Congestive heart failure happens when the heart is unable to effectively pump the blood through the body. It occurs when the heart muscle is weak because of disease or stressed beyond its ability to function. Congestive heart failure is in general, a secondary disease following another cardiac condition, primarily either coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, myocarditis, valvular disease, or cardiac arrhythmias,(irregular heart beat or skipped heart beat) with coronary artery disease carrying the poorest prognosis and little hope. It may also follow a myocardial infarction, renal failure, sepsis or severe anemia.

Heart failure occurs when the heart loses its ability to pump enough blood through the body. Usually, the loss in pumping action is a symptom of an underlying heart problem, such as coronary artery disease. The term heart failure suggests a sudden and complete stop of heart activity. But, actually, the heart does not suddenly stop. Rather, heart failure usually develops slowly, often over years, as the heart gradually loses its pumping ability and works less efficiently. Some people may not become aware of their condition until symptoms appear years after their heart began its decline.

The heart has two sides and each sides have different function, and therefore will have a slightly different effect on the body when it is unable to fulfill that function. If it is the left side of the heart that has failed accumulation of fluid in and around the lungs will cause the patient to experience difficulty breathing, and the kidneys will respond to the reduced blood in the circulation by retaining fluid as well. If it is the right side that fails the excess fluid accumulates in the venous system, giving the patient a generalized edema that becomes more severe as their condition deteriorates.

A damaged and weak heart muscle often can be discovered when the doctor feels for or palpates the area of the chest overlying the heart. When the physician listens to or auscultates the heart, murmurs, extra heart sounds, or arrhythmias may be present, which indicate a particular underlying cause of congestive heart failure. Auscultation of the lungs may reveal “crackles” due to the presence of fluid in the lungs, which is a common finding in acute congestive heart failure. Swelling (edema) may be present in the ankles and feet or, in severe cases, may extend into the thighs and belly region.

Many factors can contribute to congestive heart failure and, if diagnosed, should be treated and maintained. These include hypertension, anemia or poycythemia, endocrine disorders, malnutrition, drug or alcohol use and obesity. Therefore, it is very important that patients suffering from congestive heart failure pay particular attention to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A doctor can aid in establishing the best diet and exercise plan with each individual to prevent placing undue stress on the heart and lungs.

Treatment of congestive heart failure includes a combination of diet, drugs, rest, and restricted daily activity. Digitalis is often given to strengthen heart function. It is also helpful in slowing down the heart rate and decreasing heart size. This then helps the body to rid itself of the extra fluids.

It is always better to consult a doctor when you have some of these symptoms

* Sudden weight gain (three or more pounds in one or two days)

* Increased swelling in the legs or ankles

* Shortness of breath while at rest

* A dry, hacking cough or wheezing

* Dizzy or fainting spells

* Increased fatigue or feeling unwell all the time

* Abdominal pain or swelling

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Heart disease is sometimes referred to as the “silent killer”. This is because many people don’t know they have heart disease until they have a heart attack. This occurs far too often. Approximately once every twenty seconds, in the United States, someone has a heart attack. Heart disease ranks as the number one cause of death in the U.S. Lifestyle risk factors for heart disease are modifiable, making it possible for many people to prevent heart disease. To protect your heart, take note of any risk factors you have, and learn more about what you can do to live a heart healthy lifestyle.

It is essential that the body be given sufficient time to rest in a day. While at rest the heart can more easily pump blood throughout the body; just as you would rest an injured leg when it began to pain you, you should rest your heart as well. On the flip side, it is important to establish a daily exercise routine. It doesn’t have to be three hours of aerobics; a half hour walk every day would have a greater impact on your physical being than nothing. Consult with your physician to find the plan that works best for your individual circumstances.

Along with an exercise plan you should work with your doctor to find the best diet plan for you. In most cases a low sodium diet is recommended to help reduce fluid retention. Diuretics can greatly affect the levels of potassium in the body causing hypokalemia, which can lead to muscle weakness, paralysis and a fatal cardiac arrhythmia; therefore, very often if you have been given a diuretic to take daily a potassium supplement will also be prescribed.

Regular medical check ups are important. Your physician can evaluate your risk of heart disease by considering your medical and family histories, and by conducting routine physical exams. If, at any time, further evaluation is warranted, specific tests can be performed in order to diagnose possible heart disease.

There are many types of diagnostic tests for heart disease. The simplest of these are noninvasive, meaning it is not necessary to insert anything into the body. Invasive tests may require the use of needles, instruments or contrast dyes. Depending on personal symptoms and physician’s judgement, one or more of these test may be necessary to accurately diagnose the type of heart disease, and to plan for appropriate treatment.

Smoking can create a serious problem for patients with heart failure. It increases the heart rate and blood pressure while having a negative impact on the oxygen level in the blood. All of these things cause the heart to work harder. It is strongly recommended that if you have been diagnosed with heart failure you quit smoking completely.

Hand in hand with smoking are the inherent dangers associated with contracting a case of pneumonia or flu. If you are able you should receive an annual flu shot, as well as the one time dose of pneumococcal vaccine. This will provide some level of protection against pneumococci bacteria, the major cause of bacterial pneumonia. Pneumonia is a problem for the same reasons as smoking; the decreased oxygen levels in the blood cause the heart to work harder in an attempt to compensate and get oxygen to the organs and tissues. If possible, avoid crowded areas during cold and flu season, and stay away from people you know are sick.

You can still have Sexual relations as before; however, they should occur in as peaceful an environment as possible to prevent undue stress. If your condition is severe it is important that you discuss this with your physician; it may be necessary to forego sexual relations for a time in favor of other, less stressful shows of affection.

Start thinking in a proactive manner. Learn what you can do about your problem, what options you have, what steps you can take to make your therapy a success.

Usually, the loss in the heart’s pumping action is a symptom of an underlying heart problem.

Heart valve disease caused by past rheumatic fever or other infections

Infections of the heart valves and/or heart muscle (i.e., endocarditis)

Cardiac arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats)

Cardiomyopathy, or another primary disease of the heart muscle

Chronic lung disease

Anemia

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Hemorrhage (excessive bleeding)

CHF leads to breathlessness, fatigue, and accumulation of fluid in the lungs or the veins (primarily in the legs) or both.

People with CHF have insufficient oxygenation of the heart, which can damage the heart muscle. Such damage may be reduced by taking L-carnitine supplements.5 L-carnitine is a natural substance made from the amino acids, lysine and methionine. Levels of L-carnitine are low in people with CHF;6 therefore, many doctors recommend that those with CHF take 500 mg of L-carnitine two to three times per day.

Most L-carnitine/CHF research has used a modified form of the supplement called propionyl-L-carnitine (PC). In one double-blind trial, people using 500 mg of PC per day had a 26% increase in exercise capacity after six months.7 In double-blind research, other indices of heart function have also improved after taking 1 gram of PC twice per day.8 It remains unclear whether propionyl-L-carnitine has unique advantages over L-carnitine, as limited research in animals and humans has also shown very promising effects of the more common L-carnitine.9

Magnesium deficiency frequently occurs in people with CHF, and such a deficiency may lead to heart arrhythmias. Magnesium supplements have reduced the risk of these arrhythmias.10 People with CHF are often given drugs that deplete both magnesium and potassium; a deficiency of either of these minerals may lead to an arrhythmia.11 Many doctors suggest magnesium supplements of 300 mg per day.

Whole fruit and fruit and vegetable juice, which are high in potassium, are also recommended by some doctors. One study showed that elderly men who consumed food prepared with potassium-enriched salt (containing about half potassium chloride and half sodium chloride) had a 70% reduction in deaths due to heart failure and a significant reduction in medical costs for cardiovascular disease, when compared with men who continued to use regular salt.12 While increasing potassium intake can be beneficial for heart patients, this dietary change should be discussed with a healthcare provider, because several drugs given to people with CHF may actually cause retention of potassium, making dietary potassium, even from fruit, dangerous.

Albany Medical Center is the first healthcare institution in the region to introduce aquapheresis-an innovative therapy which removes dangerous levels of excess fluid in patients suffering from congestive heart failure. The therapy has proven to be more effective in removing excess fluid than standard treatment and reduces the likelihood of re-hospitalization for congestive heart failure.

According to Edward Philbin, M.D., medical director of the Heart Failure Program and George Pataki Chair in Cardiology at Albany Medical Center, heart failure is characteristically accompanied by significant fluid retention. Aquapheresis is the first major advancement for acute fluid removal in the setting of acute heart failure since the introduction of diuretics, more than 50 years ago.

Aquapheresis uses the process of ultrafiltration to remove excess sodium and water from the body. Blood is withdrawn through a catheter and circulated through the filter system that separates the fluids from the blood. Once filtered, the clean blood is returned back to the body through a second catheter. Aquapheresis uses a peripheral intravenous line (a catheter inserted into a vein in the arm). By using this system, up to four liters of fluid can be removed in an eight-hour period, with no significant impact on blood pressure, kidney function, or electrolyte balance.

Conversely, treatment for congestive heart failure using intravenous or oral diuretic drugs can cause decreases in blood pressure and levels of potassium or magnesium, and may cause disruption of normal kidney function. Moreover, diuretics can take a longer period of time than aquapheresis to be completely effective. Overall, aquapheresis removes more fluid, more rapidly, than standard treatment with diuretics alone.

Even with severe disease, appropriate exercise can benefit those with CHF.1, 2 In a controlled trial, long-term (one year) exercise training led to improvements in quality of life and functional capacity in people with CHF.3 Nonetheless, too much exercise can be life-threatening for those with CHF. How much is “too much” varies from person to person; therefore, any exercise program undertaken by someone with CHF requires professional supervision.

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The heart is a muscular pump that needs a continuous supply of oxygen. It obtains oxygen from the blood, which flows to the heart muscle through arteries on the heart’s surface. These arteries are called the coronary arteries.

The underlying cause of heart attack is coronary heart disease (CHD) - the slow build-up of fatty deposits on the inner wall of the arteries that supply the heart muscle with blood. These fatty deposits, called plaque, gradually clog and narrow the inside channel of the arteries. It is a process that begins early in life and continues over the years.

A heart attack usually begins when an area of plaque cracks. Blood cells and other components of the blood stick over the damaged area and form a clot that suddenly and completely blocks the blood flow to the heart muscle. If the artery remains blocked, the lack of blood permanently damages the area of heart muscle supplied by that artery.

Know the signs of a heart attack, but be aware that symptoms can vary from person to person. Usual signs of a heart attack include chest pain, discomfort, heaviness or fullness in the chest, discomfort in arms, neck, jaw, stomach, shortness of breath, cold sweat or even nausea and vomiting. Sometimes these symptoms can come on suddenly but they can develop slowly. Not every chest pain is a heart attack, but it is impossible to know that before evaluation by a medical professional. Call 911 if you think you may be suffering from these symptoms. Do not drive yourself or anyone else to the hospital if these symptoms exist because during a heart attack, the possibility of life threatening rhythms exist, which can result in sudden loss of consciousness and death.

If you are rushed to hospital with a suspected heart attack, a number of tests will be performed to confirm the diagnosis and help your health care team decide on the best treatment for you.

These may include:

* Electrocardiogram (ECG) - During an ECG test, electrical leads are placed on your chest, arms and legs. These leads detect small electrical signals and produce a tracing on graph paper illustrating the electrical impulses travelling through the heart muscle.

* Blood tests

* Chest X-ray

* Angiogram - This is a special X-ray that shows whether your coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked. Under a local anaesthetic, a small tube (catheter) is inserted into an artery in your arm or groin and guided into the heart. Dye is injected through the catheter into the coronary arteries and X-rays are taken, giving detailed information about the condition of your coronary arteries.

Not every chest pain is a heart attack, but it is impossible to know without being evaluated by a medical professional. When having chest pain or related symptoms, it is best and safest to call 911. For those who have a history of coronary disease, previous coronary interventions (stents, angioplasty or open-heart surgery), transport to a PCI center is imperative. Primary PCI in the shortest amount of time is the best chance for survival and limiting of heart muscle damage.

Heart disease can affect us all women are just as much at risk as men.it can come virtually at any mature age,but the good news is that we can all take steps to reduce the chance of developing the disease.

We must control the known risk factors,most of us know about these in one way or another,I suppose some of us has one or more of them and maybe think that Yeah I know about that but apart from that I am just great,but that is not so.

The big risk factors that are up to us to control are high blood pressure , high blood cholesterol,and diabeties. Then of course there are the 2 big risk factors…Smoking and overweight. Here are some steps that we can all take to help prevent heart disease.

1/ Stop Smoking(a very big risk factor),if you cant stop immediately keep trying.

2/ Have your blood pressure checked regularly,Your Doc will tell you your healthy pressure.Reducing alcoholic beverages is a big help here.

3/ Make sure your blood cholesterol is not high,again your doc will advise you.

4/ Prevent or manage diabetes…Not so easy,but again the exercise and weight factor play a big part.

5/ Aim for a healthy weight by losing weight and keeping it off,reduce excess fat

There are of course risk factors that we can’t do anything about such as our age as we get older the risk increases and then there is family history,has your father or mother or maybe your brother been diagnosed with the disease at an early age.

These risk factors make it all the more important for us to manage the risk factors that are within our scope to manage.

There are several programs and books available in the bookshops and the internet to help us with the risk factors of heart disease.

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I have written this article from personal experience and I hope that it may be a help to others that pose a risk factor in the dreaded heart disease.

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High blood pressure if left unchecked results in increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and leads to target organ damage such as LVH, retinal changes and vascular changes. The main objective in the management of hypertension is prevention of target organ damage and reduction of cardiovascular risk. The management requires a multi-prolonged approach. Although it is widely accepted that drug therapy is essential for optimal Blood pressure control, it should not be forgotten that non-pharmocological measures are also important in the management of hypertension.

What are the foods to be avoided in high blood pressure? This is very common question my patients often ask me. On one hand, it is exceedingly complicated and complex and has been the continued focus of research by doctors and physicians. On the other hand, the vast majority of dietary recommendations for hypertension have resemblance and similarities to general healthy diet recommendations.

Following Foods should be avoided if you have High blood pressure:

1. Alcohol

The association between alcohol and high blood pressure is well documented both in population and clinical studies. An Alcohol intake of about 80 g/day (Equivalent to four pints of beer) has been shown to raise Blood pressure particularly in patients of hypertension. Blood pressure tends to fall when alcohol is stopped or reduced and remains low in patients who continue to abstain. Patients with hypertension should avoid Alcohol. As alcohol can raise blood pressure directly, is also an important factor in damaging walls of blood vessels, which can elevate the blood pressure further and make it more difficult to treat, while at the same time increasing the risk of complications. Limit consumption of Alcohol to no more than two drinks per day in most men and one drink per day in women and lightweight men.

2. Salt

A restriction in dietary sodium intake can reduce the incidence of hypertension. Studies have shown that there is a clear relationship between dietary salt intake and Blood pressure and people who consume less salt have a smaller rise in Blood pressure with advancing age. Salt restriction to about 100mmol/day (2.4 gm sodium or 6 gm sodium chloride) has been shown to produce a significant reduction in systolic Blood pressure to about 8-14 mm Hg in several randomized placebo-controlled studies. In some people, eating too much salt can make blood pressure much worse and In other cases the same salt consumption may have no effect.

More salt intake will result in more retention of fluid by kidneys and this will lead to more pre-load on heart, that will result in more blood pressure. You should avoid salt in your diet if you really want to control your blood pressure. If you are already a patient of hypertension, then reduce salt in your diet as it just accentuates the problem. You can lower your blood pressure to a great extent if you reduce salt consumption in your diet. You should not have more than 6 grams (100mmol/day) of salt per day. Pizza, canned foods, frozen diners, broths, canned soups and salad dressings have high sodium so try to avoid these foods. If you are non-vegetarian then make sure you are including white meat like chicken and fish rather than red meat in your diet.

3. Fats

Food that is rich in fats should be avoided. Foods High in Fat are as follows:

Fats and oils (like margarine, vegetable oils, butter, lard, salt pork, meat drippings, gravy, and fat back)
Cream, ice cream, Whole milk, 2% milk.
Most pies, pastries, cakes.
Most cheeses (like cream cheese, cheddar, American)
Many snack foods (like nuts and chips)
Fatty meats (like corned beef, regular ground beef, ribs, sausage, hot dogs, bacon, bologna, salami,)
Fried foods (like French fries and fried chicken)
Most cookies contain high fat content
Many fast foods are also rich in fats

Saturated fats are not good for heart and blood vessels. Low density lipoprotein LDL is main factor which causes thickening of blood vessels so causing extra strain on blood vessels in patients of high blood pressure. The balanced high blood pressure diet should include mild amounts of saturated and trans-fats (red meat, fast food), and moderate amounts of other fats (olive oil and canola oil).

4- Caffeine Intake: The evidence from the literature is rather conflicting and the effects of caffeine seem to depend on multiple variables such as daily dose, preexisting Blood pressure and coffee drinking habits. The ingestion of 250mg of caffeine has been shown to cause an increase in systolic blood pressure ranging from 6mm of Hg in normal individuals to 10 mm Hg in patients with hypertension and an increase in diastolic blood pressure of 5 mm Hg in normal individuals to 8.5 mm Hg in patients of hypertension.

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Dr. Armughan Riaz M.B.B.S Dip Card, working as consultant Cardiologist in District Sialkot Pakistan. He often publish his articles on High Blood Pressure Symptoms Treatment Diet and maintaining site Straight Razor

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Researchers discovered the unexpected result in the first large-scale study investigating risk factors for stable angina. They pooled data from 74 studies involving 401,315 people living in 31 countries, including the United States. Of the studies’ participants, 13,331 women and 11,511 men had stable angina.

Compared to men, women develop angina more often in the small vessels of the heart than in the large coronary arteries. Physicians should reconsider how they view stable angina, Hemingway said. “If you think that narrowing of the large arteries is the only underlying cause, then that will color your judgment,” he said. “Such narrowing is less common in women than in men. But a woman with typical angina symptoms may still have myocardial ischemia.”

“Doctors and the general public should realize that out there in the real world, men and women experience these symptoms with a similar frequency,” Hemingway said. “When someone sees their doctor with symptoms of angina, the sex of the patient is not the most important factor.”

Angina is a common and serious heart problem. It’s caused by inadequate oxygen to the heart, which can lead to chest pain or discomfort on exertion that typically goes away with rest. The condition can result from partially blocked heart arteries or decreased flexibility of the cardiac arteries.

Angina used to be considered a benign symptom in women, added Goldberg, who’s the author of Dr. Nieca Goldberg’s Complete Guide to Women’s Health. “Maybe that’s the thing that sent us on the wrong pathway that women didn’t have heart disease,”

While risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking, differed from country to country, once the researchers compensated for those risk factors, they found that the prevalence of angina was still higher among women. In fact, the prevalence of angina was 20 percent higher overall among women than men.

Women have a higher prevalence of stable angina pectoris than men, according to a meta-analysis of nearly 25,000 cases in 31 countries, researchers reported in the online issue of Circulation.

Angina is chest pain caused by myocardial ischemia, an inadequate supply of blood-borne oxygen to the heart muscle. Patients with stable angina experience pain after exercise or stress, which disappears when they rest. The causes of stable angina are less understood than the causes of heart attack. But since stable angina is commonly the first sign of symptomatic heart disease, it is important to find out what causes it.

For the new study, Hemingway and his colleagues collected data from 74 studies involving 401,315 people living in 31 countries, including the United States. The prevalence of angina varied from country to country. Among women, the prevalence varied from 0.73 percent to 14.4 percent, with an average of 6.7 percent. Among men, it varied from 0.76 percent to 15.1 percent, for an average of 5.7 percent, the study found.

Chest pain is a common symptom which can be caused by many different conditions. Some causes of chest pain require prompt medical attention, such as angina, heart attack, or tearing of the aorta. Other causes of chest pain can be evaluated electively, such as spasm of the esophagus, gallbladder attack, or inflammation of the chest wall. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis is important in providing proper treatment to patients with chest pain.

Angina can be prevented by lifestyle changes (stopping smoking, increasing exercise) and by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. The symptoms of angina can be relieved with medication (such as nitrates or beta-blockers) and by undergoing a coronary revascularisation procedure. The risk of having a heart attack after having experienced angina can be reduced by taking ’secondary prevention’ medications such as aspirin and lipid lowering drugs. There is no cure for the underlying disease process of atherosclerosis.

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There are many factors that can cause heart disease and this article gives top five leading causes of it. It is very important for you to know so you can avoid them and reduce the risk of suffering from heart disease.

#1 High cholesterol

High cholesterol can be extremely dangerous, and particularly it can cause atherosclerosis, or a hardening of the arteries, which sequentially can lead to blocked coronary arteries, marked by chest pain, or a heart attack. Other severe problems such as blocked arteries to the brain, for example, can result in a stroke, while blocked arteries in the legs can create pain, limping and even disability.

Cholesterol is a fatty and wax-like material that is naturally present in the human body, and your body makes use of this cholesterol to create many different hormones, such as Vitamin D and the bile acids that assist to digest fat. Even though a certain amount of cholesterol is usual, if you have too much in your bloodstream then the surplus may be dumped in the arteries of the heart, which in turn can lead to heart disease.

#2 Diabetes

Some people believe that they need to have been born with diabetes for it to be a factor; but in fact, a person can get type two diabetes. Type two diabetes usually comes about when a person is very much overweight, particularly because of their diet. Too many people have a fondness for junk food, and junk food has a hefty amount of sugar in it. Eating too much sugar not only makes considerable weight increase, it also increases the level of sugar in the blood, which results in type two diabetes.

For people that have type two diabetes owing to years of eating junk food, this is the next thing that typically happens. The fat from this food is absorbed into the blood flow, and over time the fatty substances build up in the arteries. Some people end up with arteries that are so blocked that they need bypass surgery.

So, how can you keep away from getting diabetes and heart disease? First of all, the thing that you should do is ensure you eat the right food, food that is low in sugar and cholesterol. Also, be sure that you keep active, even if it is just taking a walk. Really, it is all about self-control, so if you choose to eat healthy now, you can have a healthier future.

#3 Hypertension or high blood pressure

Hypertensive heart disease is on the whole a more serious and dangerous form of heart disease and it is normally caused by uncontrolled and extended elevation of blood pressure, as this can lead to various changes in the myocardial structure, coronary vasculature, and conduction system of the heart.

Heart failure is a common complication of hypertensive heart disease, and it is often unrecognized, partly because of how at the time that heart failure develops, the dysfunction heart is unable to create the high blood pressure, which results in obscuring the etiology of the heart failure.

#4 Smoking

The carcinogens found in cigarettes are part of the relationship between smoking and heart disease. These substances that are in the cigarette are absorbed into the blood stream. As a result, the blood becomes contaminated. As this blood is pumped through the heart, the nicotine from the cigarettes also develops in the blood stream. As an outcome, the blood becomes thick, which can create clotting. Also, the nicotine will develop in the valves leading to the heart, which increases the risk of heart attack.

There are many ways that you can do to quit smoking and thus prevent heart disease. Consult with your doctor for these treatment methods. You are certain to discover a method that works for you, a method that could save your life as well as your health.

#5 Stress

There are two types of stress: physical stress and emotional stress. The physical stress places quantifiable and reproducible demands on the heart, and it is this physical stress which is usually accredited as being good and in fact, the lack of physical stress is what considered as being a major risk factor for heart disease.

Then there is the relationship between emotional stress and heart disease, and this is considered as being the more monumental relationship, as emotional stress is normally the type of stress that people are chatting about when they are referring to stress causing heart disease. If emotional stress is severe enough it can be extremely harmful, not only in regards to this but to other diseases and illnesses as well.

The main factor that stress is so likely to cause heart disease is because the rush in adrenaline that is caused by severe emotional stress results in causing the blood to thicken more readily, thus significantly increasing the risk of heart attacks and other coronary problems.

It is critical for people to monitor their body’s blood pressure at all times throughout their lifetimes. People call high blood pressure the ’silent killer’ as it normally shows no symptoms while increasing the risk of strokes, heart attacks, heart failure and kidney failure.

What is blood pressure? It is the varying pressure of blood in vessels, measured for diagnosis and expressed as numerical values. There is a specific value that denotes normal blood pressure levels and any reading above that is regarded as high - the bigger the difference the worse the diagnosis of high blood pressure will be.

High risk factors for developing high blood pressure are poor diet, obesity, alcohol intake, smoking and an inactive lifestyle. Natural effective ways to reduce high blood pressure are by increasing exercise, reducing weight, proper diet control, stop smoking and avoid alcohol intake. Diets should include vegetables and fruits. Salt intake should be drastically reduced in order to decrease water retention by the body - the more fluids that the heart must pump, the higher the blood pressure levels will be.

Yoga and meditation are two ways to complement a strategy of losing weight and increased exercise in an effort to reduce high blood pressure. Yoga and meditation help in strengthening the body and in stress reduction.

Another aspect of a healthier diet is to cut out fatty foods and increase intake of high fiber foods. Fiber improves overall health, decreases cholesterol levels and triglycerides, all which help lower blood pressure (an excellent supplement to take is magnesium). Taken as a tablet, magnesium is less effective when compared to the natural source found whole grains, green leafy vegetables and legumes like beans and peanuts.

Vitamin C is beneficial in lowering blood pressure and is even more so when taken in conjunction with satisfactory quantities of Vitamin E. Another essential requirement for healthy hearts and bodies is Omega - 3 Fatty Acids, the best sources being flax seeds and salmon. If a person is not fond of eating seeds, then powdered (milled) flax seed can be sprinkled over salads or cereals, with no noticeable change to the foods flavor. Calorie intake is very low while getting all the clout Omega - 3 Fatty Acids provide.

Other things that raise blood pressure and should be reduced (or eliminated) are caffeine, coffee, tea, sleep deprivation and birth control pills while ginger, zinc and carrot juice contribute considerably to healthier hearts and bodies. In addition, aromatherapy and kelp supplements have positive effects in lowering blood pressure - aromatherapy assists in decreasing stress levels and thus temporarily decreases blood pressure, while kelp supplements work internally to achieve lower blood pressure levels.

Bob Cotto spent most of his life as a Sr. Sales & Marketing executive. Two years ago his wife of 43 years, Joanne was told that she had 4th stage cancer. Since then, Bob and Joanne have devoted all of their energy to assisting her in maintaining a high quality of life. Find out more about his efforts at his site 4-Ideal-Health.

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When the heart speaks, it can’t be ignored - more so when it cries out in pain. The pain and burden of heart disease has brought immense suffering to many people throughout the world. This has literally led to many broken hearts.

The grim statistics tell a heart-rending story: Close to 17 million people around the world die of cardiovascular disease (CVD) every year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

CVD accounts for 29 percent of all deaths globally. The bitter truth is that no one is spared from this global problem. The WHO said men, women, and children are at risk and 80 percent of deaths occur in developing countries.

It gets even worse: the WHO predicts that heart disease and stroke will become the leading cause of both death and disability worldwide, with the number of fatalities reaching more than 20 million a year by 2020 and over 24 million a year by 2030.

Many deaths and disabilities caused by heart disease, stroke, and heart attack can be prevented if high blood pressure or hypertension is controlled.

Unfortunately, that is not the case. The WHO estimates that over 600 million people all over the world have hypertension and are at risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.

Hypertension alone is responsible for 5 million premature deaths a year worldwide. Research indicates that 62 percent of strokes and 49 percent of heart attacks can be prevented if hypertension is treated.

Sadly, a lot of people who have hypertension are either unaware that they have the disease or are not properly treated.

In England alone, 85 percent of patients are not treated while 35 percent are unaware of their condition reported the British Heart Foundation. This can lead to terrible consequences to the patient and his family.

To avoid becoming a statistic of CVD, take good care of your heart by eating the right food, maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, stop smoking, and learn to control stress.

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Sharon Bell is an avid health and fitness enthusiast and published author. Many of her insightful articles can be found at the premier online news magazine http://www.HealthLinesNews.com

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