Cardiovascular disease or heart disease is the number one killer in the USA. A number of factors, individually or in combination, can lead to heart disease. Men are generally more likely to develop heart disease. An increasing number of women are experiencing heart disease but they are under-diagnosed. For both sexes, risk of heart disease increases with age.

Cause of heart disease
Diets rich in saturated fat and simple sugars. For a natural sugar alternative, consider stevia.
Physical inactivity.
Smoking and heart disease. Smoking, including passive smoking can cause heart disease. Passive smoking may be much more dangerous than had been thought. Exposure to secondhand smoke greatly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. This is likely to boost demand for a ban on smoking in public places. Scientists in Britain studied exposure to passive smoke by measuring cotinine, a breakdown product of tobacco smoke, in the blood of non-smokers. People who were non-smokers but had relatively high levels of cotinine had a heart disease risk of about 50 percent higher than those people who were exposed to low levels. Passive smoking has adverse effects that may have been underestimated in the past. Young adult smokers may seem healthy, but smoking is taking its toll on their heart. Chronic smoking appears to impair the ability of the heart to relax between beats, resulting in decreased pumping capacity.
Stress and anxiety-- a stress-filled life really does seem to raise the odds of heart disease and stroke down the road.
A family history of heart disease;
Being overweight.
Medical conditions such as hypertension, high blood cholesterol, and diabetes are also potent risk factors.
Older adults who've suffered a bout of major depression at any time in their lives have an elevated risk of heart disease.

Nutritional healing supplements for alternative heart disease therapy
In a rodent study, Curcumin was found to protect rat myocardium against ischemic insult and the protective effect could be attributed to its antioxidant properties.
Terminalia Arjuna, an Indian medicinal plant, has been reported to have beneficial effects in patients with ischemic heart disease in a number of small, open studies. Arjuna has been tested in angina.
Artichoke extract could be helpful for the lining of blood vessels.
Consider learning more about vitamin E supplement function and role in heart disease.
CoQ10 may be helpful in heart disease, especially in combination with vitamin E. We would recommend limiting the dosage of CoQ10 to 30 mg daily or 50 mg three or four times a week.
Fish OIls or eating cold water fish reduces the risk for heart rhythm disturbances and may reduce the risk of Heart palpitations, atrial fibrillation and ventricular Arrhythmia. Fish oils may reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death probably due to an anti-arrhythmic effect. It is not known at this time whether taking fish oil capsules or eating more fish may reduce the need to take aspirin, or perhaps the dose of aspirin can be reduced if fish oils supplements are used. Another option is
Vitamin C could be helpful, limit dosage to 100 to 500 mg a day.

Cacao and Heart Disease
A few squares of dark chocolate every day might cut the risk of serious heart disease by helping to stave off the hardening of arteries. Researchers from University Hospital in Zurich studied 20 male smokers, who are at greater risk of hardening arteries characteristic of coronary heart disease, to see the effects of dark and white chocolate on arterial blood flow. The subjects, who were asked to abstain from eating foods rich in antioxidants for 24 hours, were given 40 grams (2 ounces) of chocolate to eat. After two hours, ultrasound scans revealed that dark chocolate -- made up of 74 percent cacao solids -- significantly improved the smoothness of arterial flow, while white chocolate, with four percent cocoa, had no effect. see cocoa bean.
   Comments: The problem with chocolate is the excess sugar and cocoa butter that add on unnecessary calories. Fortunately, cacao (or cocoa) powder is now available in capsules that minimize the calories and provides a hefty amount of the flavonoid antioxidants.

Diet
Dietary Intake and Coronary Heart Disease: A Variety of Nutrients and Phytochemicals Are Important.
Tucker KL.. Curr Treat Options Cardiovasc Med. 2004 Aug;6(4):291-302.
Tufts University, 711 Washington Street, Boston, MA
Until quite recently, the dietary focus on prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) has been almost exclusively centered on reducing intake of cholesterol, total fat, and saturated fat. The food industry responded vigorously with low-fat products, some of which are helpful, particularly low-fat dairy products, but others that are less so, due to increases in refined carbohydrate content. Recent research shows that a variety of foods contribute to protection against CHD, including certain types of fatty acids, and a variety of components in fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and nuts. In particular, there is now an emphasis on reducing not only saturated fat, but also trans fat, whereas mono and omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to be protective. Many new studies have shown a link between intake of fruit and vegetables and whole grains and protection against CHD. This has been ascribed to their fiber, vitamin, mineral, and phytochemical content. In particular, there is accumulating evidence of protective effects for folate, vitamin B(6), vitamin B(12), vitamin E, vitamin C, flavonoids, and phytoestrogens. New recommendations to prevent heart disease require a greater focus on total dietary pattern with a return to the use of a variety of minimally processed foods.

Heart disease and alcohol
Men with high blood pressure are usually advised to avoid alcohol, but a drink or two every day may reduce their chances of a heart disease. A study of 11,000 men supports other research that shows small-to-moderate amounts of alcohol can lower the risk of heart disease, by increasing the levels of high density lipoprotein, or "good" cholesterol, and by making blood less likely to clot. Drinkers in general have a bigger risk of high blood pressure, and heavy drinking raises the risk of early death overall, including from heart disease. But many studies have shown that moderate drinkers may be healthier.

Heart disease and coffee
Do you drink decaf coffee or regular? "Decaf coffee increases heart disease risk," was the heading of some newspaper articles in 2005. How worried should you be? First, a little background: the 187 study subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups: noncoffee drinkers, coffee drinkers and decaf drinkers, who drank three to six cups a day for two months. At the end of the study period, there were no significant differences among the three groups in fasting glucose or insulin, total cholesterol, HDL (the good cholesterol) or triglycerides. However, decaf coffee led to a minimal increase in LDL levels (the bad cholesterol). Based on this iffy and preliminary result, the news media went on a hype and scare tactic. We are not concerned. First, people were asked to drink 3 to 6 cups a day, and even then the effects were minimal. Apparently some antioxidants may be removed along with the caffeine while processing regular coffee to decaf. Those who drink one or two cups of decaf coffee a day should not worry at all. Besides, the sugar, cream, or artificial sweeteners added to the drink are much more likely to be harmful. Those of you who drink more than 3 cups of decaf or regular coffee should consider perhaps substituting herbal teas. Why not expose your body to many other types of beneficial antioxidants in various teas rather than the same ones in coffee? And to avoid the harm from sugar, use stevia to sweeten your teas. Bottom line. Drinking one or two cups of coffee a day is quite acceptable.

Heart disease, neurotic symptoms, anxiety and depression
Neurotic people are more likely to die from heart disease. Neuroticism -- a proclivity toward worry and emotional ups and downs -- is related to anxiety and depression, which could help explain the relationship with heart trouble

Diagnosis of heart disease and heart attack
New blood tests that doctors and patients hoped would more accurately predict those headed for a heart attack or stroke are no better than cholesterol levels, blood pressure and other conventional measurements. Doctors in recent years had become excited over substances in the blood that appeared to be powerful new predictors of a heart attack. These substances included C-reactive protein, or CRP; homocysteine; and BNP, or B-type natriuretic peptide. An increasing number of family doctors have been ordering expensive tests for these substances, and some patients have started requesting them, in hopes of identifying people who do not have the standard risk factors but are still likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke. But the new research, by scientists at the highly regarded Framingham Heart Study, found that tests of CRP, BNP, homocysteine and seven other substances are only a couple of percentage points better at predicting heart disease and heart attack outcomes than the standard, commonsense risk factors that doctors have known for decades. The difference in accuracy was considered so small as to be negligible. The best predictors were tests for BNP, CRP, homocysteine and renin in the blood and albumin in the urine. Patients with the highest levels of BNP and albumin were nearly twice as likely as those with lowest levels to suffer a heart attack, stroke or heart failure; those with the highest levels of CRP, BNP and the three other substances were four times as likely to die during the decade.

Heart disease and siestas
Healthy working men who take time out for an afternoon nap are one third less likely to die of heart disease than their peers who skip a siesta.

When you see a heart disease patient who needs CPR
A simpler version of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) administered outside the hospital by bystanders - one that uses chest compressions without mouth-to-mouth resuscitation -- appears to be just as effective as standard CPR, which includes mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest compressions.

Statistics
Levels of coronary heart disease, heart attack and angina vary widely across U.S. states and territories. Coronary heart disease is a narrowing of arteries that supply blood to the heart due to arterial plaque. Angina is chest pain that occurs when the heart doesn't receive enough blood. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. A 2007 study found rates of any of the three conditions ranged from 3.5 percent in the U.S. Virgin Islands to 10.4 percent in West Virginia. For heart attack alone, rates ranged from 2 percent in the U.S. Virgin Islands to 6 percent in West Virginia. Areas with the lowest levels of these three heart problems were: Colorado, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Montana, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Rates were highest in: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. The study also found that men had higher rates of coronary heart disease and non-fatal heart attack and angina than women (8.2 percent vs. 5 percent). Asians had the lowest rates of heart disease (4.7 percent), while American Indians/Alaska Natives had the highest rates (11.2 percent). Heart disease rates were similar among whites (6.9 percent), blacks (6.2 percent) and Hispanics (6.2 percent). People with fewer than 12 years of education had higher rates of heart disease than college graduates (9.8 percent vs. 5 percent).

Oral health and heart disease
Young adults who lose their teeth to cavities or gum disease have an increased risk of dying from heart disease later in life.

Angioplasty or heart bypass surgery for heart disease
For people with heart disease who need a procedure to unblock their clogged coronary arteries, angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting provide similar 10-year survival rates.

Heart disease and heavy drinking in youth
Those who drink alcohol heavily in their youth have a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome than those who drank more moderately throughout adulthood. Metabolic syndrome refers to a grouping of risk factors for heart disease, stroke and diabetes -- including abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, low levels of "good" HDL cholesterol, high blood sugar and high triglycerides, a type of blood fat. People who have three or more of these problems are considered to have metabolic syndrome.

Heart Disease questions
Q. I am interested to know if you have established research on the safe use of any sexualherbs to support sexual function in men who have heart disease or had pacemaker implants? I have been prescribed lotril for blood pressure and do not know the interaction. Thank you for all your diligent work in the field of natural health.
   A. We have no research with these supplements in those who have a pacemaker. Please see heart palpitations regards to supplements that can cause heart rhythm problems. Many sexual herbs can cause an increase in blood pressure and faster heart beat.

Q. I have heart disease and on the following medications and need to know whether sexual herbs or Passion Rx could negatively interact with them. I am 68 years old and impotent. I would like to get off Viagra if possible. Aspirin 81 mg, Cumadin 8 mg, Altace (Ramipril) 5 mg, Digoxin .25 mg and Crestor 10 mg. In addition to the Cumadin, I take the following supplement: Multivitamins, C, E, B50 complex, CoQ10, fish oil, gloucosamine / chondroitin, apple cider vinegar.
   A. We appreciate your email but we cannot advise since that would be taking the role of your doctor. Those with heart problems or medications need to be very cautious regarding the use of sexual stimulant herbs since many of them increase heart rate and in high doses could induce heart palpitation.

Q. I have always used supplements and vitamins in the past. What type of products could you recommend to a person with a new Porcine Aortic Valve. I am not getting any info from my Cardiologist because she hates alternative products.
   A. We don't have any specific info for heart valve replacement and nutritional supplements for this condition.

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