In the 1950s, cholesterol emerged as a chief player. Later, research revealed that LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, clung to artery walls, contributing to the formation of artery-clogging plaque.

But over the years, research has revealed that cholesterol is just one of many factors that can lead to a heart attack — including diabetes, adipose fat, kidney dysfunction, obesity and lack of exercise, to name just a few.

Then there’s research that uncovers a whole new pathway through which heart disease develops, such as bacteria from the mouth.

Keep that in mind as you read how bacteria, hidden for years in artery plaque, can trigger heart attack, and why this knowledge may make them easier to prevent…

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Infectious processes can trigger heart attack cascade

Scientists from Finland and the United Kingdom have uncovered previously unknown evidence that heart attacks may be triggered by infectious processes, rather than just by cholesterol and other lifestyle factors.

Biofilms are sticky, protective layers that shield bacteria from immune responses and antibiotics. In this recent research, such biofilms have been discovered inside atherosclerotic plaque, where they likely formed over and protected bacteria for years, even decades.

These bacteria can remain dormant for years, but can be activated by external forces, such as a viral infection.

Scientists observed that when this happened, the person’s immune system responded, triggering inflammation, which ruptured arterial plaque and caused blockages that led to heart attack.

“Bacterial involvement in coronary artery disease has long been suspected, but direct and convincing evidence has been lacking. Our study demonstrated the presence of genetic material — DNA — from several oral bacteria inside atherosclerotic plaques,” explains Professor Pekka Karhunen, who led the study.

These findings pave the way for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to prevent or treat heart attacks — including, the researchers say, the possibility of preventing coronary artery disease and heart attack by vaccination.

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A missing step for heart protection

As odd as it seems, this isn’t the first time I’ve encountered research linking immune response and inflammation to heart attacks.

In 2020, researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) discovered that in approximately 25% of heart attack patients, the trigger was activated immune cells — specifically, T-lymphocytes (T cells).

According to that research, a “misguided adaptive immune response” activated T cells to accumulate on the inner lining of the artery wall, where they damaged the lining and contributed to the formation of a blood clot. Following an inflammation cascade, the plaques erode, resulting in debris in the bloodstream and artery-blocking clots that trigger a heart attack.

That research, like this newest one, was significant for demonstrating that heart attacks can have different pathophysiological origins — including an immune-mediated mechanism.

So, in addition to doing all the right things to promote heart health, it may be time to add “promoting a healthy and balanced immune system” to that long list.

 A balanced immune response activates T cells in a measured response to pathogens without creating so much inflammation that it harms the body’s own tissue.

The opposite of this is what we see in autoimmune conditions, where the immune response becomes overly active and goes rogue. Specific nutrients have been found effective at dialing it back, including one that strengthens the immune system and one that reduces inflammation: Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.

Plus, both of those are also known to support heart health. Are you starting to see how it all comes together?

Sources:

Heart attacks may actually be infectious — Science Daily

Viridans Streptococcal Biofilm Evades Immune Detection and Contributes to Inflammation and Rupture of Atherosclerotic Plaques — Journal of the American Heart Association

The post Newly discovered cause of heart attack hides in plaque appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) trial concluded that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was dangerous for women. But the bad news was not as bad as presented, and the good news was glossed over. That didn’t matter: Physicians were — and continue to be — spooked.

To seal the deal, warnings around breast cancer, blood clot, and heart disease risk got printed all over inserts and boxes containing any and all hormone-containing compounds — even if they were not the same formulations as what was evaluated in the trial and even if they were presented in a different dose/format (like vaginal estrogen cream).

Overnight, prescribing HRT was relegated to “fringe” providers. And medical schools effectively stopped teaching doctors about treating menopause.

Today, we live with that legacy: less than 6% of OB/GYN and primary care providers get even one hour (!) of menopause education in their training. The end result? A dearth of physicians who are comfortable managing the symptoms of women suffering through “the change.”

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What New Research Reveals About HRT

Meanwhile, science has marched on. Not that most women — or their physicians — are even aware.

Since the WHI was published, additional studies have found that timing of HRT initiation matters. Women who commence HRT within 10 years of menopause actually experience fewer cardiovascular events compared to those who are not placed on hormones.

Those who commence HRT more than 10 years after menopause do see a small increase in cardiovascular events in the first year of therapy, but then see an overall decrease in the second year onward.

The Role of Formulation and Delivery Method

And in terms of blood clotting, hormone formulation is key. Unlike the pill form, estrogen creams and patches do not raise clot risk. Nor does micronized progesterone (the natural form of progesterone), whether delivered by pill or pessary.

Remember, the WHI used a combination of synthetic progesterone and estrogen and dispensed the hormones in tablet form. This is a wildly different approach compared to the formulations available today.

For women who still want to — or need to — avoid systemic hormone delivery, vaginal estrogen cream has been shown to effectively relieve vaginal dryness and reduce risk of urinary tract infections without increased risk of any negative health outcomes. Though inexplicably, the black box warnings claiming otherwise are still there.

And we haven’t even touched on the potential benefits of testosterone supplementation in women!

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My Personal Menopause Journey

My personal menopause experience was less about hot flashes and night sweats (which I had my share of). It was all about sleep. For the life of me, I could not get more than 4 to 5 hours per night. Sometimes, I hardly slept at all. I was constantly exhausted, my cognitive function was becoming affected, and I was struggling emotionally.

And nothing I tried — meditation, melatonin, magnesium, even CBD — made any difference. But having been in the room when those WHI results were first announced, I never even once considered HRT as an option.

It was only after listening to a random podcast about new HRT data and looking into more recent studies that I asked my GYN physician to place me on hormone therapy. The improvement in sleep that I have experienced since then has been nothing short of miraculous.

Looking back, I now realize I suffered needlessly for 5 years. And I probably missed out on most of the osteoporosis protection. But I just didn’t know any better, even as a physician.

What Women Need to Know

This was my experience and my journey. I’m not suggesting that everything gets better with HRT, or that every woman should even take it, or that everyone will respond the same way I did.

What I really want you to know is that you have options — certainly many options when it comes to the various delivery forms of HRT. And that risks of HRT are relatively low (though obviously influenced by individual health variables unique to each of us). Women have been brainwashed to believe that we have no options. That we just need to buck up and suffer in silence.

That’s simply not true.

Next up, how to help manage menopause and its symptoms without drugs.

The post Menopause and the big lie: The lasting impact appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

I remember watching the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) investigators present their data at a major cardiology conference. The room was packed. You could have heard a pin drop when the study’s findings were finally revealed.

I also remember all of us rushing back to our practices and immediately de-prescribing HRT. After all, the relative risk of heart attack was 32% higher in HRT users! Breast cancer up 26%! Blood clots up 200%!!  

In one fell swoop, HRT was pronounced dead. Not just estrogen plus progesterone. All of it. Period. And any physician prescribing it could be risking a malpractice claim — or even being reported to their medical board. 

Meanwhile, the media was having a field day. This was the most provocative medical news to come out in a very long time. The story was everywhere!

What the WHI Data Left Out

But here’s the thing: what we didn’t realize at the time — what the investigators chose to de-emphasize — were the many shortcomings of this data.

First, the vast majority of women were over 60 years of age at time of enrollment — many were in their 70s. Meaning, they started HRT 10 to 20 years after their last period.

Second, the type of hormone cocktail used for the trial was more like what’s in a birth control pill and VERY different from contemporary HRT formulations.

And third, large numbers of participants dropped out over the course of the trial. 

In other words, we studied the wrong women, had them on the wrong treatment, and ended up with only partial data on what happened! 

Understanding Relative Risk vs. Absolute Risk

Then there’s the matter of focusing on relative risk of negative health outcomes — which can be deceiving in terms of real impact. For example, if 10 out of 10,000 people develop a liver function abnormality while taking a placebo but 15 out of 10,000 develop it while taking a drug, the relative risk of liver problems is 50% higher in drug users (5 more compared to 10 baseline). Even though the absolute risk of developing a liver issue in drug users is only 0.05% (5 extra out of 10,000), translating to 1 extra abnormal lab test for every 2000 people treated, actually quite low.

Breast Cancer Risk in Context

In the WHI, the absolute increase in the chance of developing breast cancer was 0.1% in estrogen plus progesterone users, which is one extra breast cancer case for every 1,000 women on HRT. That’s not zero, but it’s also far from a guarantee that HRT users will develop breast cancer during their lifetimes.

The other piece of data that received little attention was that there was no difference in the chance of dying from breast cancer regardless of whether a woman took HRT. 

Subsequent data also revealed NO increased breast cancer risk in women who took estrogen alone (which is appropriate only for those who no longer have a uterus).

Revisiting Cardiovascular and Blood Clot Risks

The WHI investigators also did not clearly point out that once other confounding factors were considered, differences in cardiovascular event rates largely disappeared. So HRT is not dangerous for the heart.

And although the risk of developing a blood clot was higher when taking hormone therapy — no argument there — this finding is irrelevant today because contemporary HRT is not associated with increased clotting risk.

Overlooked Benefits of HRT

And this is probably the greatest disservice created by the WHI:  There was almost no emphasis placed on the positive health outcomes found among participants using any form of HRT. These included very significant reductions in osteoporosis-related bone fractures and significantly lower colon cancer risk. 

Ignoring Quality of Life Metrics

There was also no discussion about what withholding HRT meant for the women in the placebo group, even though there were clear signals of reduced quality of life: 11% of the placebo group started HRT during the course of the study, and 38% dropped out of the trial. 

The post Menopause and the big lie: The facts they left out appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Artificial sweeteners provided the sweetness of sugar without the calorie burden. Plus, people with diabetes were able to safely consume these sweeteners without spiking their blood sugar.

But in recent years, the dark side of artificial sweeteners has emerged. Research has shown these sweeteners can actually make changes to the gut microbiome that lead to weight gain. These changes can also increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

That’s not all. Beverages containing artificial sweeteners have also been linked with an increased risk of death and dementia. And one study found artificial sweeteners were linked to increased risks for cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease risk, which equates to higher stroke risk.

Then there are sugar alcohols like xylitol and erythritol, which are often touted as safer alternative sweeteners and are used extensively in low-sugar, sugar-free and keto reduced-sugar foods. Since they’re already derived from sugar, they should be fine, right?

Wrong….

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How erythritol affects brain cells

Erythritol, a sugar alcohol first approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2001, is typically made by fermenting corn. But research has begun to shed light on its risks.

Recently, research by the Cleveland Clinic linked erythritol to a higher risk of dangerous blood clot formation, which could lead to stroke.

Scientists led by the University of Colorado Boulder decided to dig into the mechanisms behind the Cleveland Clinic study results. What they discovered was alarming…

In the lab, the researchers treated endothelial cells, which line the blood vessels in the brain, for three hours with roughly the same amount of erythritol contained in a typical sugar-free beverage. The cells were found to be altered in numerous ways…

• The cells expressed significantly less nitric oxide, a molecule that relaxes and widens blood vessels for blood flow.
• At the same time, they expressed more endothelin-1, a protein that constricts blood vessels.
• And when the cells were challenged with a clot-forming compound called thrombin, cellular production of the natural clot-busting compound t-PA (the go-to treatment used during stroke emergencies) was “markedly blunted.”

To put it simply, the treated brain cells were affected in ways that could increase the likelihood of stroke.

As if that weren’t enough, the erythritol-treated cells also produced more reactive oxygen species, or free radicals. These metabolic byproducts can age and damage cells and inflame tissue.

“Our study adds to the evidence suggesting that non-nutritive sweeteners that have generally been purported to be safe may not come without negative health consequences,” says senior author Christopher DeSouza, a professor at CU Boulder.

“Big picture, if your vessels are more constricted and your ability to break down blood clots is lowered, your risk of stroke goes up,” says first author Auburn Berry, a graduate student in DeSouza’s lab. “Our research demonstrates not only that, but how erythritol has the potential to increase stroke risk.”

Another disconcerting aspect of the study is that the researchers only used one serving size of erythritol. If you consume more than a serving a day, as many people do, the impact could be even worse.

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Which sweeteners to use instead

One caveat: the authors caution that their study was a laboratory study conducted on cells, so larger studies in people are needed to confirm these results.

Still, De Souza encourages consumers to read food labels, looking for erythritol or “sugar alcohol” in the list of ingredients.

“Given the epidemiological study that inspired our work, and now our cellular findings, we believe it would be prudent for people to monitor their consumption of non-nutrient-sweeteners such as this one,” he says.

So, what should you use instead? Look for natural non-sugar sweeteners like monkfruit and stevia, both of which are derived from plants and come in many delicious flavors. However, you need to read those labels as well — sometimes erythritol is used as filler in monkfruit and/or stevia sweeteners. Be sure you’re only using 100 percent pure stevia or monkfruit with no fillers.

Sources:

Scientists Warn: Popular Sugar Substitute Linked to Brain Cell Damage — SciTechDaily

The non-nutritive sweetener erythritol adversely affects brain microvascular endothelial cell function — Journal of Applied Physiology

Artificial sweeteners: Any effect on blood sugar? — Mayo Clinic

The post Low-cal sweetener linked to brain cell damage and blood clots appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

If you said, “My skin,” good for you!

Most people don’t think of their skin as an “organ,” like their heart, liver or kidneys — but it absolutely is. What’s more, it’s the most vulnerable.

Think about it: your skin is like a shield between you and the pollutants, ultraviolet radiation, pathogens and toxins you encounter daily. But that’s not all…

When you sweat, that’s your skin regulating your body temperature and excreting waste products. Your skin also synthesizes vitamin D from exposure to sunlight — and that’s the only way to get this essential vitamin other than supplementing.

And what do you do for your skin in return? You might moisturize it during the winter and protect it from the sun during the summer — paying most of that attention to your face or exposed areas.

But if you had a serious skin problem, would you recognize it or know what to do? Here are seven unusual but significant skin symptoms that dermatologists say always warrant a visit to your doctor…

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7 skin changes that require attention

A pimple that bleeds and won’t go away

You’ve had a small bump on your face for several months. It looks like a pimple, only without a head, and it bleeds without being touched. Never let something like this linger for months. It should be biopsied to make sure it’s not skin cancer.

If it is cancerous, Mohs micrographic surgery only removes a layer at a time, so you don’t end up looking disfigured. Each section removed is examined under a special microscope. A dermatologist will stop removing skin when the last piece excised shows no sign of “roots.”

But be warned: if it is a skin cancer, the longer you wait, the deeper the “roots” can go. It’s crucial to remove every bit of it, and if it’s been allowed to grow unchecked, that could definitely leave a scar.

Veins you can see

Factors like hot weather, tight clothing and strenuous exercise can make your veins more noticeable. But if you previously couldn’t see your veins and now they’re prominently noticeable, have your doctor take a look. It could be a sign of deep vein thrombosis. Other key signs include pain, swelling and warmth in the affected body part.

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Strange marks on your nails

Believe it or not, your fingernails are often the best indicators that something is going wrong in your body. Here are three examples:

• Splinter hemorrhages. These crooked red lines resemble splinters under the nail bed and may indicate endocarditis (an often misdiagnosed heart infection that inflames the heart). Splinter hemorrhages occur when tiny blood clots associated with endocarditis damage the small blood vessels under the nail.
• Small red spots under the nail bed. These can be a sign of the autoimmune disease lupus.  
• Also, a dark line running from top to bottom of the nail could be a sign of melanoma of the nail. Check the thumb, index finger, or big toe for this, and get a biopsy if you see any changes.

Skin changes that feel like velvet

Dark, velvety patches of skin might be a condition called acanthosis nigricans, which is often caused by insulin resistance that can lead to type 2 diabetes if left unchanged.

It often shows up in skin creases and folds on the neck, in the armpits, inside the elbows, behind the knees, and on knuckles–and is evidence that elevated insulin levels are speeding up skin cell reproduction.

Skin that glows or shines

A sudden, unnatural sheen to the skin could indicate hormonal changes, skin infections, or even skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma usually appears in areas exposed to sunlight. It appears as a tiny translucent bump with blood vessels on the surface that may bleed. Basal cell carcinoma is highly curable if detected early. An Australian study found that supplementing niacinamide reduced basal and squamous cell carcinoma risk.

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Itchy palms

If not due to dry winter skin, and if they flare up at night and are not accompanied by a rash, your itchy palms could signal gallbladder issues. To rule this out, it’s important to get blood work done to check your liver function and bile acids. Sometimes itchy palms may be a warning sign of pancreatic cancer.

Skin changes that feel like sandpaper

If your skin is so dry that it’s full of small, rough bumps like sandpaper, you could have a condition called keratosis pilaris, also called “chicken skin.”

The condition is not dangerous and can be treated with moisturizers and prescription creams. However, it could be an indication that you’re predisposed to atopic dermatitis, asthma, and seasonal allergies, so it’s good to identify it early.

Other conditions to watch out for include slow-healing wounds and new sensitivities to products that didn’t cause problems before.

When in doubt, always go to your doctor. “Better safe than sorry” is the rule of thumb here.

Sources: 

12 Weird Symptoms Dermatologists Say You Should Never Ignore — Time

The post 7 skin changes that should never go unchecked appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, at one point he threatened to start sleeping in the guest room if I didn’t wear warm socks to bed instead of warming my cold toes up on his legs.

Well, that was before I got my Hashimoto’s under control. But if you’re dealing with cold toes and you don’t have a thyroid problem, don’t ignore this distress call…

That’s because cold feet can be a sign of a serious circulation problem that may start in the small blood vessels — but can signal big trouble…

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Blood vessels and your feet

Since your circulatory system is responsible for head-to-toe blood flow — the blood vessels in your feet can often sound the first alarm of problems to come.

That’s because your heart works extra hard to pump blood through arteries that reach vital organs, like the brain.

But by the time your blood vessels reach your feet, they’ve branched in numerous directions, getting smaller and smaller in size much in the same twigs branch off of a tree.

And it’s these smaller vessels where trouble can quickly escalate…

Tiny little masses called microemboli, made up of blobs of cholesterol, can get stuck.

While these little clots, also known as emboli, pass easily through large vessels, they struggle to pass through as vessels become smaller— making it easy to cut off the blood supply to your toes.

Two signs you shouldn’t miss

When this happens, your feet are going to sound an alarm — and it won’t just be cold feet…

It’s feet that are so cold they’ll be painful and even change color, turning blue or purple.

Doctors call it blue toe syndrome.

It can be dangerous because when the tissues of your feet are starved of oxygen, it can lead to cell death, gangrene and even amputation of the toes and feet.

What’s worse is that the microemboli that cause blue toe syndrome can indicate a potentially serious problem in larger arteries that are upstream from these little guys.

Other signs that could indicate blue toe syndrome include:

• Foot pain
• Muscle pain in the legs
• Ulcers on the feet
• Nodules or lesions on the feet
• Bruising

Be sure to let your doctor know if any of these are occurring.

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Supporting head-to-toe blood flow

The little clots that clog small vessels are typically made up of cholesterol and fibrin. Often they have broken off from a plaque forming in a larger artery.

Fibrin is a protein the body uses under normal circumstances to keep a clot from spreading while tissue heals. When the clot is no longer needed it dissolves. But sometimes the process doesn’t go as expected, depending on the health of the arteries involved.

That’s where nattokinase, an enzyme from a fermented soybean dish called natto, is especially helpful…

Nattokinase was discovered over 40 years ago by a Japanese medical researcher named Hiroyuki Sumi, M.D., who demonstrated its ability to support blood flow. It works in much the same way as Pac-Man^®… going to work to thin the blood for smooth circulation.

You can find natto at your local Asian or Japanese market. But most Americans don’t like the texture, taste or smell. But that doesn’t have to be a deterrent…

The benefits of nattokinase have been researched in over 17 scientific studies — including human clinical trials — and supplements are an option. According to the University of Cincinnati, a single dose of Nattokinase at 100 mg was enough to show an enhancement in both thrombolysis while also assisting anti-coagulation profiles.

Since nattokinase does a great job of promoting normal circulation, if you’re taking blood thinners you should consult with your health care practitioner first.

What is blue toe syndrome — Medical News Today

Blue Toe Syndrome — DermaNet

An often overlooked body part could give you clues about your health – CNN

The post The weird warning your feet send about your blood vessels appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And time has proven them right. If your diet is lacking in vegetables, the dangers are real.

One class of vegetables, in particular, contains a potent ingredient known to prevent cancer.

And now, there’s yet another way that this natural compound could save your life…

The magic in broccoli

Of all the veggies in the Brassicaceae family, commonly called cruciferous vegetables, broccoli is probably the one you’re most familiar with.

But other veggies also belong to this family, including:

• kale
• Brussels sprouts
• cauliflower
• cabbage
• arugula
• watercress

All members of this family are rich in sulforaphane, a natural compound with amazing powers.

Sulforaphane is known to prevent or alleviate some pretty horrible conditions: breast cancer, fatty liver disease and liver cancer, breast and prostate cancer, and kidney damage due to diabetes.

Sulforaphane has even been shown to keep the COVID-19 virus from reproducing.

Now we can add blood clots and strokes to that list…

Sulforaphane modifies proteins to prevent clotting

Researchers led by a team from the University of Sydney in Australia conducted a series of lab tests on 23 compounds commonly found in plants.

The purpose: to see which, if any, might have a stronger tendency to bond with blood platelets and prevent them from sticking together to form deadly blood clots.

They discovered that sulforaphane modifies the activity of a protein called PDIA6. This slows platelet clumping, keeping clots from forming as easily.

“Not only is the broccoli compound effective in improving the performance of clot-busting medication after a stroke, it could be used as a preventative agent for patients who are at a high risk of stroke,” says biomedical scientist Xuyu Liu from the University of Sydney.

Don’t cook the sulforaphane out of your veggies

Raw broccoli will give you the most sulforaphane. But if you prefer your broccoli stir-fried, you can still get the benefits of sulforaphane… if you’re willing to put in a little time.

You see, plants like broccoli have evolved to contain the enzyme myrosinase to defend themselves against herbivores (plant-eating animals). When myrosinase goes into action, it transforms other compounds into, you guessed it, sulforaphane.

So, to release more of the sulforaphane in the broccoli we eat, we need to do physical damage to the broccoli, much like what would happen to it if an animal in the wild came along and started munching on it.

Researchers pulverized broccoli into 2-mm pieces, then divided the bits into three groups.

One was left raw, and one was stir-fried right after it was chopped.

The third was allowed to “rest” for 90 minutes before it was stir-fried.

The “rested” broccoli bits had three times more sulforaphane than either of the other two groups.

Another option for getting more sulforaphane is to eat young broccoli sprouts, known as broccolini — when you see it in the produce aisle, it resembles baby broccoli.

Broccolini has 20 to 50 times more sulforaphane than mature broccoli plants.

Take your pick. Just make sure you’re eating this powerful veggie regularly.

Sources:

Broccoli’s Anti-Cancer Compound Could Have a Whole Other Health Benefit — Science Alert

Integrating Phenotypic and Chemoproteomic Approaches to Identify Covalent Targets of Dietary Electrophiles in Platelets — ACS Central Science

Health Benefits of Cruciferous Vegetables — Web MD

The post The one food that fights both cancer and stroke appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Their doctor has likely prescribed it to prevent a second heart attack or ischemic stroke. Both involve blood clots blocking major arteries, and aspirin interferes with the process of clot formation.

However, as often happens in research, scientists have accidentally discovered that the very mechanism that helps aspirin prevent blood from clotting can also stop cancer from spreading.

How aspirin allows T cells to kill cancer

A team of scientists at the University of Cambridge wanted to investigate the process by which cancer metastasizes or spreads.

Specifically, they aimed to gain a deeper understanding of how the immune system responds to metastasis.

While cancer cells in an original tumor often develop the ability to suppress the immune system, lone cancer cells that have spread to other parts of the body are more vulnerable to attacks by T cells, which can recognize and kill metastatic cancer cells.

Working with mice, the researchers discovered a gene that produces a protein called ARHGEF1. They also found that mice who lacked this gene had less metastasis of primary cancers to other parts of their bodies.

They soon discovered why: ARHGEF1 suppresses the T cells that would otherwise normally detect and kill metastasized cancer cells. That’s why mice that did not have the ARHGEF1-producing gene had less metastasis.

Of course, the scientists dug further for a target that could manipulate that action, hoping it would lead them to a potential therapy to reduce the risk of cancer metastasis — and they found it…

They saw that ARHGEF1 is switched on when T cells are exposed to a clotting factor called thromboxane A2 (TXA2). And guess what?

Aspirin reduces the production of TXA2, leading to anti-clotting effects, which is why aspirin is sometimes suggested for the prevention of heart attacks and strokes.

In other words, the research found that aspirin prevents cancers from spreading by decreasing TXA2 and releasing T cells from suppression, allowing them to seek and destroy cancer cells that attempt to spread.

Aspirin as cancer therapy: pros, cons

This discovery holds particular promise for people whose cancer has just begun to spread.

“Most immunotherapies are developed to treat patients with established metastatic cancer, but when cancer first spreads there’s a unique therapeutic window of opportunity when cancer cells are particularly vulnerable to immune attack,” says Professor Rahul Roychoudhuri, the study’s lead author.

“We hope that therapies that target this window of vulnerability will have tremendous scope in preventing recurrence in patients with early cancer at risk of recurrence.”

Previous research has shown that aspirin may also be beneficial for cancer prevention, potentially activating genes that protect against colorectal cancer.

However, it’s important to note that you should never “self-medicate” by taking a daily aspirin without first talking with your doctor.

If you are taking a blood thinner such as Warfarin or Heparin, your doctor will almost certainly advise against adding a daily aspirin to your regimen. That’s because it would increase the anti-coagulant effect on your body and could cause internal bleeding.

A few other things to consider:

• The most recent recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is for adults 60 years or older not to start daily low-dose aspirin use for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
• People with pre-existing kidney disease should avoid aspirin, as it acts like a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Reduced blood flow to the kidneys can cause further damage.
• Aspirin can irritate the stomach lining and worsen existing stomach ulcers.
• Aspirin may significantly increase the risk of bleeding, including bleeding on the brain and gastrointestinal hemorrhages.

Be safe and talk to your doctor before starting a daily cancer regimen.

Sources:

Scientists discover how aspirin could prevent some cancers from spreading — Eureka Alert

Aspirin prevents metastasis by limiting platelet TXA2 suppression of T cell immunity — Nature

The post Daily aspirin could keep cancer cells from spreading appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Don’t write these symptoms off as arthritis or “getting older.” Get checked out by your doctor.

It could be claudication, leg pain and leg cramps caused by too little blood flow to the muscles, a sign of peripheral artery disease (PAD).

PAD is not uncommon, yet it often goes undiagnosed.

PAD is like coronary artery disease, except it impacts the blood flow in arteries that carry blood to your legs. Left untreated, it can lead to heart attack and stroke, kidney disease, and even gangrene of the foot, which requires amputation.

Some people are at lower risk of developing PAD than others, according to recent research.

To know if you’re one of them, just take a look at your family tree…

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A secret of long-lived families

Researchers from four major universities believe the long-lived secret of families with exceptional longevity may be significantly better vascular health than that of the general population.

My mother lived to be 101, so I could be one of the lucky ones. Hopefully, you are, too.

Using data from the Long Life Family Study, a longitudinal study examining factors contributing to healthy aging and survival, researchers analyzed information on 1,090 long-lived individuals, their 1,554 children and 362 spouses.

Among the oldest participants (average age of 89), about 18% had PAD. But among their children (average age of 60), only 1% had PAD — an amount far lower than the 12% found in other studies.

This suggests that certain protective factors, whether genetic or lifestyle-related, are helping these families to maintain healthier arteries. But that’s not all…

Among known risk factors associated with PAD, including aging, high blood pressure, smoking, use of hypertension medication, cholesterol and diabetes — those last two conditions were not significant risk factors in the study group.

And lastly, they identified four genetic markers associated with protection from PAD… information the researchers hope will help them learn to prevent the condition in people who are less genetically fortunate.

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What you can do to avoid PAD

Obviously, you can’t control your genetics or whether you belong to a family where people live into their 90s or die much younger.

But you can control risk factors related to your behavior and your environment…

Getting plenty of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet may help. One study found that for every 1% reduction in an index that measured omega-3s, the odds of being a PAD patient increased by a whopping 39%.

Fatty fish, including salmon and mackerel, are excellent sources of omega-3s. Flax seed, soybeans and walnuts are vegan options. Of course, supplements are also an easy option.

The study I just mentioned also found that, for every additional year of smoking, the odds of having PAD increased by 4%.

Do the math. If you smoke, get help quitting. If you don’t smoke, then don’t start.

PAD is basically atherosclerosis of the legs, so it’s not surprising that other risk factors, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, must be well managed or, better yet, avoided. Diabetes alone can increase PAD risk by 10 times!

The DASH diet can help check your blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. But if your doctor has you on medications, follow their orders.

Remember to move. Physical activity, even just walking, can improve blood flow and reduce the risk of PAD. Lastly, work on maintaining a healthy weight.

So, even if your family tree indicates PAD may be a risk for you, there’s a lot you can do to turn that risk around and start a long-lived branch on your own tree!

Sources:

 Long-lived families show lower risk for peripheral artery disease — Eureka Alert

Epidemiology and genetic determination of measures of peripheral vascular health in the Long Life Family Study — Aging

New research shows people with PAD could have an omega-3 deficiency — Eureka Alert

The post The condition you won’t find in a long-lived family tree appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The implications of poor oral health are far-reaching and alarming. It’s not just about cavities and bad breath. It’s about potential brain shrinkage, dementia, weakened immune system against viruses, diabetes, and even cancer. These findings should serve as a wake-up call for all of us to take our oral hygiene seriously.

Now, a study reveals one more reason why good oral hygiene is a must: if you want to avoid stroke and atrial fibrillation, you’ve got to floss.

Here are the details…

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Reducing artery-hardening infection and inflammation

The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study followed up with more than 6,200 participants for an incredible 25 years – meaning this was no flash-in-the-pan study, but instead one with results you can take to the bank.

What was found was that flossing your teeth at least once a week could help lower the risk of stroke caused by a blood clot blocking brain blood flow, as well as the chance of developing irregular heartbeats.

Overall, the researchers found that flossing just once weekly led to:

• A 22% lower risk of ischemic stroke
• A 44% lower risk of cardioembolic stroke (blood clots traveling from the heart)
• A 12% lower risk of atrial fibrillation or AFib

And if you think those benefits are impressive, just wait…

According to the researchers, increasing the frequency of flossing led to an even greater reduction in stroke risk.

When asked how flossing could offer such impressive heart and blood vessel benefits, study lead author Souvik Sen, M.D. explained, “Oral health behaviors are linked to inflammation and artery hardening. Flossing may reduce stroke risk by lowering oral infections and inflammation and encouraging other healthy habits.”

Simply put, harmful bacteria in your mouth, along with their inflammatory byproducts, can cross into your bloodstream, where they work at hardening your arteries and causing clot formation.

This turns your blood vessels and heart into a ticking time bomb.

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Better oral care for stroke and AFib prevention

So, how do you prevent this time bomb from ticking down to zero?

One thing is clear-regular teeth brushing, flossing, and dental visits are not just a routine, they are a necessity. These simple habits can go a long way in preventing serious health issues, giving you the confidence that you’re taking the right steps for your health.

Next, consider switching to oil pulling, rather than using traditional mouthwashes, which can raise your blood pressure.

And be sure to keep your oral microbiome (the balance of good and bad bacteria in your mouth) healthy by:

• Giving up smoking which raises your risk of gum disease
• Drinking plenty of water throughout the day to keep your mouth from drying up
• Trying a dental probiotic that can boost levels of healthy bacteria in your mouth

Finally, remember that your mouth needs extra care if you’re over 50.

That’s because the enamel on the outside of your teeth is more likely to be worn down, and your gum tissue naturally recedes as you age. To top it off, you’re far more likely to experience dry mouth issues that compromise the oral microbiome due to lowered function of the salivary glands with age, along with medications that can lead to dry mouth.

Sources:

Regular dental flossing may lower risk of stroke from blood clots, irregular heartbeats — EurekAlert!

The post Why flossing could prevent stroke and atrial fibrillation appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

At the time, this required regular blood work to monitor the medication. She also had to avoid eating too many vegetables rich in vitamin K, like asparagus and broccoli, and give up drinking cranberry juice because of the way it interacted with the medication.

Well, doctors will tell you we’ve come a long way since then.

Unlike the blood thinners my grandmother took, newer medications, known as direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) don’t require frequent monitoring and have fewer dietary restrictions. They’re also considered to be more targeted and work faster.

But before you believe all the hype, there’s one thing you have to know…

There’s a serious danger associated with these drugs and it’s all due to the doctors themselves.

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Prescription errors for blood thinners

As Geoffrey Barnes, M.D., M.Sc., associate professor of cardiology-internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, points out, “While DOACs are lifesaving medications for patients with common thrombotic conditions, they can also cause serious harm when prescribed inappropriately.”

The two most prescribed DOACs are rivaroxaban (brand name Xarelto) and apixaban (brand name Eliquis). These drugs are prescribed to help people suffering from issues like atrial fibrillation, deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.

However, if they’re used at the wrong dose, they can lead to problems that can be just as deadly, including blood clots and stroke. If you haven’t guessed, potentially fatal errors in prescription dosing happen far too often.

In fact, direct oral anticoagulants can be incorrectly prescribed up to 20 percent of the time — and the people this happens to could be sitting on a ticking time bomb.

A necessary, yet overlooked, safety net

Luckily, there is good news in all of the bad. Research by Dr. Barnes and his team has provided an easy way to prevent these prescription errors.

It’s an online dashboard, developed by the United States Veterans Health Administration in 2016, that was designed specifically to optimize the treatment of patients with DOACs, but was not widely used.

After assessing over 120,000 cases in which patients with atrial fibrillation or venous thromboembolism were treated with DOACs, the researchers saw two lifesaving improvements after adoption of the patient management tool:

1. A decline in off-label dosing of approximately eight percent
2. A decline in the rate of blood clots and strokes at every hospital that implemented the monitoring tool.

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Naturally healthy blood flow

So hopefully, with this research, doctors will start using the dashboard and we can all rest easier if prescribed a blood-thinning medication.

In the meantime, before you ever develop conditions that will require you to sit down with your doctor and discuss starting any of those medications, consider adopting foods and habits that support head to toe healthy blood flow.  

Try stretching daily. Even passive stretching, where a partner helps by pulling on your limbs, has been shown to improve blood flow and blood vessel dilation. In another study it improved blood pressure.

Some of the best foods to support blood flow include:

• Turmeric – This golden spice, which has been shown to put out the fires of inflammation, was also found to have the potential to block clotting in a 2019 review.
• Ginger – Just like turmeric, ginger is an anti-inflammatory spice. And because it contains salicylates, the same substances that give aspirin its blood-thinning properties, it may also help keep blood flowing smoothly.
• Garlic – Research in 2018 showed that garlic possesses antithrombotic activity, which means it may help prevent blood clots. And an additional review in 2020 showed it not only offered mild antithrombotic effects, it also helped to lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension.
• Grape seed extract – 2019 research, published in Nutrients, found that grape seed extract offered dual anticoagulant and anti-platelet activity likely due to its rich levels of polyphenols.
• Natto – a Japanese dish made from soybeans led to the discovery of the Japanese secret to healthy circulation. During research, the enzyme nattokinase was isolated and found to dissolve fibrin-containing blood clots.
• Beets – speaking of blood vessel dilation, beets are the best. They help your body produce its natural vasodilator — nitric oxide (NO). NO acts as a signaling molecule telling blood vessels to relax, expand and open wide for normal blood flow and healthy circulation.

Finally, if you are taking a DOAC, such as Xarelto or Eliquis, talk to your doctor about finding out if your dosage is correct using the VA’s online dashboard. It could save your life. Never stop taking a prescribed medication without consulting your doctor.

Sources:

Risk of clots, stroke from incorrect blood thinner dosing reduced using online dashboard — ScienceDaily

Review of herbal medications with the potential to cause bleeding: dental implications, and risk prediction and prevention avenues — NIH

Intake of Dietary Salicylates from Herbs and Spices among Adult Polish Omnivores and Vegans — NIH

A comparative study of the antithrombotic effect through activated endothelium of garlic powder and tomato extracts using a rodent model of collagen and epinephrine induced thrombosis — Springer Link

Garlic lowers blood pressure in hypertensive subjects, improves arterial stiffness and gut microbiota: A review and meta-analysis — NIH

Dual Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Activity of Polyphenolic Grape Seeds Extract — NIH

The post This could save your life if you take blood thinners appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But it’s only since scientists have been able to get microscopic with the matter that makes up pollution that we’ve learned the extent to which it can harm us.

One example is toxic heavy metals. Lead, the most notorious, has been found to contribute to heart disease, heart damage and hardening of the arteries. You’re probably most familiar with the threat of lead in water, but it’s also in food and, yes, the air we breathe.

But lead isn’t the only tiny, invisible toxic particle floating around. A 17-year study identified three air pollutants that, over time, can increase the risk for dangerous blood clots in veins that bring blood to the heart…

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Blood clot danger in the air we breathe

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) describes blood clots that develop in deep veins and block blood flow.

An example is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which can occur in the legs, arms or an internal organ. Another is pulmonary embolism (PE), which happens when a blood clot breaks away from a deep vein and makes its way to the lungs.

Previous research has suggested a link between air pollution and VTE. But a recent study, considered one of the most detailed in the U.S., that followed 6,651 adults from 2000 to 2018 has revealed the true extent of the danger, providing crucial information about the risks we face.

The participants in the study lived in or near six major metropolitan areas: New York, Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

During the study period, almost 250 of the participants were admitted to hospitals for developing VTEs. The researchers analyzed the relationship between the patients and their levels of air pollution collected through extensive biweekly community-level monitoring — including samples taken from their homes. They also compared participants with the highest exposure to those with the lowest.

They were able to identify three pollutants contributing to VTE and the percentage of risk…

• Fine particles – tiny air pollution particles measuring 2.5 micrometers or less, which can be inhaled from smoke coming from coal-burning power plants and forest fires, as well as from motor vehicle exhaust. Participants with greater overall exposure to this type of air pollution had a 39% higher associated risk for VTE than those exposed to lower levels.
• Nitrogen and nitrogen dioxide pollutants are most often found in vehicle exhaust. Exposure to these two pollutants increased the risk of VTE by a whopping 121% and 174%, respectively.

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Reducing the risk of VTE

In addition to air pollution, well-known risks for developing VTE include:

• Prolonged inactivity
• Injury or surgery
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Medications like birth control pills and hormone therapy

These risk factors can be reduced by staying active, following a healthy diet, stopping smoking and discussing your current medications or upcoming surgeries with your doctor.

If you get a VTE, your doctor may prescribe a blood thinner like warfarin and treat you for long-term symptoms or complications.

To avoid the air pollution risk for VTE, you can’t ignore the inflammation factor…

The researchers explained that air pollution sets the stage for inflammation, which initiates blood clotting, decreases the body’s natural anticoagulation mechanisms and impairs the fibrinolytic system — a network of proteins and enzymes with a crucial role in breaking down fibrin, a protein necessary in the formation of blood clots.

When fighting inflammation, “you are what you eat” takes on a whole new meaning. Ultra-processed foods are associated with driving up inflammation. You can avoid them more easily than you can air pollution.

Choose instead inflammation-busting foods like:

• Olive oil
• Tomatoes
• Nuts (including walnuts and almonds)
• Green leafy vegetables (like broccoli, kale, spinach and collard greens)
• Fatty fish (such as salmon, sardines, tuna and mackerel)
• Fruits (like blueberries, strawberries, oranges and cherries)

One particularly beneficial anti-inflammatory food is natto, a traditional Asian dish made from fermented soybeans. Its primary ingredient, nattokinase, is an enzyme known to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, while also possessing fibrinolytic and antithrombotic properties, meaning it can help break down fibrin and clots.

Sources:

Long term exposure to air pollution linked to blood clots in veins that bring blood to the heart — Science Daily

Air pollution is associated with increased risk of venous thromboembolism: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis — Blood

Nattokinase as an adjuvant therapeutic strategy for non-communicable diseases: a review of fibrinolytic, antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects — Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy

The post The toxins linked to deep vein blood clots appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Nearly half of U.S. adults believe that the benefits of taking a low-dose aspirin every day outweigh the risks.

It’s not all that surprising, considering that for years, doctors recommended daily low-dose aspirin for people with heart problems. Anyone could, and still can, just walk into the pharmacy and grab a bottle of those little white tablets.

However, in 2019, the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology advised against using aspirin as a preventative. After all, there was a downside, but it turns out that an awful lot of us don’t realize the true scope of aspirin’s dangers or benefits and for whom which is which.

Here’s what you need to know about the potential risks of taking aspirin, when those dangers may outweigh the risks — and when they don’t — and safer options that support heart and blood vessel health without those gastrointestinal bleeding risks…

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Risky aspirin use is rampant

The Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania set out to discover how many people still use aspirin prophylactically even though it’s been years since the alarm bells sounded on that practice.

The results of their health survey determined that nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults who say they have no personal or family history of heart attack or stroke report routinely taking low-dose aspirin, yet:

• 10% reported they take it “basically every day.”
• 2% took aspirin “a few times a week.”
• 6% used low-dose aspirin “a few times a month.”

While the survey showed that 45% of respondents reported that they or someone in their family had suffered a heart attack or stroke, a whopping 49% had no family history of heart attack or stroke whatsoever, indicating a significant portion of the population may be using aspirin and putting themselves in unnecessary danger.

Unnecessary prevention for healthy adults

The reason doctors still utilize low-dose aspirin is thanks to its ability to act as a blood thinner to reduce clotting that can clog arteries and lead to heart attack or stroke. However, it’s now only considered to be appropriate to prevent heart attacks in people who have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease and who aren’t at risk of increased bleeding.

In other words, it’s no longer recommended for preventing heart disease, heart attack and stroke if you don’t already have a history of these events or signs of symptoms that would be considered worrisome.

That’s because the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, which can lead to serious health issues such as ulcers and anemia, outweighs the benefits in healthy adults.

If you’re trying to decide whether or not to take baby aspirin, you should start by talking to your doctor rather than taking aspirin without personal medical advice.

“Habits backed by conventional wisdom and the past advice of health care providers are hard to break,” noted Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the survey. “Knowing whether taking a low-dose aspirin daily is advisable or not for you is vital health information.”

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Natural support for healthy blood flow

It’s also important to note that some foods and supplements are natural blood thinners that can safely support heart and blood vessel health if your doctor doesn’t think aspirin is appropriate.

Six that have been highly researched include:

#1 – Turmeric

A 2019 review found that the Indian spice turmeric, which contains curcumin, may help reduce blood clotting. However, it is not recommended to use turmeric with blood-thinning medications.

#2 – Garlic

Already known as a powerful heart health supplement, a 2018 study demonstrated that it also possesses antithrombotic activity, meaning it could help prevent the development of blood clots.

#3 – Cinnamon

Cinnamon isn’t just great for maintaining healthy blood sugar. It also contains coumarin, a blood-thinning agent. Just be sure the cinnamon you choose is made in the U.S. High lead levels are found in some imported brands.

#4 – Grape seed extract

Grapes are known for their high levels of resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant with anti-inflammatory powers. It’s no wonder, then, that grape seeds have health benefits as well.

Grape seed extract (GSE) supports the endothelial lining of arteries, where specialized cells help keep blood vessels strong for smooth circulation and influence the release of nitric oxide. This signaling molecule controls the dilation of blood vessels and blood pressure needed to keep blood flowing. One study also found that GSE helps keep platelets from sticking together and forming clots.

#5 – Ginger

An anti-inflammatory spice, ginger reduces thromboxane, a hormone that elevates platelet aggregation and clot formation.

Additionally, ginger is high in salicylates, the same substance that provides blood-thinning properties to aspirin.

#6 – Natto

Natto, made from fermented soybeans, is a traditional food that has been a staple of Japanese dining for over a thousand years. Thanks to an enzyme in it that dissolves clots, it has a reputation as the Japanese secret for healthy circulation.

Sources:

Nearly half of adults mistakenly think benefits of daily aspirin outweigh risks — EurekAlert!

Blood-thinning foods, drinks, and supplements — MedicalNewsToday

The post Aspirin: A high-risk gamble or perfect prevention? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But the risk is higher for most of us than we realize, and if just one sneaks past, the results can be swift and deadly.

Here’s a quick overview, and information on a new therapy you’ll want to know about, especially if your lifestyle, genetics or other factors make you among those who are vulnerable to blood clots…

The danger of blood clots

Blood clots help control bleeding, whether you’re bleeding from a paper cut, a serious injury or even after surgery. But they are not always the protective mechanism we need.

Blood clots are life-threatening if they block blood flow, especially to the brain, heart or lungs.

Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot that forms in veins deep within your body, usually in your legs, but can travel almost anywhere in your body.

Pulmonary embolism is when a blood clot develops in or travels to the lungs.

Blood clots can also block blood flow to the brain, resulting in stroke, or to the heart and cause a heart attack.

Many factors can lead to excessive blood clotting, which causes blood flow to vital organs to be blocked or limited, including atherosclerosis, or thickening of the arteries.

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The many risk factors for blood clots

The scary thing is that there are so many factors that can make you more vulnerable to a blood clot.

Lifestyle factors that increase your risk include being overweight, smoking, dehydration and sitting too much.

There are also genetic risk factors, like having a family history of clotting, or a personal history of repeated blood clots before age 40.

Finally, other diseases and conditions that can increase blood clot risk include atrial fibrillation, diabetes, heart failure and metabolic syndrome.

Red light’s impact on stroke risk

Recent research from the University of Pittsburgh opens the door to a non-invasive method for lowering blood clot risk.

In this study, lead author Dr. Elizabeth Andraska and her team explored the role of different kinds of light on blood clotting.

They exposed mice to red light for 12 hours a day over a three-day period and found that these mice developed nearly five times fewer clots than mice exposed to either blue or white light. This occurred independently of other factors like activity, sleep, and eating.

They then extended this research to humans, analyzing more than 10,000 cataract surgery patients who received either blue light-filtering lenses or conventional lenses. (A blue light filter allows more red light to come through).

Among them were cancer patients — a population with nine times the risk of blood clots. The cancer patients who received blue light-filtering lenses had a lower risk of blood clots compared to their counterparts with conventional lenses. 

Red light was associated with less inflammation and platelet activation, both well-known key drivers of blood clot formation.

The mice that were exposed to red light also showed increased fatty acid production, a factor that naturally reduces platelet activation and, consequently, clot formation.

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How to avoid blood clots

The effect of different kinds of light on human health has intrigued scientists for years. You may have read how red light therapy could help improve vision and treat skin conditions. Or how blue light may damage sight and accelerate aging.

“These results are unraveling a fascinating mystery about how the light to which we’re exposed on a daily basis influences our body’s response to injury,” says senior author Dr. Matthew Neal.

“We’re designing red light goggles to control the amount of light exposure in preparation for clinical trials,” said Dr. Neal. “Getting to the bottom of our discovery has the potential to massively reduce the number of deaths and disabilities caused by blood clots worldwide.”

But there’s no need to wait before taking steps to lower your blood clot risk. First, be aware of symptoms of a blood clot and take notice of how to reduce your risks including:

• Moving is considered one of the most important ways to avoid a DVT. Incorporate movement, including walking, that works for you into your day, throughout the day.
• Maintaining a healthy weight,
• Don’t sit for long periods. Get up at least every half hour and move around. And wriggle your feet or legs when sitting.
• Elevating your feet, especially during sleep.
• Don’t smoke.
• Add olive oil to your plate. Researchers at the NYU School of Medicine used food frequency surveys to determine how often 63 participants ate olive oil and compared it to their platelet activation. They found that those who ate olive oil at least once a week had much lower platelet activation than participants who ate the oil less often.

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Sources:

Red light associated with lowered risk of blood clots — Integrative Practitioner

Red Light Therapy May Reduce Deadly Blood Clots — Neuroscience News

Alterations in visible light exposure modulate platelet function and regulate thrombus formation — Journal of Thrombosis and Homeostasi

Blood clots — Cleveland Clinic

The post How red light signals ‘stop’ to reduce blood clot risk appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

At my annual physical, I’m always reassured that my cholesterol levels are in tip-top shape. But other than having a blood test, how would I know if that were to change?

Turns out there are some common symptoms that can forewarn you. The trouble is, many people ignore them, writing these signs off as a result of too much or not enough walking, sitting too much, or sometimes even just a common occurrence with age.

If you’re experiencing leg spasms or cramps, you may be one of them…

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When leg cramps aren’t just leg cramps

When arteries narrow, and the smooth flow of blood to your body parts is disrupted, often the first noticeable sign something is awry is often felt in the legs.

Leg spasms or cramps can be the first sign of peripheral artery disease. They can feel like clenched muscles and are very painful.

Leg cramps have various causes, but the pain of PAD usually shows up as something called intermittent claudication.

This pain in your leg muscles happens when you’re active and stops when you are at rest. Intermittent claudication can also make your legs feel numb, weak, heavy or tired.

Peripheral artery disease can also lead to burning or aching in the feet and toes while at rest, especially while in bed and lying flat. (But if your feet are tingling and you feel that “falling asleep” numbing sensation, it may be another problem.)

There are other signs, too — cool skin on the feet, redness or other color changes of the skin, and toe and foot sores that don’t heal.

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Testing and dealing with symptoms

Although there are many signs and symptoms of PAD, just as often there are none at all. But if you do experience any of the signs of PAD discussed here, don’t wait to see your doctor.

In the meantime, there are ways to relieve the uncomfortable muscle cramping associated with PAD…

Applying heat to muscles using a heating pad or even taking a warm bath can help. This can help increase blood flow to the cramping muscle so it can relax. On the other hand, applying an ice pack to sore muscles can help relieve pain.

Stretching is also relieving but a certain kind, called passive stretching, was actually found to improve blood flow, blood vessel dilation and stiffness.

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Keep cholesterol under control

Doctors recommend statins for cholesterol. Cardiologist Dr. Elizabeth Klodas provides the information here that she tells her patients.

But as with most health problems, there are lifestyle adjustments you can make that can help you work towards healthy cholesterol levels.

Nutrition is an important part of that. Studies have shown that people with PAD have lower a lower omega-3 index compared to people who don’t have the disease. Oily fish such as salmon, sardines and herring are high in omega-3s.

Weight training is a form of exercise that’s been shown to improve the benefits of HDL (“good cholesterol”) for your heart and circulatory system.

Finally, if you’re a smoker, make every effort to cut back or quit.

Smoking is a “double whammy” when it comes to cholesterol and PAD. Not only does it make LDL stickier, so it clings to your artery walls and clogs them, but it lowers levels of HDL, which work to clean those LDLs from your artery walls. 

Here are seven things that can make quitting easier.

Source:

Peripheral artery disease symptoms and causes — Mayo Clinic

High cholesterol early symptom: Spasms or leg cramps could be the first noticeable sign of clogged arteries —Times of India

New research shows people with PAD could have an omega-3 deficiency — Eureka Alert

The post When leg cramps may be a serious warning sign appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Conventional wisdom says that chest pain, sweating and shortness of breath are the classic signs of a heart attack.

And while this is true, there are other signs that aren’t talked about nearly as often, if at all.

They can be subtle, and they can differ from person to person.

When cardiologists were asked to share some weird symptoms that people often brush off, but that could be signs of a serious heart problem, here’s what they came up with…

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9 symptoms you should never ignore

1. A sinking feeling in your chest. People describe this in many different ways — like a goldfish flipping around in their chest, for example, or that sinking feeling you get in an elevator when it starts to descend quickly.

Don’t brush off any new or strange chest sensations. Bring them to your doctor, who will do an EKG and possibly send you home with a heart monitor. You could have a heart rhythm disorder like atrial fibrillation.

Keeping a log of what’s happening when you experience this sensation is also a good idea.

2. Whooshing in the ear. “Sometimes there are peripheral symptoms that one wouldn’t think are cardiovascular at all that could be a manifestation of cardiovascular disease,” says cardiologist Dr. Heather Gornick, who’s also a professor in the school of medicine at Case Western Reserve University.

“And the one I see the most is patients who have a pulsating sound in the ear,” often in tune with their heartbeat. 

Known as pulsatile tinnitus, it can signal a narrowing of the blood vessels that carry blood between heart and brain, as well as with arterial blockages, tears and aneurysms.

3. Pain or fatigue in the legs while walking. This could be a manifestation of peripheral artery disease (PAD), where the arteries carrying blood to the legs get clogged. It’s associated with a greater risk of heart attack, stroke and early death.

If this feeling persists for a week or two, see your doctor. They’ll do a physical exam and an ankle-brachial index test, which measures blood pressure in your legs and arms.

PAD is a serious condition that, left unaddressed, can lead to amputation.

4. Changes in your feet or legs. Peripheral edema (swollen feet, legs and ankles) can be a sign of congestive heart failure. If the swelling is in both feet rather than just one, and it comes back for a few days in a row, it’s time to see your doctor.

Also keep an eye out for abrupt color changes. Blood clots can turn your legs purple or, in some cases, totally pale and white. Blood clots are a medical emergency.

5. Jaw or neck pain with exertion. If it’s triggered by exertion and relieved by rest, get it checked out. Your doctor will do a stress test to see if you’re at heightened risk of a heart attack or stroke.

6. Indigestion and nausea. That chest discomfort and belching may not be the tacos you ate for dinner. It could signal ischemic heart disease. If it doesn’t go away, call your doctor.

Pay attention to nausea, too, especially if you’re also feeling jaw or back pain, lightheadedness or unusual fatigue.

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7. Carpal tunnel discomfort paired with shortness of breath. Wrist pain after typing, pins and needles, or hand weakness when accompanied by shortness of breath, may be symptoms of cardiac amyloidosis, when proteins deposit in the heart and disrupt function. Nowadays, there are effective treatments for this condition.

8. Sudden stabbing chest pain. This could be caused by aortic dissection, a tear in one of the body’s major arteries. If not caught in time, half of those who experience this will die. This is a medical emergency that will probably require open-heart surgery.

9. A hard time with regular daily activities. Valvular disease indicates the heart’s valves are not working like they should be. That can make someone feel tired and not up to tasks they’d normally had no problem with. They may require frequent rest breaks.

It’s important to alert your doctor if you notice feeling this way when doing regular activities, like housework, grocery shopping, driving or taking a walk.

Sources:

9 Weird Symptoms Cardiologists Say You Should Never Ignore — Time

The post 9 strange symptoms of heart trouble you can’t ignore appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

According to the American Heart Association, American adults consume an average of 77 grams of added sugar a day. That’s about 18 and a half teaspoons!

And all that sugar does our health no favors. One study found that sugar contributes to no less than 45 serious health conditions.

It’s no wonder many of us turn to sugar substitutes, like a very popular class of low-calorie sweeteners known as sugar alcohols.

Erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol, are found naturally in small quantities in fruits and vegetables. Small amounts are even produced in the human body. So that would make them seem like a safe natural choice, right?

Unfortunately, they’re not without concern: You may remember reading here about erythritol’s link to sticky blood that clots more easily.

Now it turns out, erythritol isn’t the only sugar alcohol harboring that potential danger….

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Xylitol could encourage blood clots

The same research team that made the association between erythritol stroke risk has found a similar link with xylitol.

A lot of heart attacks and strokes happen that defy explanation in people without the typical known risk factors like diabetes — like high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol levels. And that’s what first prompted these researchers to look into sugar alcohols…

First, they decided to monitor the level of naturally occurring xylitol in the blood of more than 3,000 participants after overnight fasting.

Those whose xylitol levels put them in the top 25 percent of the study group had roughly double the risk for heart attack, stroke or death over the next three years compared with participants in the bottom 25 percent.

To understand the mechanism behind xylitol’s impact on cardiovascular risks, the researchers also:

• fed xylitol to mice;
• added it to blood and plasma samples in a lab;
• and gave a drink containing xylitol to 10 healthy volunteers.

In all three cases, xylitol appeared to activate platelets in the blood, which encourages blood clotting. Blood clots are the leading cause of heart attack and stroke.

Next, they intend to pursue research that will answer why naturally occurring xylitol is elevated in some people — and most importantly, how to lower it. In the meantime, they have a warning for us…

“We’re throwing this stuff into our food pyramid, and the very people who are most likely to be consuming it are the ones who are most likely to be at risk,” reported lead author Dr. Stanely Hazen, chair of cardiovascular and metabolic sciences at Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner Research Institute, in an interview with NBC News.

The participants who had their xylitol levels measured were at high risk for or had documented heart disease, so if that sounds like you, by all means, you want to avoid sugar alcohol.

“All it takes is xylitol to interact with platelets alone for a very brief period of time, a matter of minutes, and the platelet becomes supercharged and much more prone to clot,” Hazen added.

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Use natural sweeteners instead

Because the study was observational, the researchers can’t state that xylitol was unequivocally the cause of heart attack or stroke. But there’s no denying there appears to be a link — so cutting down on sweeteners like xylitol and erythritol is the best thing to do.

When used as a sweetener, it’s in much higher concentrations than found in nature. For example, the amount of erythritol used in foods was 1,000-fold higher than what you’d find in nature.

Hazen is telling his patients to avoid consuming xylitol and other sugar alcohols. Instead, he recommends sweetening foods with small amounts of sugar, honey or fruit. Be very cautious of keto-friendly products that often use alcohol sweeteners.

He says it’s probably not dangerous to use toothpaste or gum, also commonly sweetened with sugar alcohols, since so little is ingested in these cases. Still, it’s probably better to be safe than sorry and avoid sugar alcohols — in any product — altogether.

You may wonder if using other artificial sweeteners instead of sugar alcohols is safe. Judging by the research, we would also recommend avoiding those. There are simply too many potential health issues involved to take the risk.

If you are a fan of stevia, a plant-based sweetener that is not a sugar alcohol, be sure to look at the ingredient list to be sure you are getting pure stevia. Some brands mix erythritol with it.

Sources:

Common sugar substitute linked to increased risk of heart attack and stroke — NBC News

Xylitol is prothrombotic and associated with cardiovascular risk — European Heart Journal

The post The growing blood clot concern over low-calorie sweeteners appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

There are a number of risk factors for AFib, including being over 60 years of age or having diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure or prior heart attacks.

But even seemingly unrelated conditions can increase the risk of AFib including thyroid disease or a serious infection.

If you suffer from migraine with aura you can be up to 30 percent more likely to develop AFib than those who don’t have headaches.

You may not give AFib much thought, but considering it’s been on the rise, it’s a condition that warrants our attention…

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Three times as many AFib sufferers

According to new estimates from UC San Francisco (UCSF), AFib has been on the rise for the past decade. In fact, it may be three times more common than previously thought.

UCSF’s latest estimate put the number of U.S. adults with AFib at roughly 10.5 million, or nearly 5 percent of the U.S. population.

After reviewing the medical records of nearly 30 million adult patients in California from 2005 to 2019, researchers found about 2 million of them had been diagnosed with AFib. They saw that numbers rose from 4.49% among patients treated between 2005 and 2009 to 6.82% of patients treated between 2015 and 2019. That’s a pretty significant jump.

They also noticed that AFib patients tended to be younger and were less likely to be female and more likely to have hypertension and diabetes.

When they standardized the data to reflect the entire U.S., the researchers estimated the current national prevalence of AFib to be at least 10.55 million.

Now, that makes AFib still pretty uncommon. Compare that 5 percent estimate with the roughly half of Americans aged 45 to 84 estimated to have some level of atherosclerosis.

But given how serious AFib can be, the increase in cases is definitely cause for concern. Some complications associated with AFib include shortness of breath, light-headedness, blood clots, and even heart failure. Most frightening is that people with AFib are up to five times more likely to have a stroke.

“Atrial fibrillation doubles the risk of mortality, is one of the most common causes of stroke, increases risks of heart failure, myocardial infarction, chronic kidney disease and dementia, and results in lower quality of life,” says first author Dr. Jean Jacques Noubiap, a postdoctoral scholar at UCSF with a specialty in global cardiovascular health.

“Fortunately, atrial fibrillation is preventable, and early detection and appropriate treatment can substantially reduce its adverse outcomes,” Noubiap says.

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Be proactive about AFib

To avoid becoming one of those increasing number of AFib cases, there are a few things you can do. First, if you have high blood pressure or diabetes, ensure these conditions are managed well and practice healthy lifestyle habits like good diet and exercise.

But also be aware of symptoms that could indicate AFib and discuss them with your doctor, including:

• Extreme fatigue
• An irregular heartbeat
• Heart palpitations
• The feeling of butterflies or a fish flopping in your chest
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Fainting (syncope)
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain

Be persistent with your doctor, especially if you’re a woman. The University of British Columbia Okanagan found that 77 percent of female participants in a study suffered AFib symptoms for more than a year before being diagnosed by their doctors.

Consider having your vitamin D levels tested. One study found that taking vitamin D lowered AFib risk by between 27 and 32 percent. Vitamin D is well-known to be heart-protective in general.

Finally, try adding nuts to your diet. Research found that people who ate nuts three times per week or more reduced their atrial fibrillation risk by 19 percent.

Sources:

Atrial fibrillation estimated to be three times more common than previously thought — Medical Xpress

Minimum National Prevalence of Diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation Inferred From California Acute Care Facilities — Journal of the American College of Cardiology

Risk Factors for Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) — Heart Rhythm Society

Atherosclerosis — Cleveland Clinic

The post The heart condition 3 times more common than thought appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

After all, one moment you feel fine. The next, you’re in a hospital having difficulty just trying to communicate with your family and likely facing long-term complications, including disability. And that’s if you’re one of the lucky ones to survive.

Yet, the truth is that while a stroke may seem to strike without warning, there are danger flares sent up by your body that can indicate one in your future.

High blood pressure and stroke go hand in hand.

In fact, a study by researchers at the University of Michigan has found that living with high blood pressure for the long term could be one of the most significant warning signs your stroke risk is off the charts…

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Sustained high blood pressure and stroke risk

The study delved into the health data of more than 40,000 people, analyzing the cumulative effects of having high systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) for years ahead of stroke.

They found that having a mean systolic blood pressure that is 10-mm Hg higher than average was associated with a 20% higher risk of overall stroke or ischemic stroke. And it elevated the risk of an intracerebral hemorrhage by a full 31%.

Those are two of the most common types of strokes. An ischemic stroke occurs when a clot cuts off the blood supply to the brain. An intracerebral hemorrhage is a bleed between the brain and the tissues that cover it.

These risks were even higher in black and Hispanic patients — with black patients having a 20% higher risk of ischemic stroke and a 67% higher risk of intracerebral hemorrhage than white patients.

Hispanic patients had a 281% higher risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage — a third type of stroke that happens when there is bleeding between the brain and the tissues that cover it.

The researchers concluded that “(The) results suggest that early diagnosis and sustained control of high blood pressure over the lifespan are critical to preventing stroke, ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage, especially in Black and Hispanic patients who are more likely to have uncontrolled hypertension than white patients.”

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Reducing blood pressure to reduce stroke risk

The good news is that although long-term high blood pressure can send your stroke risk into the stratosphere, it’s a modifiable risk factor that puts you in the driver’s seat.

But this research shows that time is of the essence. If you’ve had high blood pressure for years, waste no time exploring your options to get it down.

High blood pressure is a serious condition treated by a physician, but several lifestyle factors can support healthier blood pressure numbers, including…

#1 – Exercising

Getting regular exercise is one of the best ways to reduce blood pressure, yet most of us don’t commit to it. But it’s important to remember that studies have shown that physical activity can be just as effective as most drugs at controlling blood pressure, so be sure to get back on the exercise bandwagon if your health allows it.

#2 – Reducing stress

The stress hormone cortisol has a powerful negative effect on your blood pressure. This makes lowering your stress levels vital to beating back blood pressure problems. Practicing mind over blood pressure and using relaxation techniques can help relax the smooth muscle in arteries to lower pressure.

#3 – Eating yogurt

The micronutrients contained in dairy foods include calcium, magnesium and potassium, all of which help to regulate blood pressure. But yogurt stands apart in that it also contains bacteria that promote the release of proteins that lower blood pressure. The Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study (MSLS) showed that eating yogurt may help lower blood pressure in older adults with hypertension by nearly 7 points.

#4 – Supplementing wisely

Certain supplements provide powerful blood pressure support. Pterostilbene (an antioxidant cousin to resveratrol) and grapeseed extract have shown to be particularly beneficial.

Sources:

Blood pressure high for years? Beware of stroke risk — EurekAlert!

The post The one thing about blood pressure that stacks stroke risk appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

There’s been a lot of conflicting information on weight and health status. But most experts agree that maintaining a healthy weight can improve many areas of health.

But a history of obesity can still carry a serious risk that women, especially, need to keep an eye on…

Research has found that women who were once overweight carry a much higher risk of stroke than women who never experience weight problems.

But armed with this information, you can take steps to avoid stroke…

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Ischemic stroke: when a clot keeps blood from the brain

A Finnish study looked at 10,000 adults (both male and female) and found that women now in their 50s who were overweight or obese as a teen or younger adult have a markedly higher risk of suffering an ischemic stroke.

Of the two major types of stroke (ischemic and hemorrhagic), ischemic strokes are far more common, accounting for about 87% of all strokes.

In an ischemic stroke, blood flow to the brain is blocked by a blood clot. The clot usually originates in an artery leading to the brain. It can also break loose from an artery elsewhere in the body and travel to the brain.

The study: what exactly are the risks?

After following their 10,000 study subjects from 1980 to 2020, the Finnish researchers concluded that:

• Women who were obese at age 14 were 87% more likely to have an early clot-caused or mini-stroke before age 55.
• Women who were obese at age 31 are 167% more likely to have a stroke compared to those who were not obese or overweight.

Here’s one interesting finding: men do not seem to be subject to these same risks.

Why women and not men?

The study drew no conclusions as to why women run this risk while men seem to get a pass.

However, things we know about perimenopause and menopause offer a partial explanation…

Most women enter perimenopause, the “pre-menopause” phase of life, in their early 40s and some as early as their late 30s.

During this time, estrogen levels plummet, and women lose the heart-protective effects of this hormone. For this reason, entering menopause before age 45 is just one of several factors unique to women that increase stroke risk.

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How women can protect themselves

In addition to heart disease, diabetes and atrial fibrillation can impact stroke risk. Management of these health conditions is vital to reducing stroke risk.

Healthy lifestyle factors should be part of that:

• Diet. Women whose diets are high in triglycerides are four times more likely to have a stroke than women with lower levels. A Mediterranean-inspired diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy products, poultry, fish and nuts contains phytosterols, fiber and omega-3s that decrease triglycerides.
• Protective foods. Penn State research found that eating beets may give heart protection back to menopausal women.
• Exercising for at least 150 minutes each week is proven to prevent heart disease. Weight or resistance training less than a hour a week reduced risk for heart attack and stroke by 40 to 70 percent.
• Blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Research shows that high blood pressure and cholesterol levels raise the risk of heart disease. So, keep those numbers down during middle age for the sake of your heart. Yoga can help take your stroke number down 10 more points!
• Stress levels. Stress contributes to high blood pressure, which means it’s hard on the heart. Find ways to keep your stress levels down, like meditation, yoga, bodywork or even relaxing hobbies like gardening, sewing or woodworking.
• Smoking status. Not only does smoking increase the risk of early menopause, it also increases the risk of blood clots, decreases the flexibility of your arteries and lowers HDL (healthy) cholesterol levels — all of which are bad news for your heart health.

Just a couple of years ago, A study published in Stroke, a journal of the American Heart Association, found that drinking two or more diet drinks per day doubled stroke risk in some post-menopausal women. So, if you’re fan of diet drinks, think about ditching them, pronto.

Sources:

Women with excess weight as a teen or young adult may have higher stroke risk by age 55 — Eureka Alert

Overweight in Adolescence and Young Adulthood in Association With Adult Cerebrovascular Disease: The NFBC1966 Study — Stroke

Women and stroke: What you need to know — Mayo Clinic

Heart health after menopause — American Heart Association

The post A complex relationship: women, weight and high stroke risk appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Not only do they seem to strike without warning, but they can leave patients and their families in limbo as doctors assess the degree of damage, how much recovery may be possible, the long-term outlook and possibility of disability — and of course, the risk for another.

Unfortunately, it’s a truth I know first-hand, as my mom suffered a stroke when she was in her early 50s, which at the time was considered young for a stroke.

However, the truth is that not only can a stroke happen at any age, but more people under 65 are having strokes than ever before.

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Approximately a 15% jump in strokes

While recent government data has shown that the overall rate of stroke for all adults has gone up by 7.8% in the years between 2011 and 2022, the rate of stroke for those under the age of 65 has risen far more steeply.

In fact, research by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention team showed that while the number of strokes in seniors stayed the same, in adults under 65, stroke rates went up by a frightening 15% in the same decade.

Here’s how it broke, down by age:

• Among people ages 45 to 64, strokes rose by 15.7% (with 3.3% reporting a stroke in 2011 and 3.8% reporting one in 2022)
• For adults 18 to 44, the rate of stroke increased by 14.6% (0.8% of this age group reporting a stroke in 2011 and 0.9% suffering a stroke in 2022)

According to the researchers, race also factored into the increase. They found that while the incidence of stroke for Black Americans rose by 7.8% over the study period, Hispanic Americans suffered 16.1% more strokes and the chances of stroke for White Americans rose by 7.1%.

Factors driving the increase

The researchers say that there are several reasons the rates of stroke have gone up so significantly in the past decade.

The most important of these driving factors is the higher levels of obesity across younger and middle-aged adults.

As the researchers noted, “From 1999–2000 to 2017–2018, obesity prevalence among males increased from 27.5% to 43% and among females from 33.4% to 41.9%; [obesity] prevalence during 2017–2018 was highest among those aged 40–59 years [44.8%].”

Additionally, stroke risk goes hand-in-hand with hypertension, rates of which have also been steadily on the rise in middle-aged adults.

According to the researchers, the incidence of high blood pressure went from “40.3% during 1999–2000 to 46.8% during 2017–2018.”

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How to lower stroke risk

The good news is that both obesity and high blood pressure are modifiable health risks and by taking steps to fight them, you also decrease your risk of stroke.

And there are other steps you can take to prevent stroke.

These include:

• Following a heart-healthy lifestyle, which research shows can help lower risk for stroke by 30 to 45%.
• Reducing the number of “pro-inflammatory” foods in your diet, since these foods can raise your risk of heart disease by a massive 46% and your risk of stroke by 28%!
• Adding in raw foods and stroke-preventing nutrients.

Finally, be sure to boost your immune system. The second a blood clot wedges itself in a blood vessel, your brain sends out an SOS signal calling for help from your immune system to clear out cellular debris, limit damage to your brain and kick-start repair.

Sources:

CDC: Stroke rates went up 15% in younger adults — Becker’s Clinical Leadership

Stroke Rates Are Rising, Especially Among the Young — US News & World Report

The post The new stroke risk? Being 65 or younger appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The best way to prevent the damage that chronic inflammation can cause is to catch it early. But how can you do that when the symptoms are largely invisible?

Turns out, that might not be the case. Here are some signs that chronic inflammation is doing its dirty work inside your body — some of which you may not expect….

Arteriosclerosis

Gaining body fat or smoking can cause chronic inflammation. And this can cause fatty plaques to build up inside the arteries, a process known as arteriosclerosis. This process is the main cause of heart attack and stroke. It usually doesn’t have any symptoms in the early stages.

Balance problems

Chronic inflammatory diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) cause your body’s immune system to overreact and, in some cases, attack itself. In MS, the immune system starts to attack the myelin coating the nerve endings, making it harder for nerve signals to get through. That could make you feel dizzy or off-balance, especially when you walk.

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Blood clotting

Chronic inflammation resulting from trauma, surgery or disease can cause the blood to clot too much. This can cause swelling in the limbs and could result in a more serious condition such as stroke, heart attack or pulmonary embolism.

If you experience sudden or gradual pain, swelling, tenderness and warmth in an arm or leg, or shortness of breath, pain with deep breathing, rapid breathing and increased heart rate, it could be a sign of a blood clot. See your doctor immediately if that happens.

Brain issues

When chronic inflammation hits, it often affects the memory and ability to think clearly. You may experience memory loss, muddled thinking and even agitation. Some research indicates chronic inflammation could contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions that cause dementia, especially in older adults.

Chronic fatigue

Being tired all the time is a classic sign of chronic inflammation and a common symptom of autoimmune diseases like fibromyalgia, MS, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. This is a fatigue that goes beyond feeling less than energetic for a day or two; it extends into weeks and months.

Diarrhea

Chronic inflammation can cause inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which has two main forms: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. In IBD, the immune system’s overreaction inflames the colon and small intestine. This can cause diarrhea, nausea, joint pain, fever and skin rashes.

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Dry eye

Chronic inflammation can dry your eyes out. Your eyes might feel gritty or burning, your salivary glands might well and your nose and throat may be dry. This can lead to serious complications like vision loss and dental problems.

Insulin resistance

Insulin helps control blood sugar levels, and although scientists don’t know exactly why, inflammation could affect this function, causing insulin resistance to arise. Insulin resistance could lead to high blood sugar, which could damage the nerves and blood vessels and lead to diabetes.

Some symptoms of insulin resistance include tingling feet or being more tired and thirsty than normal. But it’s also likely you could experience no symptoms.

Livedo reticularis rash

Livedo reticularis is a purple, marbled rash that can resemble webbing or lace. It can be caused by autoimmune diseases like lupus and antiphospholipid syndrome. This rash usually appears on the arms or legs and is more noticeable in the cold.

Lower back pain

In autoimmune conditions like ankylosing spondylitis, chronic inflammation can attack the spine. Symptoms include pain and stiffness in your lower back, especially in the morning. If it gets serious, it could result in loss of motion.

Muscle weakness

In chronic inflammation, sometimes your immune system attacks and inflames your muscles in a process known as myositis. When this happens, the muscle fibers could start to break down, causing weakness. This usually happens slowly and most often in your torso, shoulders and hips. And when it happens, you may find it hard to do simple things like walk, bathe and swallow.

Heading chronic inflammation off

If you experience any of the symptoms above, it’s a good idea to speak with your doctor. They can test you further to help narrow down what may be going on inside your body.

As for how to fight chronic inflammation, it starts with what you eat. Healthy eating plans like the Mediterranean diet and keto diet seem to ease inflammation and might keep your brain sharp for longer. Exercise can also help and may be the best non-drug way to reduce inflammation.

There are some supplements that can help naturally reduce inflammation as well, including curcumin, omega-3 fatty acids, modified citrus pectin, quercetin, alpha-lipoic acid, selenium and vitamins C, D3 and E.

Sources:

Signs of Chronic Inflammation You May Not Expect — WebMD

Blood clots — MedlinePlus

The post 11 unusual signs of chronic inflammation appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

This was the first study of its kind to draw a link to their impact on human health.

Now, a new study indicates another potentially life-threatening area in which these tiny plastic particles are showing up inside the body…

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Microplastics in blood clots

Researchers in China examined 30 patients who had surgery to remove blood clots after experiencing a stroke, heart attack or deep vein thrombosis, a condition where clots form in the deep veins of the legs or pelvis.

The patients were 65 years old on average, with various health histories and lifestyles such as smoking, alcohol use, high blood pressure or diabetes. They all used plastic products daily and were roughly split between urban and rural areas.

What the researchers found was alarming. They detected microplastics at varying concentrations in 24 of 30 blood clots studied. That means microplastics were found in 80 percent of the blood clots!

The researchers found a potential link between the levels of microplastics in blood clots and severity of disease. People with higher levels of microplastics in their blood clots also had higher D-dimer levels than patients with no microplastics in their clots. D-dimer is a protein fragment released when blood clots break down.

The presence of elevated D-dimer led the researchers to suspect that microplastics might somehow be massing together in blood to make clotting worse — and intend to make that their next focus of research.

“These findings suggest that microplastics may serve as a potential risk factor associated with vascular health,” Tingting Wang, a clinician-scientist at the First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College in China, and colleagues write in their paper.

This furthers the results of a 2023 study that found chemical “fingerprints” of microplastics in 16 surgically removed blood clots.

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More plastics, more problems

Previously microplastics have also been found in human lung tissue and blood samples.

This is proof that we are fast becoming what we eat, drink and even inhale when it comes to our polluted environment.

“Due to the ubiquity of microplastics in the environment and in everyday products, human exposure to [microplastics] is unavoidable,” Wang and colleagues warn. “As such, microplastic pollutants have sparked growing concern due to their widespread presence and potential health implications.”

Is there anything we can do, at least in our homes?

Yes, start with the water you drink. Researchers from Guangzhou Medical University and Jinan University in China discovered a way to remove 90 percent of microplastics from faucet water — no special equipment needed. You can read how here.

Also, try to get two or more servings daily of Brassica or cruciferous vegetables. These foods may bind to chemicals from plastics and remove them from the body in a process called chelation. Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, arugula and dark leafy greens like kale.

Sources:

Microplastics Found in Blood Clots in Heart, Brain, And Legs — Science Alert

Multimodal detection and analysis of microplastics in human thrombi from multiple anatomically distinct sites — eBioMedicine

The post Microplastics are building up in blood clots appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And that’s just for a classic heart attack. There’s another type of heart attack that’s on the rise in women that is even harder to see coming…

This type of heart attack is called myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries, or MINOCA.

When diagnosing a heart attack, doctors usually examine the coronary arteries for blockages. But in MINOCA, those blockages don’t exist. Here’s what you need to know…

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The sinister specter of MINOCA

It used to be thought that MINOCA only represented 6 to 14 percent of heart attacks. But for women, MINOCA may actually account for 25 to 30 percent of all heart attacks.

The symptoms of MINOCA are the same as for a typical heart attack. But because it’s not caused by coronary artery blockage, the usual methods for treating heart attack — stents, angioplasty, bypass surgery — don’t work for MINOCA. That often leaves patients unsure about what caused their MINOCA or what to do to prevent another one.

A related condition, called INOCA, or ischemia with non-obstructed coronary arteries, has many of the same symptoms but without the actual heart attack.

A survey of 297 patients in an international INOCA patient support group found:

• 34 percent had been living with symptoms of chest pain, pressure or discomfort for more than three years before their INOCA diagnosis
• 78 percent were wrongly told their symptoms weren’t related to their heart
• 75 percent cut their work hours or stopped working altogether due to their condition
• 70 percent said their mental health and outlook on life had declined

What’s the cause?

In one 2021 study, researchers took a different approach in studying 301 women who had heart attacks.

Instead of using an angiogram, they used various forms of imaging with higher resolutions that allowed them to examine the vessels beyond the main coronary arteries. In 85 percent of the MINOCA patients in the study, the researchers were able to attribute their heart attacks to small plaques and clots in smaller blood vessels.

This is similar to a common cause of heart disease in women known as coronary microvascular syndrome. When this develops, plaque accumulates in very small arteries of the heart known as microvessels.

Cardiologist Dr. Harmony Reynolds of NYU Langone Health, who was one of the researchers in the study, describes the arterial system as a sort of tree, with large trucks and smaller branches. “If a clot forms in the trunk, it can get carried into a smaller branch,” Reynolds tells WebMD. “If the clot is big enough, it can knock out the entire branch and kill a small part of the heart muscle. That’s what we think happens in some MINOCA patients.”

MINOCA patients are often told they didn’t have a heart attack, and this misdiagnosis can be deadly. According to Reynolds, in the four years after someone has a MINOCA event, they have a 13 percent chance of death from any cause and a 7 percent chance of having another heart attack.

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What to do about MINOCA

Investigators still aren’t sure why MINOCA is more common in women than men. Some researchers theorize it could be due to hormones, hormone therapy or the fact that women are physically smaller on average than men. That makes their hearts and blood vessels smaller, so arterial blockages and clots that may not show up on conventional imaging like an angiogram can do more damage.

Not all MINOCA is caused by plaque buildup in the heart’s small arteries. For example, there is spontaneous coronary artery dissection, where interior of an artery wall tears and causes a blockage that feels like a classic heart attack. Or blood vessels can spasm, interrupting normal blood flow and producing heart attack-like symptoms.

Other potential causes include myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, and stress cardiomyopathy, a reaction to a surge of adrenaline.

If you experience chest pain, pressure or discomfort, make sure your doctor examines all these potential causes so that they can prescribe the proper treatment. For instance, if it’s caused by artery spasms, there is medication that can be prescribed to manage the spasms.

Following a heart-healthy lifestyle may not offer 100 percent protection against MINOCA, but it can certainly help. Make sure you’re eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise, and try to keep your stress levels under control.

Sources:

The Heart Attack You Didn’t See Coming — WebMD

Ischemia with no obstructive coronary artery disease (INOCA): A patient self-report quality of life survey from INOCA international — International Journal of Cardiology

Uncommon heart attack, found more often in women, needs a second look — American Heart Association

Heart Attack Symptoms in Women — American Heart Association

The post The heart attack that happens when coronary arteries are clear appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Cooking every night of the week was getting difficult with my busy schedule. This way, I’d catch a break and still eat healthy.

Or so I thought….

Then I read about microplastics in takeout containers and realized my prepackaged meals are swimming in plastic that can leach chemicals into the food. Worse, I heat the meals in the microwave, which further breaks down into microplastics that penetrate the food I’m eating.

While the research into microplastics is relatively new, there’s ample evidence for concern. Studies have linked microplastics to obesity, hormone disruption, reproductive problems and developmental delays in children.

And research in animals shows microplastics can cross the blood-brain barrier and enter our bloodstream. In the human brain, researchers warn this could potentially increase the risk of inflammation, neurological disorders or even neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.

Now we’re finding that insidious plastic has become part of the makeup of the plaque buildup behind heart disease and clogged arteries…

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Making clogged arteries more dangerous

Plaque buildup clogs arteries and can lead to stroke and heart attack. Plaque consists of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and fibrin. Now we can add microplastics to the equation…

That is what researchers in Italy saw when 257 patients had an operation to open up their plaque-clogged carotid arteries.

Almost 60 percent of the patients had measurable amounts of polyethylene in plaques extracted from their arteries. And 12 percent also had tiny polyvinyl chloride (PVC) shards in their extracted fat deposits.

Polyethylene is the most common plastic and is used for plastic bags, films and plastic bottles. Both rigid and flexible PVC are used in water pipes, plastic bottles, flooring and packaging.

The researchers then followed the patients with carotid artery plaque in which plastics were detected for 34 months and found they were 4.5 times more likely to have a stroke, non-fatal heart attack or die from any cause than people who had none detected in their removed plaques.

“Observational data from occupational-exposure studies [also] suggest an increased risk of cardiovascular disease among persons who are exposed to plastics-related pollution, including polyvinyl chloride, than that seen in the general population,” the researchers say in the published study.

When examining the plaques under powerful microscopes, the researchers observed plastic fragments with jagged edges inside immune cells called macrophages as well as within the fatty plaques. They also found higher levels of inflammatory markers in patients with microplastics in their plaques.

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It’s important to note that this is an observational study and can’t definitively conclude that microplastics are causing the subsequent heart effects; it can only show an association. Also, the study didn’t weigh other risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as smoking, physical inactivity and air pollution — which has previously been linked with increased stroke risk.

Still, previous lab-based studies suggest microplastics can trigger inflammation and oxidative stress in heart cells, alter heart rate and cause heart scarring in animals such as mice.

Lowering your microplastic threat

Reducing our exposure to plastics isn’t easy. Microplastics are everywhere — in our water, soil, fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy products. Even organic produce and meat have some level of microplastics in them.

Even though you can’t completely avoid microplastics, there are ways to reduce your exposure:

• A reverse osmosis filter that can filter them out of your water.
• It’s possible to remove up to 90 percent of microplastics from faucet water by following these simple instructions. No special tools needed.
• Avoid plastic food storage containers and plastic dishware and cups. Use glass, stoneware or porcelain instead.
• Try not to buy food packaged in plastic or use plastic wrap to store food.
• Two or more servings daily of Brassica or cruciferous vegetables may bind to chemicals from plastics and remove them from the body in a process called chelation. These foods include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, arugula and dark leafy greens like kale.
• An added bonus of including these vegetables to your diet is that they also can reduce the amount of sticky plaque buildup in your arteries. One study found that women who ate a lot of cruciferous vegetables had thinner artery walls than women who didn’t.

Sources:

Plastic Found Inside More Than 50% of Plaques From Clogged Arteries — Science Alert

Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas and Cardiovascular Events — The New England Journal of Medicine

The post Microplastic discovered in artery-clogging plaques appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Millions of women find themselves looking longingly at a pair of shorts or a new swimsuit wishing they could put them on.

But instead, they throw on the same old beach cover-up they’ve worn for years. Why?

They’re too embarrassed by their varicose veins.

If you have varicose veins, this internal struggle is probably pretty familiar to you. You want to get into the spirit of the season and wear cute clothes. But those dang varicose veins keep cramping your style. Or maybe you’ve learned to wear what you want and embrace your body exactly how it is — varicose veins and all. And if that’s your approach, you rock! More power to you!

But either way — whether you’re self-conscious about your varicose veins or you don’t let a few veins get you down — you should know that varicose veins are more than a cosmetic issue. They could put you at increased risk for blood clots.

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Varicose veins signal blood clot trouble

Varicose veins are generally a benign condition, but they can increase your risk for another condition that’s a lot more concerning…

A new study from researchers at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan found that varicose veins can significantly increase the risk for dangerous blood clots.

The study included data from more than 425,000 people. Half of these people had varicose veins, and those who did had a 5.3 times higher risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

If you’re not familiar with it, deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot that forms in veins deep within your body. Typically, it occurs in your legs and causes symptoms like leg swelling, pain, red or discolored skin or a feeling of warmth in the affected leg. Sometimes, however, it doesn’t cause any symptoms.

Deep vein thrombosis is dangerous because the blood clot that develops in your leg can travel to other parts of your body. It can even cause something called a pulmonary embolism, where the clot gets lodged in your lungs and prevents you from breathing. And that can be deadly.

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Tackling the serious side of varicose veins

So now you may have forgotten all about your seasonal struggle with shorts — you’ve got blood clots on the brain. But don’t let this latest information about blood clots stress you out. Instead, let it inspire you to tackle those varicose veins and lower your blood clot risk. Here are six natural ways you can do that:

1. Try compression. Compression socks are one of the more popular ways to improve and prevent varicose veins. They’re far from glamorous, but they do work… and that’s what counts. Compression socks promote healthy circulation in your legs, and poor leg circulation is something most varicose vein sufferers struggle with. Compression socks are affordable, easy to find, and they even come in fun prints and patterns nowadays. These aren’t your grandparents’ compression socks! Compression socks won’t completely get rid of varicose veins, but they will make them less noticeable. They’ll also help prevent new varicose veins from forming.
2. Exercise more. Varicose veins are often caused by a sedentary lifestyle. Sitting at a desk (or even standing) all day can take a toll on your circulation. That’s why exercise is so important if you’re prone to varicose veins. Most experts agree that exercise is one of the best ways to prevent new varicose veins from forming. But it can also lessen the appearance of existing varicose veins, especially if it leads to weight loss. Extra body weight puts more pressure on veins, which can make them bulgy and more noticeable.
3. Eat more fiber. Some research suggests there might be a connection between varicose veins and constipation. In fact, one study found that countries that have fiber-deficient diets (like the U.S.) also tend to have more issues with varicose veins. Researchers suspect that’s because a lack of fiber leads to constipation, and the straining that accompanies constipation puts enormous pressure on your veins, which can lead to that bulging effect.
4. Give horse chestnut a whirl. The herb horse chestnut is probably the most popular supplement used to treat varicose veins. Studies show it can help with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition where the vein valves in the legs don’t work properly leading to leg circulation issues. Many people who have varicose veins also have chronic venous insufficiency and vice versa.
5. Turn to gotu kola. Gotu kola is another herb that can help with chronic venous insufficiency. Studies show it can even relieve symptoms like swelling and leakage from the veins, so you may want to give this Asian herb a try.
6. Be sure to eat your bioflavonoids. Bioflavonoids found in foods like berries, leafy greens, garlic and onions promote healthy veins. So make sure to eat plenty of these foods. The flavonoids found in the bioflavanoid rutin have also been shown to strengthen the walls of the veins and ease the symptoms of varicose veins. You can get rutin in a supplement or in foods like apples, citrus fruits, figs, black tea, green tea and buckwheat.

Sources:

1. Varicose Veins — Mayo Clinic. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
2. Deep Vein Thrombosis — Mayo Clinic. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
3. Varicose veins tied to higher odds for blood clots — MedicalXpress. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
4. Varicose Veins: 7 Myths You Shouldn’t Believe — Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
5. P. Burkitt. “Varicose Veins, Deep Vein Thrombosis, and Haemorrhoids: Epidemiology and Suggested Aetiology” — British Medical Journal, June 1972.
6. Varicose Veins — University of Maryland Medical Center. Retrieved March 5, 2018.

The post 6 ways to make your varicose veins and blood clot risk vanish appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Strokes, heart attacks and organ failure can result from a clot that gets lodged in a blood vessel deep within the body without our knowledge.

Lucky for us there are warning signs that a blood clot may be stuck somewhere in your circulatory system. And, there are ways most of us can prevent them from forming in the first place.

Normal blood clotting is not dangerous…

Clotting of the blood is a normal bodily function. When things go as planned, blood clots any time there is an injury to a blood vessel, such as when you cut yourself. Tiny bits in your blood called platelets get “turned on” when an artery or vein is damaged. They stick to the walls of the blood vessel, and to each other, forming a plug that stops blood from leaking out.

Special proteins keep the clot from spreading farther than it needs to. And as the damaged tissue heals and the clot isn’t needed anymore, it dissolves back into the blood.

Sometimes, though, the clotting process goes off the rails and dangerous complications can occur. Clots can also fail to dissolve after an injury has healed. Or a clot can form without an injury…

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Clotting gone bad

A blood clot can form in any blood vessel in your body. If it breaks loose and travels through the blood, it can end up in the lungs, heart, brain or other organs and disrupt the normal flow of blood to those organs.

This is when a heart attack or stroke can occur. But there are other dangerous complications of a clot breaking loose…

A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that lodges in a pulmonary artery in one of the lungs. It can result in low oxygen levels and damage to the heart, lungs and other organs.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) happens when a clot forms deep within a vein in the arm or leg. If the clot breaks off and travels to the lungs, serious complications could occur.

Kidney failure is caused by blood clots in the kidneys. Fluids and waste build up, which can also cause high blood pressure.

Who is at risk for clotting?

You are at higher than average risk of a blood clot if:

• You use birth control pills or hormone therapy
• You are obese
• You smoke
• You have diabetes
• You’re over the age of 60
• You have a sedentary lifestyle, or you’re resting at home after surgery
• You’ve had orthopedic surgery
• You’re traveling for a long time in a plane, car or train, and you’re not able to move around much
• You have certain blood disorders, such as Factor V Leiden, that make you more prone to clotting
• You have the autoimmune disorder lupus
• You have cancer

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What are the symptoms of a blood clot?

The location of a clot will determine where in the body symptoms are experienced. But there are four major symptoms you should never ignore, especially if they come on suddenly and with no other explanation.

1. Swelling. When a clot slows or stops the flow of blood, the blood can build up in an artery or vein and make it swell. If this happens in the lower leg, it can be a sign of deep vein thrombosis.
2. Skin color. A clot in your arm or leg may turn the skin bluish or reddish, and it may stay that way for days because blood vessels have been damaged as the clot passes through them. A pulmonary embolism in the lung can make your skin pale, bluish and clammy because you’re not getting enough oxygen.
3. Pain. Sudden, intense pain should never be ignored. When it’s chest pain, it could be a sign of a pulmonary embolism or a heart attack caused by an arterial blockage. If this is the case, you might also feel pain in your left arm.
4. Trouble breathing. Never ignore this. Seek medical help right away. You could have a clot in your lung or heart. If you do, your heart may also race, or you may feel faint or sweaty.

How to reduce the risk of blood clots

Talk to your doctor about your risks. If you decide together that your risk of clotting is high, your doctor may recommend blood thinners, particularly if you’re going on a trip that involves a long flight (less likely now with the pandemic here, of course, but those trips will happen again).

Practice healthy habits. Stay physically active. Don’t smoke, or try to cut back or quit.

Get up after surgery. Work with your healthcare team to get back on our feet as soon as possible after any surgery. The longer you stay sedentary, the higher your risk for clotting.

Don’t sit for too long. If you work at a sedentary job, get up and walk every hour and keep your feet elevated while you sit.

Watch your blood pressure. Keep hypertension, diabetes and other chronic conditions under control.

There are numerous safe and natural ways to decrease your risk of blood clots including…

• A nutrient that acts as a natural blood thinner…
• The bypass-in-a-pill that sweeps dangerous plaque from your arteries without surgery…
• The sugar cane cure for high cholesterol and high blood pressure that produces amazing results…
• The “plain Jane” vegetable extract that can lower your risk of high triglycerides by 26 percent…
• And even more natural secrets for protecting and healing your heart…

Sources:

1. 4 blood clot symptoms you should not ignore — Web MD
2. 10 signs of a blood clot — FactyHealth
3. Blood Clot Info: Know Your Risk, Recognize Symptoms, and Prevent Blood Clots  — stoptheclot.org
4. Blood clots – how they form and common causes — Web MD
5. Symptoms and complications of blood clots — Healthline
6. What are the warning signs of a blood clot? — health.usnews.com

The post 4 symptoms of a blood clot you should never ignore appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

For decades, health experts have recommended people take a low dose of aspirin for CVD prevention. They’ve done this because aspirin is an anticoagulant, meaning it inhibits the formation of blood clots that could cause a cardiovascular event like a heart attack.

However, this recommendation for using aspirin to prevent CVD has changed…

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No more aspirin for CVD prevention

The most recent recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is for adults 60 years or older not to start daily low-dose aspirin use for the primary prevention of CVD.

In adults ages 40 to 59 who have a 10 percent or greater 10-year CVD risk and no risk of bleeding, the USPSTF calls the decision to take daily low-dose aspirin for prevention “an individual one.” It does warn that evidence shows the net benefit of aspirin use in this group is small.

Low-dose aspirin does have some benefit in patients with pre-existing CVD, having been shown to reduce the risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event by 21 percent and all-cause death by 13 percent.

But new studies have uncovered potential harm caused by daily aspirin use. Its main drawback is an increased risk of a major bleeding event such as gastrointestinal bleeding, intracranial bleeding or hemorrhagic stroke. This risk is because aspirin inhibits platelet activity, which thins the blood.

At least one study in older adults found that the modest benefit of aspirin in CVD protection is far outweighed by the risk of major bleeding. A study in adults with diabetes found a greater benefit in reducing the risk of cardiovascular events; however, this benefit was counterbalanced by a higher bleeding risk.

Natural remedies to reduce risks

If you’re at higher risk of CVD, you’ll want to talk with your doctor before starting (or stopping) daily aspirin therapy. They will be able to help you weigh the benefits versus the risks and determine if low-dose aspirin is right for you.

Diet can also help reduce blood clot risk. That’s because some foods and spices have natural blood-thinning properties. These would not be an appropriate option for people with certain medical conditions, but much like aspirin, can be considered as part of a healthy lifestyle for prevention:

Cassia cinnamon

Cassia cinnamon, the kind of cinnamon sold at the grocery store, contains coumarin, an agent from which the commonly used blood-thinning drug warfarin is derived.

Consuming small amounts of cassia cinnamon in the diet will help support natural blood thinning. But you’ll want to be careful — taking large doses of cassia cinnamon over the long term could cause liver damage.

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Garlic

This pungent plant has been found to have a mild anti-clotting effect and to help reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension. Aged garlic extract was found to deter the buildup of soft plaque that can break off and clog arteries. If you don’t like the taste of garlic, either cooked in food or taken raw, garlic supplements are available.

Grape seed extract

There is evidence that grape seed extract has blood-thinning properties. This supplement has also been shown to reduce high blood pressure, lower cholesterol, extend longevity, help prevent arterial plaque build-up and decrease stroke risk.

Natto

This fermented soybean dish contains nattokinase, a powerful natural blood thinner. Natto is great for improving blood circulation. You can find natto at Asian grocery stores, or you can take nattokinase as a supplement.

Turmeric

Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, appears to have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant properties. In addition, turmeric has demonstrated the ability to protect against cancer, heart disease, diabetes and depression, as well as boost memory.

As is always the case, you should speak with your doctor before using these remedies if you’re on blood-thinning medication, have a blood clotting disorder or have recently undergone surgery.

Sources:

Daily Aspirin: Abandon its Recommendation? — Clinical Advisor

Blood-thinning foods, drinks, and supplements — Medical News Today

Aspirin Use to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease: Preventive Medication — U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

The post The dark side of daily aspirin use appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

For instance, type 2 diabetes most commonly strikes people 45 years of age or older. Cancer tends to strike in middle age and beyond. And when we hit 65, our risk of heart disease, arthritis, stroke, Alzheimer’s and other dementias goes up.

But there’s another measure we should be considering when we look at disease risk. And it may be far more accurate than the date on the calendar…

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High biological age and stroke and dementia risk

When it comes to disease risk, your body’s biological age may be much more important than your chronological age. Biological age is based on the health and condition of your cells and can leave you much younger or older on the inside than the chronological age on your birth certificate would indicate.

Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden decided to take a look at biological age to determine whether it had more of an influence on risk of certain diseases than chronological age. They used data from the UK Biobank to study a cohort of 325,000 people who were between the ages of 40 and 70 at the start of the study.

The researchers calculated biological age using 18 biomarkers, including blood lipids, blood sugar, blood pressure, lung function and BMI. Then, they explored the link between these biomarkers and the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia, stroke, ALS and Parkinson’s disease within a nine-year period.

The study found that if a person had a high biological age compared with their actual chronological age, they had a significantly greater risk of dementia, especially vascular dementia. They also had a higher risk of ischemic stroke, which is caused by a blood clot in the brain.

And the difference doesn’t have to be huge. For example, if a person’s biological age is five years higher than their actual age, that person has a 40 percent higher risk of developing vascular dementia or suffering a stroke.

The study showed that this higher risk persists even when taking into account factors like genetics, lifestyle and socioeconomics.

One thing that makes these results interesting is that because the cohort was so large, they were able to capture less common diagnoses such as ALS. The risk of developing ALS does increase with higher biological age. However, the risk for Parkinson’s remained unchanged.

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Lifestyle is key to healthy biological aging

The results of the study indicate that slowing the body’s biological aging processes may possibly reduce or delay the onset of disease.

And though genes may play a part, according to  Sara Hägg, associate professor at Karolinska Institutet, “Several of the values can be influenced through lifestyle and medications.”

For instance, exercise is key to keeping your cells young. And the good news is it takes only 30 minutes a day to make an impact.

Diet is also important. Eating red meat can age your cells, so it’s good to follow a diet that limits the amount you eat. In fact, the Mediterranean diet has been linked to slower aging, so that’s a good plan to emulate.

The Mediterranean diet includes a lot of fish, nuts, legumes, vegetables, fruits, olive oil and whole grains.  These foods are full of nutrients like omega-3s (which help people live longer), antioxidants (which slow brain aging) and short-chain fatty acids (which help your gut protect your arteries.)

Adding anthocyanin-rich berries can promote healthy blood flow in the brain. MRI scans of those who drank blueberry juice showed increases in both their brain blood flow and gray matter activity.

There are other lifestyle factors that can raise your biological age, including smoking, not getting enough sleep, stress, and feelings like loneliness and unhappiness. Mitigating these factors, as well as taking a probiotic, were shown to contribute to a more youthful biological age.

Sources:

High biological age may increase the risk of dementia and stroke — EurekAlert!

Clinical biomarker-based biological ageing and future risk of neurological disorders in the UK Biobank — Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry

Type 2 Diabetes — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

At what age is cancer most common? — City of Hope

Promoting Health for Older Adults — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Heart Health and Aging — National Institute on Aging

Four Things You Should Know About Arthritis — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Holy Smoke! The connection between cigarettes and Parkinson’s disease — American Parkinson Disease Association

The post Is your ‘true age’ increasing your stroke and dementia risk? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

However, there are dangerous secondary conditions related to a lot of cancers that are often skimmed over during these briefings.

For instance, if you undergo a stem cell or bone marrow transplant, you’re at risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a condition where the donor cells recognize the host’s tissue as foreign and attack it. GVHD can be serious, especially if it involves the liver.

Anemia tends to accompany cancer due to the inflammation caused by the disease. This inflammation decreases red blood cell production. Anemia is also a side effect of chemotherapy, since the treatment slows down production of new blood cells by the bone marrow.

There’s another ailment that can be life-threatening if its symptoms are missed. And since it’s a leading cause of death for people with many different kinds of cancer, it’s one we need to know more about….

The danger of blood clots

I’m talking about venous thromboembolism (VTE), or blood clots.

These clots develop deep in the veins and are a leading cause of death in people with cancer, resulting in heart attack, stroke and pulmonary embolism.

The more advanced the cancer stage, the higher the risk for VTE. And certain types of cancer put you at elevated risk as well, including blood cancers like lymphoma and myeloma and cancers involving the pancreas, prostate, stomach, brain, kidneys, lungs, uterus and ovaries.

Research shows people with cancer are nine times more likely to get blood clots than people who don’t have cancer. And death from blood clots comes in second only to the direct effects of the cancer itself.

According tot the Fred Hutchinson Cancer center, the increased risk occurs because surgeries immobilize patients, chemotherapy inflames the blood vessels and veins, and the blood becomes clogged with bits of dead cancer cells.

“We don’t talk about blood clots enough in oncology, but we’re getting better,” says Dr. Michael B. Streiff, a professor at Johns Hopkins and chair of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines^® Panel for Cancer-Associated Venous Thromboembolic Disease. “Not only do tumors put people at risk for blood clots, but cancer treatments can also put people at risk.”

Blood clot symptoms can sometimes be vague or seem out of the blue. They include:

• Swelling, especially in the limbs
• Redness
• Deep muscle aches in the legs or arms
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Back pain
• Lightheadedness

People with cancer should talk to their doctor about these or any other changes in their body, Streiff says.

“Despite the known link between blood clots and cancer, there is still a lack of awareness about thrombosis risk in patients with cancer,” notes Aviva Schwartz, director, content and education, North American Thrombosis Forum. “It’s critical to address this knowledge gap and encourage open conversations between patients and healthcare providers.”

To help educate patients on preventing and treating these blood clots, NCCN has published a supportive care patient guideline. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients^®: Blood Clots and Cancer can be downloaded for free at NCCN.org/patientguidelines, or via the NCCN Patient Guides for Cancer App. Printed versions are available for a small fee at Amazon.com.

According to Streiff, the book will educate patients and caregivers about what they can do to prevent blood clots, how to recognize the symptoms and what treatments are available if they experience VTE, pulmonary embolism or deep-vein thrombosis.

The guideline uses the latest evidence and expert consensus to recommend the best options for patient care. It puts NCCN’s medical recommendations into terms that are easy for patients to understand and includes images, charts and suggested questions to ask their physician.

Blood clot care is improving

Recent years have seen advances in risk assessment tools for VTE. These advances are helping doctors to understand which patients should proactively receive medications like anticoagulants, or blood thinners, and which should avoid them.

That’s important because cancer patients have issues unique to their treatments that others receiving anticoagulant therapy do not. For instance, many receive treatment through a catheter that may have to be removed if they experience abnormal bleeding. And if surgery is needed without enough time to go off of a blood thinner, they’d need a fast-acting antidote for the anticoagulation medicine.

The best defense against blood clots is not to get them in the first place. And one of the best ways to help prevent blood clots is to move your body regularly. Exercise is recommended for cancer patients who are up to it.

In addition to decreasing the risk of clots, it helps kick the immune system into gear—including the body natural cancer-fighting cells. Plus, it can help cancer patients with pain and energy levels.

Other factors can help further reduce blood clot risk. People who exercise regularly and take the following additional steps are 38 to 44 percent less likely to develop a blood clot:

• Avoid smoking
• Follow a healthy diet
• Maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI)
• Control cholesterol and blood sugar levels
• Maintain healthy blood pressure

Sources:

New resource from National Comprehensive Cancer Network breaks the silence on common but lesser-known cause of cancer deaths — EurekAlert!

Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD) — Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Anemia and Cancer — The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Venous Thromboembolism (Blood Clots) and Cancer — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The post Beware of this lesser-known cause of cancer deaths appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s why it’s so important to be aware of the risks we all face when it comes to blood clots — from the obvious, like being over 60 years old or smoking, to the sneakier risks like irritable bowel syndrome, cancer treatment or the stagnant blood that leads to clotting when you sit for long periods binge watching your favorite shows.

These are risks shared by both men and women alike. However, for women, there are specific factors that can dramatically increase chances of experiencing a dangerous blood clot — and you need to be aware of them…

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The intersection of genes, hormones and health

That’s because according to researchers from Queen Mary University of London, a woman’s risk of suffering a dangerous, or even fatal, blood clot can increase significantly due to any combination of three common factors:

• A gene mutation
• Hormone therapy (including birth control use and hormones given during menopause)
• Medical conditions

So let’s break down the problems you need to be on the lookout for to protect yourself from blood clots…

The researchers discovered that women with a Factor V Leiden (FVL) gene mutation are at significantly higher risk of blood clots.

According to the Mayo Clinic, FVL is a mutation of one of the clotting factors in the blood that raises the risk of developing abnormal clots, most commonly in the legs or lungs.

A woman who inherits FVL from just one parent will have a five percent chance of developing an abnormal blood clot by age 65. However, if they received a faulty gene from both parents, the chances of developing a clot are much higher.

And here’s where things get worse…

For a woman who not only carries the FVL mutation but is also taking estrogen or living with another health condition — including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and kidney disease — the risks they face are even more pronounced.

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A blood clot risk up to eight times greater

The Queen Mary researchers were able to show that women with the FVL gene mutation, who had been prescribed estrogen, had more than double the risk of blood clotting compared to women without this mutation.

And frighteningly, they found that almost 20 percent of women who carry the FVL mutation, were prescribed estrogen and had two of the medical conditions above suffered a blood clot.

This was a substantial increase in risk from FVL, since only 5 percent of women without the mutation who took estrogen and had two of those medication conditions suffered a clotting event.

But hold onto your hat because as the conditions add up, so do the risks…

The study also found that when the number of medical conditions a woman had went to three, her blood clot risk was five times greater. And when the number of medical conditions rose to four, her blood clot risk was a whopping eight times greater!

Reducing a woman’s blood clot risks

So how do you know if you’re at a higher risk of blood clotting?

According to Professor Sir Mark Caulfield, from Queen Mary University of London, “Genetic testing of the FVL gene mutation could give a clearer sense of someone’s personalized risk of this potentially fatal complication if they were prescribed estrogen.”

Beyond testing for the FVL mutation, it’s also important to practice healthy habits at home.

These include:

• Avoiding a sedentary lifestyle and staying active
• Quitting smoking
• Managing your blood pressure

You should also familiarize yourself with the four symptoms of a blood clot that should never be ignored so that you know when to seek help.

A few extra steps you could take include:

• Follow a healthy diet. Even though diet has not been found to protect against stroke (which results from a clot), following a healthy diet could lower clot risk by helping to avoid the metabolic syndrome-related conditions that can make the FVL mutation especially dangerous.
• If you take estrogen, talk to your doctor about the impact of continuing or discontinuing the therapy based on your health status.
• Some foods may be helpful. Natto is a popular Japanese dish made from fermented soybeans that promotes normal blood flow. 

Sources:

Women given new insight into blood clot risk – EurekAlert!

Factor V Leiden – Mayo Clinic

The post 3 factors that dramatically increase women’s blood clot risk appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

For instance, people with IBD are at higher risk of colorectal cancer and prostate cancer. They have triple the risk of developing blood clots. Their risk of heart attack is up to nine times higher than that of people without IBD. And they’re more than twice as likely to develop dementia.

For these reasons, and the one I’m about to share, it’s incredibly important to manage IBD well…

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IBD could increase stroke risk

In a new study, researchers studied 85,006 people with IBD confirmed by biopsy. For comparison’s sake, the IBD patients were matched up to five people of the same birth year, sex and county of residence who did not have IBD. This brought the total to 406,987 participants.

The average follow-up was 12 years. During that time, 3,720 of the IBD patients had a stroke, compared with 15,599 of the people who did not have IBD.

The researchers then identified other factors that could affect stroke risks, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity. When accounting for those factors, they found people with IBD were 13 percent more likely to have a stroke up to 25 years after their diagnosis than those without the disease.

This increased risk was mainly due to ischemic stroke caused by a blockage of blood flow to the brain, rather than hemorrhagic stroke caused by bleeding in the brain.

Both IBD and stroke have genetic components that predispose some people to the disease. For that reason, the researchers also included full siblings of the participants with IBD in the study. These 101,082 siblings had no history of IBD or stroke at the beginning of the study.

When compared with their siblings, the participants with IBD had an 11 percent higher overall risk of stroke.

Now, the researchers caution that this study only shows an association between IBD and stroke. It doesn’t prove that IBD causes stroke.

Still, study author Dr. Jiangwei Sun of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm says the results show people with IBD and their doctors need to be aware of this long-term increased risk. “Screening and management of stroke risk factors may be more urgent in people with IBD,” Sun says.

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Steps to lower your odds of stroke

If you have IBD, take extra care to protect yourself against preventable risk factors for stroke. You’ll definitely want to avoid smoking, and it’s probably also a good idea to skip alcohol use as well. And make sure you manage your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and diabetes can all contribute to stroke risk.

It’s also a good idea to pay attention to risk factors for blood clots, especially since the strokes recorded in the study tended to be caused by a blood flow blockage. Blood clot risk factors in those with IBD include:

• IBD flare-ups 
• Hospitalization (especially due to an IBD flare)
• Surgery
• Increasing age
• Pregnancy 
• Medications (including steroids used to treat inflammation associated with IBD)

Above all, talk to your doctor to see what you can do to manage your IBD, reduce your risk of blood clots and maintain healthy blood flow. If necessary, they can adjust your medication to help reduce your IBD flare-ups and protect you against clots.

There are steps you can take as well to help your IBD. One of the most important is to eliminate any IBD triggers in your diet. My colleague Dr. Adria Schmedthorst recommends a plant-based diet free from animal products and processed foods, which in one case study sent a patient’s Crohn’s disease into complete remission.

Adding mango to your diet is another good way to reduce your IBD symptoms, as long as you do it gradually to minimize any issues with its fiber.

To support normal blood flow, make sure you exercise regularly and add certain nutrients to your diet, including vitamin K2 and an enzyme called nattokinase found in fermented soy. Natto, a dish made from fermented soybeans, contains both these important nutrients to help promote healthy circulation.

Sources:

Inflammatory bowel disease linked to increased risk of stroke — EurekAlert!

Stroke Causes and Risk Factors — National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

The post IBD: The gut problem that increases stroke risk appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

This dangerous buildup of fatty plaques on the inner walls of the blood vessels can cause a narrowing of the vessel’s internal diameter, restricting blood circulation. These plaques can also rupture and form clots that obstruct blood flow, which can lead to stroke and heart attack.

Generally, this fat buildup is formed by low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the “bad” form of cholesterol. Therefore, targeting LDL is believed to be one way to prevent atherosclerotic plaques from forming in the first place.

A great place to start is with diet.

For example, when choosing fats for cooking, seed oils have proven to be most effective at lowering LDL levels. A diet high in pulses like beans, legumes, lentils and peas also has shown the ability to reduce LDL, due in part to the fiber they contain.

As far as nutrients go, omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for anyone looking to lower LDL. Omega-3s raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the “good” type of cholesterol that helps shuttle LDL through the body for processing and excretion.

There’s another dietary nutrient that’s been investigated for lowering cholesterol — and it looks quite promising in the battle to combat atherosclerosis…

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Carotenes help fight artery-clogging fat

Carotenes, bioactive antioxidant compounds found in yellow, orange and green fruits and vegetables, are believed to have the potential to check atherosclerosis. But many studies have been inconclusive on this point.

That’s why a team of researchers from IDIBAPS and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) studied 204 people between the ages of 50 and 70. The researchers measured two parameters in these participants: the concentration of carotenes in their blood and the presence of atherosclerotic plaques in their carotid arteries.

“The study concludes that the greater the concentration of carotenes in the blood, the lesser the atherosclerotic burden, particularly in women,” says Gemma Chiva Blanch, a professor and researcher at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). “So, we can confirm that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables and thus in carotenes lowers the risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases.”

The study results showed elevated levels of carotene in those who followed diets rich in fruits and vegetables, such as the Mediterranean diet. In fact, the researchers found a higher adherence to a Mediterranean eating pattern was linked with increased alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and total carotene blood concentrations. That’s good news because previous research found it’s also one of the easiest diets to stick to.

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A double-whammy against cholesterol and inflammation

This study didn’t present any reasoning as to why carotenes protect against atherosclerosis. But past research in humans and mice found the conversion of beta-carotene to vitamin A helps protect against atherosclerosis development by reducing the amount of LDL in the blood.

Another theory has to do with the anti-inflammatory action of carotenes. For years, the cause of atherosclerosis was believed to be the cholesterol ingested from high-fat foods like red meat and dairy products. However, more recently it’s been theorized that cholesterol is always in the body and doesn’t cause much harm until combined with inflammation.

Where the problem starts, according to inflammation theory, is when systemic inflammation impacts the walls of the arteries. This inflammation causes LDL to stick to the artery walls, leading to the clogging that’s characteristic of atherosclerosis.

The researchers suggest further studies with a larger group are needed to establish causality between increased carotenes and lower atherosclerotic plaque.

But carotenes have shown anti-inflammatory properties in numerous studies, so their protective effect against atherosclerosis could be due to this action as well as LDL reduction.

Regardless of the mechanism, the research indicates that getting plenty of carotenes in your diet can benefit your cardiovascular health. Strive for five daily servings of fruits and vegetables, especially from these sources that are high in carotenes:

• Carrots
• Spinach
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Broccoli
• Sweet potatoes
• Bell peppers
• Pumpkins
• Tomatoes
• Cantaloupes
• Mangoes
• Papayas
• Apricots

In this study, researchers discovered only 10 participants were taking antioxidant supplements, meaning these high concentrations of carotenes were mainly being achieved through food intake. But if you can’t manage enough servings, supplements are a great option.

Sources:

Carotene-rich diet linked to lower fat levels in arteries — Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

Total carotene plasma concentrations are inversely associated with atherosclerotic plaque burden: A post-hoc analysis of the DIABIMCAP cohort — Clinical Nutrition

The post Carotenes: A double-whammy against atherosclerosis appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In particular, we need to take extra care with our circulation, which during the summer can often be hindered by hot weather, swelling and inflammation. And in the case of travel, whether by planes, trains or automobiles, sitting for long periods can be quite dangerous.

Researchers have found that long-distance travel can raise your risk of deadly venous thromboembolism (VTE) as much as threefold. In addition, the risk increases relative to the duration of your trip — by a whopping 26 percent for every two hours of air travel and by 18 percent for every two hours of any other kind of travel — even if you’re otherwise healthy.

But travel can be safe with a few precautions…

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What is VTE ?

VTE comprises deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). DVT is marked by abnormal clot formation(s) in the deepest veins in your body, including those in your legs or pelvis.

A pulmonary embolism occurs when a clot becomes dislodged and travels to your lungs, blocking the pulmonary artery and resulting in difficulty breathing, rapid heart rate and, sometimes, sudden death.

Perhaps the most important precaution you can take is to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of VTE. This knowledge can save your life.

Pain, swelling, redness and warmth in your legs are red flags that a blood clot may have formed — and sudden shortness of breath, chest pain and a bloody cough are all warning signs that it may have traveled to your lungs.

Who’s at risk?

Long-distance travelers are at higher risk for these serious events, due to the sedentary nature of travel, but other factors can increase that risk, including:

• Being over the age of 40
• A body mass index (BMI) greater than 30
• Having undergone surgery in the past three months
• Using estrogen-containing contraceptives or hormone replacement therapies
• Pregnancy or having given birth in the last three months
• A history of blood clots previously or a family history of them
• Currently undergoing active cancer treatment
• Having limited mobility due to a cast or a walking boot
• Having varicose veins

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Reducing your risk

Getting up and moving, if possible, is paramount to decreasing the risk of blood clots from prolonged sitting. But when traveling, that’s not always possible. But even a little movement can do some good…

In one study, researchers asked healthy men and women to sit for three hours. During that time, they were told to fidget one leg intermittently by tapping their foot for one minute and then resting it for four minutes. Their other leg remained still for the entire three hours.

After the time was up, researchers compared the blood flow in each leg. Participants had significantly better blood flow in the fidgety leg than the one they kept still. 

High-quality botanical and nutritional supplements can also help. In my clinical practice, I recommend a Tibetan herbal formula that has been clinically studied for decades; published studies show it significantly reduces abnormal clotting factors and boosts circulation.

Other helpful nutraceutical ingredients include the enzyme nattokinase from natto, a fermented soy product and traditional food from Japan. Hawthorn berries and omega-3 fats are also helpful for promoting circulation and cardiovascular health.

Beets or beet powders help the body produce nitric oxide, a natural vasodilator that supports normal blood flow.

If you suspect VTE during or after your next long trip, be sure to seek medical attention immediately. Quick intervention and proper prevention can help ensure that you enjoy many more trips — and all of the long-distance travel they might require — for years to come. Safe and happy travels!

For more health information, visit www.dreliaz.org.

The post Reduce the travel risks of deep vein thrombosis appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Turns out I should have explored this habit a bit more thoroughly…

While it may seem comfortable to sit with our legs crossed, this action has a lot of downsides when it comes to our health.

12 consequences of crossing your legs

1. Hip misalignment. Crossing your legs can cause one hip to shift higher than the other. This can lead to the pelvis becoming misaligned.

2. Spine and shoulder misalignment. Because of the way your skeleton is connected, a misalignment of the pelvis can lead to a misalignment of the spine and shoulders.

3. Misaligned head position. When you cross your legs, your spine compensates to keep your center of gravity above the pelvis. And when this happens, this can change the bones of the neck, throwing your head position out of alignment.

4. Muscle weaknesses. When your hips become misaligned, prolonged stretching of the gluteal muscles on the higher hip side weakens those muscles. The resulting poor posture, stresses and strains caused by sitting with your legs crossed can also cause weakness in the muscles of the pelvis, lower back and neck. The more you cross your legs when you sit, the more pronounced these imbalances and weaknesses will become.

5. Increased scoliosis risk. When you constantly sit with your legs crossed, you increase the odds of developing an abnormal alignment of the spine known as scoliosis, as well as other deformities.

6. Greater trochanteric pain syndrome risk. Sitting with your legs crossed raises your risk of developing trochanteric pain syndrome, a common and painful condition that affects the outer side of the hip and thigh.

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7. Leg and foot abnormalities. Consistently crossing your legs when you sit can compress and injure the peroneal (or fibular) nerve in your lower leg. Two symptoms of this condition are weakness when trying to lift the side of the foot where your little toe is located and foot drop, where the whole of the foot hangs down. Usually, these symptoms are short-lived and return to normal within a few minutes.

8. Higher risk of blood clots. Crossing your legs changes the speed at which blood moves through the blood vessels in the lower limbs. This can raise the risk of blood clots forming. If a clot forms in one of the deep veins of the legs, that’s known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and can cause leg pain and swelling. DVT can lead to pulmonary embolism, a dangerous condition where the clot breaks off and travels to the lungs, blocking blood flow there.

9. Cuts off circulation. Sitting with your legs crossed can cut off circulation. This can contribute to a sudden drop in blood pressure known as orthostatic hypotension, which can cause dizziness upon standing too quickly.

10. Causes leg cramps. Long periods of sitting with your legs crossed can deplete the nutrients your muscles need to function properly. This can lead to painful leg cramps. 

11. Increased blood pressure. Have you ever noticed that the nurse always tells you to keep your feet flat on the floor when taking your blood pressure? That’s because crossing your legs at the knees can cause your blood pressure to rise. What happens is when you cross your legs, your blood pools in the veins, causing your heart to have to work harder to pump blood through the body. This can increase the risk of blood vessel damage.

12. Reduced sperm production. For optimal sperm production, the temperature of the testicles needs to be between 2 and 6 degrees Celsius below standard body temperature. Crossing the legs could reduce sperm count and quality because it raises the temperature of the testicles by as much as 3.5 degrees Celsius.

What about the lotus pose?

There’s more than one way to sit cross-legged. When you’re sitting in a chair, you can either cross your legs at the knee or the ankle. Crossing at the ankle isn’t as hard on the body as crossing at the knee, though it still can cause misalignment and muscle imbalances.

Then there’s the common yoga or meditation pose known as lotus position, where you sit on the floor with your legs crossed like a pretzel rather than straight in front of you. There isn’t a lot of data as to whether long periods of time spent in this position can cause the same issues as sitting cross-legged in a chair. But both yoga and meditation have so many health benefits that they probably offset any downsides to the short amount of time spent in the lotus position.

Overall, when you’re sitting in a chair, it’s best to sit with your legs uncrossed and feet flat on the floor. Using a footrest should be fine as long as your legs face forward and your feet rest evenly on the footrest.

It’s also crucial that you not sit still in the same position for too long. Try to take breaks every hour, at minimum, and stand up or walk around for a few minutes before resuming your seat.

Sources:

Don’t Sit With Your Legs Crossed. An Anatomy Expert Explains Why. — ScienceAlert

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) — Mayo Clinic

Best Posture for Sitting at a Desk all Day — Sydney Sports & Exercise Physiology

The post 12 reasons to stop sitting with your legs crossed appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s why the most noticeable symptom of PAD is claudication — leg pain and leg cramps that occur most often when walking, caused by too little blood flow to the muscles.

If you’re over 60, have kidney disease or a family history of heart disease, you’re at higher risk for PAD. If you’re African American, your risk of PAD is twice as high. Now, there’s no cure for PAD, but lifestyle changes — pretty much the same that apply to heart disease — can help reduce symptoms.

Better yet, putting those lifestyle changes, like regular exercise and following a healthy diet, to work early on will go a long way in helping you avoid PAD.

Just be sure to put the most recently discovered modifiable risk factor associated with PAD to work for you, or else your risk of developing this clotting condition could shoot up almost 75 percent…

The effect of short sleep on PAD

Insufficient night-time sleep and daytime napping have previously been associated with a raised risk of coronary artery disease which, like PAD, is caused by clogged arteries, according to Dr. Shau Yuan of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. And that’s concerning…

“In addition, sleeping problems are among the top-ranked complaints in PAD patients. There are limited data on the impact of sleep habits on PAD and vice versa, and our study aimed to fill that gap.”

The study was conducted in two parts and involved more than 650,000 participants. First, they analyzed the links between sleep duration and daytime napping and the risk of PAD.

Then, they used genetic data to examine causality and show whether the sleep habits were causing PAD or the other way around.

The strongest evidence indicated that fewer hours of sleep impacted PAD — and it was a two-way street…

• They found that sleeping less than 5 hours a night was associated with a 74 percent greater likelihood of developing PAD when compared with sleeping 7 to 8 hours a night.
• In the causal part of the study, getting less than 5 hours of sleep increased the risk of PAD, and having PAD increased the likelihood of short sleep duration.

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Regarding long-duration sleep, in an analysis of 53,416 adults, they found sleeping 8 hours or more was linked to a 24 percent higher risk of PAD than sleeping 7 to 8 hours. Napping was linked to a 32 percent greater risk of PAD. But the second part of the study failed to identify causal links.

“More studies are needed on the relationships between lengthy night-time sleep, daytime napping and PAD,” said Dr. Yuan.

Another argument for the sleep sweet spot

Getting good sleep matters — so much so that the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 acknowledge the research that getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep helps people better manage various aspects of their heart health — and how shortchanging that can have dire consequences.

Dr. Yuan’s study seems to be right in line with that, or at least pretty close: sleeping less than 5 hours a night greatly increased the risk for PAD, compared to sleeping 7 to 8 hours. Maybe sleeping no more than 8 hours is a sleep sweet spot to shoot for.

But because having PAD was also a causal reason for short sleep duration, people living with PAD may have to work harder at sleeping longer. That means managing the leg pain that accompanies PAD.

One supplement that may help is vitamin D…

It’s known that both vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D insufficiency are significantly associated with PAD. And that short-coming may also impact pain levels.

A review of the scientific literature related to vitamin D and pain management conducted by researchers at The Federal University of São Paulo in Brazil found vitamin D affects the body’s inflammation response in a way that lowers the sensation of pain.

Those same researchers believe vitamin D’s ability to regulate the sleep cycle may add to its ability to reduce pain as well. Vitamin D also works well with melatonin, the sleep hormone available in supplement form. Some research argues that melatonin has a role in cardiovascular health.

If you’re on medication for PAD, it’s a good idea to discuss these supplements with your doctor before adding them.

Sources:

Short night-time sleep linked with nearly doubled risk of clogged leg arteries — European Society of Cardiology

Sleep duration, daytime napping, and risk of peripheral artery disease: multinational cohort and Mendelian randomization studies — European Heart Journal Open

Life’s Essential 8 – How to Get Healthy Sleep Fact Sheet — American Heart Association

The post Peripheral artery disease: How sleep contributes to the pain in your legs appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Depression is a persistent feeling of sadness that isn’t so easy to push through. It interferes with your daily life and even takes the joy from places where you once found it.

But the truth is, depression is an illness that not only steals your happiness — it can also make you far more likely to suffer from other serious ailments as well.

In fact, research has already linked depression to everything from cancer to diabetes and hypertension thanks to the chemical pathway that connects inflammation to these disease processes.

Now, researchers at the University of Galway in Ireland have found yet another dire reason for patients and doctors alike to work hard at treating depression: a higher risk for stroke…

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Increased stroke risk, decreased chance of recovery

Their research involved almost 27,000 participants from the INTERSTROKE study that spanned 32 countries. Approximately half of the participants had suffered a stroke, while the other half were stroke-free.

Participants completed questionnaires at the beginning of the study that delved into risk factors, like high blood pressure and diabetes. And the researchers took a deep look at any symptoms of depression each person had experienced within the year before the study.

So how did all that data boil down?

After adjusting for all other factors that can affect stroke risk, the data showed that people with symptoms of depression before stroke had a 46 percent higher chance of stroke than someone who had not suffered from depression.

And the more symptoms a person had, the higher that stroke risk.

Unfortunately, that was only the tip of the iceberg…

The research also showed that suffering from depression can also make it less likely you’ll recover if you do have a stroke. Those with depression were more likely to have worse outcomes one month after the stroke than participants without depression.

“In this study, we gained deeper insights into how depressive symptoms can contribute to stroke,” said study author Robert P. Murphy, MBBS. “Our results show that symptoms of depression can have an impact on mental health, but also increase the risk of stroke. Physicians should be looking for these symptoms of depression and can use this information to help guide health initiatives focused on stroke prevention.”

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A two-pronged approach to reduce risk

This means that if you want to avoid having a stroke, you not only have to focus on the health of your arteries and blood flow, but also your mood.

To keep your blood vessels at their best and your blood flowing smoothly, try passive stretching. This artery “workout” has been found to increase blood flow and dilation of vessels and decrease arterial stiffness in as little as 12 weeks.

To help fight depression, you may need the help of a psychiatrist. But there are two good reasons to consider supplementing a combination of omega-3 fatty acids and phosphatidylserine (PS for short)…

A 2015 study found that taking 100 mg of PS, plus an omega-3 supplement containing 119 mg of DHA and 70 mg of EPA three times a day for 12 weeks improved mood and lowered levels of the “stress hormone” cortisol in participants with late-life depression.

And there’s a bonus to supplementing omega-3s in regard to stroke risk…

Chronic inflammation in the blood vessels is normally controlled by “stop signals” called resolvins. Resolvins are formed from omega-3 fatty acids bind to a receptor called GPR32, activating the receptor’s ability to counteract inflammation in blood vessels, essentially switching off inflammation and stimulating tissue repair and healing. 

This process is known as resolution of inflammation, and researchers believe this is how omega-3s, like those found in fatty fish, fish oil or krill oil, protect the brain from stroke.

Sources:

The Effects of Phosphatidylserine and Omega-3 Fatty Acid-Containing Supplement on Late Life Depression – NIH

People with symptoms of depression may have an increased risk of stroke – EurekAlert!

The post The stroke risk linked to depression appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Its effects aren’t so sweet. It starts by turning the body against its master hormone, insulin. And while blood sugar problems are developing below the surface, above the surface extra weight and inches begin to appear.

That’s why so many of us shun sugar and turn to no-calorie or low-calorie sweeteners.

However, like the sugar cartel, the sweetener industry has a dirty little secret all of its own.

When it comes to your health, sweeteners aren’t all they’re cracked up to be…

In fact, fake sweeteners, like aspartame, sucralose and saccharine, have already been linked to everything from heart disease to asthma and autoimmune disorders.

Yet, there’s one you may think is a safe alternative – erythritol – a sugar alcohol that’s been making its way into more and more low-sugar, sugar-free and keto reduced-sugar products.

But don’t be fooled…

According to researchers at the Cleveland Clinic, erythritol could simply be one more bitter health danger disguised as a sweet treat.

Sugar substitute leads to sticky blood

It’s easy to see why erythritol may have been identified as a safer alternative to sugar in the beginning. It’s naturally present in fruits and vegetables — but in very small amounts. But processed low-sugar, sugar-free and no-carb foods can contain amounts of the sugar alcohol that are 1,000-fold higher!

So what dangerous secret is erythritol hiding?

Sticky blood and a dramatically increased risk for a cardiovascular event!

Yup, those Cleveland researchers studied over 4,000 people altogether in the U.S. and Europe, comparing blood levels of erythritol levels to heart dangers and the results were frightening.

Here’s a breakdown of the most important facts:

• In a group of 1,157 participants who agreed to undergo tests at a cardiovascular clinic, those with the highest erythritol levels had twice the risk of dying from or experiencing a major cardiovascular event, like a heart attack or stroke, in the next three years.
• After volunteers consumed an erythritol-sweetened drink, their blood levels of the compound peaked and remained high for two to three days before returning to normal. These levels were well above the value known to increase risk of blood clots.
• When erythritol was added to whole blood samples blood stickiness and other measures associated with blood clotting increased markedly, confirming that the sweetener heightens dangerous clot formation.

“Sweeteners like erythritol, have rapidly increased in popularity in recent years but there needs to be more in-depth research into their long-term effects,” said senior author Stanley Hazen, M.D., Ph.D.

Erythritol is also the largest ingredient by weight in many stevia and monk fruit products where it is used as a filler, according to Dr. Hazen.

Support healthy blood flow

So what can you do if you’ve been regularly using a sweetener or eating a food that contains erythritol because you believed it was a healthier alternative?

For starters, I hope you’ll give it up — right away. And until we know more about any lingering effects, let me share some circulation 101 with you…

Clotting of the blood is a normal bodily function. When things go as planned, blood clots any time there is an injury to a blood vessel, such as when you cut yourself. Tiny bits in your blood called platelets get “turned on” when an artery or vein is damaged. They stick to the walls of the blood vessel, and to each other, forming a plug that stops blood from leaking out.

Special proteins keep the clot from spreading farther than it needs to. And as the damaged tissue heals and the clot isn’t needed anymore, it dissolves back into the blood.

But sometimes the clotting process doesn’t go like it’s supposed to… whether erythritol is to blame or not. So, instead of risking it, I promote healthy blood flow naturally with nattokinase.

Nattokinase is an all-natural enzyme discovered over 40 years ago by a Japanese medical researcher named Hiyosuki Sumi, M.D.  It was isolated from a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans called “natto” and demonstrated the ability to support healthy blood flow.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: avoid the processed foods, the additives (as much as you can) and the artificial “this and that’s.” It’s a jungle out there.

Sources:

Popular Artificial Sweetener Appears to Make Blood ‘Stickier’, Linked to Stroke Risk – Microsoft Start

Cleveland Clinic study finds common artificial sweetener linked to higher rates of heart attack and stroke – EurekAlert!

The post Erythritol: The sugar substitute linked to sticky blood and stroke appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Studies have found links between poor oral health and conditions ranging from severe COVID-19 infection to diabetes and kidney disease and, especially, heart disease.

Other research has shown that not brushing your teeth well, skipping out on dental visits to remove plaque, having missing teeth and gum disease are all factors that contribute to increased stroke risk.

This led the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, to look more closely into how dental health impacts brain health.

And considering that 3 in 5 Americans will develop a brain disease in their lifetime, it makes sense to modify any behavior that can help you keep your memory and critical thinking skills working in tip-top shape…

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Bad oral health linked to bad brain health

Clearly, the mouth is a gateway to health or disease.

But according to study author Cyprien Rivier, M.D., M.S., a postdoctoral fellow in neurology at the Yale School of Medicine, “What hasn’t been clear is whether poor oral health affected brain health, meaning the functional status of a person’s brain, which we are now able to understand better using neuroimaging tools such as magnetic resonance imaging or MRI.

“Studying oral health is especially important because poor oral health happens frequently and is an easily modifiable risk factor — everyone can effectively improve their oral health with minimal time and financial investment.”

To that end a team of researchers analyzed the potential link between oral health and brain health among 40,000 UK Biobank enrollees with an average age of 57 who had no history of stroke.

The participants were screened for 105 genetic variants known to predispose a person to cavities, dentures and missing teeth later in life. Then, researchers evaluated the relationship between these genetic risk factors for poor oral health and brain health.

Using MRI, the researchers were able to assess signs of poor brain health, mainly white matter hyperintensities and microstructural damage.

According to the analysis, people who were genetically prone to cavities, missing teeth or needing dentures exhibited a 24 percent increase in the amount of white matter hyperintensities visible on the MRI images. This means their burden of silent cerebrovascular disease was higher and so was their risk for impaired memory, balance and mobility.

Also, those with overall genetically poor oral health showed a 43 percent change in microstructural damage to the fine architecture of the brain.

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Genetics versus healthy habits

Cerebrovascular disease refers to a group of conditions that affect blood flow and the blood vessels in the brain. Problems with blood flow may occur from blood vessel narrowing, clot formation, artery blockage or blood vessel rupture.

If that’s not incentive enough to ramp up the care of your mouth, I’m not sure what is. But what about the genetic factor researchers included in this study?

As previous studies diving into genetics and health conditions have shown, lifestyle habits make a significant difference…

Joseph P. Broderick, M.D., FAHA, a professor at the University of Cincinnati Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine and director of the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio, adds “Environmental factors such as smoking and health conditions such as diabetes are much stronger risk factors for poor oral health than any genetic marker — except for rare genetic conditions associated with poor oral health, such as defective or missing enamel.”

So instead of worrying about any genetic factors that could increase your risk of dental problems, focus on taking care of your mouth.  Keep brushing your teeth at least twice a day, floss at least once a day and visit the dentist at least twice a year for a cleaning and checkup.

If you’re a smoker or smokeless tobacco user, you need to stop. Both these activities raise your risk of gum disease, and smokeless tobacco use can also increase your risk of tooth decay and tooth loss.

Sources:

Poor oral health may contribute to declines in brain health — American Heart Association

 Genetics and Oral Health — American Dental Association

Smokeless Tobacco: Health Effects — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Diabetes and Oral Health — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The post The link between your toothbrush and silent brain damage appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

This is a condition known as shingles (herpes zoster). And 1 in 3 Americans will have it at some point in their lifetime.

Now, no one wants shingles. But it may seem like it’s not that big a deal. A course of antivirals is usually all it takes to knock out the rash and its accompanying pain and itching.

But it’s not always that simple.

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The hidden dangers of shingles

The deep, burning pain from shingles can sometimes linger for months or years after the rash disappears. This post-herpetic neuralgia (PHT) can also cause insomnia, depression and anxiety.

There’s a chance shingles can develop in or around your eyes. If you’re unlucky enough to get this ophthalmic form of shingles, it can cause complications like corneal ulcers, inflammation and glaucoma. And in rare cases, it can lead to acute retinal necrosis, which causes blindness.

A rare form of shingles known as Ramsey Hunt syndrome occurs when the virus attacks a major facial nerve and blisters appear in and around the ear or mouth on one side of the face. Ramsey Hunt can result in ear pain, loss of hearing, facial paralysis and changes in the ability to taste.

Shingles can also develop inside the body without causing an external rash. Symptoms are very similar to those of the flu, but they also include tingling and burning under the skin. Internal shingles can be dangerous and result in pneumonia, hepatitis or encephalitis if left untreated.

In addition, having shingles can raise your risk of two potentially deadly cardiovascular problems: One study found shingles raised the risk of stroke by 35 percent and the risk of heart attack by 59 percent. These risks were highest in the first year after the onset of shingles and decreased with time.

Those under the age of 40 had the highest risk of stroke. The risk was also greatest in people whose shingles rash appeared on their face, which could be due to the rash’s proximity to the brain.

“Most people know about the painful rash associated with shingles, but they may not know that the risk of stroke is elevated for a year after infection,” says Dr. Andrew Bubak, a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “Importantly, the rash is often completely healed and individuals feel normal but nonetheless are walking around with this significant elevation in stroke risk.”

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Exosomes could explain the shingles-stroke link

In a separate study, scientists decided to further investigate the link between shingles and stroke by taking a close look at exosomes. These lipid vesicles act as cellular couriers by moving proteins and genetic information between neighboring and distant cells.

In patients with shingles, the researchers found prothrombotic exosomes, which could cause blood clots, and proinflammatory exosomes, which could also increase stroke risk.

“Exosomes carry pathogenic cargo that can cause thrombosis and inflammation distant from site of actual infection,” Bubak says. “That could ultimately lead to a stroke in patients.”

The findings suggest that in certain people with shingles, the circulating exosomes that cause a prolonged prothrombotic state could persist even after antiviral therapy is complete and the rash has disappeared.

According to Bubak, longer use of antivirals, along with the addition of antiplatelet and anti-inflammatory agents, could help decrease the risk of stroke.

The researchers say healthcare practitioners could also seek to increase shingles vaccine uptake, particularly in those with known preexisting stroke risk factors. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people age 50 and older get two doses of the shingles vaccine. The vaccine has been shown to reduce the incidence of shingles by 51 percent and the PHT associated with shingles by 67 percent.

Sources:

Scientists Find Probable Cause of Shingles/Stroke Link — University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Shingles linked to stroke, heart attack — Novant Health

Shingles Vaccination — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The post What you should know about shingles and stroke appeared first on Easy Health Options®.