{"id":90,"date":"2018-10-07T18:29:54","date_gmt":"2018-10-07T18:29:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.drllynch.com\/?page_id=90"},"modified":"2018-10-07T18:29:54","modified_gmt":"2018-10-07T18:29:54","slug":"overcomming-cardio-vascular-disease","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/new.drllynch.com\/index.php\/overcomming-cardio-vascular-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"Overcomming Cardio Vascular Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overcoming Cardiovascular Problems\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>
\nby\u00a0Laurie Lynch, ND<\/p>\n

“Heart disease is sometimes referred to as the “silent killer”. This is because many people don’t know they have heart disease until they have a heart attack. Approximately once every twenty seconds in the\u00a0U.S.\u00a0someone has a heart attack”\u00a0(Dr.\u00a0Goel).\u00a0The\u00a0United States\u00a0leads the world in death rates from heart disease”\u00a0(Burton, p 711).\u00a0“The AHA reports that …every year about 1.5 million Americans suffer a heart attack – almost 500,000 of them die. According to the Arizona Heart Institute, about 60 percent of heart attack deaths occur within the first hour. Unfortunately, half of all victims refuse to believe they are having a heart attack and wait two or more hours before getting help. In addition, individuals who suffer a heart attack are at risk for a second attack”\u00a0(2; AHA).\u00a0So doesn’t it make sense to learn about cardiovascular disease and its underlying causes and do what is necessary to eliminate these causes to recover completely or to prevent it in the first place?<\/p>\n

“The cardiovascular system is comprised of the heart and blood vessels; blood is pumped by the heart and is circulated through the body through the blood vessels”\u00a0(Balch, p 126).\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>“Your heart is a powerful muscle, working at a steady, rhythmic pace every second of every day of every year. The fuel for all of this activity is delivered by the blood flowing through the\u00a0coronary arteries<\/em><\/strong>, the vessels that surround the heart, to supply the nutrients and oxygen your heart needs to carry on. If the flow is stopped, the heart muscle starves, its powerful rhythmic motion is disrupted, and you suffer from a stroke or possibly a fatal heart attack”\u00a0(Mendell).
\n<\/em><\/strong>“The cardiovascular system is comprised of the heart and blood vessels; blood is pumped by the heart and is circulated through the body through the blood vessels”\u00a0(Balch, p 126).\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>“Your heart is a powerful muscle, working at a steady, rhythmic pace every second of every day of every year. The fuel for all of this activity is delivered by the blood flowing through the\u00a0coronary arteries<\/em><\/strong>, the vessels that surround the heart, to supply the nutrients and oxygen your heart needs to carry on. If the flow is stopped, the heart muscle starves, its powerful rhythmic motion is disrupted, and you suffer from a stroke or possibly a fatal heart attack”\u00a0(Mendell).<\/p>\n

Cardiovascular diseases \u2013 such as heart attack, stroke, angina pectoris, atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis, and\u00a0high blood pressure\u00a0<\/a><\/strong>– and their risk factors are so interrelated that it is very difficult to say \u201cwhere it all begins.\u201d One place to look when sorting this out is with atherosclerosis. 1<\/h3>\n

Atherosclerosis\u00a0<\/strong>is\u00a0<\/strong>“characterized by atheromatous (fatty degeneration of the inner coat of the arteries; abnormal fatty deposit in an artery) deposits in and fibrosis of the inner layer of the arteries”\u00a0(Webster).\u00a0<\/strong>It “is the buildup of plaque in the arteries. It develops slowly, with soft, fatty streaks gradually accumulating along the inner walls of the arteries, especially where they branch. With time, the streaks grow larger and start hardening into plaque”. Plaque can lead to aneurysms and blood clots, and clots ican result in thrombosis (blood clots obstructing the blood vessels), heart attack, and stroke.<\/p>\n

Aneurysm<\/strong>\u00a0occurs when the wall of a blood vessel weakens and balloons out. Like a balloon, the aneurysm can eventually burst. If this happens in a major artery, such as the aorta, it can lead to massive bleeding and death.<\/p>\n

Blood.clots<\/strong>\u00a0“continually form and dissolve in our bloodstream, and it is important that this balance be kept. Clots form when blood platelets encounter an injury. Because the body considers plaque buildup an injury, platelets rush to the scene and begin the clotting process. The formed clot may remain attached to the plaque and continue growing. A clot that grows to the point that it obstructs a blood vessel is called a\u00a0thrombus.<\/strong>\u00a0It can shut off the blood supply to some body tissues. If this occurs in a blood vessel that feeds the heart, it is called a\u00a0coronary thrombosis.<\/strong>\u00a0If it occurs in an artery in the brain, killing brain tissue, it is called a\u00a0cerebral thrombosis.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“An embolus<\/strong>\u00a0is a clot that has broken loose and traveled throughout the circulatory system. “In its travels, it may get stuck in a smaller artery, blocking the flow of blood. This blockage cuts off the supply of life-giving oxygen and nutrients, and the tissue fed by the artery dies. If an embolus lodges in an artery of the heart, depriving the heart of essential nutrients, a part of the heart can die – a\u00a0heart attack<\/strong>. If the embolus lodges in an artery of the brain, it is a\u00a0stroke<\/strong>”\u00a0(1).<\/p>\n

Arteriosclerosis\u00a0<\/strong>is “characterized by abnormal thickening and hardening of the arterial walls with resulting loss of elasticity”\u00a0(Webster;s Medical Dictionary).<\/p>\n

Congestive heart failure –\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>” is\u00a0an imbalance in pump function in which the heart fails to maintain adequate circulation of blood. The most severe manifestation of congestive heart failure is pulmonary edema, or fluid in the lungs. Patients with coexisting type 2 diabetes have an increased mortality rate”\u00a0<\/em>( Mayo\u00a0Clinic Proceedings).<\/p>\n

HEART FUNCTION SELF- TEST\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Your heart is the most important muscle in your body. A simple pulse test can help you determine how well your heart is functioning. The best time to check your pulse is first thing in the morning. If your pulse is under 60, your heart is functioning at a good pace. If your pulse is above 80, you may need to change your diet and lifestyle.\u00a0if\u00a0your pulse remains rapid, consult your health care provider to rule out problems. A chronically high pulse rate is often a precursor of hypertension.\u00a0Taken daily, this pulse test can forewarn you of oncoming illness”\u00a0(Balch, p. 127).<\/p>\n

What are the symptoms and the<\/em>\u00a0precipitating causes<\/em>\u00a0of cardiovascular disease?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n