PreDisease.com Blog

February is designated as American Heart Month, a good time to reflect on our own personal risks for heart disease and how best to prevent the development of heart disease. Although there are some risk factors you can’t change, such as your age, heredity and whether you are male or female, there are several areas that you can work on:

Quitting smoking- this is perhaps one of the best and most important things you can do to decrease your risk for heart disease. Smokers carry a two-to-fourfold risk of developing heart disease when compared to non-smokers.

Lose weight- being overweight forces your heart to work harder. Obesity also contributes to hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes. Losing weight, even a small amount, can help in the fight against heart disease.

Exercise- exercising can help you lose weight, avoid diabetes, lower your blood pressure and decrease your cholesterol. The more exercise you do, the healthier your heart will be! Regular, moderate physical activity has been proven to improve heart health, while a sedentary lifestyle is a known risk factor for the development of heart disease.

Watch your blood pressure- high blood pressure increases your risk for heart disease, especially when other risk factors are present, such as diabetes, obesity, and smoking. Monitor your blood pressure regularly, and intervene early.

As well as knowing your risk factors for heart disease, it is important to know the signs of a heart attack, the most obvious of which is chest pain or discomfort. Pain or discomfort may come and go, or may be constant. It may be centered in the mid-sternum and may feel like squeezing, pressure, or tightness. You may also feel light-headed, nauseous, and may feel short of breath.

Meridia, a popular weight loss drug, must now come with a stronger warning on its label, following the results of the Scout trial, a study of 10,000 individuals taking Meridia (sibutramine) to manage their weight. The participants of the study all had type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease. The results of the Scout trial showed an increase in the risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke, and other cardiovascular problems.

Following the release of the results of the trial, Europe has banned the sales of medication containing sibutramine, including Meridia, one of the most popular. In the US, however, it has only been recommended that the drug be labeled with the stronger warning. Patients who have a history of the following conditions should not take Meridia or any other drugs containing sibutramine:

• Previous heart attack
• Previous stroke
• Heart arrhythmia
• Coronary artery disease
• Peripheral artery disease
• Uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure)

Meridia is prescribed for patients with a BMI of 30 or more, or a BMI of 27 with risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Source: Europe Bans Meridia Diet Pill; FDA Strengthens Warning

Women who are an unhealthy weight during pregnancy may be putting themselves and their unborn babies at risk. More than half of non-pregnant women of childbearing age are considered overweight or obese. Gaining too much weight during pregnancy can lead to complications for both mother and baby.

Complications for babies can include neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, heart defects and the risk of having more than one health problem at birth, or multiple anomalies. In addition, babies born to overweight mothers are more likely to be obese when they grow up.

For overweight pregnant mothers, health risks can run the gamut from high blood pressure to preeclampsia, increasing the risk of a cesarean birth, the necessity of inducing labor, and hemorrhage. In addition, being overweight or obese during pregnancy increases the risk of gestational diabetes. Having diabetes during pregnancy is one of the risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes later on.

There is a definite relationship between obesity in pregnancy and obesity in the offspring of overweight women. By entering pregnancy at a healthy weight, women can reduce the risk of their children becoming obese, lowering their future risk of diseases related to obesity, such as heart disease and diabetes.

Source: Overweight Pregnant Women May Be Putting Their Infants At Risk

Most of us associate high cholesterol levels with advancing age. Cholesterol is something you are not supposed to have to worry about until middle to late adulthood. This is not necessarily the case: a new study has shown that many teens have high cholesterol levels, predisposing them to the risk of heart disease at a younger age.

A study of 3,125 teens found that an astonishing 20% of the subjects, aged 12 to 19, had abnormally high lipid or cholesterol levels. Males were affected more often than females. In some cases high levels correlated with the teen being overweight, but even some of the normal-weight teens (14.2%) had unhealthy levels. Being overweight would likely lead to screening of cholesterol and lipid levels for some of the teens, but those of normal weight would likely not be tested on a routine basis.

The study pointed to the need for health care professionals and parents to be aware of the risks of these high levels, and to encourage teens to modify their risk factors early. Exercising and weight reduction, as well as watching their diet, should be counseled. For teens who have a positive family history of heart disease, this may be even more important.

Source: Prevalence of Abnormal Lipid Levels Among Youths — United States, 1999—2006 http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5902a1.htm

Cholesterol is a substance that is needed in the body in order for it to function properly. Its role is to produce hormones, vitamin D and acids used to aid your body in digesting fat. Our bodies generally produce enough cholesterol naturally, without us having to worry about whether we get enough of it from the foods we eat. In fact, many of us get too much cholesterol from our diet which can cause problems such as atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, leading to heart disease. This is because excess cholesterol and fat line the arteries that supply our hearts, choking off the heart’s supply of oxygen-rich blood.

Perhaps you have heard the terms “good” and “bad” applied to cholesterol. LDL (low density lipoproteins) are proteins that carry the bulk of the cholesterol in the blood, so having too high a level of LDL means that your risk of developing heart disease may be higher. HDL, or high density lipoproteins, carry cholesterol in the body back to your liver which disposes of it; therefore, this lipoprotein is the “good” cholesterol because it helps to lower the amount of cholesterol that can build up in the arteries. You may have also heard of triglycerides. Trigycerides alone are not necessarily problematic, but some trigycerides are associated with lipoproteins that carry cholesterol, so high triglyceride levels may be a sign of a problem with cholesterol.

Many factors relate to how your body handles lipoproteins and cholesterol. Age, sex, weight, exercise, diet and heredity can all play a role in how your body metabolizes cholesterol. It is important to know your risk factors for heart disease, and managing your cholesterol and triglyceride levels can go a long way towards preventing heart disease.

The symptoms of menopause can be overwhelming for some, including hot flashes, night sweats, menstrual irregularities, fatigue, sleep disturbances and mood swings. These symptoms herald major changes occurring in the body, mainly a decrease in the hormones that regulate menstruation. As if these symptoms weren’t enough to contend with, new research reveals that menopause can signal an end to healthy cholesterol levels for some women.

A study of 1,054 women revealed that, as women entered menopause, total cholesterol levels and levels of LDL cholesterol rose dramatically. This rise in cholesterol levels began one year prior to menopause and continued for one year after the study participants’ last menstrual periods. Risk factors and ethnicity of the participants had no bearing on this rise.

The take-home message of this study is that women going through menopause need to be mindful that the decrease in estrogen levels brought about by menopause can have a broader impact on their health than the annoying, and sometimes unbearable, symptoms mentioned above. Menopause should signal the need to examine personal risk factors for heart disease and stroke, as these risk factors can be somewhat modified through lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise.

Source: J Am College Cardiol. 2009;54:2366-2373 and 2374-2375.

According to the National Cancer Institute, 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. Often, early prostate cancer causes no symptoms; in fact, many men do not discover they have prostate cancer until it has spread beyond the prostate. Symptoms that are noticed usually affect urination and sexual performance. These symptoms may prompt a visit to the doctor. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States in men (Terris, 2009).

A study conducted at Johns Hopkins, funded by the National Cancer Institute, shows a startling relationship between cholesterol levels and prostate cancer. The study included more than 5,000 men. The results? Men with lower levels of cholesterol are less likely to develop high-grade cancer of the prostate, the most severe form of the disease, which has a lower survival rate. Lowering cholesterol levels decreased the rate of contracting high-grade prostate cancer by more than 60%, according to the study.

We already know that lower cholesterol levels are beneficial for heart health, but this study clearly shows that keeping your cholesterol level low can have other benefits in the body, such as lowering your cancer risk. As studies such as this one prove, there is more to cholesterol than meets the eye.

Sources:

Martha K Terris (2009) http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/454114-overview

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169780.php

You know how important it is to watch your cholesterol levels. After all, doctors tell us they are a good indicator of how healthy your heart is. You need to keep a close eye on your total cholesterol to make sure it doesn’t reach dangerous levels, increase HDL cholesterol and make sure it doesn’t get too low, and track your LDL cholesterol to make sure it doesn’t get too high. It can sure get confusing at times.

Thankfully, there’s a way to cut through all the confusion. Here is a brief explanation of what HDL cholesterol actually is, why it is important, and five tips on how to increase HDL cholesterol so that it stays in the high and healthy range.

HDL cholesterol — the “good” cholesterol

There’s been so much talk about cholesterol in the media it’s easy to get the impression that “cholesterol” is a dirty word. That’s not the case at all. Cholesterol plays a very important function. It’s found in all body cells and is implementable in the formation and building of these cells. It also plays a crucial role in producing sex hormones. Cholesterol is constantly flowing through your bloodstream attached to proteins called lipoproteins.

There are two different types of lipoprotein. One is called low-density lipoprotein or LDL. It’s the one that transports cholesterol throughout your body and deliver it to vital organs. However, if you have too much cholesterol, all of the extra continues to flow through your bloodstream. After a period of time, the LDL cholesterol gets smaller and becomes oxidized. That makes easier for the molecules to enter arterial walls and cause trouble. The trouble starts when these LDL particles build up in the lining of your blood vessels and cause plaque. Plaque hinders the flow of blood through your heart and causes coronary artery disease. That’s why LDL cholesterol has received such a bad rep — it’s called “bad” cholesterol.

High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, on the other hand is the “good” cholesterol. It takes care of the extra cholesterol traveling through your blood by picking it up and delivering it back to your liver. The liver then disposes of it. If your HD level is high enough, you’ll have less “bad” cholesterol circulating in your blood.

Not only does HDL take care of the bad cholesterol it also has other protective properties. HDL helps fight dangerous free radicals, decreases inflammation, and also aids in keeping your blood from forming clots. With HDL being such a powerful lipoprotein, it’s easy to see why it’s so important to make sure yours stays in the high and healthy range. As a matter of fact, high HDL cholesterol can reduce your chances of dying from coronary artery disease.

How to increase HDL cholesterol the natural way

When you consider the dangerous consequences associated with using popular statin drugs to lower total cholesterol, choosing a natural supplement makes perfect sense.

Pre-lipid™ and Pre-lipid+™ are specifically formulated to treat cholesterol before it reaches the disease state. In other words, these powerful supplements treat the predisease state.

PreEmptive Meds, a pre-disease therapeutics company, formulated Prelipid on the principle of intervention within the predisease state. It’s completely safe, completely natural, and is a combination therapy that can effectively lower your cholesterol levels by 30-40 points. If your cholesterol is within the predisease range of 200-239, you owe it to yourself to find out more about Prelipid™.

At only $9 per week, it’s much more affordable than prescription meds. As a matter of fact, you’ll save 70% of the cost.

To get more insightful information about Prelipid™, simply visit this website.

If you’re a male or female with a cholesterol level of 180 or more, chances are you’ve been diagnosed with high cholesterol and your doctor has recommended a statin drug to treat the problem. But were you told about the dangerous side effects of statins?

Statin drugs are sold under the name of Lipitor, Zocor, Mevacor, Vytorin, and Pravachol, to name a few. Once started, more than likely you’ll have to be on these statin drugs for a lifetime, in addition to a low-fat diet.

There’s no doubt that statins are very efficient in lowering cholesterol. As a matter of fact they do a very good job of it. However, there is a price to pay. In addition to lowering cholesterol levels, statins have been shown to cause some very serious side effects – side effects your doctor may not have told you about.

Below are seven dangerous facts about the side effects of statins you need to know.

1. Muscle Pain

Perhaps this is the most common side effect of statins — muscle pain and weakness. This condition is called rhabdomyolysis and is caused when a nutrient called Co- Q10 is depleted from the muscles. This muscle pain and weakness can be very debilitating. At times the weakness is so severe that patients can barely walk and the pain can be almost paralyzing.

2. Neuropathy

Neuropathy is pain, weakness, and tingling in the extremities. Most commonly neuropathy occurs in hands and feet. Not only is this worrisome, but often permanent damage occurs.

3. Heart failure

In studies of patients taking statin drugs who died due to heart failure, the results showed that more than likely the problem was due to interference with production of Co-Q10. All muscles need this nutrient to function properly and the heart is no exception. When deprived of Co-Q10, the heart simply cannot function.

4. Decrease in cognitive abilities

There have been cases reported in medical literature of patients who show signs of cognitive impairment after taking statin drugs. As a matter fact, some studies found that as much as 15% of all patients on statin drugs suffer from cognitive impairment. The severity can range from “fuzzy” thinking to full-blown cases of short-term amnesia. Imagine being in the prime of your life and suffering through a decline in your ability to think remember, and reason.

5. Cancer

Despite reports that statins may actually prevent the onset of cancer, in studies with rodents statins have been proven to be a cancer-causing agent. Perhaps the reason this correlation hasn’t been made in humans is because cancer takes a long time to develop. However in some clinical trials, female patients showed an increase in breast cancer rates. Another study showed that skin cancer increased as compared to patients who were not taking statin drugs.

6. Depression

Studies have found that women who have low cholesterol are more prone to depression than women who have normal or high levels of cholesterol. Other studies have shown that men who take statin drugs to lower their cholesterol levels have increased rates of suicide. The theory is that a low cholesterol level can actually cause emotional or mental disturbances.

7. Dizziness

Statins are reported to lower blood pressure, which may possibly lead to dizziness in some patients. This problem is especially worrisome in the elderly who are more prone to falls.

Are there any benefits to statin drugs?

So, what about the benefits of statin drugs? There seems to be a general consensus among physicians that the benefits of statins carry more weight than the dangerous side effects. They cite instances where it is believed that statin drugs decrease the risk of coronary deaths as compared to those patients who were not taking statin drugs. However, other researchers believe these case studies are statistically insignificant.

A safe alternative to statin drugs

Obviously, the decision to take statin drugs to lower your cholesterol is not one to be taken lightly. Certainly, the dangers of a high cholesterol level are real and need to be addressed. The good news is that there is an alternative to potentially dangerous statin drugs.

Natural supplements could be the answer for you. Cholesterol supplements such as Pre-lipid™, are 100% natural, safe, and contain eight botanical formulas that decrease cholesterol and treat inflammation in the arteries. As a matter of fact, Pre- Lipid™ cholesterol supplement lowers cholesterol levels 30 to 40 points on average.

Preemptive Meds – intervention in the pre-disease state

PreEmptive Meds Prelipid™ cholesterol supplement is an intervention strategy for cholesterol levels that lie within the pre-disease range (200-239). If prevention occurs within this range, cholesterol can be lowered before it gets to dangerously high levels, preventing the dire consequences of high cholesterol. This early intervention philosophy is the cornerstone of PreEmptive Meds.

Once only sold to physicians, Prelipid™ is now available to the public. And at only $9 a week, you can save up to 70% of the cost of prescription drugs.

If you’re interested in treating your cholesterol the natural way, you can find out more about Preemptive Meds’ Prelipid ™ and how this natural supplement can lower your cholesterol with absolutely no dangerous side effects. Just visit this website to find out how you can begin lowering your cholesterol now.

Right now, chronic disease accounts for 7 of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States and affects the quality of life of over 130 million Americans each year. As well, 75 cents of every dollar spent on health care in the US in 2006 was on people with one or more chronic illnesses. That translates to $1.58 trillion of taxpayer’s hard-earned money. And while these numbers are indeed alarming, what is more astounding is that up to 90 percent of chronic diseases are actually preventable.

Many chronic diseases are caused by a simple lack of proper nutrition. Sadly, 3 out of every 4 Americans are now overweight, with 33 percent considered obese. Given these numbers researchers also predict 1 in 3 children born in 2000 will develop diabetes (33 percent of all boys and 39 percent of girls). Add to this a general lack of regular exercise and other poor lifestyle choices we make on a daily basis and it’s not surprising the US ranks only 24th on the list of the world’s healthiest countries. In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the average life expectancy of a US male born in 1999 is only 67.5 years. Females rank only slightly better, averaging 72.6 years.

This rise in chronic disease accounts for close to 75 percent of the overall increase in health care spending in the last two decades. And statistics show the majority of current spending goes to treat people with one or more chronic conditions. Presently, 96 cents of every Medicare dollar is spent on people with chronic illnesses. As well, 83 percent of every Medicaid dollar goes to treat people with chronic illnesses. As bad as these numbers are, they only begin to touch on the indirect cost chronic disease has on our economy.
Millions of work days are missed every year due to illnesses, which ultimately affects our ability to effectively compete in the global market. According to a 2007 study, chronic diseases such as cancers, diabetes, heart disease and stroke, indirectly cost businesses and the economy, through things like absenteeism, lost productivity and substandard work efforts, a whopping $1 trillion a year.

Chronic illnesses account for 99 percent of all doctor’s visits, 92 percent of all in-patient hospital visits and 79 percent of all home health care visits. As well, 82 percent of all prescriptions are written for chronic illnesses.

If we continue along the same path, this scenario is only expected to get worse. By 2023, researchers predict chronic disease to rise by 42 percent, affecting over 230 people throughout the US. Cancer rates are expected to soar 62 percent; diabetes is predicted to rise 53 percent and cases of heart disease are expected to increase another 41 percent. And by the year 2015 (a mere 6 years from now) an unbelievable 75 percent of all Americans are expected to be obese, a huge risk factor for chronic disease. When all is said and done, researchers predict if nothing is done to halt this trend now, chronic disease will ultimately cost the U.S. economy over $4.1 trillion a year by 2035.

The irony of the situation is that we already know the majority of chronic diseases are indeed preventable. We don’t have to sit back helplessly and watch as our family and friends fall prey to things like diabetes and heart disease. We can take steps now to assure our health. Prevention has never been more important than it is right now.

Nutrition is probably one of the most important factors in whether you will eventually succumb to chronic illness. Proper diet and nutritional support through clinically proven vitamins and supplements are key factors. Studies repeatedly show that simply making these nutritional changes alone can significantly decrease your risk of chronic illness. In fact, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates diabetes rates can be cut by as much as 80 percent when dietary changes and other simple behavioural changes are made. Heart disease rates could drop another 80 percent while cancer rates could drop by as much as 40 percent.

Right now, thousands of doctors across the US are using clinically proven nutritional supplements as an effective preventative measure against chronic illness such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. As studies show, when it comes to chronic disease, the best intervention is prevention and considering the grim outlook for today’s Americans, there is no better time than now to assure you remain healthy long into the future.