The heart of the matter

May 2009

Did you know that more women die of heart disease than breast cancer? Sorry to put it so bluntly, but in light of the attention breast cancer gets in the media, you would be forgiven for thinking it is the other way around. Yet the statistics are clear – there are 10 times more deaths from heart disease than breast cancer.

The good news is that there is much you can do to prevent or manage heart disease. Even better news is that menopause is a clear signal to start. The date of your last period is the moment to become heart wise.

What exactly is heart disease and how do you become heart wise?

• Heart disease is caused by the accumulation of fat in the arteries. This fat can cause blood clots to form which if large enough can completely block a blood vessel. When a clot blocks a blood vessel that is feeding the heart, part of the heart will die. This will cause a heart attack.
• If a clot blocks a blood vessel connected to the brain, part of the brain will die, causing a stroke.

Most people know that high cholesterol and blood pressure contribute to your risk of heart attack. Knowing your cholesterol level and blood pressure is an important step in reducing your risk. But it is not the whole story; 50% of people who have heart attacks don't have high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

There are other risk factors that haven't been measured by your doctor. You may:

• be under stress
• not doing enough exercise
• have poor immune function
• be eating too much sugar.

These are just a few of the many factors that may cause heart disease.

How do you measure the effects of stress?

Well, one indicator is of course how you feel. What is a stress to others may not be so for you. As a guide however the following rank as major stressors:

• death of a spouse or family member
• separation
• divorce
• marriage
• starting a new job
• moving house.

Life is never neat and, as many would know from personal experience, you can have more than one stressor happening in your life, all adding to the total load.

Meditation, yoga or other exercise can help to ease the effects of stress. Plus exercise in itself is a great benefit to heart health. Moderate exercise that raises your heart beat for 20 minutes at least 2 to 5 times a week will help keep your heart in shape (as well as the rest of you).

A strong immune system is vital to heart health. In my clinical practice I often find that, when I supplement with key nutrients such as vitamin C, zinc, magnesium and B vitamins, resistance to infections improves dramatically.

What is too much sugar? Perhaps we should think more about added sugar. After all many healthy foods such as fruit have natural sugars. But if you like sugar in your coffee and you have a few coffees a day it quickly adds up.

Many fat free foods are in fact high in sugars in the form of carbohydrates, starches or sweeteners such as dextrose. Sugar is a cheap preservative and is added to many packaged foods.

When your body fails to manage blood sugar levels, diabetes can occur, a major risk factor for heart disease. Limiting sugary foods by concentrating on fresh, natural, home prepared foods helps to control your blood sugar levels and strengthens your heart.

For more information, please contact Elizabeth Blomberg at mind body insight. You can also schedule a consultation online.