Our heart health is something all of us can control.

Sometimes we hear about the elephant in the room that nobody talks about. What if that elephant is sitting on your chest? That is one of the key tips people are told when they are experiencing major heart issues. They have difficulty breathing like an elephant was sitting on their chest.

One person every forty seconds has a heart attack. Over 800,000 Americans die each year of cardiovascular disease. Almost half of those deaths are due to coronary heart disease. What are the risks associated with heart disease? http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/ahamah-public/@wcm/@sop/@smd/documents/downloadable/ucm_491265.pdf

Risks

https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/heart-health/12-heart-attack-risk-factors-you-cant-ignore-infographic The risks you cannot control are age, gender, and genes. After 45 years of age, the risk of heart disease increases for men. Women lag about ten years behind men in this area. However, women tend to experience more indirect symptoms of heart attack, such as fatigue and nausea.

Genes

Genes generally affect about five percent of people. Epigenetics can change genetic influence. Genes are turned on and off like a light switch. Lifestyle influences the turning on or off many genes.
You can control cholesterol, diet, alcohol, smoking, weight, emotions, exercise, blood pressure, and diabetes. Those factors can increase your risk of heart disease.

Alcohol and Smoking

Alcohol can raise triglyceride levels and has the potential to lead to irregular heartbeat over time. People can drink moderately without increasing their risk. However, smoking is related to one out of every four heart attacks.

Weight

Overweight and way overweight significantly affect your chances of heart disease. Weight can be due to many factors – diet, exercise, medications, stress, and more. It seems many people who are overweight want to lose weight and it seems to be impossible. Pounds were put on incrementally. Weight comes off in the same manner.

Diet

Diet is a factor all of us can control. The first thing I recommend is to switch to a smaller plate and never go back for seconds. We eat by habit. We eat the same foods month after month. Many times, we are thirsty and dehydrated and our bodies respond like they are starving.

Exercise

Exercise is like weight gain. Exercise is a dirty word in many minds. Sweating is not allowed in their vocabulary. It is uncomfortable. It is not something that has immediate or long-term payback. It is outside the comfort zone of most people.

This time of year, multitudes of people join a gym and within 30 days are quitting. No results were achieved and the return on investment of money and time is not realistic. Sometimes. we do things because it is good for us, not the ROI. The ROI may be those last several years living without having someone change your diaper.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is an interesting subject. It is not cholesterol, but oxidized cholesterol that creates a problem inside the arteries. Oxidation of cholesterol occurs from fried foods (chicken and French fries for example), excess polyunsaturated fatty acids (primarily omega-6 fatty acids), and smoking.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in fish (salmon, tuna, etc.), corn oil, safflower oil, vegetable oil, and more. Ideally, our bodies should balance omega-3 fatty acids (salmon) with omega-6 fatty acids (corn oil). Our bodies do not make these fatty acids. They come from our diet.

When omega-6 fatty acids outweigh omega-3 fatty acids by more than 4:1 the benefit of omega-6 fatty acids changes from a friend to foe. As omega-6 fatty acids increase so does inflammation in the body. Many American diets provide a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in excess of 30:1. This is not healthy for the body or your heart.

Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is something everyone should know. How do you know if you have high blood pressure if you do not own something to measure your blood pressure regularly? The equipment is relatively cheap and easy to use.

Choosing the rights foods in a diet can eliminate the risk of diabetes. High blood sugar is a risk factor for plaque in the arteries. Fasting can be an effective way to control blood sugar. Do not attempt a fast without consulting your doctor, especially if you are diabetic!

Stress

Chronic stress is like blood pressure. We rarely ever feel high blood pressure or high stress. Stress becomes part of our life. Stress builds incrementally and can cause a myriad of health problems.

One of the most noticeable is the width of your belly. Stress hormones love to store fat. Most of the time it is stored around the waist. Do something every day to reduce, remove, or eliminate stress. There are many good stress management programs on YouTube.

Conclusion

The above is the standard stuff you hear about when researching heart disease risks and causes. They rarely tell you what you can do that might reverse whatever damage you already have. Or reduce the damage before it becomes a problem. I believe strongly in vitamin K to reduce arterial plaque. It is not something that most physicians study.

Vitamin K to Reverse Arterial Plaque

https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2017/11/vitamin-k-and-arterial-stiffness and https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2020/10/reversal-of-calcification-and-atherosclerosis Vitamin K is found in leafy green vegetables, dairy, beef liver, and more. Coronary artery disease is sometimes called atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Vitamin K has been shown in studies to remove plaque from your arteries.

Most of us do not know how calcium gets to our bones. We need a good source of calcium and magnesium to start. Then adequate levels of vitamin D are needed to get it into the bloodstream. Only then can calcium be directed to your bones if you have enough vitamin K2.

If you do not, the calcium is stored in your heart valves and arteries. Hence, a deficiency in vitamin K2 can lead to hardening of the arteries. However, a diet high in vitamin K2 can reverse some of that hardening. https://www.k-vitamins.com/ is the best source of information on vitamin K that I have found.

Do not add extra vitamin K by supplement or food choice if you are on a blood thinner. Talk to your doctor first. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/should-people-on-warfarin-blood-clot-drug-ingest-more-vitamin-k#Precautions-with-warfarin There are blood thinners that can be recommended to use with vitamin K supplementation. Talk before taking any action.

Live Longer & Enjoy Life! – Red O’Laughlin – RedOLaughlin.com

 

 

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