Diet and Cardiovacular Disease

As we all know by now cardiovascular disease is a pretty important topic in today’s health news being THE top cause of death in the U.S as well as worldwide. It accounts for 40% of all deaths in the U.S. which is more than all forms of cancer combined! Not that this should scare people because it seems scare tactics rarely work but I just wanted to list a few top risk factors for CVD (as in introductory):
Age
High Blood Pressure *
Diabetes*
High cholesterol*
Cigarette smoking*

When I started background research I couldn’t help but keep going back to how four of the five of these are modifiable or manageable(*). Three are commonly linked to one’s diet and the other is smoking which to me is a voluntary act. Sure, some of these have been found to have a genetic influence however even if you don’t smoke that would cut your risk factor by one! The main idea I’m trying to get across is diet can play such a large role in this very serious disease and killer. You can’t avoid getting older but you can try avoiding foods that lead to disease.

Fatty plaque of course is what we know causes the narrowing of coronary arteries leading to blocks causing Heart attacks and strokes. These plaques accumulate from adolescents which means what we have been eating all these years MAY eventually catch up with us later in life. This might be why they call CVD the “silent disease” with little to no symptoms besides high blood pressure and why heart attacks seem to happen out of now where.

Since fatty plaque accumulates from adolescents wouldn’t it seem logical to start our younger generations on healthy eating and educating them in order to make a dent in this possible health epidemic? Nutrition education to me doesn’t seem to be a fix all but I find it to be a step in the right direction for reducing High Blood Pressure, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol ultimately cardiovascular disease!

It gives me great joy to see some big names in America take on this task of educating children on making healthier eating choices. The biggest example is Michelle Obama’s campaign against childhood obesity. She targets implementing heather foods in school systems where children receive majority of their meals. Check out http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-first-lady-event-surgeon-generals-report for more information and her thoughts and goals for the campaign.

Another similar movement I’ve recently discovered is Jaime Oliver’s Food revolution. Take a look at this famous chief’s moving T.E.D talk (a bit long but worth it) where he talks about bringing in fresh foods from local farms into schools as well as nutrition education for American youth. On a side note: He’s not even American and he cares this much about a serious topic affecting so many Americans.

http://joshpremuda.com/2010/02/12/jamie-oliver-wins-ted-prize/

Connection Between Gum and Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease is a narrowing of small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. It is usually caused by atherosclerosis, a condition which occurs when fatty material and plaques buildup on the walls of arteries. Its most common symptom is chest pain, however, in some cases no symptoms may be present. Treatment for heart disease can range from taking medication to surgery. Researchers have found that people with gum disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from heart disease. There are several theories that have shown a link between heart disease and periodontal disease. One theory is that oral bacteria effects the heart by entering the bloodstream and attaching to fatty plaques in the coronary arteries which contributes to clot formation. Another theory is that the inflammation caused by periodontal disease increases plaque buildup, which may contribute to swelling of arteries. There are more ongoing studies to further see the connection between gum and heart disease.

Did anyone see the "Live Healthy" article about a link between gum disease and rheumatoid arthritis in the February issue of Shape Magazine? The article says:

At the end of a long day, it's tempting to cut corners on the whole floss-brush-rinse routine. But a new study from the University of Minnesota reveals that skimping on your dental care can harm your joints along with your teeth. Researchers found that people with gum disease are nearly three times as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis - a condition that can cause stiffness, pain, and fatigue - than those with healthy grins. Since gum disease has also been linked to heart problems, it's worth spending a little more time on your mouth, starting tonight!

So brushing your teeth can prevent you from developing rheumatoid arthritis and heart problems?! Or is it just that gum disease is an inflammatory disease, and the presence of one inflammatory disease may indicate the presence of another inflammatory disease like rheumatoid arthritis or heart disease?

Stroke linked to Birth Control

It has been noted that the 4th generation birth controls Yasmin, Ocella, and Yaz have had major side effects including strokes, heart attacks, deep vein thrombosis and other types of blood clots, pulmonary embolism, and gallbladder disease. These symptoms have been seen in women who were otherwise healthy with no known history of risks for the mentioned diseases. As I was searching for more information on stroke and heart disease, I stumbled across many pages of articles that warn women about the effects of these popular birth controls. One such article had the following warning:

If you or a loved one has taken Yasmin, Yaz, or Ocella for birth control or to treat symptoms of PMDD or acne and suffered gallbladder disease, stroke, heart attack, blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or other serious injuries, we encourage you to contact qualified legal representation today to evaluate your possible legal rights.

It is interesting to note that on the YAZ homepage, the list of side effects include all of the above diseases as risks for any woman taking any birth control. So I searched a few other commonly used birth controls and found this statement to be true.

Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a disease in which fatty plaques, such as cholesterol, collect within the walls of arteries. Build up of these plaques can eventually occlude the vessel leading to a loss of blood flow; the location of this blockage will determine the severity of the disease. Though the end result of this disease is what is most commonly seen as the dangerous, the onset and progression can also lead to many complications as described by the various diabetes research articles. The progression of atherosclerosis, though gradual is thought to have a big effect on the secretion of C-reactive protein, a key inflammatory marker. Though these articles do not determine if the inflammation is causing the atherosclerosis, or if it is the other way around, they make clear the link between the two. There needs to be more research to determine if the treatment of inflammation can prevent diseases such as this. The effects of this information has the potential to be extremely profound.