Help Your Heart

1. TAKE THE TEST!. That's the highly sensitive C-reactive protein test, or
HSCRP. It has been found that this blood test is as effective as a standard
cholesterol test in predicting heart attacks and strokes. It measures the levels
of a specific blood protein that indicates that you have inflamed heart
arteries--the kind that rupture and cause heart failure. Seeing as how 50% of
all heart attack victims have normal cholesterol levels, the hsccrp test is much
more accurate and important see your doctor and have one done .
2. Who Cares what you could lift.... for the last forty years various studies
have told us that exercise is good for your heart but none have told you that
you are only as healthy as your last work out, the affects of exercise develop
and deteriorate quickly so constant exercise is key to good health and a healthy
heart. Doctors have compared those that still exercise to those that used to but
stopped and the health rate was much higher in those that still, maintained
there exercise schedule. While the effects of exercise diminish quickly doctors
note that it is never too late to start and maintain an active healthier
lifestyle to promote longevity.
3. Hang out in the weight room. As well as making your muscles bigger, working
out ana lifting weights will make you stronger , therefore making everything you
do less taxing, thus putting less overall stress on your heart, if you develope
a good strong set of muscles your heart will be less fatigued and you will live
longer.
4. Get off the weed. Smoking weed is known to increase the chance of heart
attack of heart failure dramatically for a few hours after you smoke a joint. If
you are still smoking weed get of it, you live to be glad you stopped
5. Buy extra-virgin olive oil. So its more expensive, so what it'll keep you
around longer, extra virgin olive oil is lower in fat and "bad cholesterol, so
the extra dollar is worth it .
6. See a genetic counselor. Usually your doctor knows nothing about your genetic
history, change that, it is the most valid peice of medical information
available about you, find out what is common in your genetic make-up and take
the steps to prevent those problems, genetic information is a good place to look
for possible problems
7. Get an ultra sound . the thing with heart disease is that most people don't
know they have it till the hit the floor. A new procedure called an
electron-beam cat scan (EBCT) could be a solution. Best for men over 40, the
EBCT gives your doctor a 3-D ultrasound of your heart and blood vessels and can
show blockage in its early stages, while it is new enough to correct it..
8. Pop a pill, taking high doses of cholesterol-reducing statin drugs. In a
study last year of patients with coronary-artery disease, half underwent
angioplasty and half were treated with the statin drug atorvastatin. The
atorvastatin group had fewer heart attacks within the next 18 months. Statins
are proving that blood vessels Aren't just in need of cleaning . statins do more
than clear blood vesse1s--they actually help the vessels become larger to
accommodate greater blood flow.
9. Ask your doctor about Ramipril. For 30 years, Ramipril has been used as a
hypertension drug. But a study from McMaster University in Ontario shows that it
actually helps prevent heart attacks and strokesand even rudeces the need for
bypass surgery!.
In the study, which included nearly 10,000 patients (80 percent of whom had
coronary artery disease), vitamin E and Ramipril were tested against placebos.
The subjects taking vitamin E showed no benefit, but those taking Ramipril had a
25 percent reduction in death rate.