News and Articles on Health. Medical research topics.

A research was carried in 1960s by Harvard cardiologist, Dr Herbert Benson, which states that the physiological changes can be brought about by implementing some relaxation techniques, such as muscle relaxation, exercises, deep breathing and yoga. This sort of relaxation techniques are often a part of therapy programs and angina management programs. It is not always possible to have access to such programs, if it is hard to get any program, you can learn these techniques yourself as they are easy to learn and make use of them to keep yourself calm and relaxed after a heart surgery. Some of the well known muscle relaxing and tensing techniques and methods are given below for your convenience:

Find any quiet corner in your home, where no one will disturb you. Stay there for about ten minutes undisturbed. Loosen any tight clothing, remove your shoes and better to hook off your phone.

Now lie down or simply sit at ease. You can use cushions to support your back in order to relieve any pains or aches. If you close your eyes softly, you will far better and relaxed.

Next thing is to relax your muscles. Starting from feet, going up to rest of your body and pay special attention those areas or muscles which you think are under stress. Relax each group of muscles in the same way.

Don’t get distract by your unwanted thoughts. Simply observe them and let them go like clouds in the sky. No need to ponder over them.

Starting from your toes, clench them, do the same with your thighs, ankles, abdomen, arms, shoulders and chest. Screw up your face and scalp and let them relax for a while in a quiet corner.

Spare some time to focus on your breathing. Breathe from your abdomen instead of your chest. Place your hand on your abdomen while breathing to check whether you are breathing from abdomen or not. When you inhale it will expand and relax when exhale.

After getting a state of being relaxed, stay there for few more moments. Then get up slowly and you are ready to do your daily chores.

The important thing is to get familiar with the situations when you feel like tense, only in that way you will be able to tempt the relaxation response quite swiftly. Observe the tense moments carefully and make it a habit to the tense moments of your life, like tapping your fingers or foot, hunching your shoulders, clenching your teeth and frowning etc. only in this way you can make a conscious effort to stay relax.

Relaxation is by no means sitting idle in the house and doing nothing. Physical activities are as important as like any other techniques to keep your heart healthy and in best working environment. Relaxation helps to lower the blood pressure and is therefore important for heart and its functions. Always look for different techniques and exercises that best suit you to relive your tensions.

The Normal Heart Rhythm:

The normal heart consists of 4 chambers, the right and left atria (upper chambers), and the right and left ventricles (lower chambers). During each heartbeat, the 2 atria contract, pushing blood into the ventricles, this is followed by the 2 ventricles contracting, pushing blood to the lungs and to the rest of the body.

This coordinated contracting of the heat is directed by the heart’s electrical system. The electrical impulses begin in an area called the sino-atrial (SA) node, found in the upper part of the right atrium. When the SA node fires, an electrical impulse passes through the right and left atria, causing them to contract.

The electrical impulses then travel to the atrioventricular (AV) node and through the Bundle of His, before spreading through the muscles of the ventricles, thereby causing them to contract. The AV node acts like an electrical bridge, slowing down the electrical impulse before passing it on to the ventricular muscles.

Blood from the right ventricle gets pumped into the pulmonary (lung) system, whilst blood from the left ventricle gets pumped to the rest of the body.

A normal heart has a constant, regular rhythm, beating at about 60 to 100 times per minute, when at rest.

What Is Atrial Fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common rhythm abnormality of the heart. Over the years, the incidence of atrial fibrillation is increased, in both the developed and developing world. If you have AF, electrical impulses do not arise normally in the SA node as described above. Instead, many impulses begin simultaneously and spread through the atria and compete for a chance to travel through the AV node. This results in a very rapid, disorganized and irregular heartbeat.

The rate of impulses through the atria can range from 300 to 600 beats per minute. Fortunately, as these impulses pass through the AV node, they get slowed down, and the resulting pulse rate is often less than 150 beats per minute.

Classification of Atrial Fibrillation

1. Paroxysmal AF – this means that the episodes of AF terminate spontaneously and usually last less than 7 days.

2. Persistent AF – episodes of atrial fibrillation lasting more than 7 days.

3. Permanent AF – this refers to AF which failed cardioversion (ie. conversion to normal rhythm) or in which cardioversion was not attempted.

4. Non-valvular AF – AF which occurs in the absence of any disease involving the heart valves.

5. Lone AF – this refers to AF occurring in a young person with no evidence of any significant disease.

What Are the Symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation?

Some patients with AF may be totally asymptomatic. Others may have some of the following bothersome symptoms:

• Palpitations
• Chest discomfort
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Giddiness

What are the Risk Factors for Atrial Fibrillation?

• Increasing age
• Hypertension
• Heart failure
• Obesity
• Diabetes mellitus
• Chronic renal disease
• Metabolic Syndrome
• Hyperlipidaemia

Why is Atrial Fibrillation Dangerous?

Atrial fibrillation is dangerous because it significantly increases the risk of strokes. Someone with AF is about 3 – 5 times more likely to have a stroke than someone who does not have AF. Uncoordinated heart contractions result in pooling of blood within the atria. This pooling can cause clot formation, and if this gets dislodged and pumped into the bloodstream, it can potentially travel to the brain and cause a stroke.

Other than increasing the risk of strokes, atrial fibrillation can also lead to heart failure.

How is Atrial Fibrillation Diagnosed?

After a thorough interview and physical examination, your doctor will order some simple investigations. An electrocardiogram is a test that checks for problems with the electrical activity of the heart, and can be used to diagnose atrial fibrillation.

Your doctor may also order other test, including some blood tests, a chest X-ray or an echocardiogram. These may be required to find out if there is an underlying problem which may have caused the atrial fibrillation, as well as to assess the function of the heart.

Management of Atrial Fibrillation:

The management of atrial fibrillation seeks to achieve 3 main goals:
1. Slow down the heart rate
2. Restore and maintain the normal rhythm of the heart, and
3. Preventing stroke

1. Rate Control:

If you have severe symptoms as a result of your atrial fibrillation, such as shortness of breath or chest pains, together with a decreased blood pressure, your doctor will generally need to give you medication intravenously.

If, however, you have only mild symptoms, medication may be administered orally to control your heart rate. The beta-blockers are commonly used to slow down the heart rate.

2. Restore and Maintain Normal Heart Rhythm:

Anti-arrhythmic medication, such as amiodarone, are prescribed to achieve this. The alternative to drug therapy is radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation, however, current medical guidelines still recommend ablation for AF as second-line therapy, meant for patients who have failed drug treatment.

3. Preventing Stroke:

Most people with atrial fibrillation take the blood-thinning agent called Warfarin, which has been proven to be superior to other forms of medication for stroke prevention. However, as taking warfarin is not without problems and inconveniences, the search for an alternative to warfarin for stroke prevention in AF, has been ongoing for some time.

Currently, alternative drugs used include aspirin and clopidogrel.

For most people with atrial fibrillation, relatively simple treatment measures will dramatically reduce the risk of strokes. Hence, it is essential that you seek medical treatment early if you suspect you may have the condition.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects almost 1 of every 3 people in the US. It is associated with many chronic disabling health conditions such as kidney failure, stoke, ED in men, diabetes, heart failure, and many others.

Unfortunately, many of those who are hypertensive aren’t even aware that they have it. That’s because it is rare that there are any symptoms associated with it. There is no one cause of this condition, although lifestyle and diet are closely linked to having high blood pressure.

For treatment doctors recommend avoiding foods with high levels of salt, or sodium, in them and to eat more fruits and vegetables. They also prescribe an assortment of drugs that work to lower blood pressure to more normal levels.

What many people don’t know is how they can affect their hypertension by exercising. Medical research has found that several types of exercise can lower arterial pressure just as, or more effectively than some medications. This generally happens for several reasons.

But, generally, exercise causes your arteries to dilate which, in turn, lowers blood pressure. If these exercises are performed consistently over a period of time, the pressure tends to stay low and many people can actually stop taking their medications.

One of these studies done at Cantebury Christ Church University in England looked at the effects that isometric exercises had on blood pressure. This study was divided into 2 groups. The first group did low intensity isometrics, and the second group did high intensity isometrics.

Both groups did 4 reps of exercises for 2 minutes in duration 3 times a week for 8 weeks. And both groups demonstrated a significant reduction with the high intensity group having the largest reduction in pressure.

Another study at Texas A&M University looked at the effects that riding a stationary bike had on blood pressure. They also found that this lowered blood pressure. Especially during the exercise. The participants in this study rode stationary bikes 3 times a week for 6 weeks. The intensity of the exercise was increased at regular intervals. What researchers found was that the highest drops in blood pressure were seen in those with the blood pressure readings going into the study.

But it’s not just with isometric and aerobic exercises, interval training also has a lowering effect also. In fact, it was found in a study at Liverpool John Moores University in England that interval training can lower blood pressure significantly almost immediately.

What these participants did was ride a stationary bike for 10 minutes and then rest for 10 minutes. They did this at 8 o’clock in the morning and then again at 2pm to see if there was a difference with the lowering effects of exercise. What they found was that interval exercises done in the afternoon had more of an effect on on it than in the morning.

All of these studies suggest that along with traditional approaches to treating high blood pressure with medications, it may well be worth asking your doctor if you are healthy enough to start participating in a regular exercise program to help lower your pressure. And, for those who are interested in prevention of hypertension, adopting a regular home exercise program might be on of the better things to do.

Nowadays, with the development of modern society, the human health is greatly affected by the busy activities. People are always busy with their jobs. “24-hour society” has appeared all over the world. At the beginning, 24-hour society meant the rapid development of the modern society. Recently, 24-hour society has been used to mean the busy life of people in big cities.

People in big cities are always puzzled by many health problems caused by the busy life. Because of excessive activities and jobs, people can not get adequate rest in time. The functions of the brain have been hurt seriously. According to the medical research, the flow rate of blood in the brain can be increased when people are sleeping. Thus, the demand of brain cells to blood oxygen can be met and the discharge of wastes in the brain can be accelerated. In addition, adequate sleep can also enhance the memory and improve the intelligence for people. If people always stay up late, chronic dysfunction of brain can be caused. In addition, it is also easy for people to get cardiovascular diseases if people always stay up late. When people stay up late, the normal functions of the human organs and the normal standard of blood-fat can be disturbed. It can hurt the angiocarpy and cause coronary heart disease seriously. In addition, the high pressure of life and jobs can increase the blood pressure to cause high blood pressure and cerebral apoplexy. It has been proved that inadequate rest of the brain is an important reason to cause cardiovascular diseases. 24-hour society can also accelerate the aging of the human body and decrease the human immunity.

In order to keep healthy and avoid serious consequences caused by 24-hour society, it is important for people to form healthy habits in everyday life. For example, people should avoid staying up late and get adequate rest as far as possible. The night activities like staying in a bar should be reduced. It is also important for people to supplement essential nutrients like vitamin C, iron, zinc and calcium in time. In addition, people should take aerobic exercises in a right amount so as to improve the physical conditions. People can choose suitable kinds of sports like jogging and swimming according to their own physical conditions. Bad habits in everyday life can seriously endanger the human health. Therefore, bad habits like drinking coffee before going to bed should be thrown away.

Automated external defibrillators, more commonly known as AEDs, are portable devices which are used in order to diagnose cardiac arrhythmias and ventricular tachycardia. These conditions are both potentially fatal if not immediately recognized and treatment for them sought. Not only are automated external defibrillators able to detect the presence of these life threatening situations, they are also able to treat arrhythmia and tachycardia by using electricity to bring the heart back to a regular, healthy beat.

Arrhythmia does not mean a cessation of the heart’s function, but instead cause an unhealthy, life threatening rhythm. In the case of ventricular tachycardia, the heart beats at a beat too rapid for the pumping of blood to be effective. If tachycardia is not treated, the heart could eventually reach asystole in which there is no cardiac contraction meaning that all electrical activity of the heart has ceased. At the point where asystole is reached, the survival of the patient is in extreme danger. The only way for a positive outcome to be reached, a successful combination of drugs which promote cardiac stimulation as well as CPR is required. If these treatments are not sought in a timely fashion, the result will inevitably be brain damage and eventual death. Brain damage occurs quickly after the heart has stopped. Because the brain requires a constant supply of blood, the cessation of blood flow to the brain swiftly leads to permanent injury to the brain. Typically, irreparable damage to the brain will occur after about three to four minutes of asystole.

The AED is such a useful and necessary asset because, unlike internal defibrillators which need to be surgically inserted into the patient, they are external meaning that they can be used quickly and by any layman. Automated external defibrillators operate through the placement of electrodes on the patient’s chest. After external placement on the patient, the AED is able to determine the condition of the individual in order to determine whether the patient is experiencing cardiac arrhythmia. The AED uses both visual and well as voice prompting in order to make the condition of the patient apparent to the rescuer. If an irregularity is found, automated external defibrillators will tell the person operating the device whether or not CPR should be performed. If, instead, the device determines that the patient requires an electric shock in order to treat the current condition, the device will instruct the rescuer to step back from the patient so that a shock via an electric current can be administered through the electrodes that were placed on the chest of the individual. If an electric shock is given through the automated external defibrillator, the cardiac activity of the heart will be temporarily stilled. The theory is that the complete halt of electrical activity in the heart will allow the cardiac rhythm to be restarted, hopefully this time with a healthy and strong beat.

AEDs are a necessary addition to any home or business establishment because of their efficiency and usability. Unlike other heart treatment devices, automated external defibrillators are able to be used by anyone instead of exclusively those with medical training. Because of this, these devices could potentially save the life of those at risk for cardiac arrest before the arrival of the ambulance or the emergency medical technician.

When it comes to high cholesterol, there are just a lot of aspects that seem to have many different people confused. While there are certainly many different things that could relate to this, there are a few different concerns that seem to stick out more than others. One of the most commonly misunderstood aspects would be: is LDL bad cholesterol?

Well, this might not be so simple as to just give a yes or no response. Really, this should be something that is examined and explained so that those that are reading this particular piece can leave understanding a very definitive answer. So without further ado, here is the evidence.

For many years now, people have been fixated on cholesterol. The confusing aspect being that there is both bad cholesterol and a good cholesterol level. The doctors were all saying that you needed to work to keep the bad cholesterol levels down and the good cholesterol levels up. If you were unsure of which one was which, this could prove to be rather problematic.

The truth is that to many medical persons, the bad cholesterol is LDL. So when literally asking the question as to whether or not LDL was the bad cholesterol, the answer would be yes. However, the things that seems to be debated among the medical world would be the fact that some of these top minds in the field are beginning to believe that these two do not technically exist apart from one another.

With that frame of thinking, LDL is not really an issue. You really should still focus on which foods have already been instrumental in taking bad cholesterol down and boosting the good cholesterol. In the opposite side of the issue, this would still aid your cholesterol levels and the effects that it could have on your body.

You see, there are many different detrimental medical conditions that are associated with running high cholesterol for too long. One of the worst would be heart disease, but you also run risks of heart attacks and strokes.

When it comes down to it, the answer to the question – is LDL bad cholesterol – the answer is yes. To the majority of doctors and medical minds that still believe in the split cholesterol, LDL would be technical term for the worse of the two. You should be mindful of what you eat so that you are eating more foods that are going to boost your good cholesterol (HDL) and help to lower the bad cholesterol (LDL).

To maintain healthy cholesterol levels, limit saturated fats found in red meat, butter and other animal products. Replace these fats with canola oil, olive oil, and small amount of nuts such as walnuts or almonds.

Also, eliminate trans-fats from your diet completely. Look at labels and you will find that many baked goods, non-dairy creamers, trail nut mixes, crackers, and even some breads contain hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils-these are trans-fats. These type of oils play a significant role in raising lipid levels perhaps even more so than butter, red meat and other sources of animal fat.

From a Chinese medicine perspective, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils create excessive dampness in the body which can aggravate inflammation and pain.

One of my clients with fibromyalgia (chronic fatigue syndrome) shares that since she eliminated these type of oils from her diet, her pain is barely present.

Lower Lipids with Fiber

You’ve heard that oatmeal naturally lowers cholesterol because of its high fiber content. Other high fiber foods that help to lower cholesterol include brown rice (try the varieties at Asian stores that include Chinese yam and beans-very good for lowering sugar levels in diabetics), whole wheat and flax seeds.

High fiber foods also help to slow down the absorption of simple and complex sugars in the diet to help promote more even blood sugar level and reduce fatigue. So eat more fiber and improve your cholesterol and energy levels.

Natural Statins and Plant Sterols

You’ve probably heard of statins in relation to chemical drugs such as Lipitor. Statins lower cholesterol. Plant statins also lower cholesterol but occur naturally in foods such soy products and almonds. However, it is often challenging to get enough of plant statins in the diet to benefit cholesterol levels. Also, like synthetic statins, natural statins may have an impact on the liver. As a result, clients should check with the medical doctors about the appropriateness of having regular liver enzyme monitoring when on chemical or natural statins.

Red yeast rice is a food that is high in statins and has had some clinical success in lowering cholesterol levels naturally.

However, it is difficult to get a standardized dosage and this food may also create side effects for certain individuals similar to synthetic statins.There has also been concern that during the fermentation process, of red yeast rice, a toxic chemical called citrinin may produced. So natural is not always necessarily better.

The ideal candidate for using red yeast rice to control cholesterol is a person with no other health concerns, no aterial blockages, and very mildly elevated cholesterol levels. Individuals with moderate to high levels of cholesterol or those with mild elevations but who also have been diagnosed with blocked arteries or heart disease, diabetes, kidney or liver disease are not ideal candidates for using red yeast rice successfully.

Benecol makes a line of food products that contain natural plant sterols, also associated with lowering cholesterol. Their products include margarine spreads and carmel chews with high concentration of natural plant sterols.

The safety and efficacy of these plant sterol products have been well researched in Europe and also recently reported by the New England Journal of Medicine.

Flax Seed Oil

Flax seed can provide a rich source of Omega 3 fatty acids, associated not only with lowering cholesterol but also with promoting brain health. Unlike fish oil capsules which may contain toxins such as mercury, flax seed oils come in organic and cold pressed forms which are free of toxins, pesticides and other chemicals.

Latest medical research and studies have shown that cardiac problems can be 6-times more fatal in women as compared to men. Heart problems are more dangerous than cancer in women, especially in the United States of America. Therefore, it is very important for you to learn about the heart disease risk factors in women. Once you know what causes this disease, you can make appropriate lifestyle and diet changes accordingly to reduce the chances of heart attack.

Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a condition that specifically affects women. In this condition, too much fat is accumulated around the abdomen, which eventually results in heart disease, diabetes, high triglyceride levels, spiked blood-sugar levels, and high blood pressure. Therefore, women need to be more cautious about their weight. Just like men, they should also do regular monitoring of high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.

Age Factor
Older women (65 and above) are more likely to develop this type of problem, but it does not mean that younger women cannot be affected. As per a recent study, it has been found that heart attack has been the 3rd leading cause of death in women aged forty-four or less. It has been the 2nd leading cause of death for women aged between forty-five and sixty-four. And, it is the biggest cause of death in women aged sixty-five and above. Therefore, women of all age must be well aware of the various heart disease risk factors in women. In particular, those who have a family medical history of such diseases need to be more watchful.

During Perimenopause
In particular, the time just after menopause and just before menopause can be very problematic. During these periods, the levels of estrogen go very low, which substantially increases the risk of developing coronary artery disease or small vessel heart disease in women.

Depression And Stress
As compared to men, women who are under depression or stress are more susceptible to experience cardiac problems. Stress is one of the biggest heart disease risk factors in women. Those who are depressed are at a much higher risk of developing cardiac problems – three times more likely than those who are not under depression. When you are depressed, you don’t pay much attention to your lifestyle, including diet and exercise. In such cases, you don’t even care about the treatment programs suggested by your doctor. You are recommended to talk to your doctor about it because if depression remains for a long time, it can lead to very serious outcomes.

Once you get a good idea about the possible causes of heart related problems, you must start taking some preventive measures even if you are not experiencing any symptoms. It is recommended to everybody (both men and women) to maintain healthy weight by following a good diet and exercise program regularly. A bad lifestyle, such as smoking and drinking, can also be one of the heart disease risk factors in women. Therefore, you may also consider some heart healthy lifestyle changes.