologist with an integrative cardiology practice in Nashville, TN, points out that there are nearly 400 risk factors in his book “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Heart Disease.” The root causes of cardiovascular disease start as functional changes in our teens and progress to structural changes as we age.

All of those risk factors are making changes in the endothelium, which is the lining of the blood vessels. Those “changes” are really just inflammation, which causes arterial stiffening and lipid deposits in the sub-endothelial layers of the arteries, which eventually leads to heart attacks and strokes.

Cholesterol – The Truth

Every day, people with normal cholesterol levels suffer heart attacks and strokes! This is more evidence to suggest that cholesterol is not the bad guy, inflammation is! Knowing the particle size and functionality of the different lipids is more important than total numbers. This information can be measured using advanced lipid testing.

HDL cholesterol is the “clean-up crew” that neutralizes damage caused by inflammation. HDL becomes dysfunctional from inflammation, heavy metal exposure, infection, or poor nutrient intake. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of HDL dysfunction and inflammation.

Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is considered a risk factor because of the stress it puts directly on blood vessels and the heart. Dr. Houston points out that a person’s blood pressure should “dip” during the night by approximately 10% and that people who do not “dip” are at increased risk of cardiovascular events. He suggests using a 24-hour blood pressure monitor.

Blood Sugar Levels

Normal blood sugar is essential to preventing cardiovascular disease. While conventional medicine accepts fasting blood sugars up to 100 as normal, Dr. Houston considers the ideal fasting blood sugar to be 75! Continuous glucose monitors are small devices that can measure blood sugar levels in real-time.

Nutrients

Various nutrients are helpful with cardiovascular health, including red yeast rice, vitamins C and E, and a Mediterranean diet with olive oil, cruciferous vegetables, and fish. Dr. Houston also considers garlic, lycopene, resveratrol, niacin, and a good balance between essential fatty acids GLA, DHA, and EPA to be beneficial.

Functional Approach to Cardiovascular Health

Prevention of cardiovascular disease with a healthy lifestyle is key. Eat a diet rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids. Avoid tobacco products and inflammatory foods. Manage stress, prioritize good sleep, and maintain an ideal body weight and composition. Work with your PHW provider to understand your risk factors. While nothing makes us bulletproof, these are sure ways to help reduce the overall risk of heart disease!