While we were living on the farm, we needed a booster pump to provide the necessary water pressure for the home, otherwise, you would find yourself in the shower screaming at the world. The human heart is very much like that booster pump in which it provides the right blood pressure for your circulatory system, otherwise, we would experience a serious health issue, and that too would be something to scream about. The heart is an amazing organ, it is as big as your fist, it beats about a hundred thousand times per day, and it does not miss a beat. In this week's episode, a cardiologist discussed the dos and the do nots of keeping our heart healthy which requires our full attention, in other words, it is a part time job to do so. In this country alone, over 600,000 people die from heart disease per year, 1 in every 5 deaths. In terms of cost, over $200 billion each year. This would include the expense of health care services, pharmaceuticals, and the loss of that person's productivity due to death.
Since the knowledge of medicine is fluid or ongoing in what we learn, outdated notions that we may have can increase our risk of a heart attack, therefore, it behooves us to be abreast of the facts and myths pertaining to heart health. Some believe if we have heart disease, we must take it easy, is that true? This is where common sense comes into play, having a sedentary lifestyle for most can cause blood clots in the legs and an overall physical atrophy according to Harvard Medical School. However, moderate physical exercise strengthens the heart, improves the circulatory system from head to toe. And whatever you do, make sure it is under the direction of your primary doctor., I have known individuals that would say to me, " I take a cholesterol-lowering drug, so I can eat anything I want." Does this belief hole water? I find it interesting that cholesterol is naturally produced from our liver, thus, cholesterol is being deposited in our arteries. However, sometimes it is too much, hence, we need cholesterol-lowering medication to mitigate the condition. Secondly, we get some or a lot of cholesterol of which it depends on our eating habits. If you take medication and continue to ingest foods with elevated levels of cholesterol plus saturated fat, you will be defeating the purpose. In fact, your cholesterol level will not decrease, but it may increase. Many have accepted the notion that when you get older, high blood pressure is okay. What do you think? Allow me to put it this way. At the outset I mentioned that we used a booster pump for the purpose of providing sufficient water Pressure. What would happen if the pressure became too elevated? No doubt, one of two things would occur, the plumbing would burst, like an aneurysm, causing a catastrophe, or the pump, our heart, would give out, like a heart attack or stroke. True, with age blood pressure tends to become elevated, it is normal, but it does not mean it contributes to a healthy heart. With age our artery walls become stiffened making your natural pump work harder, creating a vicious cycle. Can you imagine the blood pounding against the artery walls causing damage? An overworked heart muscle lessens the effectiveness and is resorted to working harder to meet the demand of your body's need for blood, hence, the risk of a heart attack or a stroke. Additionally, many are under the impression that diabetes will not cause heart disease if you take diabetes medication. What is your opinion on this matter? As we know, diabetes medication helps to reduce blood sugar levels. Of course, controlling blood sugar levels is important, however, sugar medication only affect the smaller blood vessels such as kidney disease, prevents the loss of vision, and anywhere small vessels are to be found. But controlling our sugar has exceptionally low effect on the larger blood vessels that experience inflammation which is rudimentary to heart disease and stroke. Therefore, these larger vessels are better benefited by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure by means of medication, pursuant to research at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. Having said this, it is advisable by the medical profession to not only take diabetes medication but also in conjunction with cholesterol-lowering medication, addressing the entire circulatory plumbing. Please stop and desist filling your lungs with smoke and control your weight. These precautionary measures will reduce the risk of heart disease and not to mention stroke. What you can do in addition, according to my guest this week, have your blood pressure checked on a regular basis by investing in a blood pressure monitor. The cardiologist recommended, if it is above 140/90 millimeters of mercury, make sure to get advisement from your doctor as to what can be done to reduce your pressure level. Having said the foregoing regarding your literal heart, how is your figurative hart? The figurative heart is defined as your personal emotions, it encompasses your affections, your desires, your intelligence, your entire inner self, is it healthy? The health of your figurative heart is diagnosed by how grateful you are for the trivial and important things in life, and how much you give of yourself to others, as simple as that, yet there is always room for improvement. Hmm, I wonder what the medication for this is.
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