There are 2 types of strokes:

1-Hemmoragic-a blood vessel that bursts in the brain causing lack of oxygen to be supplied to the area of the brain (a lobe) where the vessel ruptured.  Lack of oxygen to any area of the body tissue=starvation to the tissue; where in this case is the brain=a stroke.

2-Blockages-These blockages caused by the following: blood clots, athero-sclerosis, a common disorder, it happens due to fat, cholesterol, with even tar from smoking, or other substances that build up in the walls of the arteries forming hard structures called plaque and in time creating a blockage in the vessel interfering with blood supply providing oxygen to tissue and if blocked in the brain=high probability of a stroke occurring if not taken care of.   “Recommended related to Heart Disease” by Web MD which states that atherosclerosis is the key cause of heart attacks & strokes including it’s the number one killer in the United States.  Risk Factors for atherosclerosis include high blood pressure (b/p)=arteriosclerosis, blood level of high bad cholesterol (LDL), blood level of low good cholesterol (HDL), smoking, diabetes, and history of heart attacks in your nuclear family.  Definitely a healthy diet, having exercise in your life, and your weight within the therapeutic body mass index level will help prevent, if not treat, atherosclerosis.

  The Risk Factors of this disease, especially diet & sedentary lifestyle:

  1. High Blood Pressure (b/p)-This is also known as the diagnosis hypertension.  In understanding how hypertension works let’s use a metaphor:  Think of a blood vessel as a long thin balloon and if we stand on it the pressure will increase inside the balloon causing the diameter of the balloon to swell up.  If you continue to step on the balloon adding additional pressure this causes it to finally reach it’s total amount of pressure or when you exceed the total level of pressure this results in popping the balloon.  Similar concept with high b/p, that’s if the pressure keeps rising in our blood vessels due to blockage or vasoconstriction (which is making the vessels diameter more narrow=increased pressure in the vessels) sooner or later a vessel bursts somewhere in the body due to the b/p passing it’s total level in the amount of pressure that it can handle in the circulatory system which can result into a burst of an artery, like in the brain causing a stroke or in a vessel near the heart causing a myocardial infarction (but this is another topic some other day).  Think of food,  a human being not eating leads into starvation, well for blood cells lack of oxygen=starvation to the cells.  This causes in both situations or cases a lack of nutrition (the tissue is lacking oxygen).  With a stroke, not enough oxygen is getting to the brain resulting from either a hemorrhage (loosing too much blood=loosing to many cells=oxygen (food for tissue) or a blockage preventing 02 getting to the area.  Though many people have increased b/p due to only 2 things diet leading them to obesity, and lack of exercise due to a sedentary lifestyle, which could be changed and resolve the problem in most cases.  Increased b/p can also be due noncompliance- like continuing to smoke, or not following the healthy regimen the M.D. ordered for you as a patient.  The overall healthy regimen for a person with hypertension would be a low sodium diet (preventing further vasoconstriction), even low in cholesterol/fat/1800-2000 calories a day (preventing obesity or further weight gain), balancing rest with exercise and the b/p medications taken as prescribed, by their M.D.    So for many Americans hypertension can be controlled just by diet with balancing exercise with rest.  For others it might take a little more like doing which is what I just mentioned with following your medication regimen as ordered and going to your doctor having your b/p monitored, as your M.D. prescribes. ________________________________________________________________                                                                                                                                                                            2. 2. Smoking-For starters, this unhealthy habit puts you at risk for high blood pressure since it causes vasoconstriction (narrowing) of the vessels in our body due to the nicotine.  The answer to this risk factor is simply quit this unhealthy habit.  Smoking adds to the plaque building up in the vessels.  Centers for Disease state that in 2010 the leading cause of death was heart disease followed by cancer than to chronic respiratory disease and lastly stroke.  Over time a healthy diet balanced with exercise daily or every 2 days for 30minutes would help decrease the cardiac disease and stroke.  The American Lung Association states that smoking is directly responsible for approximately 90 percent of lung cancer deaths and approximately 80-90 percent of COPD (emphysema and chronic bronchitis) deaths.

• Among adults who have ever smoked, 70% started smoking regularly at age 18 or younger, and 86% at age 21 or younger.³

• Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body, and is a main cause of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema). It is also a cause of coronary heart disease (CAD), stroke and a host of other cancers and diseases.

So let’s take a car for instance, if the transmission is bad and not repaired by a mechanic the engine will be effected and soon fail completely.  Now let’s take the lungs, if they are bad and you don’t go to a doctor to help treat the problem the heart will be effected at some point to failure in function and vice versa.  If a smoker doesn’t quit it causes COPD=Emphysema (this does take over years) and it will affect the heart in time to not function as effectively with someone who has healthy lungs.  Worse, if you don’t quit smoking you increase the risk of getting CAD (coronary artery disease) and add to the problem atherosclerosis if you already have the diagnosis which is caused by fatty materials (lipids), fibrous tissue with tar (from the smoking) causing blockages in the vessels.  You also have a risk at lung cancer.

________________________________________________________________

3. High Cholesterol-The National Stroke Association states the following about cholesterol:
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy fat (lipid) that is made by the body. It is found in the bloodstream and in all of your body’s cells. The body needs cholesterol to form cell membranes, some hormones and vitamin D.

Cholesterol is also found in some foods, such as seafood, eggs, meats and dairy products.

Because cholesterol does not dissolve in the blood on its own, it must be carried to and from cells by particles called lipoproteins. There are two main types of lipoproteins: low-density lipoproteins
(LDL)=the bad cholesterol and high-density lipoproteins=the good cholesterol (HDL).

LDL can cause plaque build-up. Plaque is a thick, hard substance that can clog arteries. Recent studies show that high levels of LDL and triglycerides (blood fats) raise the risk of ischemic stroke. Plaque can also increase risk of a transient ischemic attack (TIA) where stroke symptoms go away within 24 hours.  Stroke verses TIA=Nonreversible verses Reversible. Stroke is scarring to the brain where TIA doesn’t.  Like Heart Attack verses Angina, Heart Attack is scarring to the heart verses no scarring to the heart with Angina. Both Angina and TIA are just lack of oxygen to the heart and the brain, causing the symptoms due to lack of oxygen=ischemia.  Both heart attack and stroke are both a lot worse than just ischemia.  They both get to the point where there in no oxygen causing actual permanent damage to the organ since the problem never reversed=scarring to the heart and brain.

The second main type of cholesterol is high-density lipoprotein (HDL), often called the “good” cholesterol. High levels of HDL may reduce stroke risk.

High cholesterol levels or plaque build-up in the arteries can block normal blood flow to the brain and cause a stroke. High cholesterol may also increase the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis, which are both risk factors for stroke.

First we’ll cover how water, electrolytes, proteins work in the body to understand how sodium (being a electrolyte) is so important with our health.  Then we will cover how to use sodium therapeutically in our diet with knowing how it impacts how your future health and how it prevents with even help you in managing certain diseases or illnesses you already have.

Let us first understand the basics of the human body: a large percentage of  body weight is composed of water that is containing dissolved particles of organic and inorganic substances vital to life.  A young adult male is about 60% water whereas a female is 50%.  Than the percentage of the body weight, that is WATER, declines with age.  Since fat contains little water, the more obese a person gets the smaller the percentage of water weight is in that person.   Salt is what we call sodium (NA) + chloride (Cl)=Sodium chloride =NaCl, which are both an electrolytes.   Water is distributed throughout the body, but in compartments that are inside our cells, outside of our cells (being plasma), and in our tissues.  In these compartments with the water are electrolytes but in varying amounts.  The largest percentage of water in our body is inside the cells.  The body fluid in us is constantly being lost and replaced for normal body processes to occur.   If we eat daily food and fluids the body easily maintains the compartments  in balancing the water and electrolytes  in our body (remember the compartments are in the cells,  outside of cells, and in the tissues).   We know the body receives water to these different compartments through our diet in what we eat (foods & liquids) and through the metabolism (break down) of  the those foods & liquids=nutrition  that we eat and through the body tissues.  There are ending products from the metabolism (break down) of tissues in our body and our foods and fluids through digestion causing our body to have an ending result of toxins in the body but are body gets rid of them if functioning within normal limits.  Two vital processes that do this which demand continual expenditure of water in removal of toxins is:

1.) removal of body heat by vaporization of water via the lungs and the skin(perspiration).

2.)excretion of urea and other metabolic wastes by the kidneys dumping them in our urinary bladder;  the stool also in our GI tract plays a role in this removal of metabolic wastes in evacuation.

Solid foods such as meats and vegetables contain 60 to 90% water .  Note the normal daily replacement of water roughly equals the normal daily loss with an entire body functioning properly.  The volume of water used in these processes varies greatly with external influences such as temperature and humidity.

All body fluids contain chemical compounds.  Chemical compounds in solution may be classified as electrolytes or nonelectrolytes based on their ability to conduct an electric current in the solution. Electrolytes are either positive, which is a charged particle called an cation (electric current=Na+); or negative which is not a charged particle called an anion (no electric current=Cl-).  This is why you’ll see an electrolyte banner or board up in the front of chemistry class or just in your chemistry book  (a positive or negative sign after every abbreviation of each element).  It’s letting you know if it is + or -.  Proteins  are special types of  charged molecules.  They both have a charge that is dependent on the pH of the body fluids.  A normal pH in our plasma is 7.35 to 7.45 and at this level your proteins exist with a net negative charge.  In our bodies compartments, when imbalances happen regarding fluids, electrolytes or proteins problems occur;  acidity and alkalinity distribution in the body becomes effected.

What does this all mean?

 There are 3 main  mechanisms for fluid and electrolyte movement in the body to help in maintenance of acid and base balances throughout the human body which are diffusion, osmosis, and filtration.  Through these mechanisms transfer of water and electrolytes take place dispensing them in the body where they are needed.                                       

Electrolytes account for most of the osmotic pressure of the body fluids (this pressure is the concentration of solids in a compartment).  Electrolytes are VITALLY important in the maintenance of acid and base (alkaline) balancing in all cells to all the plasma to every tissue region of the body.  These 3 mechanisms of delivery that balance the fluids and electrolytes in our body you need to have working correctly;  but when the body ends up getting imbalances of electrolytes or fluids over a long period of time certain illnesses or diseases can arise.  If a system fails in our body, this can put the electrolyte and fluid balance off causing health problems in our body; take for example. kidneys that play a major role in removing toxins from our bloodstream by pulling them out of the blood vessels that filter through the kidneys and allows the organ to dump the toxins  into our urinary bladder where we excrete them.   When we void, the more yellow the urine means the higher the amount or concentration of toxins is in the urine and that was dumped in the urinary bladder by proper kidney function.   So if disease like renal (kidneys )failure occurs than this messes up the entire process of balancing the acid and base fluids in the body by allowing the toxics to stay in our body which causes them to be dumped elsewhere, like in our tissues=the body is trying to compensate.  This will cause yellowing to the sclera, skin, etc… which we call jaundice and if not repaired you will die sooner in life.

Now, let us get in the specifics of the electrolyte sodium chloride and health.   Table salt is made up of the elements sodium and chloride – the technical name for salt is sodium chloride. Your body needs some sodium to work properly.  Na in our body plays important roles and works with potassium.  It helps with the function of nerves and muscles. It also helps to keep the right

balance of fluids in your body. When Na gets high concentrated (in blood=hypernatremia) our body reacts by allowing more water in that compartment (ex. Plasma) to balance out the electrolyte and fluids in that compartment to prevent complications.  Your kidneys control how much sodium is in your body.  If you have too much and your kidneys can’t get rid of it, sodium builds up in your blood (hypernatremia). This can lead to health problems. In healthy individuals, the kidneys respond to excess sodium by flushing it out in the urine. Unfortunately, this also removes potassium. If potassium levels are low, the body tries to hoard it, which also means hanging onto sodium. Water follows sodium, leading to an increase in the amount of water in the body and the volume of blood in circulation.  Excess sodium blunts the ability of blood vessels to relax and contract with ease causing your vessels to vasoconstrict which increases pressure in your vessels=high blood pressure (B/P)and may also overstimulate the growth of heart tissue.  Blood pressure climbs, and the heart must work harder=stress to the heart.  When we stress the heart out=overworked, lack of oxygen to the heart tissue happens=pain (we call it Angina that can be reversed) and if it continues can lead to a heart attack (scarring to the heart=damage done to the heart that’s not reversible).  Also with constant high B/P with constriction of vessels in the brain this can cause the same stress=headache which if not resolved can lead to a stroke (scarring to the brain, again not reversible).   All of these responses are made worse by low potassium intake.

In some people, especially those already diagnosed with high blood pressure, heart failure, or impaired kidney functioning, the kidneys hang onto sodium no matter what, further complicating the disease they have and worsening their health.

One way to flush sodium out of the body is by getting more potassium. An interesting report from the Trials of Hypertension Prevention suggests that changing the balance between these two minerals can help the heart and arteries.

High blood pressure can lead to other health problems, especially uncontrolled.

Most people in the U.S. get more sodium in their diets than they need. A key to healthy eating is choosing foods low in salt and sodium. Doctors recommend you eat less than 2.4 grams per day. That equals about 1 teaspoon of table salt a day. Reading food labels can help you immensely in seeing accurately how much sodium is in prepared foods of your meals you eat.

Most of the focus on sodium and potassium centers on their effects on the kidneys, blood vessels, and heart.   But these minerals affect every part of the body, including the relentless breakdown and buildup of bone.   A diet high in sodium increases the amount of calcium excreted in the urine. This loss is especially prominent when calcium intake is low, as it is for so many Americans. Loss of calcium can contribute to osteoporosis, the age-related weakening of bones=easier fractures and brakes in bones.

One way to combat the problem is by taking in more calcium from food or supplements. Getting more potassium, in the range of the recommended 4,700 mg a day, can also help.

To be sure, there is more to bone health than sodium and potassium.  Heredity, lack of exercise, hormone levels (low testosterone in men, low estrogen in women), and a dearth of vitamin D and vitamin K can also weaken bones.  But it’s good to know that a positive change made for your heart is doing good things elsewhere in the body.

One way to prevent or fight high blood pressure and keep the heart healthy is to boost the amount of potassium you get while at the same time reducing your sodium intake. (Note: Check with your doctor before boosting your intake of potassium. Although it’s a good strategy for many, it can be harmful to people with kidney disease or heart failure, or those who are taking certain kinds of diuretics, or “water pills.”)  Recommended if with any disease get clearance from your m.d. before making changes in your diet, activity, and any health habits (especially if a cardiac, renal, diabetes diagnosis)

The best way to get more potassium and less sodium is by eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, fish, homemade foods, and low-salt versions of prepared foods. You can top the 4,700-milligram mark for potassium and stay under 800 mg of sodium by having regular oatmeal, orange juice, and coffee for breakfast; a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and milk for lunch; baked halibut, a baked potato with the skin, and a spinach salad with half an avocado for dinner; and some peanuts, raisins, a banana, and low-sodium V8 in between. The potassium-to-sodium ratio of this menu is 14 to 1.  Best way to figure out the amount of sodium or potassium in your diet is count what the label of the food your eating states is in a serving and document it up in 24hrs and add it up.  Add in some exercise and, though you aren’t living like people in the Stone Age, you might have arteries as healthy as they had.

To know what primary (prevention) or secondary management of  diseases or illnesses caused by or effected by sodium blood levels in the body with learning how to control and take proper sodium intake as best as possible this can be accomplished by eating a healthy diet (low sodium), practice healthy habits, and even lose weight if necessary.  Doing this will let you reach your optimal level of health.  Need a little help than go on to my website healthierusa.tsfl.com/ and let Dr. Anderson with his book “Dr. A’s habits of health” and myself as your health coach in directing you and giving you the knowledge in how to eat sodium healthy, how to lose weight by living healthy habits and eating healthy not just 3 mths or a year but for life with being able to treat yourself to treats and foods occasionally not the healthiest.  Through Dr. Anderson’s book you will learn about all 4 food groups in how to eat the foods (including sodium), when to eat the foods, what portion sizes to use, with learning even about diseases and illnesses that can occur through poor habits in diet, activity, and more. This program is giving you the steps that can lead you in the right pathway of how to control your life with reaching your optimal level of heath.  You make the choices of what changes you want to make, no one else.  There is no fee, no donations, no hacking, and no obligation on your part other than just to take a peek and see if what we can provide is what you would like.  It can help you with keeping your sodium low or within normal limits and reaching a healthier life which could impact even others around you especially your family and friends.  If this occurs and this news spreads throughout America it would make our country much healthier which we could use for now and in the future.  This is not a recruiting organization but a company that can help you and many others live a better and possibly longer life.  Hope I have helped you in someway dealing with sodium in your diet.  Also, I hope to hear from you both with your comments on the articles you read on my blog with visiting the website in taking the right step to reach the optimal level of your heath including learning methods that help you deal the best with maintaining a good sodium blood level in your body.

Factors in helping to reduce or decrease high blood pressure, also noted as hypertension are:

-STRESS REDUCTION

Stress is defined as feeling tense on the inside due to pressures from the outside.  Most of us have many of these pressures, and some handle them better than others.  Since stress makes the heart work harder, try to find ways to relieve the pressure you felt when stressed.

One way of coping with stress is to deal with your feelings.  You may feel depressed, angry or anxious because you have high blood pressure.  These feelings are normal.  It may help to talk about how you feel with your family and friends.  When you accept that you have high B/P, you can put your efforts into living a more productive, good life with dealing with the hypertension.

Many people find yoga, meditation and prescribed exercise helpful.  Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program to make sure you get clearance of what is safe for you by your primary doctor or cardiologist.

-Eat less SODIUM

Sodium is an important substance.  It helps your body balance the level of fluid inside and outside of the cells.  To keep up this balance, the body needs about 2000mg of sodium a day or less.  Yet most of us eat 3000 to 6000mg of sodium each day.

Most people with high b/p are asked to eat less sodium.  Sodium attracts water and makes the body hold fluid.  To pump the added fluid the heart works harder.  Also sodium in the body causes the arteries to vasocontrict increasing pressure in the vessels causing the pressure to rise.

Most people with high b/p are asked to eat less sodium at 2000mg or less a day and this is to prevent water retention and vasoconstriction in which both actions increase the blood pressure.  Follow your doctor’s advice about your sodium intake.

Many prepared foods and spices are high in sodium.  But, the most common source of sodium is table salt.  Table salt is 40% sodium and 60% chloride.  One teaspoon of table salt contains 2000mg of sodium.

HINTS TO LOWER YOUR SODIUM IN YOUR DIET:

-Season foods with fresh or dried herbs, vegetables, fruits or no-salt seasonings.

-Do not cook with salt or add salt to foods after they are on the table.

-Make your own breads, rolls, sauces, salad dressings, vegetable dishes and desserts when you can.

-Stay away from fast foods.  They are almost all high in salt.

-Eat fresh, frozen or canned, unsalted vegetables.  These have less sodium than most processed foods.  Read the labels and if they don’t have a label DON’T EAT IT.  Read the labels and eat the portioned size it says to for 1 portion with keeping a diary of what you ate with adding the sodium and when it reached 2000mg no more food that day with salt in it unless the doctor prescribes less.

-Buy water packed tuna and salmon.  Break it up into  a bowl of cold water, and let stand for 3 minutes.  Rinse, drain and squeeze out water.

-Don’t buy convenience foods such as prepared or skillet dinners, deli foods, cold cuts, hot dogs, frozen entrees or canned soups.  These have lots of salt.  Be picky on what you eat.

-Again, read all labels for salt, sodium or sodium products (such as sodium benzoate, MSG).  Ingredients are listed in the order of amount used.  A low sodium label means 140mg of less per serving.  Try to buy products labeled low sodium/serving.  Do not eat products that have more sodium than this per serving.

-When you eat out, order baked, broiled, steamed or pouched foods without breading or butter or sauces.  Also ask that no salt be added.  Go easy on the salad dressing.  Most are high in salt.

What not to buy:

-Canned Vegetables, sauerkraut.  Self rising flour and corn meal.  Prepared mixes (waffle, pancake, muffin, cornbread, etc…)

-Dairy Products- like buttermilk (store-bought), canned milks unless diluted and used as regular milk).   Egg substitute limit to ½ cup/day.  Eggnog (store bought) and salted butter or margarine do not buy.

-Soups: Boullon (all kinds), canned broth, dry soup mixes, canned soups.

-Meats and meat substitutes not to buy= Canned meats, canned fish, cured meats, all types of sausages, sandwich meats, peanut butter, salted nuts.

-Prepared mixes (pie, pudding, cake) or store bought pies, cakes, muffins.

-Cooking ingredients to use low sodium type or limit to 2 tbsp/day=

Catsup, chili sauce, barbeque sauce, mustard, salad dressing.

-Drinks to stay away from Athletic Drinks (such as Gatorade), canned tomato or vegetable juice (unless unsalted).

Stay tune for part 3 on What to buy when dealing with high b/p or hypertension plus more Monday.

“People with high blood pressure, diabetes – those are conditions brought about by life style. If you change the life style, those conditions will leave.”

Dick Gregory (born October 12, 1932) is an American comedian, social activist, social critic, writer, and entrepreneur.  

High Blood Pressure – what is it?

High Blood Pressure or Hypertension affects 80 million Americans and nearly half of the people in the UK between the ages of 65 and 74, and a large percentage of those between the ages of 35 and 65. One of the problems associated with high blood pressure is that you will probably not even know you have it until you happen to have your blood pressure taken during a routine physical examination.

Upon diagnosis, you may wonder why you never saw it coming.  Most people don’t. Only those with severe high blood pressure experience any warning signs at all.  These signs can include headaches, impaired vision, and black-outs.

What is blood pressure ?

It is the measurement of the force that blood applies to the walls of the arteries as it flows through them carrying oxygen and nutrients to the body’s vital organs and systems. Naturally, our blood is under pressure as it rushes through our arteries. Even those with blood pressure in the normal range will experience an increase in their blood pressure during rigorous physical activity or during times of stress.  It only becomes a problem when the blood continues to run high.  This condition of blood pressure is known as hypertension or high blood pressure and in 95% of the cases, the cause of it is never known.  However, we do know the factors that set a person up to develop hypertension.

Factors influencing High Blood Pressure

They are as follows:

NON-MODAFIABLE RISK FACTORS ARE 4: HEREDITY-HIGH B/P RUNNING IN THE FAMILY

AGE-THE OLDER, THE HIGHER PROBABILITY YOU WILL END UP WITH B/P DEPENDING ON YOUR HEALTH AND HOW GOOD YOU TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

SEX-MALES VS FEMALES

RACE-HIGHIER IN AFROAMERICAN AS OPPOSED TO WHITE.

MODAFIABLE RISK FACTORS=FACTORS YOU CAN CONTROL IN YOUR LIFESPAN.

Obesity – those with a body mass index of 30 or more

–Drinking more than 2 – 4 alcoholic drinks a day                                                                                

-Smoking

–High cholesterol

–Diabetes

–Stress and anxiety

–Excessive salt consumption

Possible causes of High Blood Pressure

Sometimes the cause of a person’s high blood pressure is determined, but this happens in only 5% of the cases.  When a cause is found, the person is diagnosed with secondary high blood pressure [hypertension].  In most of these cases, the cause can be linked to an underlying illness such as kidney disease, adrenal gland disease, or narrowing of the aorta.  Contraceptive pills, steroids, and some medications can also cause secondary high blood pressure [hypertension], though instances of this are not all that common.

 High Blood Pressure and the important numbers

We hear the numbers, but do we really know what they mean?  Since your blood pressure numbers can help you to understand your overall health status, it is important that you keep track of it.  By knowing where your numbers are right now, you can head off such serious high blood pressure complications as angina, heart attacks, stroke, kidney damage, and many others that might surprise you – like eye problems and gangrene.

Medical professionals generally provide your blood pressure to you in terms of two numbers – a top one and a bottom one.  For example, if your blood pressure is 120/80, they may say that you have a blood pressure of 120 over 80.  Here is a definition for these numbers:

The top figure– this is your systolic blood pressure. It measures the force of blood in the arteries as your heart beats.  The top number means the pressure is reading your heart at work.  This is why the top number will always be greater than the bottom number.

The bottom figure – this is your diastolic blood pressure. It is the pressure of your blood when the heart is relaxed in between the times when it is pumping.  Means the pressure is reading your heart at rest.

Your blood pressure requires monitoring when you have a systolic blood pressure of 140 or over and/or a diastolic blood pressure of 90 or over.  Those with diabetes must maintain a lower blood pressure that those who don’t have the condition.  Diabetics should maintain a blood pressure of less than 130/80.

Monitors for measuring High Blood Pressure

It is wise to monitor your blood pressure at home in addition to having it taken at your doctor’s office. This will allow you to provide your doctor with readings that have been taken over time, providing a more in depth look at your personal health condition.  This will help him or her to prescribe the right hypertensive medication and treatment for your specific condition.

The best blood pressure monitors are those that take your measurement from the upper arm.  Those that provide readings from the wrist or finger are not as reliable. You’ll also want to make sure that the blood pressure monitor you are considering has been proven in clinical trials. Trusted name brands include those made by Omron, LifeSource, Mark of Fitness, Micro Life, and A and D Instruments. There are other brands available – the important thing is to do your research.

Check in tomorrow and learn ways to reduce your blood pressure in Part 2.

What is heart disease?

Heart disease occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart are clogged.  Deposits of fat and cholesterol prevent the blood from flowing as it should.  If the blood supply is completely blocked, you are in danger of having a heart attack.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol forms in the liver.  It is a waxy substance that has many important functions in the body.  It is part of various hormones, the makeup of the walls of your body’s cells,  a component of bile, and many other purposes.  How the body processes it is very complex.  It joins with a protein and forms a package called lipoprotein.  These lipoproteins carry cholesterol through the blood.

Foods of animal origin contain cholesterol.  These foods include eggs, dairy products, shellfish, and meat.  Foods of plant origin-fruits, grains, and cereals—do not contain cholesterol.

How is cholesterol measured?

Cholesterol is measured in metric system units.  The LDL’s (low density lipoproteins) have the bad cholesterol.  LDL’s are the main source of blockage in the arteries.  HDL’s (high density lipoproteins) have the good cholesterol.  HDL’s help keep cholesterol from building up in the wall of the arteries.

A total cholesterol level less than 200mg/dl is considered good.  It represents the least risk of heart disease.  At 200, your level is borderline high.  If you are above 200 your level of cholesterol is high.

Why is my cholesterol so high?

Some cholesterol is essential to many body processes. However, problems can develop when there is too much cholesterol.

Your cholesterol level is high because of the amount of cholesterol and fat in the food you eat.  It’s also affected by how quickly your body makes LDL cholesterol and disposes of it.

The following factors determine whether your LDL level is high or low:

-Heredity –Your Diet –Your weight –Your exercise program –Your age & sex –Other medical conditions you may have, such as diabetes.

How can I control these factors?

1-You can’t do much about heredity, age, sex or race (non-modifiable factors – meaning you have no control on these factors to keep cholesterol low).

2-You can do a lot through diet.  To lower cholesterol, limit your daily calories from fat to 30 percent should be saturated fat and not more than one third from polyunsaturated fat.  At least one third of the total fat calories should be from mono-saturated fat.  Weight loss helps to lower LDL’s and raise HDL’s.

3-Physical Exercise can also do a lot in lowering cholesterol.  It can help in lowering LDL’s and raise the HDL’s.

4-Some women find that estrogen replacement following menopause lowers cholesterol.

5-You should take care of other medical problems like diabetes as best as you can.

6-Medications are a very important part of treating high cholesterol.  Studies have shown that your life span can be improved by taking mediations if you have high cholesterol.

What else can you do?

You should lower a high LDL cholesterol level whether you have heart disease or not.  Our doctor may prescribe medication to help you do this.  He or she can provide information about low fat food plans.  You can also get specific food listings for fat and cholesterol.

You must do most of the work, though.  For the same number of calories, you can develop a food plan that includes enough food with lower fat and cholesterol.  This type of plan will satisfy your hunger and be enjoyable, as well.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute

P.O. Box 30105

Bethesda, MD 20824-0105