If your doctor tells you that you have high cholesterol levels or elevated triglycerides, then these are your first clues of metabolic failure. At this point, you will still have a chance of turning your life around before it’s too late!

Most people with coronary heart disease don’t realize they have it until it’s too late, even though basic medical tests can reveal telltale signs like elevated triglycerides and high cholesterol levels. Some people may experience “angina pectoris,” which is the medical term for discomfort, heaviness, aching, burning, numbness or pain in the chest, left shoulder, arms, back or jaw.

Often this pain will feel similar to indigestion but won’t occur around meal times. Depending on what kind of angina you’re suffering from, the pain may come after exertion (stable angina), when sleeping and while out in the cold (prinzmetal’s angina) or sometimes even just suddenly while resting (unstable angina). Shortness of breath, heart palpitations, dizziness, nausea and sweating often accompany the angina symptoms.

No matter what level of coronary heart disease you’re suffering from, lifestyle and diet changes are essential. All other treatments are merely complementary. In some cases, you may be prescribed medications to lower high blood pressure, oxygenate blood, slow the heartbeat down and open up restrictive blood vessels.

In severe cases, balloon angioplasty surgery, stent placement or coronary bypass are needed. Health experts are looking into new treatments like transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMR), which utilizes laser beams to blast through the channels in your heart muscle, freeing up blood flow.

Angiogenesis provides substances through the vein or directly into the heart, where the transporters have failed. Enhanced external counterpulsation can stimulate the opening of blood vessels in a very non-invasive way.

While some people are born genetically susceptible to coronary heart disease, the overwhelming majority of us become victimized by our imbalanced eating habits, our 50 hour work weeks, our poor sleep quality, our lack of exercise, our smoking, our drinking and our stress. There comes a point where we need to realize that work could be the end-all of existence if we don’t better organize our priorities.

On a positive note, more and more Americans are looking for healthier ways of living, judging by the number of self-help books flying off the shelves. There may not be an easy answer for lowering cholesterol or bypassing atherosclerosis, but with a positive attitude and a little bit of hard work, we can live a long, healthy life.

Article Source: Ezine Article
URL: Helping You Cope With Coronary Heart Disease

Studies have shown that organic dried fruit has the following benefits:

1. Increases energy level for activity and exercises

2. Reduces blood pressure because of positive sodium to potassium ratio

3. Lowers the risks of cardiovascular diseases

4. Keeps cancer away

5. Improves the HDL cholesterol level

6. Helps prevent diabetes

7. Delays the ageing process

Organic dried fruit offers luscious flavors and sweetness that satisfy the sweet cravings. The drying process of fruit expels most of the water rendering the dried fruit more concentrated especially its nutrients. For instance, the antioxidant power of dried blueberries can be four times higher than fresh blueberries. Dried and organic fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals, even vital enzymes, and polyphenols.

A February 2009 issue of the British Journal Nutrition stated that a study conducted to find the impact of eating dried plum concluded that its consumption slows the progress of atherosclerosis, the condition in which waxy plaque is accumulated in the blood vessels. The slowed progress of atherosclerosis also results in slowed progress of cardiovascular diseases and may even reverse the accumulation of plaque in veins and arteries.

Another study was published on August 2008 issue of Cancer Research. The publication revealed that eating dried black raspberries precludes the progress of cancer by restoring the carcinogen-altered and damaged genes into their normal state.

The following selections are among the highly recommended organic dried fruits for consumption as part of meals or as snacks:

1. Raisins – that are dried grapes, which bring benefits such as protection from gum disease and cavities, osteoporosis and macular degeneration. Raisins are also beneficial to the eyes.

2. Dried Apricots – its benefits include prevention of cataract formation, constipation and digestive conditions

3. Cherries – dried organic fruit like cherries make ideal snacks that benefit the body and health especially heart disease prevention and cancer prevention

4. Cranberries

5. Apples

The next time you crave for something sweet, why not have any of the organic dried fruit as snacks and benefit your body in more ways than you probably know.

Article Source: Ezine Article
URL: Weight Loss Benefits of Organic Dried Fruit – Good Snacks For Your Body

Heart disease patients don’t fair much better they are given one drug after the other in a form of chemical Russian roulette. Each drug has so many side effects that inserts must be included with the medicines because there are too many side effets to write on the side of the bottle. Then if this doesn’t work its off to the chopping block with more cutting, maiming and scaring and maybe the addition of some foreign materials into the body like pacemakers or stints. Good Lord!

How about diabetes? Well they usually avoid surgery here, that is until the doctors have completely failed to help the patient and they have to cut off toes or feet to prevent gangrene and death. I was Type II diabetic years back and went through the drug thing with glucophage, which did help bring my blood sugar down but did nothing to cure the diabetes. It only controlled it. Luckily for me I found an alternative doctor who helped get my blood sugar under control with diet, exercise and supplements. I’m almost 62 now and no diabetic drugs for nine years. I’d call that a cure even though the FDA says “only drugs can cure a disease.” Pooh-rah to th FDA.

So what are we to do? Perhaps we should follow the example of our former president, Ronald Regan. who when diagnosed with cancer went to Germany to recieve his treatments and then lived more than another decade. Or perhaps if you are a woman with breast cancer you should explore the use of mistletoe as actress, Suzanne Somers, did. Its another overseas protocol that avoids surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.

The U.S.A. has the best trauma treatment of any country in the world. If you are in a car wreck or get shot there is no better place to be. But once you are not critical get out the hospital before you contract Sars or some other super resistant form of bacteria that our drug crazed pharmaceutical companies have actually brought about by developing drug after drug after drug for every malady know to man. The drug companies have caused the super bacteria by causing the normal bacteria to develop stronger more resistant strains by their over zealous proliferation of drugs.

Along comes Madison Cavanaugh, the lady with a plan. She has discovered that European medicine is fighting cancer, heart disease, diabetes, bacteria, fungus and a host of other medical problems with oxygen. Yes, good old oxygen that everyone must have to live anyway. It seems a former nobel prize winner, Otto Warburg, discovered back in 1931 that viruses could be obliterated – made to vanish (remember we can’t say cure here because the FDA has made it a law that it is illegal to say anything except a drug cures disease. So much for the first amendment) – through the proper administration of oxygen and that “cancer tumors shrink when put in contact with oxygen. You can do this with a substance that only cost pennies a day and with a substance that you can self-administer in your own home.

I hate articles that tease and don’t give the full story as much as the next guy, however, this is a medical article and as with all things medical certain precautions need to be taken and facts need to be known before this procedure should be attempted. It is only prudent of me and wise for you to let Ms. Cavanaugh explain the particulars of the oxygen protocol before you decide if this is for you and of course as always check with your doctor or other qualified medical prfessional before starting this or any other new treatment. Remember this article and Ms. Cavanaugh’s ebook are both for informational purposes and not meant to replace professional medical guidance.

Article Source: Ezine Article
URL: Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes – An Alternative Protocol

What is it?

Lipodissolve is a procedure whereby a mixture of chemicals and substances is injected into the body with the goal of removing fatty deposits at the site of the injection. The “cocktail” used is not standardized and varies among lipodissolve providers, however the active ingredient that dissolves the fat is common to all. That is phosphatidylcholine, a chemical produced from the soya bean which is approved by the FDA for breaking down fats in the blood of patients with a high risk of heart disease. It is NOT approved by the FDA for use in cosmetic procedures or for injecting into fat layers of the body. Also included in the lipodissolve cocktail is sodium deoxycholate, a product of cattle bile which is a water-soluble ionic detergent. The other ingredients are determined by the physician who orders the mixture, and might include antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, plant extracts or other substances, some of which may not be approved or regulated.

The substance is injected into the body at the location where the fat will be removed. Over a period of several weeks, the chemicals begin to break down the fat cells and they are absorbed into the body. Each session takes between 15-30 minutes. After a period of 6-8 weeks, another series of injections can be given. Typically, patients require anywhere from 4-8 injection treatments to complete their procedure. Lipodissolve is only claimed to be effective for treating small, localized areas of fatty deposits and should not be thought of as a weight loss procedure. Prices vary widely among providers, and can range from $300 per treatment to over $1500 per treatment.

Does it work?

Other than testimonials put forward by lipodissolve providers on sponsored websites, it is difficult to find evidence that the procedure is effective. On the contrary, there are many, many customer reports that indicate little to no effectiveness after multiple lipodissolve treatments. One of the earliest and best-known lipodissolve companies was Advanced Lipo Dissolve, also known as Fig. In December of 2007, Fig went bankrupt under the pressure of pending lawsuits and a huge number of complaints against their business practices filed by customers with the Better Business Bureau.

Is it safe?

There is ample evidence that suggests a multitude of complications, side effects, and adverse health issues as a direct result of the procedure. In addition, because the solution injected into your body varies dramatically from provider to provider, there can be no simple answer to the question of effectiveness. Without knowing exactly what’s in the mixture, it’s impossible for experts in the field of aesthetic medicine to provide a complete list of possible associated problems. Lipodissolve is not recommended for pregnant women, nursing women, or patients with existing health issues such as diabetes or HIV.

A quick internet search will turn up a host of problems experienced by lipodissolve customers, including:

]]> http://egoodhealthtips.com/heart-disease/lipodissolve-what-you-should-know/feed/ 0 http://egoodhealthtips.com/heart-disease/do-medical-x-rays-cause-cancer-and-heart-disease/ http://egoodhealthtips.com/heart-disease/do-medical-x-rays-cause-cancer-and-heart-disease/#comments Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:45:27 +0000 goodhealth http://egoodhealthtips.com/heart-disease/do-medical-x-rays-cause-cancer-and-heart-disease/ If you read that medical x-rays were responsible for half the incidence of cancer in this country – what would your reaction be?

I suspect it would be based to a great extent on where you read it. If it was a banner headline on the National Enquirer, you would probably ignore it. But if you saw it on the front cover of the New York Times, you would pay more attention.

No matter where you read it, your reaction would be the one of disbelief.

Why? Because you probably believe that contemporary medicine is based on thoroughly tested science?

Do you believe that if medical x-rays were a major cause of cancer, this would have been discovered early on, and never allowed to happen? If so, do you have any evidence for such a belief – or is it reflective only of faith in the medical profession?

X-rays have been a valuable medical tool since their discovery in 1895. But for over 70 years we’ve known that x-rays cause genetic mutations and cancer.

The belief that medical x-rays are not a major cause of cancer is based on three basic assumptions:

• First, that risk from minimal doses of radiation is just hypothetical.
• Second, that doctors and technicians administer the minimum dose.
• Third, that repeated x-ray exposures are not cumulative in their effect.

Search, and you will find overwhelming evidence that none of these are true. But you need to know where to look and you have to look at the raw data without bias.

The evidence is occasionally published in peer-reviewed, mainstream medical journals. But all too often, it is published only in the more obscure journals read by only a few thousand specialists. And, because of the threatening nature of the data to our current medical system, the findings are rarely covered in larger media outlets.

For example, a paper was recently published entitled “Breast Cancer Mortality After Diagnostic Radiography.”

It showed the results of a study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute that examined the correlation of breast cancer mortality with receiving diagnostic x-ray exposure for scoliosis [curvature of the spine]. These women, who had an average of 25 diagnostic x-rays taken, had a 70% greater risk of dying of breast cancer than the general population.

One of the paper’s key conclusions was: “Consistent with radiation as a causative factor, risk of dying of breast cancer increased significantly with number of radiographic examinations in which the breast was exposed and with increasing cumulative radiation dose to the breast.”

So much for assumption number three. But the chances are that your doctor – or your oncologist or radiologist – has not seen this report, because it was published in Spine. Spine has a worldwide circulation of less than 8,000, consisting primarily of physical and medical rehabilitation specialists.

The FDA estimates that seven out of 10 Americans received at least one x-ray last year. How many did you and your family members receive? How many have you received over your lifetime? What was their dosage? Do you know? Do your doctors know?

The person who probably knows as much about the effects of radiation as anyone in the world is John Gofman, M.D., Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California at Berkeley, and on the faculty of the University of California Medical School in San Francisco (UCSF).

Dr. Gofman has published six books on the effects of ionizing radiation on health, the latest being Radiation from Medical Procedures in the Pathogenesis of Cancer and Ischemic Heart Disease. In this 700-page tome, Dr. Gofman presents study after study that point to medical x-rays not only playing a major role in causing 50% of cases of cancer – but also in causing 60% of the cases of coronary heart disease (CHD). The probable mechanism, Dr. Gofman explains, is radiation-induction of mutations in the coronary arteries, resulting in dysfunctional clones (mini-tumors) of smooth muscle cells.

Dr. Gofman is quick to point out that, first of all, he is not against medical x-rays – only their use at needlessly high dose levels. And second, that x-rays are not by themselves the only cause of these diseases, but are a necessary co-actor. What this means is that medical x-rays are not solely responsible for our epidemic of cancer and CHD, but that when combined with other factors, they can and do cause the onset of these diseases. Reduce the amount of exposure to medical x-rays and the incidence of cancer and CHD is proportionally reduced.

Dr. Gofman shows how x-ray dosages can easily on average be reduced by 50% from present levels. He points out procedures as simple and inexpensive as taking frequent dose measurements. Proper training for technicians is essential. Radiographers need to compensate for the age and size of patients. And specialists need to be aware of how much previous exposure their patients have had, and be judicious in ordering only necessary imaging.

Physicians also need to be aware of diagnostic imaging devices that do not use ionizing radiation – such as MRIs for neurological and musculo-skeletal conditions, and thermography for breast screening – and able to detect cancer years earlier than mammography. If Dr. Gofman’s hypothesis is right, making these prudent steps the rule rather than the exception would save at least 250,000 lives per year.

Although a few radiologists have taken exception to Dr. Gofman’s work, none have refuted it in any way. Why, then, are these simple, life-saving measures not embraced by the entire medical community? Why is this story not on the front page of every newspaper in America?

Two hundred and fifty million x-rays will be performed in the United States this year. At a conservative average cost of $50 per x-ray, that is an industry with annual sales of $12.5 billion. Diagnostic x-ray imaging is a cornerstone of much of mainstream medicine. Nothing that weakens the public’s perception of the value and safety of x-rays is likely to be publicized.

Those radiologists who have criticized Dr. Gofman’s work have criticized it on the basis that it might scare patients away from having any x-rays at all, when they might very well benefit from the procedure. This brings up a very serious issue of a patient’s right to know. Says Dr. Gofman, “We doubt that x-ray practitioners would want to assert that x-rays are the one agent, in all of medicine, where referring physicians and patients must be told about only the benefits, and must be kept uninformed about dosage and risk.”

There is a revolution going on in medicine right now. It is the growth of what we call alternative medicine – a movement typified by the absolute minimization of toxic medical modalities. This is being driven not by the efforts of healthcare professionals but by the market demands of patients, wh
Article Source: Ezine Article
URL: Do Medical X-Rays Cause Cancer and Heart Disease?

A Simple Potential Cure for Heart Disease

Recent studies have indicated that the same methods used to prevent heart disease can possibly be a way to cure heart disease. These studies indicate that a drastic change in diet and exercise practices can in fact reverse or even cure heart disease.

One such program is the one presented by Dean Ornish Program. Based on a whole food and plant based diet, this program provides a very regimented and regulated plan as a cure for heart disease. According to this program, there are a number of steps that are necessary to reverse the affect of this killer disease.

The first is to lower the fat intake to 10% of your daily calorie intake. This action alone has been shown to lower cholesterol, and help with hypertension, both major contributing factors of heart disease. Also, this plan calls for lowering the intake of dietary cholesterol by a drastic amount. In addition, this program calls for a regular amount of soy protein, usually amounting to 15% of your daily calorie intake.

In addition to some drastic dietary changes, this program also calls for at least 30 minutes of strenuous exercise per day to help maintain a healthy weight and body condition. All these factors, as well as quitting smoking and drinking, in small quantities appear to be very promising techniques for a cure for heart disease.

Of course, the body is not the only part of you involved with finding a cure for heart disease. Many studies indicate that joining a support group and having the encouragement of family and friends is a fantastic way to help beat this disease. Different stress management techniques such as meditation, anger management, and even being among friends are great ways to help in the cure for heart disease.

Surgical Options

Of course, occasionally for various reasons, drastic changes in diet or exercise practices are not really available to the patient. Diet and exercise should always be the first change made in finding a cure for heart disease, but sometimes surgery might be a possibility.

Although surgery is drastic, and it doesn’t always fix the underlying problem of bad diet or poor exercise habits that contributed to the disease, it can be one method for a cure for heart disease. One such common surgery is that of angioplasty. This procedure uses a tiny balloon to push open blocked arteries around the heart to aid in the flow of blood, and help in the cure for heart disease.

Another surgical method that is gaining popularity in the cure for heart disease is that of bypass surgery. In this procedure, small pieces of veins or arteries are taken from another portion of the body, sometimes the arms or legs, and used to create a ‘bypass’ for the blood around the blocked blood vessel.

Which is Right for You?

Which cure for heart disease is correct for you can only be decided by consulting with your chosen medical professional, and perhaps even consulting a cardiologist would be in order. Most likely the best cure for heart disease would be a combination of exercise diet, and surgical options as outlined by your doctor.

Article Source: Ezine Article
URL: Some Promising Trends for a Cure for Heart Disease

Living With Heart Disease

The first consideration is the type of heart disease you are suffering from. Is your doctor tracking your cholesterol levels? Or, is it something a lot more serious? The severity of your heart condition will shed a great deal of light on the kind of lifestyle you can have and how it actually affects you.

If the type of heart disease is currently a very mild form, you should be able to keep a lid on it with medication. But for many people in a state of denial, they will refuse to or do not like taking their medication since they would be admitting to the fact that they are handling with their heart problems well.

So if you have heart medication to take for your condition and you are too stubborn to take it, understand the consequences of this action. Is it better to take a couple of pills on a daily basis or would you prefer to have to go to the extent of requiring heart surgery? Surely no one wants to undergo heart surgery. So think carefully before rejecting medication. It is a lot easier to deal with than other more complicated treatment methods.

Getting adequate amount of exercise on a regular basis is another facet of living with heart disease. If the heart disease in your case is of the more serious kind, you may not want to overtax yourself. If you sit still all day long you have a higher risk of getting blood clots. So get off your butt and get some exercise. Start with brisk walking over short distances and gradually build up.

There are some more difficult aspects to having heart problems. One of them is giving up delicious fatty food and desserts. But then again it all boils down to whether or not you would like to prolong your life. There are trade offs in all situations. Nowadays there are so many more options though. Just a few years ago we could not obtain half the low fat option foods that are available today. Not only are they delicious, they are also healthier options.

Your doctor will be able to provide you with information about heart diseases and the Internet has many reputable websites. Some of the heart health websites host forums where you can communicate with other people suffering from heart diseases.

Living with heart disease is really just about taking your prescribed medication, ensuring that you eat in a healthy manner and remaining active. With research you will find all the information you ever need to know to manage your condition better.

The Progress Of Heart Research

Due to the debilitating effects of various forms of heart diseases, medical technologists around the world are working towards developing more effective treatment methods through heart research.The search for knowledge about what heart problem really is and the pursuit of solutions to use to prevent and treat the disease is extremely vital. There are many companies and organizations that either conduct a research, or support the cause for heart research.

Heart Disease Research Organizations

The Research Center for Stroke and Heart Disease is a non-profit organization established to raise awareness of and find solutions for prevention of stroke and heart diseases. Its reach is worldwide and it concerns itself with all types of heart disease and stroke. The Research Center for Stroke and Heart Disease designs, implements and evaluates projects that educate people with regards to the risk factors for these illnesses and motivates them to practice good habits in the quest for reducing them.

The Research Center for Stroke and Heart Disease operates from Buffalo General Hospital. There are several full-time and part-time staff members and they make use of contractors who have a background in communications, health care management and computer programming for heart research. During the past ten years of their existence the Research Center for Stroke and Heart Disease has built a very good reputation.

Another heart research organization is the British Heart Foundation. This organization is considered to be the British nation’s heart charity. The British Heart Foundation focuses in particular on three very important issues. They invest in pioneering heart disease research, support and care for heart patients and they provide essential information to assist people to reduce their risk of premature death from heart or circulatory related disease.

Harvard Medical School should also be mentioned. It is a center that concentrates its efforts on heart disease research. Harvard Medical School has been in the heart research arena for several decades. They have a vast amount to offer in terms of information and education regarding heart diseases: what it is, what its causes are, up-to-date research findings and many statistics.

Research into heart disease is the only solution that will help to clarify this disease throughout the world today. There is always hope that sometime, preferably in the near future, such research will show the way to completely avoid heart disease for everyone.

Article Source: Ezine Article
URL: How To Live With Heart Disease

However that does not mean that there are no genuine claims, all you need to do is research on any product before making a buying decision. Don’t take any claim on the face value, that way you will save your self from disappointments and regrets.

Having said that, in the case of resveratrol and heart disease, studies have shown that the nutrient is beneficial for good heart health; for instance the french who consume lots of red wine have shown to have lower rate of heart disease than Americans even when they eat high fat diets just like the Americans (the french paradox)

Research has shown that the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of resveratrol helps to lower triglycerides (blood fat); it lowers bad cholesterol and also prevents fat build-up in the arteries thereby helping to prevent heart attack.

Not only is there a beneficial relationship between resveratrol and heart disease, the nutrient has also been shown to help increase life span by delaying the aging process. It is also helpful in treating many other health conditions such as arthritis and cancer.

Studies have shown that the best way to get the maximum benefits of this vital nutrient is by supplementation; this is so because it is easily destroyed by the stomach acid. So getting this nutrient through drinking red wine means that you have to drink several bottles of wine a day and that is not good for your health.

However the supplement should have enteric coating, enteric coating ensures that the nutrient is protected till it gets to your small intestines where it is absorbed into your blood stream. If you are taking resveratrol for heart disease you also need a supplement that contains other vital nutrients that are helpful to the heart. Such nutrients include turmeric and olive leaf extract.

These nutrients working together in synergy will give you better result than when you take a supplement that contains only one nutrient.

In conclusion, although studies have shown that there is a connection between resveratrol and heart disease prevention and treatment, it is important to choose the right supplement that will help you maximize the benefits.

Visit my website for information on a nutritional supplement I personally take that contains resveratrol and more than 70 other vital nutrients.

Article Source: Ezine Article
URL: Resveratrol and Heart Disease – How to Keep Your Heart Healthy With Resveratrol

“Our model is unique and different from many CROs in the industry” states Lisa Mazurka, CRCI’s Founder and President. First, we hire and work with only the most seasoned clinical research professionals. We have a five year minimum experience requirement for all consultants working with our organization. This provides industry sponsors with monitors who are not only highly experienced but also have a vast range of areas of indications that they have previously worked with. It makes our sponsors happy that they not only have seasoned professionals but experts in the field within the designated disease indication under research (i.e., prostate cancer, COPD, Alzheimer’s disease, etc.).”

In addition, CRCI’s model uses consultants versus full-time employees which has proven to be a better alternative for sponsors. “One of the frequent complaints we receive from sponsors who are shopping for new CRO monitoring resources is the frequent turnover they have experienced with other CROs. This high turnover may be caused by two sources states Ms. Mazurka; The large CRO CRAs tend to be overburdened with a large amount of work and this leads to burnout and job dissatisfaction and/or recruiters tend to recruit CRAs from CROs for other industry positions.”

In addition, recent increase in turnover rates for CRAs at CROs has been a result of the current state of the economy. CROs are being forced to downsize as research projects are cut due to lack of funding and financial resources. An article posted on the web by Fierce Biotech on April 22, 2009 noted that the economic crisis has now spread to CROs. Kendle International reported 2009 first quarter revenues far below the $121 million that Wall Street estimated (1). Further, the article notes that since the pharmaceutical/biotech industry does not normally have a lot of financial cushioning in its contracts and budgets, funding cuts go right to the bottom line forcing CROs to downsize their workforces to cut costs.

Because CRCI’s model is a consultant model, consultants are contracted and hired on an “as needed” basis. Consultants are also able to choose the projects that they find interesting and that fit into their current lifestyle (part-time/full-time). Consultants do not experience the high burnout of full-time employees because they are able to balance their life and work responsibilities as they see fit. In addition, because they are consultants, they are not recruited from job to job as employees and contribute to corporate turn over as is seen at other organizations.

“Our turn-over rate has been less that 10% over the past 11 years”, states Lisa Mazurka, president of CRCI. “For this reason and the others discussed in this article, we have seen a recent increase in our business over the past few years and are becoming a fresh alternative for industry sponsors.”

References:

1. “As R&D Spend Drops, CROs Face Tough Times,” Fierce Biotech, April 22, 2009, M. Martino

Also published here.

…

Lisa Mazurka is Founder and President of Clinical Research Consulting, Inc. http://www.eclinicalresearchconsulting.com/ a niche Contract Research Organization (CRO) which provides clinical monitoring, project management, quality assurance and compliance (QAC) audits, education and training services to the clinical research industry. Ms. Mazurka has been instrumental in the development of CRCI’s unique monitoring service model and continues to market the service as an alternative for the clinical research industry.

Read more articles written by Lisa Mazurka

Kidney and heart disease may begin separately, and then progress together, becoming one disease. Heart disease may also spark the beginning of kidney disease. Whichever occurs first, kidney and heart disease affect each other’s progress.

Since kidney and heart disease are so closely related, anyone who has heart disease, or is at risk for developing it, should ask his or her physician to order urine and blood tests that are designed to identify kidney disease.

Kidney Functions

Most people know that the kidneys remove wastes and fluids from the body. In addition to these functions, kidneys also perform other important jobs. Among them, several are vital to heart health.

* Regulate water in the body

* Regulate blood chemicals: calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium

* Remove drugs and toxins from the body

* Release hormones that regulate blood pressure and create red blood cells.

Kidney Disease Consequences

Kidney disease that is uncontrolled can become chronic kidney disease (CKD). As CKD worsens, the kidneys can not adequately regulate water in the body. The blood may become too thick, placing an increased work load on the heart.

At the same time, blood chemicals will go unregulated. If the heart lacks the important electrolyte chemicals, it cannot function efficiently.

CKD will also allow drugs, toxins, and other wastes in the blood to build to high levels. These high concentrations of toxic materials can take a toll on the whole body, including the heart.

High blood pressure and anemia (low red blood cell count) can be linked to failure of the kidneys to release necessary hormones.

Kidney and heart disease will then become a combined concern.

How to Prevent the Lethal Combo

Early detection of kidney and heart disease is important. Both can be treated more successfully if detected in their early stages.

Ask your physician about these three simple tests: blood pressure, serum creatinine test, and urine test.

If you have high blood pressure, be sure your physician tests for kidney disease. If you have kidney disease, insist that your physician test for high blood pressure. One can cause the other.

The kidney and heart disease combination is most likely to hit those with diabetes, hypertension, and a family history of kidney disease. If you are African American, Hispanic, a Pacific Islander, a Native American, or a senior citizen, you are at greater risk for kidney and heart disease.

Kidney and heart disease do not always go hand-in-hand, but if you have one or the other, you increase the risks of both.

CAUTION: The author is not a medical professional, and offers the information in this article for educational purposes only. Please discuss it with your health care provider before relying on it in any way.

Article Source: Ezine Article
URL: Kidney and Heart Disease – Consequences