But my favorite episode offers so much more than a few good laughs…

In it, Frasier’s brother Niles – who, with his fussy tendencies and idiosyncrasies, was always my favorite character – keeps complaining of a throbbing toothache.

His pain turns out to have nothing to do with his tooth itself — but is actually referred heart pain that lands him in cardiac surgery for blocked arteries.

I’m sure it seemed far-fetched to some viewers at the time, but in the years since, studies have demonstrated that certain species of bad bacteria in the mouth can increase inflammatory proteins that accelerate the deposition of buildup in the coronary arteries.

Now, research is revealing that while poor oral health can damage the heart and blood vessels, a focused dental care routine that’s easily accessible could actually reduce narrowing of the arteries over time.

Here’s what you need to know…

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How gum disease leads to thick arteries

Periodontists and cardiologists conducted a gold-standard randomized trial at a dental hospital in central London. They followed 135 people with severe periodontitis (also known as gum disease).

For each person, they took blood samples for markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. They also measured how much the arteries dilated when blood flow increased, a measure of blood vessel functioning, and measured the thickness of their artery walls via ultrasound — a key marker for cardiovascular disease risk.  

The participants were randomly split into separate groups to receive dental care — but it wasn’t the same old standard care for all participants…

• The first group received “intensive periodontitis treatment,” which included a thorough cleaning of the whole mouth and a deep cleaning below the gum line to remove plaque and tartar.
• The rest received a regular cleaning — with just a scale and polish — typical of a yearly dental visit.

Then, the participants were followed over the next two years, and each received further dental treatments at regular intervals throughout that time. Researchers also reassessed the carotid artery at the one-year and two-year marks, took blood samples and measured blood-vessel function at five different times.

The results spoke for themselves…

People who went through the intensive periodontitis treatment had:

• Carotid arteries with much lower thickness levels, indicating a lower risk for heart disease
• Better blood vessel function
• Lower levels of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in their blood, which lead to atherosclerosis

In fact, the benefits patients received from deep gum treatment were “comparable to what has been seen with lifestyle interventions and some pharmacological agents in similar populations,” said Dr. Francesco D’Aiuto, a clinical research periodontist at University College London.

These findings suggest that oral health should be taken seriously as a contributing factor in cardiovascular disease, far more seriously than it has been considered previously, despite past research.

“For many, many years, dentists have been focusing on the teeth, forgetting the rest of the body, and physicians have been focusing on the body, forgetting that there are teeth,” said Dr. Maurizio Tonetti, a clinical and research periodontist. “They are really two worlds that have been separated and need to go back together for the benefit of patients.”

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Making oral health a priority

The good news is, this study proves that when you take care of your teeth and gums, you can support a healthy heart and blood vessels, along with a healthy mouth.

And in addition to seeing your dentist regularly, there are ways to do that at home.

First, be sure to take these six steps for fighting gum disease naturally. They include everything from diet and things to add to your toothpaste to supplements that can help.

I also highly recommend drinking matcha tea or using it in place of your usual mouthwash as it helps take down gum disease-causing bacteria.

I also practice oil pulling, specifically with coconut oil, to leverage a flavonoid known as prunin laurate or Pru-C12. Pru-C12 stops the growth of P. gingivalis, a bacterium frequently detected in deep periodontal pockets, considered to be the most critical bacterium in periodontal disease.

Keep your smile—and your ticker—in tip-top shape!

Sources:

Gum disease treatment slows the thickening of arteries, clinical trial shows – LIVESCIENCE

The post How your dentist can keep your arteries from narrowing 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®.

There is a strong link between particulate matter (PM) — a major component of air pollution which can contain dust, soot, pollen, ash, metals and soil — and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

People who live in or near high-traffic areas are frequently exposed to elevated PM levels from vehicle emissions and wear and tear from tires and brake pads.

The tiny particles can make their way into their homes, where they are inhaled and increase the risk for high blood pressure, a contributing factor for heart disease.

If this sounds like your neighborhood, it may seem impossible to avoid breathing in PM. But there’s good news — you can fight the effects of this pollution with a simple device…

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The heart benefits of HEPA

In a trial of 154 adults living near highways, participants were randomly assigned to receive one month of either high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purification or no filtration (the same HEPA units with the filter removed).

After a one-month “washout” period during which neither group received filtration, the groups were swapped, with the previous no-filtration group receiving HEPA purification and the HEPA group receiving no filtration.

Blood pressure was measured, and participant questionnaires were collected at the start and end of each period.

The results were encouraging…

• Researchers found that participants with elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) greater than 120 mmHg experienced an average 2.8 mmHg reduction in SBP after one month of HEPA filtration.
• By contrast, SBP increased by 0.2 mmHg during the no-filtration period. This resulted in a significant 3.0 mmHg difference in favor of HEPA purification.
• There was no significant impact reported on diastolic blood pressure or among participants with normal SBP of below 120 mmHg.

These results held even for participants who lived in areas with relatively low overall air pollution levels.

Dr. Douglas Brugge, a professor at the University of Connecticut and lead author of the study, notes that high blood pressure is one of the key modifiable risk factors for CVD.

“This research adds to growing evidence that simple interventions, like in-home air filtration, may help improve heart health for people at risk,” Brugge says.

“Overwhelming evidence shows the harmful health effects of PM2.5 exposure, even at levels below current U.S. standards,” says Jonathan Newman, a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and lead author of the study’s accompanying editorial comment.

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Buying and running a HEPA filter

According to Dr. Harlan Krumholz, editor-in-chief of JACC, the journal that published the study, the results indicate that even modest improvements in indoor air quality could have a meaningful impact on blood pressure for people at risk.

“While more research is needed, these results suggest that what we breathe at home may matter for our cardiovascular health,” Krumholz says.

Still, the researchers say the results are enough to recommend HEPA purifier use for vulnerable populations, those with pre-existing risk of CVD and those living within 200 meters of high-traffic highways or 100 meters of high-traffic roads.

Here are some tips for buying and operating a HEPA filter:

• Make sure the HEPA filter you buy is a “true HEPA filter” or rated H13 or H14, both of which are medical-grade HEPA filters. True HEPA filters must trap 99.97% of particles that are 0.3 micrometers in diameter.
• Buy a filter that fits the room where you will use it most frequently.
• Check to see how long each filter lasts and how much replacement filters cost. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for how often to replace the filter.
• For maximum effectiveness, keep the HEPA filter in one location and run it 24 hours a day with the windows and doors closed.
• Leave 18 to 24 inches of space around the back and sides of the HEPA unit.

For added protection, consider the vitamin that undoes the heart damage air pollution does, chelation for heavy metals and improve your indoor air with houseplants.

Sources:

Air purifiers may reduce heart risks for people exposed to traffic pollution — EurekAlert!

Effect of HEPA Filtration Air Purifiers on Blood Pressure: A Pragmatic Randomized Crossover Trial — JACC

Understanding Blood Pressure Readings — American Heart Association

Don’t Be Fooled by HEPA Filter Types: Standard and Approved Filters — HEPACART

What to Consider When Buying a HEPA Air Filter — Public Health in the 406

The post A simple device to combat heart-damaging air pollution 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®.

Maybe it’s because women cross a proverbial threshold — menstruation — that eventually opens a door for young women to begin regular gynecological checkups. Along with those yearly visits come screenings for female-specific cancers.

This kickstarts a habit of regular preventive care that becomes ingrained. But for men, it’s a different story…

Our culture gives men the message that they need to “be strong” and “handle things.”

This message makes a lot of men — especially young men — reluctant to take care of their health, and it’s a habit that’s slow to change.

A new study shows just how big an impact this is having on the health of men, and the news isn’t good…

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An ounce of prevention = a pound of cure

It’s not just a saying. Preventing disease really is a much easier route than curing one. But it’s not a message men have gotten — and it shows…

Last year, Harvard researchers shared that the life expectancy gap between men and women had grown to as much as six years. Sadly, experts say it’s due in part to preventable deaths.

“When you’re in your 20s, 30s, you’re indestructible, you’re Superman,” says Scott Stephens, a 62-year-old who never thought about his health care until he was in his 40s and his father developed prostate cancer.

“It’s also a badge of courage; why should I go? I don’t need to call my doctor.”

A new survey by the Cleveland Clinic looked at members of Gen Z (born 1997-2005), Millennials (born 1981-1996), Gen X (born 1965-1980) and Boomers+ (born before 1965).

They grouped Gen X and Boomers together and Millennials and Gen Z together. Then they compared their survey answers to some specific questions:

• Get a yearly physical (61% Gen X and Boomers+ vs. 32% Millennials and Gen Z men)
• Avoid smoking/vaping (60% Gen X and Boomers+ vs. 43% Millennials and Gen Z men)
• Address mental health (53% Gen X and Boomers+ 59% Millennials and Gen Z men)

Additional revelations from the survey were:

• Most men fear getting cancer (74%), but rates of screenings and cancer awareness remain low.
• One-third of Gen X and Boomers+ who are eligible for colorectal cancer screening have not been screened or are not sure if they’ve been screened.
• A quarter of men with an average risk of prostate cancer (50+) have not been screened or are not sure if they’ve been screened.

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What men should do to protect their health

There’s a clear generational divide in how men approach health. But if we jumped back in time 30 years or so, we’d likely find the exact same habits playing out.

In other words, Gen Z isn’t the first generation of young men to place a low priority on their health. It seems that it’s just a matter of getting older before men begin to take health seriously — when symptoms crop up that require attention.

But regardless of age, there are steps men should be taking at each stage of life to safeguard their health:

In your 20s or 30s. Stop relying on the Internet. Make an appointment and get a handle on how healthy (or unhealthy) you are.

“Men should first come around age 21 for general health maintenance,” says Dr. Messmer. It’s also a good time to start measuring cholesterol, especially if there’s a family history of heart disease.

In your 40s. Colon cancer screening should start when men are in their 40s and then repeat every 10 years. If you have a family history, screening should start five years earlier than the age at which the relative was diagnosed and be repeated every five years.

Prostate, bladder, and kidney cancer screening should also begin in a man’s 40s.

In your 50s or 60s. This is the time when urologic issues tend to crop up. Many men come in with erectile dysfunction but discover they have a more serious prostate problem. Besides the standard PSA test, doctors now have other ways to gauge a man’s risk.

Finally, Dr. Ryon McDermott of the University of South Alabama points out, “The brain and the body are obviously very connected.” It’s never too late to start taking care of your mental health.

Sources:

National Cleveland Clinic Survey Examines Generational Divide in Men’s Health — Cleveland Clinic

It’s Time to Man Up and See a Doctor — Web MD

Widening Gender Gap in Life Expectancy in the US, 2010-2021 — JAMA Internal Medicine

Mars vs. Venus: The gender gap in health — Harvard Medical School

The post The unnecessary reason for men’s increasingly shorter lifespans appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Sadly, if you’re living with even a single one of these cardiometabolic diseases, your risk of death doubles. End up with more than one of them, and your chances of dying are now four to seven times greater — frightening facts that make finding ways to prevent these diseases vital.

Luckily, researchers say that not only have they found a simple way to do just that in a drink many of us enjoy every morning…

They’ve even nailed down exactly how much of it you need to avoid the multiple cardiometabolic disease trap that could spell death…

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Drink coffee to crush cardiometabolic disease

The research, conducted at Suzhou Medical College in China, tracked the cardiometabolic health of over 172,000 participants who consumed varying levels of caffeine daily, compared to an additional 188,000 people who drank coffee or tea.

And the results all came down to a simple fact…

Both coffee and caffeine intake — in general, at all levels — were inversely associated with the risk of new-onset of multiple cardiometabolic diseases.

In other words, getting any amount of caffeine daily, whether from supplements or a tasty cup of joe, lowers the likelihood of metabolic health problems — especially of the multiple varieties.

However, according to the researchers, a moderate level of coffee or caffeine intake is the amount to shoot for if you want the most bang for your buck.

That’s because moderate coffee or caffeine intake resulted in the lowest risk and was inversely associated with almost all developmental stages of cardiometabolic multimorbidity.

The researchers found that compared with non-coffee drinkers or those who consumed less than 100mg caffeine per day, consumers of three coffees or 200-300 mg of caffeine per day had a 48.1 percent or 40.7 percent reduced risk for new-onset cardiometabolic multimorbidity.

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Don’t sabotage your coffee’s health benefits

Of course, not all coffee is created equal when it comes to your health.

For the best metabolic support, be sure to:

• Avoid sugar-laden coffees – While that whipped-cream-topped caramel latte may be tasty, consuming too much sugar is a sure path to metabolic syndrome. It sabotages cholesterol and increases heart risks. If you like your coffee sweet, try a natural, plant-based sweetener, like stevia, instead of sugar.
• Add whole milk or cream – Research is showing that whole-fat dairy is not just good for your heart, it could reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and death from any cause, even more than consuming reduced-fat dairy.
• Avoid espresso – Drinking just three espressos has been shown to significantly increase serum total cholesterol (a metabolic risk factor), especially in men. It takes six or more cups of coffee made in a French press or filtered coffee to do the same.

So if you want to avoid becoming another metabolic statistic, feel free to enjoy your favorite morning beverage guilt-free!

But remember, your favorite giant mug doesn’t count as one cup if it holds over 6 to 8 ounces. So keep it around 18 to 24 ounces a day.

Sources:

Moderate coffee and caffeine consumption is associated with lower risk of developing multiple cardiometabolic diseases, new study finds – EurekAlert!

The coffee brew method that raises cholesterol most for men – Easy Health Options

The post Coffee: The cardiometabolic disease crusher that lowers heart disease, diabetes and stroke appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s because estrogen is more than a female hormone. It affects factors that regulate vascular wall elasticity, impacting blood pressure and circulation.

Without it, blood vessels begin to constrict, making it easier for cholesterol (which increases due to menopause) to build up on artery walls.

This makes it even more important for women in midlife to protect their heart health by following Life’s Essential 8 (LE8), a series of steps recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) for lowering the odds of heart disease. These steps are as follows:

• Eat better
• Be more active
• Quit tobacco
• Get healthy sleep
• Manage weight
• Control cholesterol
• Manage blood sugar
• Manage blood pressure

But research has discovered that one of these, in particular, is a ticking time bomb for women’s heart health — and death risk overall…

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One of the essential 8 stood out

The researchers analyzed health data collected from about 3,000 women who participated in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), which began in 1996. They compared the women’s LE8 scores at baseline, which was around age 46, to their evolving health trajectories over time.

They took into account subclinical measures, such as increased carotid artery thickness; cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes; and mortality from all causes. They also examined the impacts of each of the individual LE8 components.

Their analysis found that four factors were responsible for driving the increased risk for cardiovascular disease in menopausal women. They included: blood glucose, blood pressure, sleep quality and nicotine use.

But above all, sleep emerged as a significant potential predictor of cardiovascular disease events and all-cause mortality.

In other words, meeting the bar for healthy sleep may contribute to women’s heart health and longevity by lowering their cardiovascular risks. LE8 defines healthy sleep as an average of seven to nine hours a night.

This hypothesis should be tested in a future clinical trial, says Ziyuan Wang, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Public Health and first author of the study.

“Previously, we’ve shown that the menopause transition is a time of accelerating cardiovascular risk,” says senior author Dr. Samar R. El Khoudary, a professor of epidemiology at Pitt Public Health. “This study underscores that it’s also an opportunity for women to take the reins on their heart health.”

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Boosting your Life’s Essential 8 score

In other findings, low total LE8 scores were associated with increased cardiovascular risk. And the study uncovered a worrying statistic: only 1 in 5 of the participants had optimal LE8 scores.

“With heart disease being the leading cause of death in women, these findings point to the need for lifestyle and medical interventions to improve heart health during and after menopause among midlife women,” El Khoudary says.

How can you improve your score?

Start with improving your sleep since it’s such a critical factor. Certain fruits and vegetables can help you sleep better, and that falls in line with the following suggestions:

• Follow a diet that includes whole foods, lots of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, nuts, seeds, and cooking in non-tropical oils such as olive oil. LE8 also mentions canola as a heart-healthy oil, but keep in mind that canola oil has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
• Try to get 2 ½ hours of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity each week. That breaks down to a weekly schedule of five 30-minute sessions of moderate activity (such as walking) or three 25-minute sessions of vigorous physical activity (such as running or high-intensity interval training).
• The AHA defines tobacco use as the use of any inhaled nicotine products, including traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes and vaping. So if you engage in any of these activities, quit today.
• Strive to maintain a healthy weight. The AHA suggests keeping your BMI between 18.5 and 25. Lower than 18.5 is considered underweight, while between 25 and 30 is considered overweight, and over 30 is considered obese. Following a healthy diet and getting enough exercise will go a long way toward keeping your BMI in the healthy range.

Sources:

The sleep-heart link doctors are urging women over 45 to know — ScienceDaily

Prospective associations of American Heart Association Life’s Essential 8 with subclinical measures of vascular health, cardiovascular disease events, and all-cause mortality in women traversing menopause: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation study — Menopause

Life’s Essential 8 — American Heart Association

The post Why poor sleep is a ticking time bomb for women over 45 appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

An analysis of 21 years of data presented late last year at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2024 paints a grim picture…

The analysis found that there was a significant and consistent increase in deaths from obesity-related ischemic heart disease from 1999 to 2020 in the U.S.

Ischemic heart disease is a condition that occurs when the heart’s blood supply is reduced due to narrowed coronary arteries.

Specifically, the analysis revealed an increase of 243% annually in deaths among men and 131% in women.

The highest rates of deaths from ischemic heart disease related to obesity were among middle-aged men ages 55-64, Black adults and people who live in the Midwestern states and non-metropolitan areas in the U.S.

With numbers like that, and on the climb, let’s talk about why obesity drives heart problems, the type of fat that does the most harm and what to do about it…

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How obesity contributes to heart disease

Three factors make obesity a driving force behind heart disease:

Cholesterol levels. Being obese can cause your LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels to rise. It also elevates triglyceride levels. Not only that, it actually can lower HDL (“good” cholesterol) levels at the same time.

Blood pressure. A person who is obese requires more blood to supply oxygen and nutrients to their body, which can lead to increased blood pressure. And high blood pressure is a common cause of heart attacks.

Diabetes. Obesity puts you at high risk for developing diabetes. And according to the American Heart Association, at least 68 percent of people aged 65 and older with diabetes also have heart disease.

These conditions are also three of the five markers for Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) — and three is all you need for a diagnosis. Another marker is having a large waist circumference — in other words, visceral belly fat.

How visceral fat fuels heart disease

If you are obese and carry a lot of fat around your midsection, you are pretty much a heart attack waiting to happen.

So why is merely carrying fat around the mid-section so dangerous?

According to Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, cardiologist and EHO contributor, visceral fat is like an organ that is “biochemically active.” That means it’s not just “passive fat.”

It can disrupt the healthy function of various hormones, like insulin, impact metabolism, inflammation and organs… leading to an increased risk of heart disease.

Visceral fat also produces chemicals called cytokines that have negative effects on blood pressure and blood clotting. Visceral fat is directly linked with higher LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

All of this increases the risk for ischemic heart disease.

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How to lose the fat that contributes to heart disease

You won’t be surprised to hear that diet and exercise are necessary to lose visceral fat. However, I do have a simple tip to help you start chipping away at it…

According to researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, start by eating an avocado a day.

Their study followed 105 overweight or obese adults for a full 12 weeks.

Half were asked to eat an avocado at one meal a day, while the other half ate meals with the same number of calories and nearly identical ingredients, just without the avocado.

And the results showed:

• Women who consumed an avocado as part of a daily meal had a reduction in deeper visceral abdominal fat.
• They also experienced a reduction in the ratio of visceral fat to subcutaneous fat, indicating a redistribution of fat away from their organs.

The researchers say that together, these two findings demonstrate the power of avocados to not only reduce visceral fat but also to ward off the diseases it can cause.

However, fat distribution in males did not change. That doesn’t mean the guys are out of luck. Consider the Green Mediterranean diet…

It’s similar to the traditional Mediterranean diet, but ramps up the green factor by requiring three daily components: green tea, walnuts, and a shake made with duckweed (an aquatic green plant high in protein, iron, vitamin B12, and polyphenols).

In one study, this green diet version lowered blood pressure, insulin resistance, and inflammation, and improved the ratio of good to bad cholesterol.

Another found it doubles the belly fat loss of people following the traditional form of the diet. In this particular study 88% of the participants were men.

Don’t forget, exercise is an important part of weight loss but can be hard to jump into for someone who’s obese. Consider consulting a doctor or a weight loss trainer for additional support.

In addition to doing the right things to lose weight, be wary of these 12 habits that pack on dangerous belly fat.

Sources:

Obesity-related heart disease deaths increased in the U.S. over the past two decades — Eureka Alert

Three ways obesity contributes to heart disease — Penn Medicine

Significant gaps between the science of obesity and the care patients receive — heart.org

Avocados change belly fat distribution in women, controlled study finds — Science Daily

The post What makes obesity-related heart disease so deadly appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But growing research shows a powerful connection: the same choices that protect your heart may also strengthen your bones — and vice versa.

Shared Risk Factors Across Systems

Osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease may seem like two completely different conditions, but they often share the same root causes. Poor diet, a lack of physical activity, smoking, and chronic inflammation can all increase your risk for both. 

Research has shown that people with low bone mineral density are more likely to experience heart-related events. Likewise, signs of atherosclerosis —hardening and narrowing of the arteries — are more common in individuals with weaker bones.

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Lifestyle and Fracture Risk

One large U.S. study looked at how cardiovascular health scores — based on the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 — related to fracture risk. These eight key health factors include diet, physical activity, sleep, smoking, body weight, cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.

The study found that people with better scores had a significantly lower risk of bone fractures. Compared to individuals with poor cardiovascular health, those with moderate scores had a 22% lower fracture risk, and those with high scores had a 34% lower risk.

This tells us that small steps you take to support your heart — like going for a daily walk or choosing whole foods over processed ones — can also help keep your bones strong.

How Inflammation and Hormones Affect Both Heart and Bone Health

Research has shown that heart disease and osteoporosis often develop together, and inflammation and hormones are two key reasons why.

Chronic inflammation, which plays a major role in heart disease, also contributes to bone loss. When inflammation levels are high, the body produces chemicals that can weaken bone and damage blood vessels at the same time. This means that the same internal stress that leads to clogged arteries can also make bones more fragile.

Hormonal changes, especially in women, add another layer of connection. Estrogen helps protect both the heart and the bones. After menopause, when estrogen levels drop, the risk for both heart disease and osteoporosis accelerates. That’s why, later in life, women often experience both conditions.

The overlap goes deeper. According to research, calcium deposits found in arteries and bone loss seen in osteoporosis may actually be driven by some of the same biological processes. In other words, the breakdown of bone and the buildup of plaque in blood vessels may be two sides of the same coin.

It all serves as a reminder that the body works as an interconnected system. Supporting hormone health and reducing inflammation through healthy habits (and hormone replacement therapy when appropriate) can go a long way in protecting both your heart and your bones.

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Statins and Bone Health

Statins are best known for lowering cholesterol, but they could offer benefits for bones too. Although confounding variables may be at play, several studies suggest that statins can stimulate the growth of bone-forming cells and reduce bone breakdown.

Statins appear to increase levels of a key protein that helps bones grow, while also lowering inflammation and possibly enhancing estrogen activity. These effects have been linked to improved bone mineral density and a reduced risk of fractures, especially in older adults and postmenopausal women.

Having said that, it is possible that these findings are associations rather than causations. People who take statins may be under more regular medical care, might be more attentive to their health in general, and might be more likely to pursue an active lifestyle. The jury is still out on how helpful statins are to bone health. But while more research is needed to fully understand the best use of statins for bone support, these findings suggest that statins certainly do not promote bone loss!   

A Whole-Body Approach to Better Health

When it comes to protecting your health, there’s no need to compartmentalize. Your bones and your heart benefit from the same healthy habits:

• Eat a whole-food, anti-inflammatory diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.
• Get regular physical activity, including weight-bearing and resistance training, which supports both cardiovascular fitness and bone density.
• Don’t smoke, and take steps to manage blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.
• Talk to your doctor about your risk factors and whether bone density testing is right for you. By the way, this last piece of advice applies to everyone. Although less likely, men with risk factors can get osteopenia and osteoporosis too.

The post The hidden link between heart health and bone strength appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Unfortunately, that means when our estrogen levels start to decline, we lose that protection.

Women have a much steeper heart disease risk once menopause strikes and estrogen levels plummet.

However, research has shown that even in the early stages of perimenopause (the phase before menopause), permanent changes are already happening that impact a woman’s heart health.

Some women go the route of hormone replacement therapy. But it’s generally only considered safest during the first few years post-menopause. After that, it carries a higher risk for cancer and stroke.

But finally, there’s a safe and all-natural answer to keeping your heart healthy — without any of those risks…

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A beet a day could keep heart problems away

Estrogen is more than a female hormone. It affects factors that regulate vascular wall elasticity.

“After menopause, women no longer produce estrogen, which helps maintain nitric oxide in the body. This loss of nitric oxide production contributes to the substantial increase in heart disease risk for postmenopausal women,” says Dr. Jocelyn Delgado Spicuzza, who specializes in integrative and biomedical physiology.

But she and fellow researcher David Proctor, professor of kinesiology and physiology at Penn State, believe they have a solution that involves foods that are rich in nitrates — like beets — that could be put to use as natural, non-pharmaceutical ways to protect women’s hearts and blood vessels.

Dietary nitrates, found in a few special foods like beets, are converted in the body to nitric oxide (NO), a compound that helps blood vessels dilate so more oxygen-rich blood can flow through your body.

Decades ago, Nobel Prize-winning scientists discovered that NO, a signaling molecule, was found in the endothelial cells that lined artery walls — where its chief function was as a powerful vasodilator and an important regulator of the cardiovascular system.

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Spicuzza and Proctor led researchers who tested how nitrate-rich beetroot juice impacted blood vessel health in 24 postmenopausal women in their 50s and 60s. The women first had their vascular function tested and then consumed two 2.3-ounce bottles of beetroot juice as an initial dose, followed by one bottle every morning for a week. Each serving provided as much nitrate as three large beets. A few weeks later, the participants drank beetroot juice with the nitrate removed.

Neither the researchers nor the participants knew which juice was being consumed during the two testing phases. A day after their last dose, the women returned to have their vascular function tested. The researchers compared how well blood vessels expanded for each woman when they were and were not consuming the nitrate-rich beetroot juice.

An ultrasound sensor was used to monitor how blood flowed through the brachial artery — located in the upper arm — during a stress test. Blood flow was restricted in each participant’s forearm for five minutes. When the restriction was removed, researchers measured how blood flow changed in the brachial artery again. 

The results showed that drinking nitrate-rich beetroot juice each day improved blood flow compared to when the participants drank nitrate-free beetroot juice. The researchers said that this level of improved blood-vessel function — if it could be maintained over the postmenopausal years — could significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.

“Women may need to consume beetroot juice daily — or even more often — to experience all of the potential cardiovascular benefits,” Proctor said. “Still, this research shows that beetroot juice can be very useful in protecting blood vessel health of mid-life women during a period of accelerating heart disease risk.” 

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Never too late to see improvements

If you’re postmenopausal you might wonder if it’s too late for your heart to still benefit from increased nitric oxide production…

The study included women considered early postmenopausal, or one to six years post-menopause, and late postmenopausal, six or more years post-menopause. And the researchers confirmed that the late postmenopausal women saw the same benefits as the early postmenopausal group!

In addition, the research team was thrilled to see that blood vessel health even improved in women who’d gone through menopause years earlier.

“By providing a safe and effective way to improve blood vessel function, beets could help maintain cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women. When you consider that most women are postmenopausal for at least a third of their lives, you can begin to understand the potential significance of these results,” per Dr. Spicuzza.

But men should be just as excited…

She added, “Some clinicians are already recommending beetroot juice to men and women with high blood pressure.”

That means a beet a day or a glass of beetroot juice can do all of us a world of good.

Source:

Does a beet a day keep heart disease away? — Science Daily

The post The veggie that gives back the heart protection menopause steals appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

From food to books and everything in between, you can learn a lot about your family, friends and even yourself by their answers.

It’s why just the other day, I asked myself that same question when it came to supplements. I take several, so if I could only choose one, the answer, for me, is really quite simple…

If I were stuck on a desert island, the supplement I could not do without would be an omega-3. Preferably krill oil (fish oil gives me fish burps), but I digress…

If you’re down to just one choice, you want the nutrient science has consistently demonstrated can fight all inflammatory and metabolic disorders.

Starting with…

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#1 – Inflammation

Doctors now consider inflammation to be “the root of disease.” The good news is that we already have omega-3s to yank out that root and preserve our health.

That’s because studies have shown that the unsaturated fatty acids in these omegas act to directly resolve inflammation. In addition to this direct action, they provide the additional bonus of competing with omega-6s (the kind found in refined oils) in your diet. This action inhibits the synthesis of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins and shifts the balance toward a more anti-inflammatory state.

#2 – Obesity

Obesity, while usually seen through the lens of weight alone, is actually an inflammatory condition that kicks off a multitude of other dangerous diseases. But omega-3s can once again come to the rescue with their potent anti- inflammatory and adipogenic effects that occur right inside the fat tissue itself.

It’s no wonder, then, that studies have found that even mice fed an obesogenic (obesity-inducing) diet benefit from reduced fat mass accumulation when taking omega-3s. To top it off, researchers also discovered that a higher proportion of omega-3s in red blood cell (RBC) membranes has been associated with a lowered fat mass index.

#3 – Heart Health

As with their effects on obesity, larger amounts of omega-3s in RBC membranes support heart health by reducing inflammatory markers and lowering triglycerides.

Numerous prospective and meta-analytic studies have concluded that supplementing with omega-3s in your daily diet substantially reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 15 to 25%.

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#4 – Blood Sugar

In addition to their anti-inflammatory properties, omega-3’s also have potent abilities in the fight against metabolic dysfunction, including blood sugar issues. In fact, research has revealed that these fatty acids improve insulin sensitivity by increasing adiponectin secretion, enhance glucose uptake through an increase in GLUT-4 content, and support pancreatic β-cell function, enhancing their insulin secretion capacities.

#5 – Liver Health

Fatty liver disease may also be no match for omega-3s. These fatty acids work to guard liver health by:

• Inhibiting the NF-κB pathway, leading to decreased transcription of pro-inflammatory cytokines and reduced liver inflammation
• Reducing neutrophil infiltration and enhancing the clearance of apoptotic cells to resolve liver inflammation
• Blocking NLRP3 inflammasome activation and the inflammation that comes with it and preventing the progression from simple steatosis (fat buildup) to steatohepatitis (with associated inflammation and liver damage)
• Inducing mitophagy of damaged liver mitochondria and reducing oxidative stress

A comprehensive cohort study even found that taking omega-3s regularly resulted in a 28% reduced risk of liver inflammatory disease, including alcoholic or non-alcoholic liver disease and liver failure.

#6 – Kidney Health

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is another downstream effect of obesity-mediated inflammation. Luckily, supplementation with omega-3s has been shown to increase the production of pro-resolving mediators, like RvE1 and RvD5, that result in an improvement in inflammatory markers and renal function.

Omega-3s also help improve renal hemodynamics and significantly reduce proteinuria in patients with CKD.

#7 – Autoimmunity

• Inflammatory bowel diseases – Omega-3s have been shown to reduce colitis-associated disease severity, colonic mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines and macrophage infiltration of the tissue.
• Psoriasis – In psoriatic skin, omega-3s work to reduce inflammatory cell infiltration and skin thickening, with improvements in redness, scaling and itching.
• Rheumatic diseases – Omega-3s also provide powerful joint support by inhibiting IL-1β, one of the most active cytokines that leads to cartilage destruction and loss of collagen.
• Multiple sclerosis – Because omega-3s can cross the blood–brain barrier, they have been shown to directly impair neuroinflammatory processes. Research also shows they may decrease the activity and production of matrix metalloproteinase-9, which is implicated in blood–brain barrier breakdown in MS, while upregulating the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to enhance neuronal survival and synaptic plasticity.

Research has even shown that supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids alone can reduce autoimmune disease rate by 15%.

Putting omega-3s to work for your health

Clearly, whether you end up marooned on a desert island or just want to stay healthy and keep inflammatory and metabolic disease at bay, omega-3s are a must-have in your diet.

So, what’s the best way to ensure you’re getting enough?

One solution is to adopt the Mediterranean diet. Not only is this diet packed with polyphenol-rich fruits, vegetables, and olive oil, but it is also rich in seafood, providing you with those essential omega-3s.

However, if you’re not able to reach the recommended two to three servings of fatty fish weekly, go easy on yourself and reach for a safe, sustainably sourced omega-3 supplement.

Sources:

Beneficial Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Obesity and Related Metabolic and Chronic Inflammatory Diseases — MDPI

How do Omega-3 and Vitamin D Play a Role in Autoimmune Disease? — Omegaquant

The post The ONE nutrient to fight inflammatory and metabolic disorders appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Yes, fiber keeps us regular. But it does SO much more than that! Fiber is an essential nutrient needed to prevent disease and dysfunction.

It’s well-known that eating the recommended amount of fiber supports heart health.

Why is that?

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How fiber protects your heart

Fiber is good for heart health because it:

• Lowers blood pressure and the risk of hypertension.
• Helps manage cholesterol (especially soluble fiber found in fruits, grains, nuts and seeds.
• Promotes a healthy weight by helping you feel full longer.
• Improves the gut microbiome by feeding beneficial gut bacteria.
• Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, a condition often linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
• May reduce inflammation — studies have linked fiber intake to lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation associated with an increased risk of heart attacks.

But the ‘secret weapon’ behind all these health benefits is something called short-chain fatty acids — or SCFAs.

When the fiber you eat reaches your large intestine, it releases three types of short-chain fatty acids when broken down by gut microbes:

• Butyrate. A key energy source for cells lining the large intestine, butyrate is also linked to a reduced risk of colon cancer and may play a role in mitigating inflammation and supporting immune function.
• Propionate. Besides preventing constipation, propionate supports brain health and may protect against neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.
• Acetate. Not to be confused with the plastic chemical found in products like paint and packaging, the presence or absence of the SCFA acetate affects gene expression, metabolic regulation and enzyme activity.

However, some people have a rare genetic mutation, which prevents them from reaping the benefits of SFCAs from fiber — regardless of how much they consume. That isn’t very reassuring for them, but it provided an opportunity to prove how SFCAs and fiber truly benefit the rest of us…

Research by Monash University, for the first time, compared the effects of fiber and SCFAs on a cohort of people with the rare gene mutation against outcomes for people without the mutation.

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Consistent with their hypothesis, the prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in the gene mutation cohort, even when they consumed a diet rich in fiber, thus demonstrating the importance of SCFA signaling in cardiovascular protection.

The gene mutation occurs in less than 1% of people, which means that, for most of us, eating the recommended amount of dietary fiber can support heart health, lowering the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, or stroke by up to 20%, according to the researchers.

How much fiber does your heart need

Experts recommend that we get between 25 and 30 grams of fiber daily from food.

Currently, the average dietary fiber intake among adults in the United States is only about 15 grams per day. That’s about half the recommended amount.

So, how can you work more fiber into your diet?

Prioritize whole grains. Choose whole grains over refined versions. Oatmeal is also a great source of whole grains.

Increase fruit and veggie intake. Aim for at least five servings daily. Eat fruits and vegetables with skin whenever possible for maximum fiber.

Legumes. Add beans, lentils and chickpeas to stews, salads, and soups.

Snack smart. Choose high-fiber snacks like popcorn, nuts, seeds and fruit.

To avoid digestive discomfort, increase your fiber intake gradually and drink plenty of water throughout the day to help it move through your system.

If you’re looking for a diet recommendation, you might be excited to know that SCFAs are key mediators of the favorable health effects of the Mediterranean diet.

It’s also important to know that SFCAs are produced by gut bacteria through the fermentation of dietary fiber. Probiotics can ensure an army of microbes that are up to that task!

Sources:

Heart disease risk is reduced by up to 20% just from eating fiber — New Atlas

Rare pathogenic variants in G-protein-coupled receptor genes involved in gut-to-host communication are associated with cardiovascular disease risk — Cardiovascular Research

The post The protective ‘signal’ fiber sends your heart appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Coronary artery disease, also called coronary heart disease, is the most common type of heart disease.

There are many ways to protect your heart. The foods you eat (and don’t eat), the amount of exercise you do, and whether you smoke, all have a very real effect on your chances of becoming a heart disease statistic.

Recently, research has uncovered an intimate connection between heart health and the health of another organ, one that performs at least one hundred vital functions throughout the body.

It turns out that protecting your liver may also significantly impact your risk of coronary artery disease.

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Research connects the liver to coronary artery disease

Researchers at the University of Eastern Finland are investigating the relationships between genetic factors that influence heart and liver disease.

For example, they’ve found that a significant portion of the genetic activity regulating cholesterol and glucose takes place in the liver.

“High cholesterol and dysregulation of the liver metabolism, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, confer an increased risk of CAD,” write the investigators.

“Overall, our findings expand the list of genes and regulatory mechanisms acting in the liver and governing the risk of CAD (coronary artery disease) development,” says Associate Professor Kaikkonen-Määttä.

There’s not a lot that you and I can do about the genes we’re born with. However, research has indicated that lifestyle choices can influence the expression of genetic factors.

This research certainly gives us reason to pay attention to the fact that, in the United States, 4.5 million of us are being diagnosed with liver disease each year. In 2018, there were nearly 3 million liver-related deaths. Roughly half were due to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a disease caused by eating excess calories and causing fat to build up in the liver.

It also serves as a wake-up call to adopt lifestyle habits that will protect both the heart and the liver. Here’s how to get started…

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7+ things that will protect your liver AND your heart

Maintain a healthy weight. At least half of those with obesity go on to develop NAFLD. So this is the first place you should start.

But DON’T fall for fad diets. Stay away from diets that boost fat intake, like the ketogenic diet. According to studies done with mice, the keto diet can lead to NAFLD.

Go Mediterranean. Dr. Hugo Rosen, a liver disease specialist and chair of medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, recommends eating a well-balanced diet that includes high-fiber foods, vegetables, fruits, fish, lean meats, nuts, eggs, seeds and unrefined oils.

Get moving. Studies have shown that regular aerobic exercise can improve liver health, whether you’ve already developed NAFLD or are looking to prevent it.

Eat more berries. Eating a cup of blueberries per day could lower your risk of heart disease by up to fifteen percent. Additionally, one study found that incorporating blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and cranberries into your diet can lower levels of ALT, an enzyme associated with liver damage.

Try tomatoes. Tomatoes contain the antioxidant lycopene — known to reduce the risk of CAD — and potassium, essential for heart health. Tomatoes also contain chlorine and sulfur, which help detoxify the liver.

Support your liver. Silymarin, more commonly known as milk thistle, has been used to support and detoxify the liver since ancient Greek times. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is derived from an amino acid in the body and is a powerful detoxifier. It may also prevent the routine metabolic declines associated with aging.

Sources:

Many genes associated with the risk of coronary artery disease act through the liver — Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News

Fad diets could contribute to liver disease known as a ‘silent killer’ — HSC News (University of Southern California)

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and NASH — National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Good for your heart, good for your liver, too — Joseph Galati, M.D.

The post The liver link to coronary artery disease appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

One of these is the risk of heart attack.

Winter is already known as “heart attack season.” But summer, too, increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

However, a contributor to that potential threat comes from a surprising source…

It seems that the very medications that are supposed to protect your heart could elevate heart attack risk during the summer months.

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Heart drugs that increase risk during heat waves

For people with coronary heart disease, beta-blockers can improve the odds of survival, while aspirin and other antiplatelet medications can reduce heart attack risk.

But here’s something ironic:

When the weather is hot, these two drugs might actually increase the risk of heart attack!

A study led by Dr. Kai Chen of the Yale School of Public Health found a connection between hot-weather heart attacks and the use of either aspirin or beta-blockers.

The study authors looked at nearly 2500 cases in which patients experienced a non-fatal heart attack during the summer months.

Their approach was simple: they compared heat exposure on the day of the heart attack to heat exposure during the same days of the week within the same month.

For example, if a person had a heart attack on the third Thursday in June, they compared that person’s heat exposure on that day to other “control” Thursdays in June.

It turned out that people who were using either aspirin or beta-blockers were more likely to have a heart attack during the hottest days as compared to the control days.

Aspirin use was associated with a 63% higher risk and beta-blockers with a 65% higher risk.

People taking both drugs had a 75 percent higher risk of heart attack.

The study doesn’t prove that the medications caused the heart attacks. But there is one clue…

Younger patients (ages 25 to 59 years) who took these drugs had a higher risk of heart attack than older patients (60 to 74 years) who did not, although susceptibility to heart attack tends to increase with age.

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The takeaway: Keep your heart safe during the heat

“Patients taking these two medications have higher risk,” says Dr. Chen. “During heat waves, they should really take precautions.” 

That means avoiding the heat and spending more time indoors.

Consider supplementing folic acid to survive the heat. Penn State researchers found that the B vitamin worked as well as an expensive drug in helping people stay calm.

Even if you’re not using these medications, these tips for heart-safe physical activity during extreme heat from the American Heart Association and the British Heart Foundation are important:

• Wear the right shoes. Believe it or not, when you exercise in the heat, you sweat the most in your shoes. Choose well-ventilated shoes and socks. Use foot powders that help to absorb sweat.
• Dress for the heat. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing made from breathable fabrics, such as cotton. Wear a hat in extreme heat.
• Stay hydrated! Drink a few cups of water before, during, and after you exercise. Avoid caffeinated or alcoholic drinks.
• Take regular breaks. Find a cool or shady spot, stop for a few minutes to hydrate, and then start again.
• Watch the clock. Avoid outdoor activity between noon and 3 pm when the sun is at its strongest.
• Use waterproof sunblock and reapply as needed. A sunburn makes it harder for your body to regulate its temperature.

Sources:

Two heart medications tied to greater heart-attack risk during very hot weather — Eureka Alert

The post Heart-protecting drugs that backfire when it’s hot out appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That was a wake-up call. While I still have “normal” blood pressure, I can no longer take it for granted that I’ll never develop high blood pressure.

So, I’ve been looking into the risk factors of high blood pressure and how to best manage them. And it seems like I’m starting not a moment too soon — not only will I be controlling my blood pressure, but I may be reducing my risk of death as well….

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An early grave or risk factor management?

High blood pressure (or hypertension), defined as a systolic (top number) blood pressure of 130 mmHg or higher, is the leading preventable risk factor for early death worldwide.

A study led by researchers at Tulane University used data from the UK Biobank to track more than 70,000 people with hypertension and more than 224,000 without it. The researchers followed the participants for nearly 14 years to observe how managing certain risk factors for high blood pressure affected premature death, defined as dying before the age of 80.

The study evaluated the following eight risk factors:

• Blood pressure;
• Body mass index (BMI);
• Waist circumference;
• LDL (the “bad”) cholesterol;
• Blood sugar;
• Kidney function;
• Smoking status;
• and Physical activity

What the study discovered was astounding…

Addressing each additional risk factor was associated with a:

• 13% lower risk of early death from all causes;
• 12% lower risk of early death due to cancer;
• 21% lower risk of premature death due to cardiovascular disease;
• And a 10% lower risk of premature death from other causes.

And the more risk factors were under control, the lower the risk of death was. Controlling seven or more was considered optimal and was linked to:

• 40% less risk of premature death from all causes;
• 39% less risk of early death due to cancer;
• 53% less risk of premature death due to cardiovascular disease;
• and a 29% risk of death from other causes. 

But if you struggle to get all seven under control, the researchers also found that hypertensive patients who addressed at least four of the risk factors had no greater risk of an early death than those without high blood pressure.

In addition, the results suggest that hypertensive participants under the age of 60 and those who didn’t use antihypertensive medication may show reduced responsiveness to joint risk factor control.

“To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the association between controlling joint risk factors and premature mortality in patients with hypertension,” says corresponding author Dr. Lu Qi, a professor at Tulane University. “Importantly, we found that any hypertension-related excess risk of an early death could be entirely eliminated by addressing these risk factors.”

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How to manage high blood pressure factors

Interestingly, only 7.3% of hypertensive participants in the study had seven or more risk factors under control, emphasizing the opportunity for prevention.

Researchers say their findings underscore the importance of personalized, multifaceted care that extends beyond medication. The study found that the protective link was more pronounced in hypertensive participants taking antihypertensive medication, indicating that a broader range of health behaviors and conditions can still offer impactful benefits.

“Our study shows that controlling blood pressure is not the only way to treat hypertensive patients, because high blood pressure can affect these other factors,” Qi says. “By addressing the individual risk factors, we can help prevent early death for those with hypertension.”

It’s probably a good idea to manage the risk factors observed in the study, especially if you already have high blood pressure. Taking the following steps can help reduce your risk of dying early:

• Eat for better blood pressure. There are several diets research shows can take the numbers down. Check out these seven.
• Get moving. Make sure you get the recommended 150 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity every week (about 30 minutes 5 days a week).
• Maintain a healthy weight. Make sure your BMI and waist circumference are within the normal range for your height and age. Try the breakfast food that mimics how Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro work.
• Keep your LDL cholesterol down. Some natural ways to do so include raising your intake of fiber and plant sterols and adding prickly pear (or a prickly pear supplement) to your daily regimen.
• Manage your blood sugar. Avoid foods that make your blood sugar spike and consider timing your meals to lower your blood sugar and blood pressure.
• Watch your kidney function. Taking a CoQ10 supplement can help improve your kidney function (and support normal blood pressure).
• If you smoke, stop. Smoking can raise your blood pressure, as well as the risk of plaque buildup in your arteries.

Since each factor carries a percentage and stacks the odds in your favor, take it a step at a time if it seems overwhelming. But work towards the bigger goal and the long life you deserve.

Sources:

Controlling these 8 risk factors may eliminate early death risk for those with high blood pressure — ScienceDaily

Degree of joint risk factor control and premature mortality in hypertensive participants — Precision Clinical Medicine

Smoking and High Blood Pressure — American Heart Association

The post 8 factors for lower blood pressure appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

That brings us to the subject of urinary incontinence — or the involuntary leakage of urine, AKA bladder leaks — a common symptom that affects 50% of adult women and increases with age.

In fact, up to 75% of women over 65 report urine leakage. It’s certainly annoying, but is it dangerous?

Researchers aren’t exactly sure how yet, but it may increase your risk of several cardiovascular disease (CVD) factors…

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An odd association that defies explanation — for now

That’s what a study led by Dr. Lisa Van Wiel and a team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse aimed to find out…

They analyzed medical records from more than 20,000 female patients in the Hartford Healthcare system in Connecticut over two years.

Health data was gathered and lifestyle habits were also taken into account. Of the women, 5.4% reported on a questionnaire that they had urinary incontinence.

Because of the challenges of being incontinent, the researchers fully expected to find that the women reporting urinary incontinence had reduced levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).

But they did not. The women with urinary incontinence did not report that they engaged in less physical activity than women who did not have the condition.

However, the women with urinary incontinence did have increased CVD risk factors or events, such as dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes and stroke.

Considering that previous research has shown physical activity to have a positive effect on lowering CVD factors, the researchers could only assume that there is a yet-to-be-explained association between incontinence and cardiovascular disease risk, and that “Women should be screened for incontinence regularly as it may contribute to CVD risk, and women with CVD risk factors should be screened for undiagnosed incontinence.”

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An extra ounce of prevention for women

Though the researchers can not yet pinpoint the cause of the association, the research highlighted an increased risk of inactivity-related CVD risk factors and cardiometabolic comorbid conditions among patients with urinary incontinence — despite no changes in moderate to vigorous activity levels.

They feel that warrants recommending that women with urinary incontinence, particularly those 50 and older, be screened routinely for CVD.

The authors state that “future studies should investigate potential mechanisms of this association, including incontinence severity, activity intensity and chronic inflammation.”

In other words, these factors may help explain the connection between incontinence and CVD.

So, if you’re a woman over 50 with bladder leaks, let your doctor know — and not just your gynecologist. Ask about screenings for CVD risk, as well as for diabetes and stroke risk that may be available to you.

Sources:

Researchers report association between urinary incontinence, cardiovascular disease — Science Daily

Associations of urinary incontinence, physical activity and cardiovascular disease risk among women in the United States — Science Direct

Urinary incontinence linked to higher cardiovascular disease risk — Contemporary OB/GYN

Is urine incontinence normal for women? — Mayo Clinic

The post The warning bladder leaks could have for your heart appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Metabolic dysfunction, such as that caused by type 2 diabetes or obesity, could increase your odds of developing MASLD. Also, MASLD can lead to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), which can cause cirrhosis or severe liver fibrosis, a condition characterized by bands of scar tissue in your liver.

If you’re not careful, MASLD can set off a chain reaction that results in severe liver dysfunction or liver cancer, not to mention a higher risk of death from a host of causes — some not even liver-related…

Fatty liver and mortality risk

Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet identified 13,099 patients diagnosed with MASLD in Sweden between 2002 and 2020 and analyzed their risk of death from different causes compared to the general population.

Their findings were sobering. Overall, people with MASLD had almost twice the mortality rate of the general population!

The risk was elevated for almost all causes of death studied — but it was a whopping 27 times higher for liver disease and 35 times higher for liver cancer.

Interestingly, those weren’t the most prevalent causes of death…

The most common causes of death for these patients were cardiovascular disease, at a 54% higher mortality risk, and non-liver cancer, at a 47% higher mortality risk.

“Many people are not aware that they have fatty liver disease because it rarely causes any symptoms in the earlier stages,” says study lead Axel Wester, assistant professor at the Karolinska Institutet and physician at Karolinska University Hospital. “Our study shows that people diagnosed with MASLD have an increased risk of dying from many different diseases, not just liver disease.”

The study also found people with MASLD had an increased risk of dying from infections, gastrointestinal diseases, respiratory diseases, endocrine diseases or external causes.

“It is important that we do not only focus on the liver when treating patients with fatty liver disease,” says study lead Hannes Hagström, a professor at the Karolinska Institutet and senior physician at Karolinska University Hospital. “A holistic approach and early intervention involving different medical specialties can be crucial to improve the prognosis for these patients.”

Slimming down the liver

The estimates are that 35% of American have MSLD. How do you know if you’re one of them.

Unfortunately, symptoms of MASLD often don’t show up until the damage to the liver is already well underway. But if you have any of the following conditions, it’s safe to assume you may be developing MASLD as well:

• High cholesterol: especially triglycerides and LDL, and low HDL
• Obesity: a condition in which your body mass index (BMI) is 30 or higher (people who carry extra weight in their belly have a higher risk of MASLD)
• Insulin resistance: a condition in which cells in your muscles, fat and liver don’t respond to insulin the way they should
• Type 2 diabetes: a chronic condition that happens when you have perpetually high blood sugar

You may notice the symptoms above add up to metabolic syndrome. It fuels the disease.

If you do think you may be on the path to MASLD, there are a few steps you can take:

• Lose weight. Working to shed excess fat will have the same effect on your liver as the rest of your body. When you’re obese, doctors usually recommend shooting for at least a 10% weight loss, but even losing 3 to 5% of your body weight can make a difference.
• Exercise. An exercise regimen has benefits to the liver unrelated to weight loss. For starters, it enhances the protective capacity of Kupffer cells, which help maintain liver function.
• Manage your blood sugar. Try to avoid added sugar as much as possible, particularly sugary drinks like soda and sweet treats like candy and baked goods.
• Take care of your liver health. If you smoke or drink alcohol, stop. Both these behaviors put a great deal of stress on your liver.

There are also foods you can eat that support the liver:

• Coffee, which lowers abnormal liver enzymes.
• Tofu, which may reduce fat buildup in the liver.
• Fish rich in omega-3s, such as salmon, sardines, tuna and trout, can improve liver fat levels and reduce inflammation.
• Avocados, which contain chemicals that may slow liver damage.
• Low-fat milk and dairy products, which contain whey protein that may protect liver damage from advancing.
• Green tea, which may help shed liver fat.

Sources:

Fatty liver linked to increased risk of death from several diseases — EurekAlert!

Cause-specific mortality in 13,099 patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in Sweden — Journal of Hepatology

Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) — Cleveland Clinic

The post The surprising reason fatty liver can double your death risk appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

I can remember as a kid asking my mom over and over to buy strawberries at the grocery store all spring, only to be told they weren’t ripe enough yet and wouldn’t be sweet.

Well, I can tell you that the moment was certainly sweet when she did buy that first carton.

What’s even sweeter is the news that eating strawberries isn’t just enjoyable, it could be one of the healthiest things you can do for your heart and your blood sugar.

That’s because scientists from the Illinois Institute of Technology have found that strawberries not only have the power to improve glucose control, but they also could reduce your risk of heart disease by up to eight times.

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Improving dilation of the arteries and blood sugar issues

Their study focused on how eating different amounts of strawberries could affect blood sugar, as well as flow-mediated dilation or FMD, which impacts our arteries.

FMD is basically a measure of the dilation or widening of an artery when blood flow increases. It’s used to determine blood vessel health and endothelial function and offers a window into future heart disease risk.

So, how did strawberries stack up against heart and blood sugar problems?

In their study of overweight men and women, the scientists found that eating strawberries had a significantly positive impact on both FMD and blood glucose control.

And the more strawberries, the better the results!

According to the researchers, eating strawberries daily for four weeks supported healthy blood sugar levels and dose-dependently reduced cardiovascular disease risk by eight times compared to the control group.

“A diet low in fruit is among the top three risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes,” said co-researcher Britt Burton-Freeman, Ph.D. “Adding as little as one cup of strawberries a day to your diet may show beneficial effects on your cardiovascular health.”

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Strawberry power without the pesticide worries

Clearly, adding strawberries to your daily diet could help keep your heart and your blood sugar healthy.

And if that weren’t enough, research has shown there are even more reasons to reach for these sweet berries…

Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that strawberries reduced colon pain and inflammation.

And research from the University of Cincinnati found that daily strawberry consumption could help reduce the risk of dementia.

However, there is one warning to remember…

Strawberries are considered to be the king of the dirty fruits.

So be sure to check out these tips on eating this delicious but dirty fruit.

Finally, in addition to strawberries, don’t forget how powerful other berries can be when it comes to battling back heart disease and blood sugar problems.

Blueberries (and other purple fruits and veggies) are packed with acylated anthocyanins, which have been found to reduce the risk of diabetes by affecting energy metabolism and the gut microbiota.

And these anthocyanins can also help to keep cardiovascular disease and obesity at bay.

Sources:

New study shows strawberries may lower cardiovascular disease risk and improve glucose control – EurekAlert!

The post The strawberry solution to heart disease and diabetes appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Translation: moderate exercise on a regular basis can help a person stay healthy as they age. We’re talking about fast walking, running, swimming, cycling, dancing, hiking and squats — things that increase your heart and breathing rate.

Hippocrates also warned that if all parts of the body “are unused and left idle, they become liable to disease, defective growth and age quickly.”

Jump forward to the modern age and there is no shortage of research proving the incredibly far-reaching effects of exercise on our health.

In fact, in a review of the Health Benefits of Exercise, the authors state, “Overwhelming evidence exists that lifelong exercise is associated with a longer health span, delaying the onset of 40 chronic conditions/diseases.”

If you’re not taking exercise seriously, here’s what you could be in for…

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Major health concerns tied to lack of exercise

I’d like to highlight three areas in particular where the researchers find the lack of physical activity to have a significant impact. These won’t surprise you, but the full list we’ll get to later might.

Cardiovascular respiratory fitness, or CRF, is commonly measured by maximal oxygen uptake, VO2max. Research has reported that men who transitioned from having low to high CRF decreased their mortality risk by 50% over an 8-year period, whereas men who transitioned from having high to low CRF increased their mortality risk by 50%. Low CRF is also well established as an independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes. In fact, experts would argue that CRF may be the most significant factor for health, and exercise or lack of it has a major impact on increasing or decreasing CRF.

Mental health. It’s not hard to believe that getting your heart pumping can be an antidote to depression and anxiety while having a powerful impact on cognition. Exercise affects the formation of new blood vessels in the brain; the expression of growth factors in the hippocampus, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), necessary for connections and communications in the brain; as well as brain transmitters and “mood hormones” including dopamine, glutamate, norepinephrine and serotonin.

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). In 2000, the Framingham Offspring study found a strong genetic predisposition for T2D, but lifestyle heavily influences the disease. As you may have guessed, exercise is the lifestyle factor with the most substantial impact on T2D.

In the last 25 years, three major studies have found that exercise or a combination of exercise and diet reduced the onset of T2D from 46% to as high as 58%. One study was on a Chinese population, another on a Finnish population and lastly, a U.S. population. According to researchers, if genetic differences in the different study populations are not a factor, combined exercise and diet remain more effective in T2D prevention than the drug metformin two decades ago.

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40 conditions strongly impacted by the power of exercise

The authors of the Health Benefits of Exercise, Gregory N. Ruegsegger and Frank W. Booth, put together a list of “Worsening of 40 conditions caused by the lack of physical activity with growth, maturation, and aging throughout life span.”

Here is their complete list:

1. Accelerated biological aging/premature death

2. Aerobic (cardiorespiratory) fitness

3. Arterial dyslipidemia (High cholesterol is one component of dyslipidemia, while dyslipidemia can refer to an imbalance in one or more of the three lipids: triglycerides, HDL and LDL.)

4. Balance

5. Bone fracture/falls

6. Breast cancer

7. Cognitive dysfunction

8. Colon cancer

9. Congestive heart failure

10. Constipation

11. Coronary (ischemic) heart disease

12. Deep vein thrombosis

13. Depression and anxiety

14. Diverticulitis

15. Endometrial cancer

16. Endothelial dysfunction

17. Erectile dysfunction

18. Gallbladder diseases

19. Gestational diabetes

20. Hemostasis

21. Hypertension

22. Immunity

23. Insulin resistance

24. Large arteries lose more compliance with aging

25. Metabolic syndrome

26. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

27. Obesity

28. Osteoarthritis

29. Osteoporosis

30. Ovarian cancer

31. Pain

32. Peripheral artery disease

33. Preeclampsia

34. Polycystic ovary syndrome

35. Prediabetes

36. Rheumatoid arthritis

37. Sarcopenia

38. Stroke

39. Tendons being less stiff

40. Type 2 diabetes

All in all, I hope I’ve given you a wake-up call to get off that couch and start a regular exercise program that will see you through to your golden years!

Sources:

Health Benefits of Exercise — Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine

4 ways exercise helps fight aging — Time

The post 40 things that go wrong with your body when you don’t exercise appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

This is precisely what happens to your body when its “trash removal system” fails.

But when that happens, it’s more than just an inconvenience. An interruption in how your body takes care of cellular trash could mean an interruption in an organ as vital as your heart…

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Your body’s ‘trash man’

Eliminating damaged cell components is essential for maintaining the body’s tissues and organs—and how they function.

The brain is a good example. During sleep, the glymphatic system clears waste from the brain with the help of cerebral spinal fluid. If that process is hindered, cognitive decline will be close behind.

A similar process holds true for our muscles and nerves, whose cellular components are subject to constant wear and tear.

But how exactly are these damaged pieces of cells eliminated?

The protein BAG3 is the body’s “trash man.”

It constantly identifies damaged cell components and ensures they are enclosed by cellular membranes to form an autophagosome. An autophagosome is like a garbage bag in which cellular waste is collected for later shredding and recycling.

This waste disposal “system” is essential for the longer-term preservation of muscle mass.

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Autophagosomes and your heart

Remember that your heart is nothing more than a giant muscle. It’s made mostly of cardiac muscle, enabling it to pump blood throughout your body. And it undergoes a lot of wear and tear.

Now, think about what could happen if the damaged cells in your heart were just left to lie around rather than being removed.

You guessed it: heart disease.

Luckily, a properly functioning BAG3 system prevents this by enclosing damaged cells and letting your body remove them.

You may be wondering if there is anything you can do to make this system work more efficiently.

Well, researchers have just discovered one way to do that.  And it’s accessible to everyone.

Strength training supports the BAG3 system and your heart

A research team led by Professor Jörg Höhfeld of the University of Bonn Institute of Cell Biology has shown that strength training activates BAG3 in the muscles.

Professor Sebastian Gehlert, a member of the research team, emphasizes how important the findings are: “We now know what intensity level of strength training it takes to activate the BAG3 system, so we can optimize training programs for top athletes and help physical therapy patients build muscle better.”

This means regular strength training (resistance exercise) can keep your heart healthy and strong.

So, although it may seem counterintuitive, the American Heart Association recommends strength training for anyone trying to prevent a second heart attack or stroke after having a conversation with your doctor.

And if you have a family history of heart disease, you’ll also want to get started right away.

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More benefits of resistance exercise and how to get started

You don’t need to be a weightlifter to make resistance exercise part of your life. Any activity that requires your muscles to work against a weight or force counts as strength training.

This includes the use of resistance bands, as well as using your own body weight by doing push-ups, pull-ups, and squats. Even walking counts.

Resistance exercise has other health benefits, too:

1. Stronger bones. As we age, osteoporosis becomes more likely. Strength training can prevent this or keep it from getting worse by triggering bone-forming cells into action. And the joints we use while in training – our hips, spine, and wrists – are also the spots most likely to be affected by osteoporosis.
2. Weight loss. Strength training can rid of body of fat and help you burn more calories. And keeping your muscles healthy can help prevent injuries that will land you in a sedentary lifestyle that will shorten your life expectancy.
3. Improves balance. Strengthening your leg muscles can help counteract the weakness and frailty that can occur with age. A stronger lower half and better balance will cut your risk for hip fracture.
4. More flexibility. Building the muscles around your bones lubricates joints and eases swelling. If you have stiffness from arthritis, this is especially helpful. Being flexible is also tied to healthy longevity.

Sources:

Strength training activates cellular waste disposal — EurekAlert

Force-induced dephosphorylation activates the cochaperone BAG3 to coordinate protein homeostasis and membrane traffic — Current Biology

Strength and Resistance Training Exercise — American Heart Association

The post How to trigger your heart’s waste disposal system and why appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s a known fact that sleeping poorly can damage your heart.

Men who don’t sleep enough hours to achieve a deep, restful sleep could be doubling their risk for heart attack and stroke.

And women who sleep poorly are at higher risk for hypertension.

Now, researchers have dug a little deeper into exactly what happens during deep sleep that offers protection for our hearts…

They’ve found that if you’re not a deep sleeper, your circulation may be subpar. And how certain brain waves can be harnessed to improve both problems…

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Deep sleep increases blood flow

Researchers at the University of Zurich have demonstrated that increased deep sleep prompted by pink noise improves cardiac function and may be helpful in disease treatment and especially preventive medicine.

The study involved 18 healthy men aged 30 to 57, who spent three non-consecutive nights in a sleep laboratory.

When their brain activity indicated that they had entered deep sleep, a computer played a series of brief tones at a pink noise frequency. This targeted stimulation during deep sleep causes the heart — in particular the left ventricle — to contract and relax more vigorously.

When the heart contracts during deep sleep, the left ventricle contracts and relaxes vigorously, which means it pumps blood into the circulatory system and then draws it out again more efficiently.

Related: Nitric oxide: The pathway to better blood vessels, blood flow and blood pressure

The left ventricle is squeezed and wrung out like a wet sponge. The more immediate and more powerful this wringing action, the more blood enters the circulation and the less remains in the heart. This increases blood flow, which has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system.

This experimental setup allowed the researchers to directly monitor whether the sound simulation enhanced deep sleep and whether it influenced the subjects’ heart rate and blood pressure. “During stimulation, we clearly see an increase in slow waves, as well as a response from the cardiovascular system that is reminiscent of cardiovascular pulsation,” says lead author Stephanie Huwiler

This is the first time anyone has shown that an increase in brain waves during deep sleep (slow waves) improves cardiac function. This is important not only to your heart but to your kidneys, brain and other organs.

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How to sleep more deeply… naturally

So now you know just how important deep sleep is to your heart health — literally helping your blood circulate through your body as you sleep.

And the research also provided a big clue on how to achieve it — using pink noise.

Pink noise is a mix of high and low frequencies that sound more natural than white noise, something you’re probably more familiar with. White noise sounds more like static and provides a steady sound that may drown out other noises or disruptions that could otherwise awaken a sleeper.

According to the Sleep Foundation, pink noise is more prevalent in nature sounds — like falling rain, wind rustling through trees or waves at the shoreline.

They also report previous studies show pink noise enhances memory, especially when played in synchrony with specific types of brain waves — most likely the same slow waves referenced in the Zurich study.  

You can sleep to the sounds of pink noise by purchasing a pink noise machine or using a smartphone app, like Spotify. After a quick search, I found several pink noise playlists were available.

Now, the quickest way to interfere with slow-wave activity and deep sleep is to eat junk food.

According to research I shared a few months back, less slow-wave activity was exhibited during deep sleep when participants had eaten junk food, compared with consumption of healthier food. This adverse effect on slow wave activity also lasted into a second night.

Some basic sleep hygiene can be helpful too. Don’t forget these tips:

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends.
• No sugar, caffeine or drinks (to avoid bathroom trips) after 6 pm.
• No exercise or vigorous physical activity after 7 pm (or with 2 hours of your projected bedtime).

Sources:

Increased deep sleep benefits your heart — Science Daily

Auditory stimulation of sleep slow waves enhances left ventricular function in humans — European Heart Journal

The post The bedtime activity for better blood flow and heart health appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It can happen when you’ve just moved to a new town or city and don’t know anyone. Or maybe you’re cut off from friends and family because you’re housebound due to poor health.

I remember times when I felt lonely. It felt like “a pain in my heart.” Not a real one, but it was a deep aching that was almost physical.

I’ve now learned that loneliness that lasts too long can harm me physically.

I’ve read a remarkable study that has proven that finding solutions to loneliness can also prevent some life-threatening health problems, especially for middle-aged and older adults.

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How loneliness contributes to heart disease, stroke and diabetes

A team of scientists at the University of Cambridge in England and Fudan University in China used the science of proteomics — the study of proteins — to examine blood samples from over 42,000 adults ages 40 to 69 who are part of the UK Biobank.

They were able to see which proteins were present in higher levels among people who were socially isolated or lonely and how these proteins were connected to poor health.

They identified 26 proteins associated with loneliness that are linked to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and early death.

They also found that many of these same proteins are produced as part of our body’s immune response to inflammation and viral infection.

But it doesn’t stop there.

The abundance of five of these 26 proteins appears to be caused by loneliness.

One of these five proteins, known as ASGR, is associated with higher cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease.

Some of the remaining four play a role in the development of insulin resistance, atherosclerosis and cancer progression.

Maybe now you can see why the World Health Organization has described social isolation and loneliness as a ‘global public health concern.’

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How to safeguard against the health threats of loneliness

Dr. Vivek Murthy, the outgoing U.S. Surgeon General, describes loneliness as a universal feeling. It’s like hunger or thirst. Your body is sending you signals that you’re lacking something you need for survival — in this case, human connection.

If you’re feeling the weight of isolation, there are steps you can take to move towards more connection and a healthier, more fulfilling life.

Volunteer. I recently started volunteering at my local food pantry on Fridays. When I’m there, I feel vitally connected to my community and have met people who have added depth and richness to my life.

Practice gratitude. I keep a gratitude journal. Each day, I record 10 things I’m grateful for. They can be as small as a good cup of coffee or sunlight streaming into my kitchen. They’re things that bring me moments of joy, things I don’t want to take for granted.

Call a friend. Don’t text … call. Research shows that even a regular 10-minute phone call can help ease loneliness.

Draw out your creative side. Creative pursuits like art, music, or writing can bring you joy and help you feel more connected. Creating something can bring a sense of fulfillment that can overcome a mood of loneliness and sadness.

Take a break from social media. Research suggests that comparing yourself to others on social media may be linked to increased loneliness. Spend that time connecting with people in “real life” instead.

Sources:

Loneliness linked to higher risk of heart disease and stroke and susceptibility to infection — Science Daily

‘Loneliness’ proteins in your blood could be putting your health at risk — Science Alert

Plasma proteonic signatures of social isolation and loneliness associated with morbidity and mortality — Nature

Effect of layperson-delievered empathy-focused program of telephone calls on loneliness, depression, and anxiety among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic — JAMA Psychiatry

Loneliness and Facebook use: the role of social comparison and rumination — National Library of Medicine

Surgeon General: Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms — NY Times

The post Blood samples connect loneliness to stroke, heart disease and diabetes appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

This is a shame, because exercise is the one activity that has been proven time and again to make a difference. Daily exercise has been found to reduce the risk of a host of age-related chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and numerous cancers.

Now, another study has added to the pile of research supporting the benefits of exercise…

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The more activity, the less disease

Researchers from the University of Iowa examined responses to a questionnaire from more than 7,000 patients at the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center. The Exercise Vital Sign survey asked patients two questions that they answered on a tablet:

• “On average, how many days per week do you engage in moderate to vigorous exercise (like a brisk walk)?” (0-7 days) 
• “On average, how many minutes do you engage in exercise at this level?”

The responses confirmed what many other studies have revealed: Those who reported the highest level of physical activity, meaning they exercised moderately to vigorously at least 150 minutes a week, were at lower risk of having 19 chronic conditions — including cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease and diabetes.

By contrast, the findings suggest the least active patients — reporting little to no exercise per week — faced elevated disease risks!

Based on the results, the researchers recommend all patients be surveyed about their physical activity levels, and that healthcare systems provide information on health and wellness services for physically inactive patients who are most at risk.

“In our healthcare environment, there’s no easy pathway for a doctor to be reimbursed for helping patients become more physically active,” says Lucas Carr, a professor at the University of Iowa and the study’s corresponding author. “And so, for these patients, many of whom report insufficient activity, we need options to easily connect them with supportive services like exercise prescriptions and/or community health specialists.”

“This two-question survey typically takes fewer than 30 seconds for a patient to complete, so it doesn’t interfere with their visit,” he says. “But it can tell us a whole lot about that patient’s overall health.”

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When comparing the results from patients completing the survey with more than 33,000 patients who weren’t offered the survey, the researchers found patients who took the survey were younger and in better health than the patient population who weren’t given the questionnaire.

“We believe this finding is a result of those patients who take the time to come in for annual wellness exams also are taking more time to engage in healthy behaviors, such as being physically active,” Carr says.

Ways to fit in exercise

One of the biggest stumbling blocks to keeping a regular exercise schedule is lack of time. A good way to overcome this obstacle is to build physical activity into your usual daily routine.

For instance, when you go to work or go shopping, try parking the car as far away from the door as possible so you’ll have a built-in walking opportunity. Or take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever you have the chance.

Another great way to get started is with “activity snacks.” You can easily fit these into your daily schedule, and you don’t need special equipment or access to a gym. And it’s easy to increase the intensity of the exercises as you go along.

But remember, you get out of it what you put into it. Those who saw the biggest disease risk reduction in the study put in a minimum of 150 minutes a week. Getting physical 6 days a week for 25 minutes, and having one rest day, sounds like a great way to commit to that.

Source:

Study finds physical activity reduces chronic disease risk — EurekAlert!

The post 19 disease risks that disappear with one habit appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

However, there’s a hidden type of visceral fat you hear less about that could be just as dangerous to your health, if not more.

Known as epicardial fat, this fat surrounds your heart and has the potential to cause deadly cardiac problems.

Luckily, scientists have discovered a 100% non-invasive test to analyze a person’s epicardial fat to determine just how much of a threat it poses…

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Getting to the heart of the issue

Every single one of us naturally has a layer of fat around our hearts known as “epicardial adipose tissue.”

When you’re in good health, this fat serves as protection for your heart and is necessary for normal heart function.

But a cascade of common health problems can turn its protective function on its head…

If you’re living with health issues like obesity, diabetes or high blood pressure, or you smoke or have a poor diet, the amount of epicardial fat can build, become inflamed and even undergo harmful changes in composition.

In fact, according to cardiologist, Amit R. Patel, MD, “… depending on its makeup, the fat which surrounds the heart has the potential to release damaging substances directly into the heart muscle, leading to serious heart problems”— including coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) and heart failure.

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Poison fat: Analyzing the composition of epicardial fat

Doctors at the University of Virginia Health System set out to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess the amount and composition of the fat that surrounds the heart.

MRI has allowed them to analyze not only the amount of heart fat itself but also the amounts of saturated fatty acids, monosaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids — fats commonly associated with our diets — in the epicardial adipose tissue.

The UVA team has already tested their technology in both the lab and human patients.

They were able to determine that the fat around the heart in patients who were obese and had suffered heart attacks was comprised of an excessive amount of saturated fatty acids.

“That suggests that this new MRI technique could become a useful clinical tool for identifying at-risk patients and predicting their outcomes,” Dr. Patel said. “Being able to see the composition of the fat that surrounds the heart will improve our understanding of heart disease and may lead to the development of new treatment strategies in the future.”

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Is there too much fat around your heart?

The good news is doctors can at least see how much fat is surrounding your heart on an echocardiogram or cardiac MRI or CAT scan — even if they can’t analyze its composition yet.

As a rule of thumb, doctors start to worry if that fat is greater than 5 millimeters, or the size of a pencil eraser. But you don’t necessarily need to rely on an MRI…

You can get a good idea of how much epicardial fat you might have simply by looking in the mirror. That’s because studies have linked epicardial thickness to abdominal visceral fat thickness, which is also linked to abdominal subcutaneous fat — and can be measured by BMI and waist circumference.

A BMI greater than 25 puts you at a higher risk of unhealthy epicardial fat. Additionally, a waist circumference higher than 40 inches in men or 35 inches in women could indicate too much fat around the heart.

The good news is that if you lose weight, epicardial fat will decrease too! And some healthy foods are quite good at helping decrease heart fat…

Research in 2022 found that eating a diet rich in healthy fats, fish, nuts, seeds and fresh vegetables worked to lower the amount of epicardial fat in patients with atrial fibrillation.

You might also consider adding avocados as part of that heart-healthy diet, since a study found that women who consumed avocado as part of a daily meal had a reduction in deeper visceral abdominal fat.

Sources:

Unlocking the secrets of the heart: Simple scan could identify patients at risk for serious heart problems — EurekAlert!

Understanding Epicardial Fat — Premier Health

Differential relationship between waist circumference and mortality according to age, sex, and body mass index in Koreans with age of 30–90 years; a nationwide health insurance database study — BMC

A Comparative Study of Epicardial Fat Thickness and its Association with Abdominal Visceral Fat Thickness in Obese and Nonobese Type 2 Diabetes Subjects — NIH

Effect of Aerobic and Resistance Exercise on Cardiac Adipose Tissues — JAMA Network

Comparison of reducing epicardial fat by exercise, diet or bariatric surgery weight loss strategies: a systematic review and meta-analysis — NIH

PO-696-08 MEDITERRANEAN DIET AND EPICARDIAL ADIPOSE TISSUE IN PATIENTS WITH ATRIAL FIBRILLATION TREATED WITH ABLATION — Heart Rhythm Journal

The green fruit that keeps deep belly fat away — Easy Health Options

The post The unseen fat that’s your heart’s biggest threat appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s so common a behavior that it has a name: stress eating.

No surprise there, right? You’re stressed, and that ice cream is just so comforting, and you deserve those guilty pleasures, right? But you don’t deserve the detrimental effects of stress eating…

Overeating junk food can lead to obesity. And obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, as well as arthritis, gout, breathing and sleeping problems, and asthma.

You may not be able to stop stress eating tomorrow. But a recent study may have found a rather pleasant way for you to make all that fat you’re consuming less harmful.  

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Flavonoids to the rescue

“We know that when people are stressed, they tend to gravitate towards high-fat foods. We have previously shown that fatty food can impair the body’s vascular recovery from stress. In this study, we wanted to see if adding a high-flavanol food to the fatty meal would alleviate the negative impact of stress in the body,” says Dr Catarina Rendeiro, Assistant Professor in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Birmingham, and the study’s lead author.

In other words, they set out to combat bad nutrition with powerful nutrients to counteract the harmful effects.

Pretty exciting, right? But does it work…

Flavanol-rich drinks protect vascular function

The researchers took a group of healthy young adults and fed them a high-fat breakfast: two butter croissants with 10 grams of salted butter, a slice of cheddar cheese and 250 ml of whole milk.

Half of them had a high-flavanol cocoa or a low-flavanol cocoa drink with their breakfast.

After breakfast, both groups completed a mental math test, which increased in speed for eight minutes. During the test, their forearm blood flow and cardiovascular activity were measured, along with oxygenation of their prefrontal cortex.

Notably, the researchers used brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) as a measurement of vascular activity. FMD is known to be a good predictor of the risk for future heart disease.

Those who drank the low-flavanol drink saw a reduction of 1.29% FMD, while those who drank the high-flavanol cocoa had no decline at all in vascular function.

Dr Catarina Rendeiro, Assistant Professor in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Birmingham and lead author of the study, explains what this means:

“This research shows that drinking or eating a food high in flavanols can be used as a strategy to mitigate some of the impact of poorer food choices on the vascular system. This can help us make more informed decisions about what we eat and drink during stressful periods,” says Dr. Rendeiro.

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Add flavanols to your diet

Now, this isn’t a free license to go crazy eating chips and ice cream. But if you do, you may want to add some flavanols.

When shopping, look for minimally processed cocoa powder. And if hot chocolate isn’t something you enjoy, you can get a high dose of flavanols from green or black tea.

You can get the daily recommended intake of flavanols, 400-600 mg/day, by drinking two cups of black or green tea.

Other foods that are high in flavanols include:

• Onions
• Kale
• Peaches
• Berries
• Tomatoes
• Broccoli

Even red wine and chocolate are flavanol-rich! Just consume them in moderation and you’ll be fine.

Sources:

Cocoa or green tea could protect you from the negative effects of fatty foods during mental stress – study — Eureka Alert

Cocoa flavanols rescue stress-induced declines in endothelial function after a high-fat meal, but do not affect cerebral oxygenation during stress in young, healthy adults —Food & Function

The post The drink to save your heart from high-fat stress eating appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

They still do.

The fact is, if you’re getting more than 25 percent of your daily calories from sugar, you’re a heart attack waiting to happen.

But more recent research is telling us that what really matters is the source of that sugar.

Astonishingly, we’re learning that having a sweet treat once in a while may be better for you than having no sugar at all!

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Not all sugar is created equal

Six scientists at Lund University in Sweden set out to understand how sugar consumption affects cardiovascular disease risk, and whether consuming different kinds of sugar changes those risks.

To do this, they studied 69,705 people. After excluding other factors that could cause heart disease, they looked at three sources of the sugar these people consumed: toppings like honey, treats like pastries, and sweetened beverages like fizzy drinks.

The participants were monitored until they died or were diagnosed with one of the cardiovascular diseases. The follow-up period ended in 2019.

During this period, 25,739 participants were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease.  

The scientists then used this data to break down how different types of sugar intake affected the risk of different cardiovascular diseases.  

An occasional treat may be good for you

The study showed that sweetened drinks are worse for your health than any other form of sugar. They significantly increased the risk of ischemic stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and abdominal aortic aneurysm.

However, eating an occasional sweet treat was associated with better outcomes than eating no treats at all.

“This might reflect underlying dietary behaviors — individuals consuming very little sugar might have very restrictive diets or might be limiting sugar due to pre-existing health conditions,” suggested Suzanne Janzi, corresponding author of the study.

In other words, people who eat little sugar may already be eating healthier diets because they have a health condition that necessitates this.

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Avoid the sugar trap

Adults and young adults in the U.S. consume on average about 17 teaspoons of added sugar every day — more than 2 to 3 times the recommended daily allowance for men and women respectively.

Since sweetened fizzy drinks, like sodas, contain an average of 9 grams of added sugar, it’s easy to see why it’s so easy to consume way too much.

Avoiding cardiovascular disease should be incentive enough to cut down on the amount of sugar you consume, and allow yourself the occasional treat.

Of course, start by excluding the worst offender — sweetened drinks.

Then, work on eating fewer of the foods you don’t consider sweets or treats, yet can contain high amounts of added sugars (or problematic non-nutritive sweeteners), like condiments and sauces, protein bars, yogurt, milk and coffee creamers, breakfast cereals and instant oats and nut butters.

I’d rather eat much less of these foods to enjoy a piece of cake, a homemade cookie or a chocolate bar!

The American Heart Association has put together a few helpful tips for cutting down on sugar. And the first shouldn’t surprise you…

1. Swap out sweetened drinks for water. Try squeezing a little fresh lemon to taste.
2. Cut the use of table sugar in half. We’re all guilty of adding a spoonful or two to cereals and beverages like tea and coffee. Cut your usual amount by half for a few days and keep making small adjustments to add less and less.
3. Become a label reader. Choose products with the lowest amounts of added sugars. Dairy and fruit products will contain some natural sugars (avoid fruit packaged in syrup!). Added sugars can be identified in the ingredients list.
4. Halve the sugar in recipes or try swaps, like no-sugar-added applesauce.
5. Spice things up. Try ginger, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg to tantalize the tastebuds.

Sources:

Sugary drinks significantly raise cardiovascular disease risk, but occasional sweet treats don’t, scientists find —Eureka Alert

Added sugar intake and its associations with incidence of seven different cardiovascular diseases in 69,705 Swedish men and women — Frontiers in Public Health

An occasional treat could be better for your heart than no added sugar at all — Science Alert

The post The occasional sweet treat may be healthier than none appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, sleep is now officially recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) as part of the Essential 8 — a set of lifestyle measures proven to enhance cardiovascular health. 

So how does sleep protect your heart? What happens to your body during sleep? And how can you make rest a priority in your daily life?

Sleep: A Cornerstone of the Essential 8

The AHA added sleep to its list of Essential 8 because research has confirmed that good-quality rest is critical to overall health, including the health of your heart.  During sleep is when your body performs vital functions: repairing tissues, regulating hormones, and giving your heart and blood vessels a much-needed break. Without enough rest, these critical processes are interrupted, increasing your risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, and even heart attacks.

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What Happens During Sleep

Sleep is more than just downtime for your body. When you sleep, especially during deeper stages, your heart rate and blood pressure drop, reducing the workload on your cardiovascular system. This nightly “reset” allows your heart to recover and prepare for the day ahead. Additionally, your body regulates essential hormones during sleep, such as:

• Stress hormones: Levels of cortisol, which can raise blood pressure, naturally decrease during sleep.
• Hunger hormones: Sleep balances ghrelin and leptin, the hormones that control hunger and fullness. 

What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep

Skipping sleep, or even regularly getting less than seven hours a night, puts your heart at risk. Here’s how:

• Higher Blood Pressure: Without the nighttime drop in blood pressure that occurs during sleep, your heart and blood vessels remain under constant stress.  Sleep apnea, specifically, can be the sole reason someone has hypertension.  So if you snore and have high blood pressure, discuss sleep apnea screening with your physician.
• Increased Inflammation: Poor sleep is linked to higher levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker tied to heart disease.
• Elevated Stress Hormones: A lack of sleep can raise cortisol levels, contributing to higher heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
• Weight Gain: Sleep deprivation alters hunger-regulating hormones, making overeating more likely. 

Over time, these factors can lead to conditions like hypertension, obesity, and diabetes — all of which strain your heart and increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

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How to Prioritize Sleep

The good news? Sleep is something you can control. Here are steps to help you get the quality rest your heart needs:

1. Stick to a Sleep Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. A consistent schedule reinforces your body’s circadian rhythm, helping you fall asleep and wake up more easily.
2. Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine: Ease into sleep with calming activities like reading, meditating, or taking a warm bath. This signals your body that it’s time to wind down.
3. Limit Stimulants: Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and heavy meals in the hours leading up to bedtime. These can disrupt your ability to fall or stay asleep.
4. Turn Off Screens: Blue light from phones, tablets, and TVs can interfere with your body’s melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep — power down at least an hour before bed.

If You’re Still Struggling

Poor and non-restorative sleep has wide-ranging health effects. This blog has focused on cardiometabolic health, but not getting enough nightly rest can contribute to cognitive decline and even cancer risk. 

So if you’ve tried everything and are still struggling, talk to your doctor.  For perimenopausal women, hormone replacement may be the answer.  For others, sleep apnea evaluation may be appropriate.

In some circumstances, a formal referral to a Sleep Medicine specialist is required. The one thing NOT to do? Ignore your sleepless nights. 

The post What happens to your body and heart during sleep appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Known as Life’s Essential 8, it is a checklist of eight lifestyle behaviors (like exercise) and health factors (like controlling cholesterol) that are key factors for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health.

The first study using this new measurement tool showed that heart health in the United States is less than ideal, with 80 percent scoring at a low or moderate level.

Not great news.

And while it may seem like a no-brainer, another look at what happens when Life’s Essential 8 is adhered to may offer just the incentive we all need to get serious about our heart health…

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A healthy heart can make you six years younger

According to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2023, having optimal cardiovascular health may slow the pace of biological aging.

Specifically, a high heart health score appears to slow biological aging and potentially stave off age-related diseases — essentially extending lifespan.

That’s the finding of researchers who took a close look at the association between heart and brain health — as measured by the Life’s Essential 8 checklist — and the biological aging process.

To start, the researchers compared the chronological (actual) age of each participant with their phenotypic age.

Phenotypic age is a measure of age based on the results of nine blood markers for metabolism, inflammation and organ function, including glucose, C-reactive protein, and creatinine.

They then calculated the subjects’ phenotypic age acceleration — or the difference between one’s phenotypic age and actual age. A higher phenotypic age acceleration indicates faster biological aging.

Participants with the highest cardiovascular health scores were, on average, biologically six years younger than their chronological age.

“We found that higher cardiovascular health is associated with decelerated biological aging, as measured by phenotypic age.

“We also found a dose-dependent association — as heart health goes up, biological aging goes down,” says study senior author Dr. Nour Makarem, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City.

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8 steps that can help you age slower

“Greater adherence to all Life’s Essential 8 metrics and improving your cardiovascular health can slow down your body’s aging process and have a lot of benefits down the line. Reduced biologic aging is not just associated with lower risk of chronic disease such as heart disease, it is also associated with longer life and lower risk of death,” Makarem said.

If you’d like to get on board, check out Life’s Essential 8. These key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health consist of health behaviors (HB) and health factors (HF) that are modifiable and if improved, can reduce the risk for heart disease, stroke and other major health problems.

Life’s Essential 8 includes:

• Eat Better (HB)
• Be More Active (HB)
• Quit Tobacco (HB)
• Get Healthy Sleep (HB)
• Manage Weight (HF)
• Control Cholesterol (HF)
• Manage Blood Sugar (HF)
• Manage Blood Pressure (HF)

Print out this list and post it on your fridge. Find your weak spot and focus on improving it first. For me, that’s “Be More Active.”

That means I need to make an effort to practice a couple of hours of moderate to vigorous exercise every week. If you need tips on how to achieve that or any of the other recommendations on the list, just visit their site.

Nothing fancy or hard to follow — just some support in getting started and continuing along a path that could help you age slower and healthier!

Sources:

Heart Health Linked to Slower Aging — Neuroscience News

Life’s Essential 8 — American Heart Association

Only 1 in 5 people in the U.S. has optimal heart health — Eureka Alert

The post 8 steps to slow aging as much as six years appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But those non-nutritive low-calorie and no-calorie substitutes have some major drawbacks too. Does that mean we’re doomed to a life of “bland”?

Not if you switch to this truly natural sweetener that not only satisfies your sweet tooth — but also reduces four significant risk factors for cardiometabolic disease…

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Maple syrup: more than just sugar

Cardiometabolic diseases are all too common, often very preventable and can come together to do major harm resulting in heart attack, stroke, vascular disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Because inflammation is a driving factor in cardiometabolic disease, Dr. Andre Marette, PhD., had an idea…

“We know from decades of research that maple syrup is more than just sugar. It contains over 100 natural compounds, including polyphenols, that are known to prevent disease in part through their anti-inflammatory effects.”

So he and a team of scientists at Laval University conducted the first and only placebo-controlled clinical trial of the health effects of maple syrup.

In all, 42 participants consumed either two tablespoons of Canadian maple syrup or artificially-flavored refined sugar syrup each day for eight weeks, and then switched for another 8 weeks.

Tests were run to measure glucose tolerance, blood lipid profile, blood pressure body fat composition and changes in gut microbiota — and the outcomes were more than the researchers expected…

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Maple syrup took down 4 cardiometabolic risk factors

According to Dr. Marette, “I did not expect to see so many improvements of risk factors within a relatively short treatment period… Both individually and collectively, the study findings are quite significant.”

Specifically, they saw…

#1 – Lower blood sugar

The results showed that using maple syrup daily helped participants better manage their blood sugar levels after eating, thanks to improved glucose tolerance.

#2 – Better blood pressure

Switching to maple syrup also led to improved blood pressure. In fact, during the weeks that participants used maple syrup, their systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading that indicates the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats and pumps) decreased significantly by an average of -2.72 mm Hg. On the other hand, when the same participants used regular refined sugar, their systolic pressure went up by approximately +0.87 mm Hg.

#3 – Less abdominal fat

Visceral fat is the dangerous deep belly fat that wraps around your organs and raises your risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Yet, it seems it’s no match for maple syrup. As with blood pressure, maple syrup dramatically reduced visceral abdominal fat, while consuming refined sugar caused it to increase.

This finding adds more significance to a prior study, which found that the everyday sugar we eat actually blocks the bacteria that keep us lean and healthy.

#4 – Improved gut health

Considering the key role gut health plays in your overall health and longevity, possibly the most significant finding was the fact that switching to maple syrup also improved levels of potentially beneficial gut bacteria while decreasing those that harm.

The researchers found that when participants consumed maple syrup, their gut microbiome had fewer Klebsiella and Bacteroides pectinophilus, species, linked to inflammation and metabolic disorders.

Conversely, maple syrup caused an increase in the growth of beneficial bacteria like Lactocaseibacillus casei, which helps your body break down the food you eat and absorb valuable nutrients. It also boosted Clostridium beijerinckii, which supports fermentation in the gut to help break down complex carbohydrates, like fiber and resistance starches, that act as prebiotics.

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Small changes for powerful prevention

Dr. Marette and his team have shown that committing to lifestyle changes, even small dietary changes, can be a powerful tool in preventing future diseases.

Diving into the nutritional benefits of maple syrup, there’s no mystery about its powerful effects. Just two tablespoons of maple syrup provides:

• 35% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of manganese. Insufficient amounts of this trace mineral can lead to impaired glucose tolerance or prediabetes.
• 15% of the RDA for riboflavin, which helps convert carbs to energy and metabolizes fats.
• 8% of the RDA of copper, necessary for breaking down fat cells for energy.
• 2% of the RDA of potassium, needed to avoid hardening of arteries and support heart health.

Sources:

Why substitute sugar with maple syrup? – EurekAlert!

Lacticaseibacillus Casei – Uses, Side Effects, and More – WebMD

The post 4 heart health reasons to ditch sugar for maple syrup appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

However, the truth is that heart disease kills more women each year than breast cancer by far.

In fact, according to the American Heart Association, one in 39 women in the U.S. will die from breast cancer each year, while 1 in 3 dies from cardiovascular disease.

That works out to roughly one death every minute, with menopause playing a significant role in women’s cardiovascular risks.

This makes menopause a dangerous time in life for a woman due to changes in her heart health. And according to studies presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific meeting recently, there are five particular dangers women should be aware of…

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#1 – Irregular heartbeat

Research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA), found that 1 in 4 women are likely to develop irregular heart rhythms post-menopause. Known as atrial fibrillation, if not treated, it’s the most common cardiac cause of stroke. Fortunately, it’s possible to reduce the risk of AFib by 60 percent with regular exercise.

#2 – Elevated risk of heart failure

Scientists also found that women who went through menopause late – at age 55 or older – and who lived with obesity were at a significantly higher risk of heart failure.

#3 – Higher chance of heart disease

On the other end of the spectrum, research presented at the Association’s 2022 Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Conference (EPI), showed that women who naturally experienced early menopause (by the age of 40) had a 40% higher chance of coronary heart disease over their lifetime, compared to women who did not go through early menopause.

Coronary heart disease (also known as coronary artery disease) occurs when blockages or damage to the vessels prevent the arteries from delivering enough oxygen-rich blood to the heart. This can lead to a heart attack.

#4 – Dementia dangers

Results of another 2021 study found that women who experience very early menopause were 35% more likely to develop some type of dementia later in life, compared with women who enter menopause around age 50.

#5 – Effects of loneliness on the heart

Additional research in 2021 showed that menopausal heart danger can be compounded by social isolation. The study showed that women who experience loneliness post-menopause were at a 29% risk of cardiovascular disease.

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Support your heart health starting now

As the researchers noted, “More women in the U.S. are living longer, and a significant portion of them will spend up to 40% of their lives postmenopausal, so it’s important to monitor a woman’s health and lifestyle and develop intervention strategies to protect heart health.”

So what can you do to promote better heart health before, leading up to and during your menopause years?

Exercise, follow a Mediterranean-style diet and consider adding the veggie that gives back the heart protection menopause steals to your daily diet…

When women stop producing estrogen, they’re losing more than a sex hormone. Estrogen helps maintain nitric oxide (NO) levels in the body. NO is a signaling molecule found in the endothelial cells that line artery walls — where its chief function is to act as a powerful vasodilator and an important regulator of the cardiovascular system.

In one study, researchers at Penn State determined that beetroot juice, a naturally occurring dietary source of NO, improved blood-vessel function in menopausal and postmenopausal women so much that if it could be maintained over the postmenopausal years, the risk of heart disease could be significantly reduced.

NO may also help with the weight gain linked to heart failure. In a study using mice, researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, found that mice on NO therapy gained 17 percent less body weight than the control mice.

That same study saw the mice on NO therapy had improved cerebral blood flow and improved spatial learning abilities. That’s a win since better brain blood flow is associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment.

As a doctor, I think adding beets to our healthcare arsenal is one of the simplest things women can do for the threats we face when menopause comes knocking.

Beets can be enjoyed in salads, pickled, juiced with other veggies and added to smoothies.

Sources:

Hot news flash: Menopause can impact a woman’s heart health — EurekAlert!

3 amazing benefits of summer’s best heart-healthy vegetable — Easy Health Options

The post 5 serious health threats tied to menopause appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

For decades environmentalists have sounded alarms about it and the harm it’s doing to our planet.

But a more dire warning may be that an estimated nine million people each year die prematurely because of the damage it does to the human body, making up a whopping 16% of all deaths worldwide.

Can you guess what it is?

Pollution.

And while we’ve long understood many of the health effects of air pollution — with scientists warning about airborne Alzheimer’s, pollution-induced diabetes and effects worse on the heart than smoking or cholesterol — it seems that the dangers of the toxic metals, pesticides, and micro- and nanoplastics that have leached into our soil and water may have been overlooked.

And it’s now been revealed that the most significant dangers occur in the vessels that keep your blood flowing and heart beating.

Here are the details…

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Pollution is hardening our arteries

In the scientific journal, Nature Reviews Cardiology, an International research team is sounding an alarm in regards to the soil that grows our foods and the water we drink every day.

 “Soil contamination is a much less visible danger to human health than dirty air,” warn Dr. Thomas Münzel and Dr. Andreas Daiber, Head of the Molecular Cardiology Research Group at the Department of Cardiology at University Medical Mainz.

“But the evidence is mounting that pollutants in the soil as well as in water may damage cardiovascular health through some central mechanisms that have been identified to play a key role in the atherosclerotic process such as inflammation of the vasculature, increased oxidative stress, but also the disruption of the body’s natural clock causing vascular (endothelial) dysfunction that may lead to the initiation or progression of atherosclerotic disease.”

The formation of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is an early step in the development of heart disease. The process begins with endothelial dysfunction, mainly in medium- and large-sized arteries.

Normally it’s a slow process, with plaques building over years, but who knows if considerable exposure to pollution speeds up the process.

Additionally, the scientists say that the ever-present health risks that come with air pollution are now being compounded.

That’s because contaminated airborne dust (also known as Sahara or desert dust) is predicted to significantly increase, further deteriorating air quality.

This is especially alarming when you consider that already, 770,000 cardiovascular deaths per year are due to dust pollution.

Finally, the researchers point out that exposure to chemicals in the workplace, through consumer products (such as deodorants) or indirectly via environmental contamination also contributes to endothelial (blood vessel) dysfunction and cardiovascular disease.

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Reduce pollution’s threat to your heart

An important reason the researchers brought this information to light was to strongly encourage cardiologists to consider environmental factors that could influence their patients’ risk.

But the prevention necessary to avoid this newly identified risk will fall on our shoulders. There’s not much we can do to avoid the pollution that threatens our cardiovascular health, but there are ways to combat the specific ways it causes harm.

As a doctor who’s spent years reading and writing about these threats and potential solutions, I’m sharing with you advice that I’ve been putting into action for years in hopes of preventing some of the damage…

• Buy organic – To eliminate as much toxins as possible from the food you eat, look for organic fruits and vegetables rather than the conventional variety which is generally sprayed to within an inch of its life with harmful pesticides.
• Use a water filter – Installing a reverse osmosis water filter at home can allow you to filter your family’s drinking water and reduce your use of plastic water bottles that leach micro-particles into your water.
• Take antioxidants – Because oxidative stress is one of the ways researchers know pollution damages the cardiovascular system, it’s vital to up your antioxidant levels. You can get higher levels of antioxidants from foods like berries, leafy greens and green tea. Or, you can take a quality antioxidant supplement, such as resveratrol (the antioxidant found in the skin of grapes).
• Supplement B vitamins – One study found that individuals who took 2.5 mg per day of folic acid, 50 mg per day of vitamin B6 and 1 mg per day of vitamin B12 were able to almost completely reverse the pollution damage caused to their immune and cardiovascular systems.
• Practice chelation – Chelators are organic or inorganic compounds that can bind to different types of toxins found in pollution, like chemicals and toxic heavy metals, and promote their elimination from the body as waste. The less that’s in your body, the less there is to contribute to artery plaque. Resveratrol and EDTA are two that have been widely used and are available in supplement form.
• Supplement vitamin D – Close to half the adult population doesn’t take in adequate levels of the sunshine vitamin and low levels are linked to endothelial dysfunction.

Sources:

Road traffic injuries – World Health Organization

Number of worldwide air traffic fatalities from 2006 to 2021 – Statista

Influenza – Our World In Data

The true death toll of COVID-19 – World Health Organization

Soil and water pollution: An invisible threat to cardiovascular health – EurekAlert!

The post The environmental threat hardening our arteries appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s one reason why so much research has been conducted to find ways to help people combat insomnia and achieve a restful night’s sleep.

A recent study might seem to fly in the face of conventional wisdom, which cautions against exercising before bedtime.

When it comes to high-intensity exercise, that’s still good advice.

However, this study examines a different type of exercise, one that, when performed correctly, can actually lead to more hours of sleep.

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Sleep longer and reduce risk of heart problems

Researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand recruited thirty non-smokers, aged 18 to 40, to complete two 4-hour sessions in a controlled lab setting.

In one, they remained seated for four hours, while in the other, they did just three-minute bursts of simple resistance exercises every 30 minutes over the 4-hour period.

Activity trackers showed that after resistance training, with breaks in between, participants slept for an average of 27 minutes longer than they did after just sitting.

The researchers noted that there were no significant differences in sleep efficiency – uninterrupted sleep – or the number of times people woke during the night, whether they sat or exercised, indicating that the activity before bed didn’t disrupt sleep.

They also point out that by helping people sleep longer, especially those who are getting far less than the recommended nightly hours of sleep, this type of resistance activity before bed could potentially reduce the number of people with heart disease over the long term.

And guess what? This isn’t the first time resistance exercise has been shown to improve sleep…

Another study found that compared to aerobic exercise, resistance exercise:

• Increased sleep time by 40 minutes
• Decreased the time it took to fall asleep by three minutes
• Improved sleep quality and sleep disturbances

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What is resistance training?

When we talk about resistance exercises, we’re not referring to activities like running, cycling, or other high-intensity exercises.

Resistance exercise increases muscle strength by making your muscles work against a weight or force.

You can do resistance training at home with no equipment other than your own body. Some examples of this include doing push-ups, squats, stair climbing (which offers great cardiovascular benefits), and lunges.

Elastic bands, known as resistance bands, as well as free weights, can also help and are easily found in big-box stores or online.

Check out this resistance band workout for beginners and seniors to see what I’m talking about. It’s a full-body 30-minute routine, but could easily be broken into three-minute segments.

And the best time for these activity bursts — during commercial breaks while watching the evening news and your favorite shows!

More ways to ensure a solid night of sleep

Apparently, once we reach 60, there are changes to the built-in time clock that regulates our sleep-wake cycle, known as the circadian rhythm.

In addition to resistance exercise bursts, there are things you can do to improve your sleep, and they don’t involve the dangers of sleeping pills.

Melatonin is one of my favorites. Not only is it a safe and natural sleep aid (your body produces it to an extent), but people who supplement it regularly are also much less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration. That’s a win-win.

Some foods help produce the neurotransmitters that are needed to put you to sleep. Cherries are one. At the same time, the wrong foods can increase your risk for chronic insomnia.

One thing to avoid in the evening is blue light from your smartphone or tablet. That can undercut all the new ways you’ve just discovered to sleep better and longer.

Sources:

Resistance exercise ‘activity breaks’ at night may improve sleep length — Eureka Alert

Evening regular activity breaks extend subsequent free-living sleep time in healthy adults: a randomised crossover trial — BMJ

The post Sleep longer with this 3-minute activity appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But in more recent years, naps have gotten a bad reputation because of their potential effects on heart health.

In 2020, an analysis of 20 nap studies revealed a connection between daytime napping and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Another one, published in 2022, found that frequent napping may be a stroke warning. And still another found that if you’re depending on naps to make up for sleepless nights, you’re still losing out.

Getting good sleep matters — so much so that the American Heart Association (AHA) recently revised Life’s Simple 7 to Life’s Essential 8 (a checklist for lifelong good health).

The new version acknowledges the growing body of research showing how people who get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night are better able to manage various aspects of their heart health — and how shortchanging that can have dire consequences you should know about… especially if you’re a napper.

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Hypertension, cardiovascular disease and sleep duration

Sleep duration is known to affect blood pressure and can increase the risk of hypertension. So, a team of researchers decided to evaluate the connection between sleep duration and the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) using data collected on adults who were middle-aged and older.

Participants were divided into two groups: a hypertension group and a non-hypertension group. There was also a CVD group and a non-CVD group. All participants underwent follow-up for an average of 6.5 years, during which any stroke or cardiac event was tracked.

In addition to nighttime sleep duration, researchers evaluated how often participants took naps, total day and night sleep duration and the percentage of naps in total sleep duration. Here’s what they found:

• According to the study results, middle-aged and older adults who reported sleep duration of less than 6 hours and those with a high nap ratio (at least 0.4) were at risk of hypertension. Men 60 years and older with a high nap ratio saw a higher risk of hypertension.
• As for CVD, risk was elevated in participants who had a sleep duration of less than 6 hours per night, those with a total sleep duration of less than 6 hours, and those with a nap duration of less than 0.5 hours. Women 60 years and older who slept for less than 6 hours were also at increased risk of CVD.

There were some limitations to the study. The only correlations that could be obtained were between hypertension or CVDs and nap, sleep duration at night, total sleep duration and nap ratio.

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The problem with naps: shortening your nighttime sleep duration

These study results show that if you’re 45 years of age or older, you should get more sleep at night instead of taking a long afternoon nap.

To improve nighttime sleep, the AHA recommends taking steps to optimize your sleep hygiene as much as possible. These include keeping your phone away from your bedside, dimming your devices at night to reduce blue light exposure and blocking device notifications overnight so you don’t get woken up.

Consider these tips as well to get better sleep:

• Resistance exercise has been shown to increase sleep time by an average of 40 minutes. But never exercise within a few hours of your bedtime. Exercising then could make it harder to fall asleep.
• Whether you’re three or 43, having a bedtime routine can help you sleep better. Here are four pillars of a good bedtime routine to help you sleep better than a toddler.
• A healthy gut microbiome is essential to produce serotonin — a key player in our sleep/wake cycle. Probiotics and prebiotics can help balance gut bacteria and support the production of serotonin.
• People who eat more fruits and vegetables sleep better. One study saw improvements in sleep quality in as little as 24 hours.
• Rule out sleep apnea. Signs include waking frequently during the night, gasping for air, having dry mouth or snoring. If you suspect sleep apnea, tell your doctor.
• If you have an overactive bladder, or BPH, stop drinking anything at least 2 hours before bedtime to avoid frequent bathroom trips overnight.

If you do all this and still struggle to get more than 6 hours of nighttime sleep, an occasional afternoon nap may be helpful — as long as it’s done strategically…

Take your nap early in the afternoon since napping after 3 p.m. can interfere with your nighttime sleep. Nap in a dark, quiet place with a comfortable temperature and few distractions. And keep your nap between 10 and 20 minutes, since the longer you nap, the more likely you are to feel groggy afterward.

Sources:

Sleep Duration Associated With Higher Risk of Hypertension — AJMC

Associations of siesta and total sleep duration with hypertension or cardiovascular diseases in middle-aged and older adults — Clinical Cardiology

Healthy Lifestyle — American Heart Association

Life’s Essential 8 — American Heart Association

Napping: Do’s and don’ts for healthy adults — Mayo Clinic

The post The strong connection between naps, hypertension and heart trouble appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Even though it’s far from it! 80% of heart disease need not exist. That’s not a wish. It’s a fact.

And unless you’re diligent, you might be missing an opportunity to avoid it. 

Here are some key facts you need to know:

1. High cholesterol and high blood pressure have no symptoms

Two of the leading preventable causes of heart disease can be present inside your body without you realizing it. Even though both conditions affect nearly half of all US adults, neither high cholesterol nor high blood pressure are associated with obvious physical signs or symptoms. So unless you have them checked, you can’t know if you’re in the clear.

How often should you have these evaluated?  My rule of thumb is that cholesterol levels should be checked once in your teens, twice in your twenties, three times in your 30s, four times in your 40s, five times in your 50s, and yearly there after. More frequent checks are required if abnormal readings are noted at any point along the way. Blood pressure should be checked at EVERY healthcare encounter and AT LEAST as frequently as cholesterol.

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2. Hidden risks are common

Even when you get your cholesterol checked, you may have incomplete information about your true risk. Apo B and Lipoprotein A are tests worth having — although few physicians are aware of these tests and actually order them.

Lipoprotein A is a genetically determined risk factor that can only be uncovered with a blood test. It affects about 1 in 5 Americans. And if you don’t test for it, you won’t know if you’re at increased risk of developing plaque buildup prematurely. You need this tested only once in your lifetime.

Apo B helps determine how confident we are that your LDL reading is a true representation of risk. Apo B can change with lifestyle adjustment.  Timing and appropriateness of Apo B testing is something that your doctor should weigh in on. Apo B and Lipoprotein A (Lp(a)) are both assessed with blood tests that are not expensive and are typically covered by insurance (but always good to check with your specific plan).

3. Heart disease is not just a concern for older adults

Traditionally, heart disease has been viewed as an illness affecting primarily older adults.

However, as outlined in a recent blog, heart disease begins in childhood.  And when we exercise less because we’re glued to screens, and when we’re surrounded by foods that fuel high cholesterol, high blood sugar and high blood pressure, it might not be surprising that heart attacks among adults under 40 have become increasingly common.

Regardless of age, the time to start preventing heart disease is today.

4. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women — and many don’t know it

Many people still think of heart disease as primarily a “men’s issue,” but it’s actually the leading cause of death for women as well. In fact, heart disease kills more women each year than all cancers combined (including breast cancer).

Women are also less likely to experience the classic signs of a heart attack, such as chest pain, which can delay diagnosis and treatment. Symptoms in women can be subtler and may include fatigue, nausea, or shortness of breath. Although many women experience fatigue (Hello! We’re juggling multiple roles!) and both nausea and shortness of breath have many causes, if you have risk factors for heart disease (see #1 and #2), you should take your symptoms seriously — especially if they are new or unexpected. 

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5. Food drives most of it

Globally, heart disease remains the top cause of death. In the United States alone, someone dies from a heart-related condition every 33 seconds. This is roughly the equivalent of a September 11th-like tragedy repeating itself every 24 hours, 365 days a year.  

This statistic underscores just how pervasive and serious heart disease is. But it’s not just about mortality rates — it’s also about the quality of life for millions of people who live with heart conditions. And, to reiterate the point I made at the beginning of this blog, 80% of this represents unnecessary suffering. 

Five of the 7 modifiable risk factors for heart disease (high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar/diabetes, excess weight, poor diet) are all due in part or in whole to dietary choices (quitting smoking and moving more are the other two modifiable risk factors).  This means changing what you eat is the most impactful thing you can do yourself to avoid this disease.   

Take charge of your heart health today

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The post 5 scary heart health facts that could haunt you appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s long been acknowledged that being overweight or obese dramatically increases your risk of heart disease.

A few years ago, I wrote about metabolically healthy obesity as a way of explaining why some obese people have better cardiovascular health than people of healthy weight.

But is it pounds that count, or something else entirely?

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The history of body mass index

Since the 1990s, body mass index, or BMI, has been the standard way to estimate a person’s percentage of body fat. It’s a number that is calculated from a person’s weight and height.

BMI was originally meant to describe the risk of a population as a whole. But because it’s so easy to calculate, it became a clinical tool. A doctor can calculate your BMI with nothing more than a scale and a tape measure.

But BMI doesn’t distinguish among different types of weight.

“Weight can be composed of so many parts of us: our water weight, bone weight, fat, and muscle,” says Dr. Beverly Tchang, an endocrinologist and assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine.

“You can have someone come in with a normal BMI, and they already have prediabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol,” she says. “That’s probably because that normal BMI is missing the fat distribution detail.”

There’s an alternative to the BMI, and it’s turning out to be the prediction tool we need.

BRI: A better predictor of your heart’s risks

Body roundness index (BRI) combines waist circumference and height, reflecting the proportion of abdominal and visceral fat a person carries. Actual weight in pounds is not a factor in this formula.

A study recently showed why BR, is a far more accurate way to assess an individual’s risk of cardiovascular disease.

Researchers in China analyzed BRI measurements in a group of almost 10,000 adults between 2011 and 2016.

They assigned people to three groups based not only on their BRI, but on how it changed over time: a low-stable group, a moderate-stable group, and a high-stable group.

Compared to participants in the low-stable BRI level group, the risk of cardiovascular disease in the moderate-stable BRI level group increased by 61 percent, and the risk in the high-stable BRI level group increased by 163 percent.

“Our findings indicate that six years of moderate-to-high stable BRI appeared to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, suggesting that BRI measurements may potentially be used as a predictive factor for cardiovascular disease incidence,” says senior study author Dr. senior study author Yun Qian.

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How to avoid being “round”

To be honest this information isn’t news to us. It’s just more confirmation that fat carried in the midsection — belly fat, visceral fat, call it what you will — is almost a sure ticket to cardiovascular disease.

Back in 2019, I reported that the Endocrine Society listed waist circumference, an indication of excess fat in the midsection, along with four other factors to identify metabolic syndrome as a cardiovascular risk factor.

As with most things, diet and exercise are your two best weapons.

If you’re carrying belly fat, don’t be discouraged if you start exercising and don’t see visible changes. Even when it doesn’t show, it’s altering the composition of that deadly fat by reducing the number of inflammation-causing cells it contains. Inflammation is a significant contributor to heart trouble.

The role of hormones can’t be ignored when discussing belly fat either. Several, including the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone, insulin, cortisol (stress hormone), leptin and ghrelin (hunger hormones), not to mention thyroid and adrenal hormones, affect abdominal weight gain.

Discuss having your thyroid levels checked and rule out adrenal fatigue, leptin resistance and insulin resistance, and explore balancing estrogen and testosterone with a trusted healthcare practitioner.

According to cardiologist, Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, “As more studies validate the effectiveness of BRI, we could see a shift in how doctors assess and manage weight-related health risks. While BMI isn’t likely to disappear overnight, it’s clear that it can’t stand alone as the definitive measure of health.”

Sources:

Measure of body roundness may help to predict risk of cardiovascular disease — Eureka Alert

Body Roundness Index Trajectories and the Incidence of Cardiovascular Disease: Evidence From the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study — Journal of the American Heart Association

More belly weight increases danger of heart disease even if BMI does not indicate obesity — Science Daily

Could the Body Roundness Index One Day Replace the BMI? — JAMA Network

Time to Say Goodbye to the B.M.I.? NY Times

Body Roundness Index and All-Cause Mortality Among US Adults — JAMA Network

The post What to know about the new heart disease risk measurement appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And since women experience heart attack differently than men, it may follow that their cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks are different as well. In some ways they are…

According to one study, depression and high levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol were more significant risk factors for men, while the link between a poor diet and CVD was closer in women. Smoking was also a bigger risk for women.

Women’s heart health is also impacted later in life and they have more risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart failure.

But if researchers get caught up in the difference, they may miss lifesaving similarities…

Like a CVD biomarker already identified in men that could one day fight atherosclerosis via vaccine…

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Low anti-PC levels signal high CVD risk

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden followed 932 women from the Swedish Mammography Cohort with an average age of 66 over 16 years. During that period, 113 women developed CVD.

They identified low levels of antibodies to the fatty substance phosphorylcholine, called anti-PC, as a new independent risk marker for CVD in older women. This is the same risk marker already seen in men.

Results showed that women with a high level of anti-PC had a 25 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack.

“We can show that a low level of the natural antibody to phosphorylcholine can be used as a risk marker for cardiovascular disease also in women, independent of previously known risk factors,” says study author Johan Frostegård, a professor at the Karolinska Institutet.

“We have previously shown that the antibody has an anti-inflammatory effect, which means that it protects against atherosclerosis, which is a chronic inflammation of the vessel wall,” Frostegård adds.

The researchers hope this finding can contribute to the development of a vaccine that can raise anti-PC levels in those who show a risky shortage benefitting men and women.

But first, they’ll have to determine what level of anti-PC is protective. “We are now working on an even larger study that includes both men and women where we hope to establish such a level,” Frostegård says.

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What to do until a vaccine is available

While right now there is no known way for women (or men) to raise their levels of anti-PC, its link with inflammation is further indication that managing chronic inflammation must be an essential component of warding off CVD.

The best place to start is by ditching the standard American diet. It’s a risk factor intrinsically linked to CVD — because it’s filled with foods that increase pro-inflammatory biomarkers, including:

• Refined sugars
• Refined grains
• Fried foods
• Sodas
• Processed, red and organ meats

The exact opposite of that is the Mediterranean diet — which always tops the list of best diets for heart health. If you haven’t guessed, that’s because it’s also an anti-inflammatory diet.

In fact, according to research, the Mediterranean diet is comparable to other interventions such as aspirin, statins, physical activity, and even antihypertensives such as ace-inhibitors or beta-blockers in terms of reducing the risk of CVD severity, mortality, and events like heart attack or stroke.

The same research listed specific nutrients and foods in the diet responsible for its anti-inflammatory heart-healthy effects, including:

• Omega-3 fatty acids, such as from fish
• Olive oil
• Fruits and vegetables
• Whole grain foods high in fiber
• Nuts and legumes

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Sources:

New cardiovascular disease risk marker discovered in older women — EurekAlert!

Antibodies Against Phosphorylcholine in Prediction of Cardiovascular Disease Among Women: A Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study — JACC: Advances

Heart Attack Symptoms in Women — American Heart Association

The post The biomarker that could lead to a heart disease vaccine appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

While one in 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, heart disease is the cause of one out of every three deaths in women.

Shockingly, risk assessment tools for heart disease that are specific to women are sorely lacking.

But a routine medical procedure most women undergo at least yearly has identified a common denominator that could save more women’s lives…

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It’s different in women

There are very real differences between the way heart disease affects women as compared with men.

For one thing, women have risk factors that men just don’t, such as gestational diabetes and endometriosis.

For another, women have smaller hearts and narrower blood vessels. This means that a woman’s symptoms can differ greatly from the “typical” heart attack symptoms experienced by men.

Finally, women are more likely to suffer from diseases that mimic a heart attack, says Dr. Michelle O’Donoghue, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

These diseases include takotsubo syndrome, also called “broken heart syndrome,” in which changes in the heart muscle resemble a heart attack, but there are no blocked arteries.

Mammograms could predict heart disease

A new study followed the mammograms of nearly 400 women for 18 years, looking for one specific finding: breast arterial calcifications.

We’re all familiar with arterial calcification, also known as vascular calcification, which can lead to atherosclerosis. However a similar buildup of calcium can occur within the middle layer of the breast’s arterial wall, showing up as white parallel lines on a mammogram.

The condition is benign, but this study found a startling correlation between women with breast arterial calcification and women who also had heart disease.

Women with breast arterial calcification were 23 percent more likely to experience a type of heart disease in which plaque buildup in the walls of their arteries limits blood flow from the heart to the body’s other organs — compared to just 13.9 percent in women without breast arterial calcification.

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Microcalcification: A common denominator

This revelation gives women yet another good reason to get a regular mammogram. But, in addition to getting checked yearly, you can start lowering your risks right now…

Get off your duff. As a writer who sits for hours, I’m taking this one seriously. Researchers at Oxford University found that women of every age can reduce the risk of heart disease (and stroke) immediately and significantly by doing one simple thing: Exercising for at least 10 minutes, just 2-3 times per week.

Eat Mediterranean. An analysis of existing studies from just a year ago found that sticking closely to a Mediterranean diet was not only associated with a 24 percent lower risk of heart disease in women but a 23 percent lower risk of death.

Supplementing vitamin K2: Many experts believe calcification should be viewed as a contributor to the pathological aging process. That’s why an emerging group of vitamins is getting a lot of attention for their impact on this common contributor of unhealthy aging, particularly vitamin K2 and the subtype MK-7.

Low K2 levels are associated with calcification and an elevated risk of heart problems. Without adequate levels, processes don’t work optimally that help direct the calcium you take in regularly to areas it’s needed, like your bones.

Other factors can also affect the deposition of calcium in various parts of the body including:

Inflammation: Inflammation can damage tissue anywhere in the body. When it does, the body releases proteins that cause the calcium to bind together in clumps.

Calcium metabolism disorders: These can lead to hypercalcemia, which occurs when there is too much calcium in the blood.

Some autoimmune disorders: Because they can affect the skeletal system and connective tissues, they can cause calcification.

Sources:

Breast arterial calcification could be warning sign of heart disease — Eureka Alert

Breast arterial calcifications linked to cardiovascular disease risk — Contemporary OB/GYN

Frequency, Type, and Volume of Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Young Women — Circulation

The post The heart disease warning a mammogram shows appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Metals can accumulate in our air, soil, and water as a result of industrial exposure. Consuming metals and breathing them are among the most common ways we’re exposed. 

We’ve learned mercury, arsenic, cadmium and lead can be found in dark chocolate and fruit juices…

We know exposure to heavy metals can cause cancer, as well as a range of other conditions like nervous system problems, hypertension, immune system suppression, kidney damage and reproductive issues…

The American Heart Association called out lead, cadmium and arsenic for doing the most harm in the form of coronary artery disease, stroke and peripheral artery disease. And the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study found lead’s heart-related death rate is six times higher than previously thought…

These metals also have an endocrine-disrupting effect: Women with higher levels of heavy metal in their urine were significantly more likely to have diminished ovarian reserve — up to 10 years before their final menstrual period.

So to say heavy metals are ubiquitous to our environment — and our own bodies — may be an understatement, especially based on the latest findings…

A urine test that shows traces of these metals in your urine could indicate increased risks for not only cardiovascular death… but all-cause mortality.

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Heavy metals in urine predict heart disease and death

Scientists from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health analyzed data from 6,418 participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), the largest epidemiological study to date to look at characteristics of subclinical heart disease (heart disease before it has presented any symptoms).

Urine samples were gathered from the participants from six urban and suburban U.S. communities, and they were followed from 2000 to 2019.

Specifically, MESA looked at the hazard ratio (HR) of heart disease and heavy metals (the risk of developing heart disease relative to heavy metal exposure) by looking at the amount of heavy metals in urine. A hazard ratio above 1.0 suggests increased risk.

Results for six common heavy metals were as follows:

Cadmium: 1.25 for cardiovascular disease, 1.68 for death
Tungsten: 1.20 for CVD, 1.16 for death
Uranium: 1.32 for CVD, 1.32 for death
Cobalt: 1.24 for CVD, 1.37 for death
Copper: 1.42 for CVD, 1.50 for death
Zinc: 1.21 for CVD, 1.38 for death

When analyzed together, the 6-metal mixture including cadmium, tungsten, uranium, copper, cobalt, and zinc was associated with a 29 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease and a 66 percent increased risk of death over the study follow-up of 18 years. 

And that was even after accounting for established risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) like smoking, hypertension or diabetes.

The researchers noted that exposure to less studied metals such as tungsten and uranium is common in the U.S. These metals are found in drinking water, food, air pollution and indoor dust.

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How to avoid heavy metals

“Our findings support that urinary metal levels are a robust predictor of CVD risk and all-cause mortality,” the study authors say.

“These associations with clinical events are consistent with our previous finding that these six metals were associated with higher levels of coronary artery calcification, supporting that atherosclerosis is a major underlying pathway explaining the association of metals with clinical events, and that those subclinical associations are clinically relevant.”

Translation: Not only are heavy metals directly associated with heart disease, but likely they’re also behind a lot of the health issues that stem from heart disease.

So what’s a person to do if you want to avoid heavy metals?

Watch what you drink. Sports drinks and even many fruit juices are full of heavy metals. Limit your intake of these and reach for some iced water with lemon instead.

Wash your rice. Washing rice before you cook and eat it has been shown to remove about 90 percent of bioaccessible arsenic — the type the body can readily absorb.

Eat to detoxify your body. Sulforaphane, found in cruciferous veggies like broccoli, improves your liver’s ability to deal with toxins. Broccoli sprouts are some of the best detoxifiers around.

Explore chelation. EDTA (disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) chelation therapy was developed to treat lead poisoning but has been used in the treatment of cardiovascular and neurological conditions. It is reported to remove lead, cadmium and mercury, possibly others. EDTA binds to metals allowing them to pass through the body faster.

Sources:

Largest Study to Date Finds Multiple Urinary Metals Play Key Role in Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality — Columbia Mailman School of Public Health

These Metals in Urine Predict Heart Disease and Death — MedPage Today

Association of Urinary Metals with Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and All-Cause Mortality in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) — Circulation

Urinary Metal Levels and Coronary Artery Calcification: Longitudinal Evidence in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) — National Library of Medicine

EDTA Chelation Therapy for the Treatment of Neurotoxicity — International Journal of Molecular Science

The post When your urine test finds heavy metals and heart trouble appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

According to Stanford researchers, specific biomolecular shifts occur in our 40s and 60s that explain what’s happening to our bodies to make us feel this way.

In other words, instead of gradually aging year over year, we experience significant age-related changes during two specific times in our lives.

Here’s what’s happening and why — and what you might do to lessen the effects…

How and when your body ages the most

Using years of data from 108 people, as well as blood and other biological samples, researchers were able to identify and follow age-related changes in more than 135,000 different molecules and microbes, for a total of nearly 250 billion distinct data points.

This is how they learned that — in more than 80 percent of the molecules in the human body — major changes happen at two distinct periods of life: your mid-40s and your early 60’s.

Specifically, in our 40s, significant changes occur in the number of molecules available to metabolize alcohol, caffeine and fats (think mid-life belly bulge!) — as well as those related to the development of heart disease.

During this time we also experience a major reduction in molecules that keep our skin and muscles strong and healthy.

Then, when our 60s roll around, changes occur related to carbohydrate and caffeine metabolism, and an increase in inflammatory cytokines that weaken the immune system.

On top of more heart-related changes, kidney function can begin to suffer. No wonder older adults are prone to type 2 diabetes, and heart and kidney disease.

So, if you’ve passed 40 or 60 and feel like your best days are behind you — you’re not the only one. But while science is just now figuring out the mechanics of aging, an unsung hero of the nutritional world could help you “feel like” you’ve turned back the clock…

Combat the ‘aging decades’

Back in the 1970s, the amino acid dimethylglycine, called DMG for short, was used by athletes to give them a performance edge. But DMG turned out to be much more than a performance enhancer…

Doctors began getting feedback from patients that it provided relief for chronic joint pain, restored concentration and focus, got their cholesterol and triglyceride levels back in check — and many other age-related symptoms.

That’s when researchers started digging and backing up these claims. They found…

DMG supports heart health. Research from Clemson University showed that DMG supports the heart and blood vessels by slowing the rate of degeneration and supporting oxygen function.

DMG supports immune health. Research in The Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine showed that DMG acted as an immune modulator, enhancing the immune system’s ability to respond to foreign invaders by boosting the production of T-cells, B-cells and macrophages to guard against infection.

DMG and cognition. Based on testimonies found in The Townsend Letter, alternative health practitioners from all over have shared that DMG boosts brain function including memory, cognition and focus.

Overall, it’s involved in at least 41 different processes in your body and is needed by every single cell. Your body can’t create certain hormones, neurotransmitters or even DNA without it.

I could go on and on about DMG’s potential for relieving inflammation, reducing oxidative damage, supporting detoxification and healthy circulation — and more. But I think by now you get my point: It could be a valuable tool in the fight against the ravages of aging.

DMG is an essential amino acid, meaning our bodies can make it. You have to get it through your diet, from foods like beans, cereal grains, brown rice, pumpkin seeds and liver. But unless you get ample amounts of these foods daily, to get the therapeutic amount your body needs, consider supplementing.

Sources:

Massive biomolecular shifts occur in our 40s and 60s, Stanford Medicine researchers find – EurekAlert!

The post Feel like your body fell apart after 40? Here’s why appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Nearly 95 percent of Florida oranges are used for juice, and about half the peels from those oranges go to waste.

Imagine if instead they could be used to save lives.

As we speak, scientists are looking at how this wasted resource could help save people from the #1 killer in the United States.

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Can orange peel extract prevent heart disease?

Recent research has shown that our digestive process may be putting us at greater risk for heart disease.

You see, there’s a small group of gut bacteria that produce the chemical trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) when they feed on certain nutrients during digestion.

And it’s been found that people with higher levels of TMAO in their blood may have more than twice the risk of heart attack, stroke, or other serious cardiovascular problems.

But the answer to reducing that risk may lie in all that wasted orange peel…

Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic investigated the impact of orange peel extract, which is rich in phytochemical antioxidants, on TMAO production.

To do this, scientists tested two types of extracts: a polar fraction and a non-polar fraction.

“If you imagine your salad dressing, anything in the water or vinegar part are the polar fraction; anything in the oil away from water is the non-polar fraction,” explains Yu Wang, associate professor of food science at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

“The solvents we used were not exactly like water and oil, but they possess similar polarity,” Wang says.

Researchers identified a compound called feruloyl putrescine in the orange peel polar fraction extract that significantly inhibits the enzyme responsible for TMAO production.

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Heart disease prevention is key

I’m not suggesting you should go out there and start eating orange peels. But the research team is hopeful that it may soon be used to fight heart disease. Adding a little orange zest to your favorite recipes isn’t such a bad idea though.

“These findings suggest that orange peels, often discarded as waste in the citrus industry, can be repurposed into valuable health-promoting ingredients, such as diet supplements or food ingredients,” says Professor Wang.

 “Our research paves the way for developing functional foods enriched with these bioactive compounds, providing new therapeutic strategies for heart health.”

In the meantime, take advantage of tips we already know that can reduce your risk of heart disease, including what cardiologist Dr. Elizabeth Klodas recommends for lowering TMAO levels:

1. Eat fish twice a week. Regularly eating fatty fish can help prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) even in individuals who are at higher risk due to heart disease or stroke.
2. Exercise. Regular exercise lowers the risk of developing heart problems over about six years, even with the presence of a family history.
3. Chelation therapy. Toxic metals, including heavy metals, negatively impact human health. And lead is among the most notorious affecting heart health. EDTA chelation is a safe option.
4. Eat beets. After menopause, women no longer produce estrogen, which helps maintain nitric oxide (NO) in the body. This loss of NO contributes to the substantial increase in heart disease risk for postmenopausal women. Men can also benefit from NO, as it is a natural vasodilator produced in the body with the help of dietary nitrates, like those found in beets.
5. Support healthy blood pressure. Pterostilbene, an antioxidant found in berries, grapes and nuts, along with grape seed extract, supports naturally healthy blood pressure.
6. Beat back metabolic syndrome. Waist size, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar — make up the cluster of conditions that define metabolic syndrome, a surefire precursor to heart attack or stroke.

Sources:

Study shows orange peel extract may improve heart health — Eureka Alert

Discovery of a Novel Bioactive Compound in Orange Peel Polar Fraction on the Inhibition of Trimethylamine and Trimethylamine N-Oxide through Metabolomics Approaches and In Vitro and In Vivo Assays: Feruloylputrescine Inhibits Trimethylamine via Suppressing cntA/B Enzyme — Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

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