Natural Heart Health Helps You Keep A Regular Heart Beat

Obesity is a common problem that causes heart attacks or heart problems. Yet is it not the only one. What makes obesity so life threatening is that the fat goes in and blocks the arteries, which are important for keeping the blood flowing to your heart.

This limitation of blood often causes the heart to pump harder as it goes in a state of panic; and that is briefly is what causes a heat attack.

Natural heart health is about ensuring that your heart is well taken care of. It also entails taking care of your heart's valves, so that it can function at its best.

Another important part of natural heart health is being aware of the types of foods that will promote better heart health. You have to remember that your heart is the main organ which helps supply oxygenated blood to your body. And if it is not healthy and cannot function as nature intended, it will have a serious effect on your entire body.

In the natural heart health department, you will find many forms on natural heart health supplements. These can be natural heart health capsules or natural heart health syrups, all made in one way or the other from natural ingredients.

These cardiac tonics will help you improve the condition of your heart; and for the health conscious person, that is the best quality they can ask for in terms of natural health.

And you don't have to spend a whole lot of money if you opt for the natural heart health approach to curing and preventing illness. You will soon learn to find the best natural health products at low prices so that you ensure that your heart stays in good condition for as long as it can.

Remember that heart surgery will cost you loads of money; if you invest in natural heart health, you can avert those enormous hospital bills, as well as the dangers that come with heart surgery.

Stress: Cause of Heart Attacks, or "Blame the Victim"?

Many people believe that stress is a leading cause of heart attacks. When your doctor evaluates your risk for a heart attack, he or she can measure your fitness and your nutritional status objectively, and can tell you about hundreds of studies on the effects of diet and exercise that are based on solid science. But stress is subjective, not clearly defined or measurable. What one person considers stressful may be a motivating source of success to another. A situation that causes you great distress may be just a minor annoyance for someone else, and vice versa. We dont have any reliable way to measure stress and we dont even have a universally accepted definition of what constitutes stress or elimination of stress.

Several studies associate stress with increased risk for heart attacks, and one study from Duke University showed that stress reduction techniques reduced second heart attacks (American Journal of Cardiology January 15 2002). If you and your doctor think that you may benefit from any of the stress management techniques, by all means use them, but ADD them to your diet changes and fitness efforts. Stress management programs may include meditation, classroom teaching about heart disease and stress, training in stress-reduction skills, anger management, group support, yoga or Tai Chi classes and/or tranquilizing medications.

Its my personal belief that telling patients their health problems are caused by stress is an example of "blame the victim." Theres no doubt that your physical health and your overall happiness are intimately connected. If YOU are dissatisfied with your work or your personal relationships, if you do not have fulfilling interests and a sense of purpose, your health may well suffer. But if I AS YOUR DOCTOR tell you your problem is caused by stress, its often because I cant find any other physical explanation and dont want to admit "I dont know." I KNOW you can improve your heart health with diet and exercise; thats why I suggest focusing on these tangible changes. Good food choices and vigorous exercise are two of the best ways we have to combat "stress", improve your mood, help you sleep better and feel better about yourself. Seeking counseling and changing your spouse, job or environment may reduce your stress and thus help you to prevent heart attacks or strokes. Depression and panic attacks are treatable medical conditions that can increase your risk for heart attacks; if you suffer from either of these, please check with your doctor.

Read my Good Food Book FREE, with 100 healthful recipes.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

Wine Prevents Heart Attacks? The Studies are Flawed

You have probably seen newspaper headlines proclaiming that wine prevents heart attacks, or that a couple of alcoholic drinks each day will prolong your life. Studies proclaiming the health benefits of alcohol are widely promoted by the wine, beer and alcoholic beverage industries, but they have a major flaw. Researchers from the University of Victoria in British Columbia reviewed 54 studies and found that only seven corrected their non-drinking population for people who had to stop drinking for health reasons (Addiction Research and Theory, April 2006).

When you do an epidemiological study to see if alcohol prevents disease, you compare people who drink and those who do not drink. However, many people do not drink because their doctors have told them they have high blood pressure, liver, heart or kidney disease, alcoholism, stomach ulcers, or other major health problems. The Canadian researchers re-analyzed 47 studies that associated wine or other alcohol with a longer life and decreased risk for heart attacks. When the studies were corrected to remove the people who had been ordered to stop drinking for health reasons, they found no difference in death rate between moderate drinkers and those who do not drink at all. It is probably safe to take up to two drinks a day, but be skeptical of studies that say alcohol will prolong your life.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com.

How to Determine the Difference Between Angina and a Heart Attack

Many people with chest pain fear a heart attack. However, there can be many possible causes of chest pain. Some are mildly inconvenient, while others are serious, even life-threatening. Any organ or tissue in your chest can be the source of pain, including your heart, lungs, oesophagus, muscles, ribs, tendons, or nerves

Suddenly there are lots of questions to be answered:

What happens now,
Can it be treated,
Does it require an operation,
Will I be able to continue working - or am I on my way to becoming a permanent invalid?

Your family will have their questions and anxieties too. Like you, they want to understand what is happening to you and to be reassured everything will be all right. Joining your local hospital's cardiac rehabilitation programme will help.

You will discover other people experiencing the same anxieties and worries. (Because it does help to discover other people are in the same boat!)

To look at it simply, the heart is just a mechanical pump, made up of very powerful muscles. Its job is to pumps blood around your body constantly every day of your life. Like any muscle in your body, it requires its own blood supply which brings it oxygen and nutrients to keep it alive, and able to do its job.

This blood supply travels to the heart muscle by way of small coronary arteries. These are normally able to respond to varying demands which the heart muscle makes by dilating (opening wider) or constricting (narrowing). When the heart speeds up, it requires more energy to do the extra work; so the coronary arteries dilate and deliver more oxygen to the heart muscles.

As the heart returns to its resting mode, less oxygen is required and the coronary arteries constrict to their original size. However, things sometimes go wrong with the coronary arteries, and the outcome can be either angina or a heart attack.

Angina is a specific type of pain in the chest caused by inadequate blood flow through the blood vessels (coronary vessels) of the heart muscle (myocardium). It is brought on by exercise or effort and eases at rest or by using medication.

The pain varies from a dull ache to a sensation often described as a tight band around the chest and it rarely lasts longer than fifteen minutes on complete rest.

The cause of angina is simple to understand. When it's at rest, the heart is quite happy pumping slowly. However, exercise, effort and exertion cause the heart to pump faster and more forcefully. The heart muscle then requires increased oxygen supply.

Usually this is freely available from the coronary arteries, which dilate on demand. But if the coronary arteries are hardened or partially blocked, then the supply of oxygen to the heart may be restricted. Cholesterol or fatty deposits generally cause these types of blockages.

A heart attack (also called a coronary thrombosis or myocardial infarction), is caused by a complete blockage of one of the coronary arteries. As a result, one part of the heart muscle is permanently deprived of oxygen. The blockage is often caused by a blood clot formed inside a coronary artery.

A clot in the coronary artery interrupts the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart muscle, leading to the death of heart cells in that area. The damaged heart muscle loses its ability to contract, and the remaining heart muscle needs to compensate for that weakened area.

During the first hour or so of the blockage, the pain can be extremely severe. It's usually felt as a crushing sensation in the centre of the chest and can also affect the arms jaw and neck. It's also often accompanied by sweating, nausea and/or breathlessness, which lasts much longer than an angina attack.

In the first few days after a heart attack, the heart can be rather irritable with an accompanying erratic heart rate. This is why continuous observation in a health care setting is vital in those first few days.

Is It Possible For A Piece Of Direct Mail To Induce A Heart Attack?

As I opened my mailbox, I did what most folks do when they get their mail

I turned into a humanized version of a mail sorting machine. Within an instant, I have already identified junk-mail, a few bills and a stack that requires further investigation to determine if its worth keeping or belongs in the trash can.

But today was no ordinary mail day. Today, I was given a mild heart-attack by what I found in my mailbox.

As I sorted through the week-old stack of mail, an envelope jumped out at me and instantly had my full attention. Not only did it have my full attention, but it had already created an emotional response within my body. My heart rate raised, blood vessels tightened and my breathing pattern increased.

Im not exaggerating here, this is 100% true

The envelope had a logo that is instantly recognizable to any grown adult in America. The envelope appeared to be from the I.R.S.

Since it wasnt tax season and I own a business, I instantly thought I was being audited. Now, I have absolutely nothing to hide, but the thought of the time and hassle an audit would take sent shivers up my spine.

Heres where this gets interesting do you remember in my previous messages when I discussed the first job of marketing? Interrupting or getting attention through the use of the brains automatic search engine called the Reticular Activation System (RAS)?

Well, this story illustrates that process perfectly. See, if you remember, the RAS is constantly looking for items of priority around us. In other words, things we really want, things we really want to avoid, things that are dangerous, familiar or problematic.

The I.R.S. looking logo falls front and center into the Problematic zone.

When this happens, its impossible to ignore taking some sort of action.

Unfortunately for most businesses that spend their hard earned dollars on advertising and do a decent job on the attention step, the next action is usually a pitch into the trash can or ignorance of the remainder of the message.

But before I continue on that subject, let me finish this story because it illustrates a very, very, very important point in sales and marketing.

As I opened the envelope with hope that I wasnt being audited by Uncle Sam, I quickly realized that Id just fallen victim to a false alarm. The ad was from get this Parenting Magazine! Needless to say I was relieved, but ticked off at the same time.

See, the creative geniuses at Parenting Magazine thought they were being super-sneaky by making the envelope appear like it was coming from the I.R.S. But, like so many other advertisers, they neglected to consider what happens when the recipient figures out theyve just been duped.

Do they think that evokes a positive emotion? One that makes me think: Boy, that sure was clever, just for their cleverness, Im going to subscribe to their magazine!? Do they really believe that their prospects are so dumb that they can be tricked? If you think about it, its almost insulting their target market.

Sometimes I wonder

Has that ever happened to you? Ill bet it has at one level or another. Most savvy marketers know that they must get attention for their ad to work. This is why you see talking frogs, cute kids, screaming people and other odd things so common in advertising. The advertiser wants your attention and most do a great job of getting that far.

But thats where it all falls apart. The instant a prospect figures you out, your chances of success are reduced faster than you can imagine.

Interruption only lasts for a few seconds, you now need to engage them into the remainder of the advertisement.

Very rarely can this be done when you use false alarms like Parenting Magazine did. The real secret is interrupting with a headline or opening statement that is RELEVANT to your product/service.

In your case, interrupt them based on problematic situations or desires surrounding self-storage.

To make this important point clear, allow me to use one more example so you understand. If you authored a book called How To Make $1 Million in 30 Days Or Less, what are you going to write about? Cooking? Parenting? Cars?

I hope not

Of course youd write about the art of making money right?

What if you purchased a book about making money and when you opened it up, you read a bunch of cooking advice? You wouldnt read that book for long would you?

Advertising and Marketing are no different. Whether it be direct mail, radio, T.V., Billboards, Internet or print, you must interrupt based on relevant hot buttons in the RAS and then ENGAGE or gain INTEREST based on fulfilling on your interrupting promise.

So, the first 2 of 4 steps to the marketing code are: Attention/Interrupt, then Engage/Interest.

The next step is called Decide/Educate. This is what to do after you have their attention and theyre engaged, ready to read or listen to your message.

Copyright 2006 Derek Naylor

Heart Disease: The Dangers Of Coronary Heart Attack And How To Avoid It

What is a coronary heart attack?

Are you at the risk of a coronary heart attack?

Here are some insights to help you...

A heart attack happens when the blood supply to part of the heart muscle itself (the myocardium) is severely reduced or even stopped entirely.

The medical term for a heart attack is myocardial infarction.

The reduction or stoppage of blood supply happens when one or more of the coronary arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle is blocked.

This may be caused by the buildup of plaque (deposits of fat-like substances), also known as atherosclerosis.

The plaque may eventually burst, tear or rupture, creating a "situation" where a blood clot forms and blocks the artery.

This may lead to a heart attack.

A heart attack is also sometimes known as a coronary thrombosis or coronary occlusion.

It is a medical fact that heart disease is among the most dangerous health hazards facing people 50 yrs and older in America.

Clinical studies, laboratory investigations and a number of surveys show that certain personal characteristics and lifestyles can lead to increased dangers of a heart attack (coronary heart disease).

These danger signs are called "risk factors". The well established risk factors are high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, cigarette smoking and diabetes mellitus.

Other risk factors that may increase or lead to the risk of having a heart attack are obesity, a sedentary life-style, an aggressive response to stress, and certain drugs.

In the past two decades, millions of Americans have learned about these risk factors and have tried to decrease them by seeking medical attention and by changing their lifestyles.

Many adults have stopped smoking. The medical control of high blood pressure has greatly improved.

The average cholesterol level of the population has decreased continually over the last two decades, probably due to changes in dietary habits and increased exercise.

This attempt to modify risk factors almost certainly has contributed to the declining death rate from heart disease in the United States.

Overall, heart-related problems have declined about 25 percent in the last decade.

Some of this decrease undoubtedly is due to better medical care of heart attack victims, but it is likely that a sizable percentage is related to modification of risk factors.

The entire population has become more aware of the seriousness of heart disease and coronary heart problems.

CPR training is offered in schools, places of business, and church and community functions, and everyone seems to recognize that prevention of coronary heart disease is a partnership between the public and the medical community.

There are a number of factors implicated in coronary heart disease. Some of these may raise coronary risk by accentuating the major risk factors already discussed.

Others may act in ways not understood. Still others may be linked mistakenly to coronary risk.

Obesity predisposes individuals to coronary heart disease. Some of the reasons for this are known, but others are not.

The major causes of obesity in Americans are excessive intake of calories and inadequate exercise.

When caloric intake is excessive, some of the excess frequently is saturated fat, which further raises the blood cholesterol. Thus, obesity contributes to higher coronary risk in a variety of ways.

Most of the major risk factors are silent. They must be sought actively, and much of the responsibility for their detection lies with each of us as individuals.

Regular checkups are particularly necessary if there is a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels or diabetes.

May these health insights into heart disease help you to live a healthier and happier life.

Warmly,

I-key Benney, CEO

Sex After A Heart Attack?

Making love is extremely unlikely to cause a second heart attacks in men who have had one, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The men most likely to suffer a second heart attack during lovemaking are those who do not exercise.

After recovering from a heart attack, the average man makes love only half as often as he did before the heart attack, not because of any inherent problem in his heart, but because of the fear that it will cause another attack. Sadly, 70 percent of heart attack victims are given no advice about lovemaking after they have recovered. In a study from the University of Toronto, fewer than 12 percent of heart attack victims had chest pain while making love, while more than 36 percent had chest pain while riding a stationary bicycle.

Making love does not require that you be in shape. It takes very little energy to make love. Chances are that you can make love safely if you can walk up two flights of stairs, an activity that requires the same amount of energy. If you have had a heart attack, check with your doctor, who will probably recommend an exercise electrocardiogram to find out how much exercise your heart can tolerate. Then you can start a controlled exercise program to strengthen your heart.

The best way to prevent a heart attack during lovemaking is to stay with your regular partner. Guilt and excitement are far more important in provoking heart attacks than the extra work of making love. A study from Emery Medical School reported that when a man made love to his wife, his heart beats were regular and his pulse never went beyond 100 beats a minute. When he made love to his mistress, his heart beat irregularly more than l30 times a minute. A study in the Japanese Journal of Legal Medicine showed that more than 80 percent of men who died during lovemaking weren't making love to their wives. A famous heart researcher, David Kritchevsky of the University of Pennsylvania, wrote:

Heart beats stay at normal rate,
When one beds down with legal mate.
But roosting in another's nest,
flirts with cardiac arrest.

Does Chocolate Prevent Heart Attacks?

Will a chocolate bar a day keep heart attacks away?

The candy industry keeps trying to convince us that chocolate is a health food by sponsoring and publicizing studies. One of the latest, in the medical journal Hypertension (July, 2005), shows that eating dark chocolate lowers high blood pressure. Jeffrey B. Blumberg, a professor of nutrition at Tufts University, gave 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate per day for 15 days to 20 people with high blood pressure. Their systolic blood pressure dropped by an average of 11mm.

Researchers at the University of California at Davis reviewed a number of recent studies on chocolate and its health benefits (The Journal of the American Dietetic Association, February 2003.) They found that flavan-3-ols, the main flavonoids found in cocoa, are associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. The article goes on to say that cocoa contains the same nutrients found in other plant foods, including minerals and specific antioxidants that help ward off diseases such as heart disease. In addition, oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat also found in olive oil, makes up one-third of the fat in chocolate and has been shown to be beneficial for heart health.

Europeans living in the 17th century also believed in chocolate's healing powers. They said it "comforted the liver, aided in digestion and made one happy and strong." Chocolate was used for stimulating the kidneys and treating anemia, tuberculosis, fever and gout; and was reported to strengthen the heart and relieve heart pain.

Cocoa beans are loaded with flavonoids, the antioxidants found in all fruits, vegetables whole grains, beans and other seeds, and antioxidants do lower blood pressure. However, dark chocolate by itself is bitter, so candy makers add lots of sugar and fat to make it taste good. Sugar raises blood sugar to damage cells in diabetics, and one third of Americans are or will become diabetic. Fat is a dense source of calories that makes fat people fatter. So the old adage: "If it tastes good, it must be bad." still holds for most of us. Chocolate tastes good because of the added sugar and fat.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

The Body''s Own Production of Nitric Oxide Can Help Prevent Heart Attack & Stroke

Nitric Oxide, a gas that occurs naturally in the body, may do more than any prescription drug to prevent heart attack and stroke.

Nitric Oxide is essential for healthy circulation. It helps dilate blood vessels, prevent blood clots and regulate blood pressure. It also helps inhibit the accumulation of dangerous arterial plaque.

How It Works:

Nitric Oxide helps prevent heart disease and stroke in the following ways: Expanding blood vessels: Nitric oxide protects the blood vessels smooth muscle tissue from harmful constriction. This allows the flexibility necessary for blood to circulate with less pressure.

Controlling platelet function: An efficient vascular network that is enhanced by nitric oxide sheds platelets and inhibits dangerous clots.

Reducing arterial plaque by 50%: Nitric oxide is an effective antioxidant that inhibits the passage of monocytes, a type of immune cell, into the artery wall. This reduces the underlying inflammation that promotes plaque.

Lowering total Cholesterol by 10% to 20%: Nitric oxide lowers Cholesterol through its naturally protective antioxidant activity. Preliminary research suggests that stimulating nitric oxide production in individuals who have elevated Cholesterol levels, makes it possible to lower their prescriptive statin drug dosages by at least 50%.

Here's how to boost Nitric Oxide levels with specific nutritional supplements! Unfortunately, beginning in early adulthood, nitric oxide levels gradually decline, most often due to damage to the endothelial cells caused by such factors as a high-fat diet and a sedentary lifestyle.

Daily intake of specific nutritional supplements that increase production of nitric oxide in the blood vessels are beneficial.

L-ARGININE: An amino acid found in meats, grains and fish, passes through the intestine into the blood. From the blood, it enters endothelial cells, (these are the layer of cells lining the inside of the blood and lymph vessels of the heart) where it is used to make nitric oxide. A Mayo Clinic study found that people taking L-arginine had significant improvement in endothelial function and blood flow compared with those taking placebos. It is difficult to obtain enough L-Arginine from food, so amino acid supplements are recommended to assure optimum daily intake.

Dose: 2,000 mg. to 3,000 mg. taken twice daily ??" for a total of 4,000 to 6,000 mg.

Vitamin E: Vitamin E reduces the assault of cell-damaging free radicals on the endothelial lining any may promote higher levels of nitric oxide. The amount of vitamin E should be at least 400 international units (IU), an effective daily dose.

Vitamin C: Like vitamin E, vitamin C reduces oxidation in the blood vessels and may stimulate an increase in nitric oxide. People who consume high levels of vitamin C experience a reduction in arterial plaque, which is associated with higher levels of nitric oxide. You can get vitamin C from food, but supplements are recommended to assure optimum daily intake.

Dose: Minimum 500 mg. daily.

Multiple Vitamins: A full-spectrum multiple vitamin-mineral formula supplying the heart-healthy B-complex vitamins (B-1, B-2, Niacin, Folate, B-6, B-12 and Pantothenic Acid) is important for promoting cardiovascular health by reducing dangerous Homocysteine levels.

The Importance of Diet and Exercise! In addition to taking the recommended nutritional supplements, it's very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle by being careful about what you eat and keeping physically active.

Do aerobic exercise for at least 20 minutes, three days a week. It stimulates endothelial cells to continuously produce nitric oxide, even on the days that you don't exercise.

Minimize intake of saturated fat. Saturated fat, found in such animal products as red meat, poultry, butter and whole milk, contributes to the accumulation of arterial plaque and impairs nitric oxide production.

Increase intake of Olive oil, fish and flaxseed. The beneficial omega 3 fatty acids found in these foods help protect the endothelium by elevating levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol and lowering the harmful LDL form.

Eat more fiber daily. The dietary fiber in grains, fruits and vegetables lowers blood pressure and LDL cholesterol and raises HDL, helping to protect endothelial cells. Many of the foods that contain fiber also are rich in protective, heart-healthy antioxidants, which inhibit the cell damage that lowers nitric oxide. Eat at least 25 grams of fiber daily and drink at least eight eight-ounce glasses of water a day to make sure that the fiber moves efficiently through your system.

Roger Jirves is an authorized dealer of the Vitamin Power line natural vitamins, minerals, and Hearth Healthy Supplements

Viagra - Does Viagra Increase the Risk of Heart Attack?

A new research study has shown that the use of Viagra in men with erectile dysfunction does not increase the short-term risk of heart attack or acute myocardial infarction

Since the launch of Viagra some years ago, the makers have warned us against its use by men with low blood pressure, severe or unstable angina, recent stroke or recent heart attack. But can viagra itself trigger heart attack in a man with other risk factors? This question is important and a new research study has set out to provide the answer.

Large numbers of men were studied during this research project and the risk for heart attack within six hours and twenty four hours of taking Viagra was calculated.

The results of the study found no increase in the risk of heart attack in the twenty four hours after taking viagra. This is highly reassuring for many millions of men throughout the world.

Proceed with caution!

While the results of this study are very reassuring for the millions of men who use Viagra there is still reason to be cautious. Even the research team note some important limitations to this study. They emphasise that the men who took part in the trial project might represent a healthier section of the population than the average users of Viagra. They also emphasise that they did not gather any data on the nature of the sexual activity that took place! Both of these things might make a difference to the results. So - what's the message? Viagra seems safe for use - even in men who have health issues that place them at risk of heart attack. But please - if in doubt - consult your doctor. This article is not in any way a substitute for good quality individual medical advice.

Dr Gordon Cameron is a doctor based in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has a special interest in blood pressure treatment. You can discover how to lower high blood pressure and about the problems of low blood pressure treatment by visiting Dr Cameron's websites.

He has also written about using acupuncture for high blood pressure.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gordon_Cameron

Weight Loss Strengthens Your Heart, Lowers Heart Attack Risk

A study from Turkey shows that the heart beats with greater strength when a person loses weight (Heart Vessels, March 2006). The obese patients in the study received echocardiograms to predict their risk for heart failure by measuring their left ventricular function. After they lost at least ten percent of their total body weight, the strength of the contractions of their hearts increased significantly. This study shows that weight loss should be part of the treatment for heart failure if the person is overweight. It also explains why being overweight makes you tired and short of breath, because your heart has to work much harder to push blood through blood vessels blocked by fat. Losing excess weight improves heart function and also helps to prevent diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, kidney damage and even certain cancers.

A blood test called HBA1C will help your doctor decide if you are at risk for a heart attack, even if you are not diabetic. When your blood sugar level rises too high, sugar sticks to cells. Once on a cell, sugar cannot be removed and is converted to a poison called sorbitol that destroys the cell to damage arteries and cause heart attacks. HemoglobinA1C (HBA1C) measures how much sugar is attached to cell membranes. A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine (Volume 16, 2005) shows that an HBA1C level below 4.6 percent means you are at very low risk for a heart attack. However, each one-percent increase raises the risk for a heart attack nearly 2.5 times. So people who have HBA1Cs above 4.6 are at increased risk for heart attacks, even if they are not diabetic.

More than 40 percent of Americans die of heart attacks and other blood vessel damaging diseases and 35 percent ultimately become diabetic. That means that all people who have HBA1Cs above 5 should consider losing excess weight by eating less and exercising more, avoiding smoking, and going on a diet that limits refined carbohydrates (foods made from flour or with added sugars), saturated fats (meat and chicken) and partially hydrogenated oils. If your HBA1C is above 6, your doctor may prescribe diabetic medications.

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Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports -- and the FREE Good Food Book -- at http://www.DrMirkin.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gabe_Mirkin,_M.D
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