Cardiovascular Disease develops when waxy plaque builds up inside the arteries carrying blood to and from the heart. It goes by several other names, coronary artery disease, coronary heart disease and arteriosclerotic heart disease among them.
So what causes Cardiovascular Disease, and what does that tell us about preventing it? Most cardiovascular problems trace back to raised inflammation levels. That matters, because inflammation sits underneath most chronic illness, and bringing it down puts the body in a state where healing becomes possible.
There are genuinely healthy options for anyone dealing with Cardiovascular Disease. Changing how you eat, lowering your stress and exercising regularly all bring inflammation down, which is what makes them useful for both treating and avoiding the disease.
Not everyone with Cardiovascular Disease knows they have it, particularly in the early stages. Some symptoms are obvious. Others are faint or absent entirely, and a person can carry this illness for years without a clear sign. These are the symptoms that do show up:
At the Center of Natural Medical Solutions we take a broad, multidisciplinary approach to preventing heart disease and lowering risk, particularly for clients with a family history of it or an existing diagnosis of high cholesterol, diabetes or hypertension. The work complements standard medical therapy rather than replacing it. Dr. Ravello goes after the root of Cardiovascular Disease by changing diet and nutrition, running a food allergy test, and building a treatment plan that gives the body what it needs to repair itself. Call us today at (770) 674-6311 to schedule an appointment.
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In March 2012 a study reported that both exercise and non-high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol are important predictors of subclinical atherosclerosis. Calcification in the coronary arteries is an early sign of coronary heart disease. As calcium deposits build into atherosclerotic plaque, the vessels feeding the heart narrow, and that plaque can rupture and form a clot capable of blocking blood flow to the heart.
The study followed 1,637 healthy men in the Prospective Army Coronary Calcium Project, average age 42.8 years, none with a history of coronary artery disease. Participants completed questionnaires covering diet and physical activity. Researchers measured fasting serum lipids, including HDL cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides and non-HDL cholesterol, which is simply total cholesterol minus HDL. They also measured coronary artery calcium to establish whether subclinical atherosclerosis was present.
Coronary artery calcium turned up in 22.4 percent of the men. Average LDL cholesterol came in at 128 mg/dL, HDL at 50 mg/dL, triglycerides at 130 mg/dL and non-HDL cholesterol at 154 mg/dL. Those with coronary artery calcium had markedly higher LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and non-HDL cholesterol, and they were less physically active than the men without calcium deposits. The data also pointed to a link between coronary artery calcium and both higher dietary fat intake and lower HDL cholesterol.
Once the data was adjusted for confounding factors, only non-HDL cholesterol and age stayed independently associated with the presence of coronary artery calcium, and only exercise was associated with its absence.
As the study authors put it, “Non-HDL cholesterol and exercise are independently predictive of the presence of subclinical coronary artery calcium among healthy lower-risk middle-aged men.”
A handful of very common disorders weigh heavily on adult life, and High Blood Pressure sits near the top of that list.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of U.S. adults have High Blood Pressure, about 47.7 percent. Only around 1 in 5 of them have it properly controlled, which is why so much of the damage it causes builds up unnoticed.
High Blood Pressure, or hypertension, is what happens when blood pumped by the heart pushes against the artery walls with too much force. As pressure climbs, the heart has to work harder to keep pushing blood into those arteries. Over time that does real damage, and it can end in heart failure. Clotting and aneurysm formation are the other risks, and both can lead to stroke.
Several things drive hypertension, among them poor eating habits, particularly too much sodium and sugar, and too little cardiovascular exercise. There are plenty of Allopathic ways to treat it, but it is worth seeking out a Board Certified naturopathic professional who works with natural integrative methods. Diet alone tends to address one part of the system. Exercise can reverse a good deal of the damage. Neither, on its own, reaches the root cause. Our culture has spent a long time treating symptoms, and living free of these conditions means dealing with what produces them.
When you go looking for help, find a naturopathic doctor whose aim is eliminating your High Blood Pressure rather than managing it indefinitely. If you have any signs of High Blood Pressure, call Dr. Gail Ravello, a naturopathic and integrative doctor (PhD, IMD, ND, MH), on (770) 674-6311 at Natural Medical Solutions Wellness Center. We would be glad to help with High Blood Pressure, adrenal fatigue, thyroid, hormonal and allergies, or whatever else is weighing on you.
Natural Medical Solutions Wellness Center
1130 Upper Hembree Rd
Roswell, GA 30076
Phone:
(770) 674-6311
Educational resources from trusted medical organizations. This information does not replace personalized medical advice.
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