| Heart disease has become the number one cause | | | | of adrenaline that your body needs. |
| of premature death in the United States and | | | | |
| many other parts of the world. Heart disease | | | | Best of all, exercise makes you feel better. |
| is also a debilitating malady that disables | | | | Walking is one of the best ways to control |
| many people. Heart disease treatment methods | | | | stress and prevent depression - for heart |
| are thus vital for improving the quality of | | | | patients and everyone else, too. |
| life of people suffering from these | | | | |
| illnesses. The number one killer in America | | | | Lose weight if you're overweight. Your doctor |
| today is a disease that can often be | | | | can advise you about the best ways to lose |
| prevented. | | | | weight. |
| | | | |
| According to the American Heart Association, | | | | Eat right. Lower or eliminate your intake of |
| heart disease is the nation's single leading | | | | red meat and fats in your diet. This includes |
| cause of death for both men and women. At | | | | fatty foods such as whole milk, dairy |
| least 58.8 million people in this country | | | | products, potato chips, rich gravies, and the |
| suffer from some form of heart disease. It | | | | like. These foods can and do raise your bad |
| involves the blocking, either partial or | | | | cholesterol level. Switch to skim milk, eat |
| total, of the arteries that lead to the human | | | | lean meats, and just do without the chips and |
| heart. But, you can help to protect yourself | | | | the other junk foods that you just do not |
| from heart disease by following these simple | | | | need for good health. Put more fresh |
| health tips: | | | | vegetables and fresh fruit into your daily |
| | | | diet. Eat plenty of fiber which has been |
| Maintain a healthy weight | | | | shown to help in reducing the bad blood |
| | | | cholesterol level. |
| As you put on weight in adulthood, you gain | | | | |
| mostly fatty tissue. This excess weight can | | | | Tobacco Smoke |
| lead to conditions that increase your chances | | | | |
| of heart disease - high blood pressure, high | | | | A smoker's risk of heart attack is more than |
| cholesterol and diabetes. | | | | twice that of nonsmokers. The nicotine and |
| | | | carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke reduce the |
| How do you know if your weight is healthy? | | | | amount of oxygen in the blood. They also |
| One way is to calculate your body mass index | | | | damage blood vessel walls and may trigger the |
| (BMI), which considers your height and weight | | | | formation of blood clots. Smoking also |
| in determining whether you have a healthy or | | | | reduces "good" cholesterol, which promotes |
| unhealthy percentage of body fat. | | | | heart disease. If you do smoke, get help to |
| | | | quit now! There are many effective programs |
| BMI numbers 25 and higher are associated with | | | | to help you quit. Once you stop smoking your |
| higher blood fats, higher blood pressure, and | | | | risk of heart disease starts to drop and over |
| an increased risk of heart disease and | | | | time will be about the same as if you'd never |
| stroke. | | | | smoked. |
| | | | |
| Exercise | | | | Niacin is the closest thing available to a |
| | | | perfect treatment that corrects most causes |
| Exercise has an effect on every other risk | | | | of coronary heart disease. Niacin blocks the |
| factor for heart disease except smoking. When | | | | release of fatty acids from fat cells. Niacin |
| you exercise regularly, your heart, which is | | | | plays a critical role in energy production, |
| muscle, gets stronger. Stronger hearts | | | | gene expression, and hormone synthesis. You |
| require fewer beats to pump blood and oxygen | | | | cannot live without it. Niacin also tends to |
| throughout your body. Your blood pressure can | | | | shift LDL particle distribution to larger |
| be reduced as you become more physically fit. | | | | particle size and improve HDL functioning. |
| And if you burn more calories than you eat, | | | | The intake of 3 grams Niacin for as little as |
| you'll lose body fat and weight, too. | | | | two weeks can reduce serum cholesterol by 26 |
| | | | percent. |
| Exercise also affects the blood itself, | | | | |
| increasing circulation, producing more HDL | | | | Pectin limits the amount of cholesterol the |
| (the "good" cholesterol) lowering blood sugar | | | | body can absorb. High pectin count in apples |
| levels, helping prevent the formation of | | | | may be why "One a day keeps the doctor away". |
| harmful blood clots and lowering the amount | | | | Read out for Alzheimer's treatment. |