If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you should be worried about risk from cardiovascular events. That includes both heart attacks and strokes.

Women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have high rates of non fatal heart attacks. This occurs even without traditional risk factors being present. (Solomon, et al. Circulation 2003; 107: 1303-1307). The same is probably true for men with RA as well.

In addition multiple studies have demonstrated the increased risk of stroke occurring in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Presence of intimal plaque (atherosclerosis in the inner walls of the carotid arteries) has been used as a surrogate marker of arterial disease elsewhere.

The conclusions drawn from multiple studies are that RA is an extremely potent risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis. More aggressive goals for risk factor modification should be instituted.

It’s important to assess all risk factors in patients with RA. Control of hyperlipidemia and high blood pressure is mandatory. Dietary measures are primary. If dietary changes don’t work, then statin therapy maybe needed. These drugs lower LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) and reduce levels of C-reactive protein. If a patient has diabetes, tight control of blood sugar is extremely important.

Discontinuation of cigarette smoking and proper weight management are important.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients could reduce their cardiovascular risk by spending more time walking.

Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior contribute to the risk of cardiovascular disease but little is known about energy expenditure from lifestyle physical activity in RA patients.

A recent study compared energy expenditure from exercise and lifestyle activities between 122 RA patients and 122 healthy controls.

At the beginning of the study, RA patients spent fewer kilocalories per week walking, exercising and participating in sports than did controls, the authors report.

Similar percentages of RA patients and controls met their recommended thresholds for total weekly energy expenditure, but the percent of RA patients meeting the recommended threshold for walking (32%) was notably lower than controls (48%).

At follow-up an average of 14 months later, RA patients continued to expend fewer kilocalories per week overall and were less likely to meet the threshold for walking, compared with controls.

"This study provides evidence that despite the fact that walking is an excellent lifestyle activity and it is markedly underutilized in RA patients," the authors note. "Our study supports the development and implementation of interventions to foster walking as part of a program to address cardiovascular risk in RA patients." (Mancuso C, et al. Arthritis Rheum 2007; 57:672-678).

Aspirin therapy has been shown to be effective prophylaxis for men and some studies also indicate its potential effectiveness in women.

In the final analysis, it must be mentioned that the most potent weapon against the increase in cardiovascular mortality is tight control of the rheumatoid arthritis- getting the disease into remission. Fortunately, the advent of first, second, and third generation biologic medicines have made this a reality.

The reformative news is in for nasty people – and nice people, who often wonder if there is any justice in the world, are delighted.

Studies have shown that those with a personality sometimes called type D, which some say stands for “distressed” but we think should stand for Downright Nasty, have an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Type Downright Nasty individuals are more likely to experience emotions that upset normally nice people, such as hostility, anxiety, anger, depressed mood, tension, and a negative view of themselves. They are also more likely to be on the alert for signs of trouble and overreact to stress.

These unfortunate people frequently lack the ability to express their emotions. Being locked up emotionally leads them to feel tense, insecure, and uncomfortable in social situations, especially compared to easygoing folks who are more likely to relax, tell a joke, and enjoy a sip of wine or get mugged by a beer.

The study suggests that "how people cope with negative emotions may be as important as the experience of negative emotions per se."

So now nice people have a new way to tell downright nasty ones to back off. They can just say, “Can you please stop working on your heart attack?"

Most patients have symptoms prior to an actual heart attack – generally a “tightness” behind the breastbone, which generally is caused by an increase in heart rate. The coronary arteries fill in between heart beats therefore anything which increases your heart rate will reduce the time your coronary arteries have to provide blood flow to the heart muscle- the myocardium. Once the heart muscle is deprived of oxygen it becomes irritable leading to palpitations and, if not relieved, death of the muscle.

Surrounding the dead muscle is a variable sized area of heart muscle at risk of dying because of inadequate oxygen supply – this condition is known as myocardial ischaemia.

The heart rate is under the control of the autonomic nervous systems, which, in the case of the heart, is driven by adrenaline the so-called “flight or fight” hormone.

Adrenaline acts at various sites of the body

- On the sinus node in the heart which controls rate to increase heart rate
- On the bronchial tubes in the lung to cause them to dilate allowing greater flow of air into the lungs
- On the small arteries in the skin and gut to constrict (narrow) reducing blood flow to these areas and making more blood available to the muscles- to fight or fly
- Increases the blood sugar by increasing breakdown of glycogen to glucose, important food for the muscles to contract better.

Whilst increased adrenaline production is common with exercise it also occurs in states of shock, fear, or anger producing gooseflesh and sweating (remember the first time you saw the shower scene in the Hitchcock Movie Psycho).

As well as increasing the heart rate adrenaline may cause cardiac irregularity, increased blood pressure, or palpitations. It is this irregularity which may lead the heart to chaotic beats and finally fibrillation and death.

This is the first symptom of a heart attack in about 20% of people – sudden death – the victim just collapses to the ground. Whilst he may gasp a few breaths he has no cardiac output- no blood is leaving his heart- he is pulseless.

This terminal condition (ventricular fibrillation) is very easily treated by first aid measures and cardiac shock- termed defibrillation. Nowadays many areas which have high populations (or as in aeroplanes, confined areas) have people friendly defibrillators available which only shock patients who have rhythms which are treatable by shock. These machines have easy instructions and any bystander who can read can apply the electrodes and save the patient’s life.

Often people wrongly refer to this cause of death as a massive heart attack- it takes some time (often up to an hour) to die from a massive heart attack. In this case the heart attack causes such significant damage to the main ventricle of the heart as to reduce blood pressure to critically low levels and death results.

Cause of Heart Attacks

The pathological cause of heart attacks is a clot of blood, which forms over an area on the lining of a coronary artery which, is “ready” for a clot to form – this area is termed a vulnerable plaque.

It was previously thought that clots developed on the lining of arterial walls that had become calcified and thickened - it is now known that rarely are these areas the sites of clots.

Calcification and deposition of cholesterol within the arterial wall reduces the lumen size and therefore flow of blood through this section of the artery is likewise reduced. This reduced flow may be sufficient to provide enough oxygen to the heart muscle during rest or light work. However once the heart is required to work harder the blood flow is insufficient to provide enough oxygen to the heart muscle and symptoms follow.

Angina- Pectoris and Decubitus

When the heart muscle receives insufficient oxygen it produces lactic and pyruvic acids and these produces the tightness in the chest known as angina the type of angina which occurs during exercise is termed Angina Pectoris.

The obvious treatment is to reduce the heart work by ceasing whatever activity has caused the heart rate to rise.

Whilst typically angina pectoris occurs as tightness in the chest it may move up into the throat or down one or both arms. Occasionally it may only occur in the teeth or in the back between the shoulder blades. Patients may describe it as a “weight on my chest” or “constriction”. Occasionally the only symptom may be acute breathlessness.

The cardinal feature is the relation to increased heart work and its relief by stopping activity. In addition one should use a trintrin preparation. If pain is present use another dose after five minutes or so and repeat twice.

The treatment of angina is beyond the scope of this article however drugs which reduce the work the heart has to do (like putting a governor on your heart) are most effective and as they block the action of adrenaline are termed betablockers.

Drugs, which dilate the coronary arteries (trintrins), are also helpful. These come as patches, tablets for sucking, sprays for inhalation or as solutions for intravenous use in hospital. These should be used only when the tightness is present and not when you feel giddy or weak as they will reduce blood pressure and may cause you to faint. These also dilate all arteries and therefore may cause headache.

Trintrins are particularly dangerous when used in conjunction with some of the newer drugs for erectile dysfunction eg viagra and these must not be used within 24 hours of each other

Spasm of the coronary arteries may also cause reduction in blood flow to the heart. Everyone has some degree of spasm within their bodies and angina is generally due to mixture of both atheroma and spasm.

However angina, which occurs at rest particularly at night around 2.0am waking the patient, is due to vasospasm and is termed angina decubitus.

The symptoms are similar to angina pectoris but in this case it is spasm of the artery and the treatment is not betablockade therapy but a group of drugs called calcium antagonists. These drugs relieve the spasm of the artery.

Unstable Angina

Should the pain be prolonged and not relieved by rest and trintrin therapy the term unstable angina is used.

In this case the pain is more severe and often associated with an increase in sympathetic overactivity. Symptoms such as sweating, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, faintness or a feeling of wanting to faint (presyncope), or even syncope are common.

This is a medical emergency and an ambulance should be called without delay, as it is impossible to differentiate unstable angina from a heart attack without electrocardiograph and blood studies.

If you believe that you may have this syndrome whilst waiting for the ambulance chew a whole aspirin tablet.

This condition is generally associated with a clot being formed within one of the main coronary arteries and hospitalisation is necessary so that a definitive diagnosis may be made and urgent treatment to protect the heart from damage instituted.

Differential Diagnosis

Angina is often confused with indigestion and many patients rationalise that whilst they may consider the pain could be angina it “simply cannot happen to me’ and it is probably only indigestion or just wind.

One eminent Professor of Cardiology writing in one of the journals described how he waited for eighteen hours before going to Hospital as he thought it “ was simply bad indigestion”. He finished up with bypass surgery!

Indigestion is generally in the pit of the stomach burning in nature, often relieved by belching or by drinking a glass of milk or alkali. It has no relation to exercise, rarely referred to the arms or back, and may come up into throat as a burning sensation. Trintrins have no effect.

Hiatus hernia or oesophageal reflux may mimic vasospastic angina as they both occur at night when the patient is prone.

Silent Ischaemia

Some patients, generally those with high pain thresholds, may have myocardial ischaemia which is entirely asymptomatic.

Rarely patients may be found with classical electrocardiographic changes of a heart attack without remembering anything remotely like the symptoms, which are noted above.

On a treadmill exercise test these patients may develop changes on their cardiograph, which are diagnostic of myocardial ischaemia. They may develop high blood pressure or more dangerous, a fall in blood pressure during exercise without any actual pain.

These patients are very difficult to treat, as, unlike most of us, they do not get chest tightness of pressure before they develop dangerous cardiac abnormalities. These people require invasive or nuclear studies to ascertain the workload that causes trouble. They can then be warned to control their work level.

Heart Failure and Cardiac Irregularities

Patients in their senior years may develop heart failure without any pain or tightness. The Electrocardiographic changes of a previous heart attack are found on routine examination.

Atrial fibrillation, a not uncommon rhythm disturbance, often has myocardial ischaemia as its underlying cause, particularly in the elderly. This irregularity results in a reduction in the output from the left ventricle (stroke volume). As blood continues to fill the ventricle from above the lower output results in the heart becoming distended with blood.

Heart muscle like all other muscles when stretched contracts with greater strength thereby increasing the output. The patient is unaware of anything the matter with his heart until an xray is taken showing an enlarged heart . (Compensated Heart Failure)

However if the reason for the reduction in stroke volume remains then eventually (when the heart cannot enlarge further) pressure within the ventricle rises and is passed backwards through the atrium and on into the pulmonary arterioles causing fluid to move into the air sacs of the lungs and the patients notices increasing shortness of breath breathlessness. (Decompensated Heart Failure)

Summary

- Never take chest pain lightly - you might wake up dead !
- Learn a plan and keep to it.
- It is only at an Emergency Centre that you can get immediate diagnosis.
- Most Heart Attacks who are destined to die do so within the first few hours. Don’t Delay
- Special Treatment to reduce the residual damage to your heart is most effective when given early. Particularly within three hours of the onset of pain.
- You will not be laughed at for going to the Hospital with indigestion
- Remember no one can exclude a Heart Attack from a Severe anginal pain without ECG and blood tests

The technical medical names for a wide number of circulatory ill health problems which can occur as side effects to root canal therapy are endocarditis, myocarditis, pericarditis, heart block, aortitis, angina pectoris, phlebitis, arteriosclerosis, hypoer and hypotension, anemia, leukopenia, leukocystosis, lymphopenia, lymphocytosis, bacteremia and glycemia.

Sixteen heart and other circulatory disease conditions were mentioned as disease problems which can occur as effect to the presence of root canal filled teeth.

Such a large number of different heart involvement conditions is surprising as during World War I it was disclosed that 10 to 11 percent of all deaths in United States and England were due to heart involvement, and at that time most cases involved the heart valves.

During that period most doctors believed these heart cases were caused by streptococcus infections and that this organism species was involved in 90 percent of such cases. The major cause for infective endo-carditis according to the Mayo Clinic Health Letter in 1986 was the streptococcus veridans family of bacteria - the very same one Dr. Price found most often araising from infected teeth. The number of deaths from heart disease has increased from 10 percent during Dr. Price's time to over 50 percent of all deaths today. In view of Dr. Price's disclosures about the relationship of root canal therapy to the high number of heart cases and other degenerative diseases related to endodontic treatment, the time is overdue for the dental profession to reassess its role in the occurrence of these diseases. A good example of the seriousness of this enquiry can be seen in the endocarditis case of nine year old girl. She had been bedridden for five of her nine years. A culture made from her two infected baby teeth was injected into the ear veins of three rabbits, each of which developed endocarditis and myocarditis, and one of them also developed rheumatism. One of the rabbits developed the largest heart ever seen in a rabbit.

Number of other heart conditions were covered in this chapter. Many of the cases proved difficult to classify as the patients were suffering from several organ or tissue disturbances all at the same time.

Investigations revealed that in a good number of these cases patients made substantial recoveries when root canal filled teeth were removed!!!!

Phlebitis cases were few in number, but the infection of a culture from a woman patient with phlebitis caused a rabbit's ear to swell 10 to 20 times the thickness it had been. In addition, the rabbit developed an acute gall bladder disturbance, multiple ulsers,and infections of the walls of the blood vessels.

The case discussed and shown are only a small percentage of heart and circulation cases presented in the two Dr. Price books, but they are representative.

Why these focal infection cases clear up and don't just continue on after the infected tooth or teeth are removed is a question often asked. Undoubtedly, when the condition has persisted for a long period, healing is not fully possible, but it is the getting rid of the continual outpouring of bacteria and their toxins from the infected teeth which enables the body's immune system to get rid of the infection at the focal infection site and allows the body to heal itself.

Copyright 2006 SSLI Health Group

Cholesterol is one of the most familiar medical words today. Everyone knows “something” about it , but mostly cholesterol is associated in our mind with something “bad” and “unwanted” that happens to old and overweight people.The facts show that about 20 percent of the U.S. population has high blood cholesterol levels.

Actually holesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance (lipid) that your body needs for many important functions, such as producing new cells , some hormones, vitamin D, and the bile acids that help to digest fat.. It is present in cell walls or membranes everywhere in the body, including the brain, nerves, muscle, skin, liver, intestines, and heart.

In fact our bodies need cholesterol to function normally, but too much cholesterol can be bad for our health. Why ? Cholesterol and other fats can't dissolve in the blood. They have to be transported to and from the cells by special carriers. Cholesterol travels through your blood attached to a protein. This cholesterol–protein package is called a lipoprotein. Lipoproteins are high density or low density depending on how much protein there is in relation to fat.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the major cholesterol carrier in the blood. If too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the walls of the arteries feeding the heart and brain. Together with other substances it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can clog those arteries. When the coronary arteries become narrowed or clogged by cholesterol and fat deposits (a process called atherosclerosis) and cannot supply enough blood to the heart, the result is coronary heart disease. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by total blockage of a coronary artery, the result is a heart attack. This is usually due to a sudden closure from a blood clot forming on top of a previous narrowing. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is called "bad" cholesterol because it can cause cholesterol buildup and blockage of your arteries. LDL is mostly fat with only a small amount of protein.

About one-third to one-fourth of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Medical experts think HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's passed from the body. Some experts believe HDL removes excess cholesterol from plaques and thus slows their growth. HDL is called "good" cholesterol because it helps prevent cholesterol from building up in your arteries. It is mostly protein with only a small amount of fat.

Since there is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol it is not only necessary to know your cholesterol level ,it is also important to know your levels of LDL and HDL.

The fact is that there are no symptoms of high cholesterol. Your first symptom of high cholesterol could be a heart attack or a stroke. The level of cholesterol can be measured only with a blood test.The results come as three main numbers:

· Total Cholesterol
· LDL
· HDL

The level of LDL should be less than 160.

Total cholesterol should be less than 200.

The level of HDL should be more than 35.

Most Important: Your LDL level is a good indicator of your risk for heart disease. Lowering LDL is the main aim of treatment if you have high cholesterol. In general, the higher your LDL level, the greater your chance of developing heart disease.

Remember : Regular cholesterol tests are recommended to find out if your cholesterol level is within normal range.

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT YOUR LDL CHOLESTEROL LEVELS?

The main cause of high blood cholesterol is eating too much fat, especially saturated fat. Saturated fats are found in animal products, such as meats, milk and other dairy products that are not fat free, butter, and eggs. Some of these foods are also high in cholesterol. Fried fast foods and snack foods often have a lot of fat.

Being overweight and not exercising can make your bad cholesterol go up and your good cholesterol go down. Regular physical activity can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It also helps you lose weight. You should try to be physically active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days.

Cigarette smoking damages the walls of your blood vessels, making them likely to have cholesterol rich plaques rupture and have heart attacks. Smoking may also lower your level of HDL cholesterol by as much as 15 percent.

Also, after women go through menopause, their bad cholesterol levels tend to go up. There is also a rare type of inherited high cholesterol that often leads to early heart disease.Some people inherit a condition called familial hypercholesterolemia, which means that very high cholesterol levels run in the family.Other people, especially people for whom diabetes runs in the family, inherit high triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are another type of blood fat that can also push up cholesterol levels. People with high blood triglycerides usually have lower HDL cholesterol and a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. Progesterone, anabolic steroids and male sex hormones (testosterone) also lower HDL cholesterol levels.

So we can make a conclusion that the main therapy is to change your lifestyle. This includes controlling your weight, eating foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol, exercising regularly, not smoking and, in some cases, drinking less alcohol.

But , depending on your risk factors, if healthy eating and exercise don't work after about 6 months to 1 year, your doctor may suggest medicine to lower your cholesterol level.

Now there are very effective medications called “statins”,such as Lipitor.

The drug works by helping to clear harmful low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol out of the blood and by limiting the body's ability to form new LDL cholesterol. Each tablet Lipitor includes 20mg Atorvastatin. It is in a class of medications called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. It works by slowing the production of cholesterol in the body. Lipitor has shown the ability to halt, not just slow, the potentially fatal buildup of plaque in clogged arteries. While a handful of drugs now available slow the buildup of new plaque, or atherosclerosis, in coronary arteries, no drug on the market has been proven to both stop new build-up and clear existing plaque.

So if you are loosing the battle with LDL levels , you can visit my site http://www.craforhealth.com/cholesterol.html, dedicated in the effective medical care , to find the proper treatment for your disease.

LAST YEAR RICHARD John Singer Sargent and Robert Alan Shepard, two physicians World Health Organization had campaigned for a smoke prohibition in Capital of Montana, Montana, announced that their efforts had paid off more dramatically than anyone could have imagined: The ordinance had led to an astonishing 60 percentage drop curtain in spirit attacks in the six months after it took effect. By the time their study, co-authored by anti- activist Stanton Glantz, was published in the April 5, 2004, issue of the British Medical Journal, the drop cloth they attributed to the proscription had become 40 per centum--not quite as impressive but distillery remarkable. And hush preposterous, even if you accept the anti- movement's claims approximately used fastball and mettle disease.

According to the American Heart Association, heater is responsible for(p) for close to pct of nerve disease deaths. Even a Bachelor of Arts in Nursing that completely eliminated photograph to hummer (which 's didn't, since it did not apply to private residences) could not achieve anything like the effect described by , Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr., and Glantz, WHO in any case made no attempt to measure photo. Hedging their bets, et al. noted that a BAN not only reduces pic to bullet but besides encourages smokers to give up or cut back.

But even if 's ordinance caused every smoker in town to fall by the wayside (which it assuredly didn't), it stillness could not be creditworthy for a 40 dip in spunk attacks. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accounts for just about 20 of pump disease deaths.

An immediate 40 fall in ticker attacks across the whole population too implies a much quicker and larger risk reduction than is seen in studies of people drop by the wayside .

In response to educators' need for better ways to deal with teens World Health Organization smoke, the American English Lung Connection developed a new gender-sensitive, schoolhouse-based adolescent smoke surcease programme called Not On Baccy (N-O-T). N-O-T is intentional to provide an effective, easy-to-manipulation, and usable method for helping adolescents drop out . The plan is especially configured for 14 to 19-class-old youthfulness WHO ar regular smokers likely to be addicted to nicotine; volunteer to enter (whenever potential); and wish to give up exploitation a grouping platform.

We've all heard the theory about taking an aspirin a day to keep heart attacks away. Can a little pill that you find on the shelf of every pharmacy or grocery store, taken once a day, really protect you from heart attacks or stroke?

One particular report, published in a British Medical Journal, would like you to believe that. Their report stated that aspirin therapy should be used in cases where patients are at a high risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack or stroke. Ideally we do not want to get to the point where we're considered high risk.

How Does Aspirin Reduce The Risks Of Heart Attack Or Stroke?

Simply put, aspirin will dilate your arteries creating more room within the arteries for your blood to flow. That is medical science's recommendation when you are at a high risk of heart attack or stroke. Dilate arteries and all will be well.

Is It Really That Simple?

Of course I jest, as they do offer more recommendations such as prescription heart medicine, angioplasty or bypass surgery. Anyhow, getting back on topic, aspirin also inhibits the blood clotting process crucial to controlling bleeding. Without this process working, the result can be uncontrollable bleeding that can cause you to bleed to death if you were cut and couldn't get medical attention quickly enough.

Did you know that if you are scheduled for surgery of any kind, the surgeon will not perform the operation if you have been taking aspirins? You would have to stop taking the aspirin and wait until its out of your system before they would operate.

That tells me that dilating the arteries may not be the way to go. What do you think? Personally, I don't think it's worth the risk to take the "aspirin a day" especially since there is a better, more effective way.

In addition, what happens as the plaque in your arteries keeps building up and continues to narrow the openings within your arteries and finally becoming completely blocked/closed. Will the aspirin prevent a heart attack or stroke if the arteries become blocked? You bet it won't.

The Natural Way To Solve The Problem Without The Risk

If the medical profession spent more time and effort on preventing the problem in the first place there would be less people struggling with heart disease. Instead they find ways of treating the symptoms with the use of drugs after the damage has been done.

By using the right nutritional plan, which includes specific vitamins and minerals, the body will not only heal itself, but will prevent any arterial plaque build-up while dissolving any existing plaque that may be in your arteries already.

Staying healthy is easier than you think. Don't eat foods that contain hydrogenated fats (also known as Trans-Fats) as these are manufactured fats. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, doctors warn against eating trans fats because studies show that trans fats raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and put people at risk of heart attacks. Don't be afraid of fats however, as long as they are "good fats."

Take in more protein and Omega-3/Omega-6 fatty acids as these fats are extremely helpful in protecting against sudden heart attack or stroke. In addition, keep an eye on your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and get them down if too high, while raising your HDL (good) cholesterol.

Supplement your healthy eating with the right combination of vitamins, minerals, and glandular concentrates that will "scrub" your arteries clean of deadly plaque. Make sure you get some exercise in there as well. Good health is all about good nutrition... not about drugs or surgery.

Fact:

• heart disease claims about ½ million lives in America per year
• high cholesterol levels play a significant role in heart disease
• studies show if you lower cholesterol levels, the risk of heart disease is reduced by up-to 40%

What is Cholesterol?

Before we go into how to reduce your cholesterol, let's take a look at what exactly cholesterol is.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is produced by the liver and its job is to:-

• produce bile acids to help with the digestion of fat
• build and repair cells and
• produce estrogen and testosterone hormones

Therefore cholesterol is an important function of the body, but too much cholesterol in the body becomes a risk as it can clog up arteries and this can be the cause of heart attacks and strokes.

Cholesterol Symptoms

It is surprising to learn that there are virtually no symptoms to diagnose if you have high cholesterol. High cholesterol is normally identified by a blood test.

However, if you are having health issues such as coronary disease, vascular disease or stroke, then this could be the end result of high cholesterol levels in your body.

Symptoms of:

Coronary Disease

• Angina
• Chest pains
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath

Vascular Disease

• A tightening sensation in the lower extremities
• Ulcers or open sores on the lower extremities

Stroke

• loss of balance and dizziness
• slurring of speech and difficulty in understanding
• numbing sensation of the face, arm or leg
• this can be a sudden event with little or no warning

People who are overweight and do no exercise at all tend to be the ones with higher cholesterol levels.

Therefore, it is recommended that you have a cholesterol blood test every three years if you are overweight and every 5 years if you are a normal healthy weight.

How to Lower Cholesterol

If your blood test shows that your cholesterol levels are too high, then you should take immediate measures to help lower your cholesterol. Your doctor will advise you on the best course of action, but initially it is the norm for you to follow a low cholesterol diet.

A low cholesterol diet is normally a diet which is low in saturated fat and will include eating:-

• skinless poultry
• lean meats
• fish and shellfish
• low fat dairy products
• fruit
• vegetables
• whole grain foods

Cook your food by either

• grilling
• baking
• steaming
• boiling
• poaching
• microwave

Do not fry your food in lard or oil.

Your doctor also might prescribe you with a cholesterol lowering medication if he/she feels that the low cholesterol diet will not be enough.

There are several factors can lead to depression after heart attack. The stress of being in the hospital, the fear of another heart attack, time away from work can all contribute to feeling depressed, helpless, down and despondent.

Do many people suffer depression after heart attack?

Not surprisingly, the answer to this question is yes. Recent studies show that as many as 65% of people who have a heart attack report feeling depressed, down and despondent. A general state of despair. Moreover, women, people who have been depressed before, and people who feel alone and without social or emotional support are at a higher risk for feeling depressed after a heart attack. Two new Canadian studies have shown that More than twice as many women than men tend to fall into chronic depression after suffering a heart attack and are more likely to lead lives of poorer quality following their treatments.

Being depressed can also make it harder for you to recover. However, depression can be treated.

Being told by doctors that you should take up exercise, adopt a new diet, stop smoking, etc. etc. etc. can certainly make you feel helpless, in fact, you will probably have good days and bad days following your release from hospital. However, most people start to feel better as time passes. People that are quickly able to get back to their usual routines normally notice a drop in anxiety faster than those that don’t.

So what exactly is depression?

Depression, be it after a heart attack or not, is a medical illness, like diabetes or high blood pressure and not just somebody going crazy. This is important both for the sufferer and family members to understand. The symptoms of depression may include some or all of the following:

• Feeling sad or crying often
• Losing interest in daily activities that used to be fun
• Changes in appetite and weight
• Sleeping too much or having trouble sleeping
• Feeling agitated, cranky or sluggish
• Loss of energy
• Feeling very guilty or worthless
• Problems concentrating or making decisions
• Thoughts of death or suicide

Can heart disease trigger depression or depression trigger heart disease?

Either of the above may be true, one thing seems clear. The two are often found hand in hand, therefore controlling one may help control the other.

According to The American Academy of Family Physicians research has shown that people who are depressed and have pre-existing cardiovascular disease have a 3.5 times greater risk of dying of a heart attack than patients with heart disease who are not depressed. In a recent study, depression was shown to be associated with an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease in men and women. Depression was shown to increase mortality related to coronary heart disease in men but had no effect on mortality in women.

How can the risk of relapse be avoided?

The risk of relapses, be it of heart disease or depression, can be greatly reduced by living a healthy lifestyle, and your doctor will instruct you on this. However, some important lifestyle modifications are avoiding alcohol, illegal drugs, smoking, start a regular exercise program, eating a balanced diet, manage stress, join a club, meet new people or take courses in things that interest you, get enough rest and sleep

As the Webmaster for a site dedicated to helping people save money when they go to the dentist, I find myself having to consistently fight two different and distinct battles; one against the average Americans reluctance to pay the high cost of modern dental care and the other is the same Americans belief that seeing a dentist regularly just isn't that important.

The first battle I have a decent chance of winning but the second battle I've had to throw my hands up in surrender; I mean if someone doesn't care about their teeth enough to have them taken care of by a dentist, what can I possibly say to convince them otherwise?

How about this; "Did you know that your next visit to the dentist could prevent a heart attack?"

Medical researchers have known for years now that there's a definite link between gum disease (i.e. gingivitis) and persons' risk for a heart disease (see http://discountdental4u.net/gumdisease.htm). Evidence is mounting, however, that information gleaned from a routine panoramic dental X-rays-wide-angle frontal images --taken to establish the baseline condition of teeth and surrounding bone-- may serve as an accurate early-warning system of risk of dying from heart attack or stroke.

According to researchers at the University of Buffalo School of Dental medicine, a study of 818 teeth and jaw x-rays of Pima Indians in Arizona found that those who had a build-up of calcified plaque in the carotid arteries were twice as likely to die from heart attack or stroke. Normally, calcified plaque is present in only about 3 percent of the general population.

An earlier study of 2,700 dental patients showed calcium deposits on each side of the carotid arteries can be spotted in x-rays of the teeth and jaw bone.

It makes sense that the dental x-rays would see the carotid artery --which carries blood from the heart to the brain and back-- so dentists should be aware that it is screening tool for cardiovascular disease. If they see signs of calcification in dental x-rays, they tell the patient to see his or her doctor ASAP.

BOTTOM LINE: Most dental insurance plans allow you a yearly dental exam at little or no cost so schedule a complete check-up, including x-rays, with your dentist ASAP. If you don't have dental insurance, consider enrolling in a discount dental plan that fits your budget and then go see a dentist ASAP.