Get Easy Health Digest™ in your inbox and don’t miss a thing when you subscribe today. Plus, get the free bonus report, Mother Nature’s Tips, Tricks and Remedies for Cholesterol, Blood Pressure & Blood Sugar as my way of saying welcome to the community!
This early warning could save your heart years before signs of trouble
Heart disease and stroke are always among the top causes of death from disease in the U.S. That’s why it’s important to know the warning signs…
For heart attack, the signs most often include discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back; shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort; pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach; or other signs like breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
For stroke, the signs are a numb or drooping face, arm numbness or weakness, one arm drifting downward when you lift both arms, slurred speech, or speech that’s difficult to understand.
However, these signs often don’t show up until right before the event occurs. Of course, having other ways to determine the risk of heart attack or stroke could save countless lives. To that end, researchers exploring ways to identify those at high risk for these events have discovered one measurement that’s quite reliable…
«SPONSORED»
Calcium in the abdominal aorta can forecast risk
According to a study led by Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia, calcium build-up in the abdominal aorta, a major artery outside the heart, could predict future heart attack or stroke. This measurement could help doctors identify people at risk of cardiovascular disease years before symptoms arise.
The international team of researchers analyzed 52 previous studies and found people who have abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) have a two to four times higher risk of a future cardiovascular event like a heart attack or stroke. According to this research, the risk of future cardiovascular events rises with the amount of calcium in the blood vessel wall. Also, the study showed people with AAC and chronic kidney disease were at even greater risk than those with AAC alone.
Calcium can build up in the blood vessel wall and harden the arteries, blocking blood supply or causing the plaque in the artery to rupture, which is a leading cause of heart attacks and strokes. Factors contributing to arterial stiffening include a poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking and genetics.
Lead researcher and Associate Professor Josh Lewis from ECU’s School of Medical and Health Sciences says the findings offer important clues for cardiovascular health. He observed heart disease is often considered a “silent killer” because many people don’t know they have the early warning signs, such as abdominal or coronary artery calcification.
“The abdominal aorta is one of the first sites where the build-up of calcium in the arteries can occur — even before the heart,” he adds. “If we pick this up early, we can intervene and implement lifestyle and medication changes to help stop the condition progressing.”
Population‐based studies have found AAC occurs in about 1 in 3 people aged 45 to 54 years and up to 9 in 10 people aged over 75 years. AAC is often identified incidentally in many routine tests, including x-rays or lateral spine scans from bone density machines.
“This can signal an early warning for doctors that they need to investigate and assess their patient’s risk of heart attack or stroke,” Prof. Lewis says. They can do so by initiating a more comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment, including blood pressure and cholesterol testing or a heart health check.
Controlling calcium in the blood
With calcium, balance is key. It’s important to get enough calcium to keep your bones strong and your body functioning well, but get too much and it can wreak havoc with your health. Too much calcium in your blood, known as hypercalcemia, can cause weak bones and kidney stones and interfere with heart and brain function.
Although a few conditions and some medications may lead to hypercalcemia, the main cause is overactive parathyroid glands. These four tiny glands are situated in the neck, near the thyroid gland.
To help control blood calcium levels and prevent arterial stiffening, it’s important to choose your medications carefully. For instance, the NSAID Celebrex has been shown to increase calcium buildup and arterial stiffening. And while L-type calcium channel blockers stop calcium from entering blood vessel cells, these medicines may still thicken and stiffen the lining of the blood vessels by causing overactivity in a specific protein molecule. Never stop a medicine you’ve been prescribed, but certainly talk to your doctor about concerns.
There are some natural ways to help control the amount of calcium in your blood. As is usually the case in health matters, quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet and getting exercise help keep calcium levels balanced. Since dehydration can make hypercalcemia worse, try to drink at least four to six cups of water daily.
It’s best to get calcium through diet instead of supplements unless your doctor has suggested calcium supplements for a specific condition.
«SPONSORED»
Two vitamins can help your body better process the calcium you consume. Vitamin D is necessary to make sure your body’s properly absorbing the calcium you take in. And vitamin K2 helps the body produce a protein that diverts calcium to the bones.
You can get vitamin D through sunlight exposure or from milk fortified with vitamin D, while vitamin K2 is found in dairy products, miso, liver, beans and chickpeas. But if you don’t want to risk inadequate levels, you may want to take supplements for both of these vitamins. Vitamin D deficiency is quite common in the US, especially among older adults.
The recommended amount of vitamin D for adults aged 19 to 70 is 600 IUs per day, while adults older than 70 are advised to get 800 IUs daily. But many experts believe that is barely enough for healthy bones. A blood test can detect your levels and to correct a deficiency, your doctor will prescribe a high dose to raise your levels for a period of weeks. For many, a daily therapeutic dose of 5,000 IU maintains healthy blood levels of vitamin D.
Editor’s note: Have you heard of EDTA chelation therapy? It was developed originally to remove lead and other contaminants, including heavy metals, from the body. Its uses now run the gamut from varicose veins to circulation. Click here to discover Chelation: Natural Miracle for Protecting Your Heart and Enhancing Your Health!
Sources:
Heart Attack and Stroke Symptoms — American Heart Association
New research reveals early warning sign for heart disease — Edith Cowan University
The Blood Pressure Drug That Makes Blood Pressure Worse — Easy Health Options
The Arthritis Drug That Makes Your Heart Old And Tired — Easy Health Options
Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals — National Institutes of Health
One Must-Have Supplement For Better Blood Sugar, Arteries And Bones — Easy Health Options
Hypercalcemia — Mayo Clinic
How to Lower Calcium Naturally — Livestrong.com
These supplements fight heart disease better than statin drugs — Easy Health Options
By Carolyn Gretton
«SPONSORED»
