February is American Heart Health Month and I wanted to share some great information that I have run across while continually looking into how to improve my own heart health.
Heart Disease is the number one cause of death. According to the Centers for Disease control, about every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event and about one every minute will die, and according to the American Heart Association, nearly 2,600 deaths a day are due to coronary heart disease.
Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and even more frightening to me, it is a major cause of disability. The most common being coronary heart disease. In 2010, an estimated 785,000 Americans had a new coronary attack and about 470,000 had a recurrent attack.
The chance of developing heart disease can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control factors that put us at greater risk. Additionally, and most importantly in my mind is knowing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack. Knowing these signs and symptoms are crucial to the most positive outcome after having a heart attack. People who have survived a heart attack can also work to reduce their risk of another heart attack or stroke in the future.
The chance of developing coronary heart disease can be reduced by taking steps to prevent and control factors that put people at greater risk. Additionally, knowing the signs and symptoms of heart attack are crucial to the most positive outcomes after having a heart attack. People who have survived a heart attack can also work to reduce their risk of another heart attack or a stroke in the future. If you are looking for more information on heart disease and stroke, you should visit the Centers for Disease's Division of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention.
Diseases and Conditions That Put Your Heart at Risk
Other conditions that affect our heart or increase our risk of death or disability include arrhythmia, heart failure, and peripheral artery disease (PAD). We all know that high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and secondhand smoke are also risk factors associated with heart disease. For a full list of diseases and conditions along with risk factors and other health information associated with heart disease, visit the American Heart Association
Healthy Lifestyle: Diet and Nutrition, Exercise and Fitness
A healthy diet and lifestyle are the best weapons you have to fight heart disease. Many people make it harder than it is. It is important to remember that it is the overall pattern of the choices you make that counts. As you make daily food choices, read nutrition labels and base your eating pattern on these recommendations:
* Choose lean meats and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated and trans fat.
* Select fat-free, 1% fat, and low-fat dairy products.
* Cut back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to reduce trans fat in your diet.
* Cut back on foods high in dietary cholesterol. Aim to eat less than 300 mg of cholesterol each day.
* Cut back on beverages and foods with added sugars.
* Select and purchase foods lower in salt/sodium.
* If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation. That means no more than one drink per day if you're a woman and two drinks per day if you're a man.
* Keep an eye on your portion sizes.
See CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Web site for more tips on nutrition.
Physical activity in your daily life is an important step to preventing heart disease. You can take a few simple steps at home, at work, and at play to increase the amount of physical activity in your life. See CDC's physical activity Web site for tips and more information.
Nutritional supplements and nutrients that support cardiovascular health are among the most sought-after by baby boomers and the elderly. It is easy to see why:
* Cardiovascular disease is still the number one killer in the United States.
* According to statistics by the Center of Disease Control (CDC) younger baby boomers are in the mid-forties and the older ones are in their mid-sixties. The prevalence of cardiovascular disease is estimated to be 15.5 percent for younger baby boomers and 50 percent for older ones.
* With obesity becoming more widespread in America, especially amongst baby boomers and the elderly, the CDC estimates that by the year 2031, people with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) will make up to 65 to 75 percent of the population.
Trends in nutritional supplements show that baby boomers are seeking popular heart-health supporting supplements like fish oils, multi-vitamins, herbs, phytosterols and nutrients for supporting cardiovascular health.
Research on fish oil supplements and its positive influence on heart health makes fish oil a popular choice. Fish oil is known to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels and regulate blood pressure. It is also known to have anti-inflammatory properties. The FDA approved a qualified health claim for dietary supplements containing EPA & DHA to state that omega 3 fatty acids contain properties that can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
ConsumerLab.com reviewed USANA's BioMega as part of a larger evaluation of dietary supplements sold in the United States that claim to contain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA). Products were tested for their omega-3 levels; mercury, lead and PCB contamination; and signs of decomposition. BiOmega received an approved rating in all three testing categories. The review can be found on the company’s Web site at http://www.consumerlab.com/.
ConsumberLab.com stated in its product review that the quality of fish oil and other omega-3 supplements is an important issue because supplement levels vary depending on the source and method of processing. Fish also can have accumulated toxins that could potentially contaminate a supplement. USANA uses a double molecular distillation process to manufacture its BiOmega supplement, ensuring the highest possible purity from mercury, PCBs, pesticides and other heavy metals.
Coenzyme Q10 is another vital nutrient for heart health. It not only helps in the production of energy for performing vital functions in the heart, it also helps support cardiovascular health. Research has shown it helps strengthen heart muscles and improves the hearts pumping capacity. An optimal combination of Coenzyme Q10 and alpha lipoic acid can be found in USANA's CoQuinone 30. They also have a CoQuinone 100 in their personalized "My Health Pak" which provides more than 3 times the strengh of CoQuinone 30.
So, this month it's all about heart health. I have shared some important information and a couple suggestions. It is so important to take care of our health. I hope my sharing this information with you is helpful.
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