Archive for the ‘High Blood Pressure Symptoms’ Category
Although standard blood cholesterol tests (measuring total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides) have helped doctors to accurately assess heart disease risk in many patients, recent advances in medical science have demonstrated that conventional cholesterol testing provides only limited insight into the multiple factors that underlie cardiovascular disease. In fact, these tests identify only 40% of those at risk for coronary heart disease.
The good news is, scientists have developed a more advanced blood test that can far more accurately gauge your risk of heart disease. The Vertical Auto Profile (VAP) test augments the standard cholesterol profile with additional measurements that can identify the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Best of all, the VAP test not only offers a comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular risk, but also supplies vital information that can help you and your doctor formulate a customized disease-prevention program and measure its progress over time. This powerful diagnostic tool can help you take the steps necessary to avoid preventable health catastrophes — like heart attack and stroke — today.
The baby-boom generation understands that as they age, their risk for heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular events continues to increase. Not content to succumb to disease and disability, this population is embracing a proactive, preventive approach to health care that includes advanced techniques of risk assessment such as the Vertical Auto Profile (VAP) cholesterol test.
Awareness of the VAP test is important for anyone who wants to stop cardiovascular disease in its tracks, even before signs and symptoms manifest. The VAP test is performed just like a traditional cholesterol panel: a technician or nurse draws blood and submits it to a laboratory. At reasonable cost, the VAP test provides more information than routine cholesterol tests and expands on this data. The comprehensive information derived from the VAP test enables physicians to more accurately predict their patients’ risk of heart disease, and to customize more aggressive, patient-specific treatment plans.
Even if your doctor’s office does not yet regularly utilize the VAP test, it is very likely that your physician will recognize the value of this advanced cholesterol screening tool, and will use the more detailed information it provides to devise the best treatment program to reduce your cardiovascular risk.
How the VAP Test Works
Routine cholesterol tests provide only the four following measurements:
1. Total cholesterol
2. Triglycerides
3. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL, the “detrimental” lipid), determined by a mathematical calculation, not by direct measurement
4. High-density lipoprotein (HDL, the “beneficial”lipid).
The standard lipid panel above is what physicians have relied on for years to assess their patients’ risk of cardiovascular disease. It has been a successful tool, helping physicians to lower patient cholesterol levels using a variety of medical therapies, including statin drugs, and motivating people to make lifesaving changes in their diet and lifestyle.
However, there are serious limitations to relying solely on the standard cholesterol panel. Most important, it can identify only about 40% of patients at risk for coronary heart disease.2 The truth is, many risk factors are involved in the development of heart disease, and for some people, high cholesterol may or may not be one of them. The well-known Framingham Study illustrated that the higher the cholesterol, the higher the statistical risk of a heart attack.3 Nonetheless, a frightening number of heart attacks still occur every day in people whose cholesterol values are seemingly normal. In fact, the American Heart Association reports that 50% of men and 64% of women who died suddenly of coronary heart disease had no previous symptoms!
Heart disease can lurk silently within, hidden and unsuspected. However, the additional information provided by the VAP test can help identify at-risk patients more accurately than routine cholesterol tests.
The expanded information from the VAP test includes:
- More accurate, direct measurement of LDL.
- Measurement of LDL pattern density. This is important because small, dense LDL (”Pattern B”) triples the likelihood of developing coronary plaque and suffering a heart attack.4
- Measurement of lipoprotein subclasses, which include HDL2 and HDL3, intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL), very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL1, VLDL2, VLDL3), and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], a particularly dangerous lipoprotein that can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Patients who test “normal”in a routine cholesterol panel often are found to be at risk for heart disease after taking the VAP test. This is crucially important, not only to diagnose a number of lipid disorders and optimize the choice of medications, but also for tracking improvement when patients are working to reduce their numbers, whether with drugs or lifestyle changes. Clearly, more information means more effective treatment, and thus better health outcomes.
In addition, VAP is the only cholesterol profile that tests for all the present and emerging risk factors identified in the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) cholesterol guidelines.
Prevention Is Key to Cardiovascular Health
I have performed a VAP test for the first time on many patients who have already had heart attacks or strokes, or who have undergone heart procedures such as bypass surgery or placement of a coronary stent. The results have often led me to think that if a VAP test had been performed earlier, maybe the heart attack or stroke could have been prevented, or the surgery would not have been necessary.
Too often in the United States, medical care is reactionary. A heart attack or stroke occurs, the sufferer rushes to the emergency room, and then doctors desperately try to rise to the rescue. All the physicians and patients I know appreciate that this is not the best approach. Part of the beauty of the VAP test is that it can help reduce the likelihood of this scenario occurring. Identifying risks for cardiovascular disease — and then working to correct them in order to prevent heart and vascular disease — is a better choice than costly surgical interventions.
Baby boomers, who have taken more hands-on responsibility for their health than any previous generation, can be even more strongly motivated to adopt wellness strategies when they better understand the specific risks facing them. It is one thing to tell patients that their cholesterol is high and they need to reduce it by changing their diet and lifestyle or by taking medication. It is something else to tell them that they can decrease their risk of heart attacks and emergency room visits by implementing strategies to adjust their cholesterol particles. The more definitively a health threat can be identified, the greater the patients’ compliance with treatment will be.
Since the National Cholesterol Education Program recommends people begin regular cholesterol testing at age 20, young adults can take a VAP test to learn about their cardiovascular disease risk early in life. This will allow them to take aggressive steps now — including diet and exercise — to maintain a healthy heart for life. Taking a VAP test now makes infinitely more sense than waiting until a cardiovascular catastrophe occurs, and then wondering if the event might have been prevented if a more complete cholesterol profile had been obtained earlier.
VAP Cholesterol Testing: What You Need to Know
- Cardiovascular disease is America’s number-one cause of premature death. As adults age, their risk for heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular events escalates.
- Cardiovascular risk assessment using conventional lipid panels (measuring LDL, HDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides) detects only about 40% of those at risk for a cardiovascular event. An advanced form of lipoprotein testing, the Vertical Auto Profile (VAP) cholesterol test, detects far more patients at risk of heart disease. The VAP test measures all the components of a standard lipid profile, as well as all cholesterol subclasses known to contribute to cardiovascular risk.
- The data provided by a VAP test allows physicians to detect cardiovascular risk long before symptoms manifest, and to use this data to develop personalized prevention and treatment protocols for patients of all ages. Early intervention can help prevent costly hospitalizations and invasive surgery later in life.
- All individuals who wish to fully and accurately understand their cardiovascular risk should consider a VAP test. In particular, adults at high risk — due to family history, previously diagnosed cardiovascular disease, or conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, or known lipid abnormalities — should undergo VAP testing.
- The advanced data provided by the VAP test allow doctors and patients to proactively implement strategies to prevent cardiovascular events and mortality.
Should Everyone Take the VAP Test?
This question is still being debated in the medical community. It is more expensive than routine cholesterol panels, but it provides more information. It is simply the best way for physicians to learn more about their patients and identify heart disease risk earlier. As time goes by, more physicians are recognizing the limitations of conventional lipid assessment and turning to advanced lipoprotein testing for better answers.
Certainly anyone who has reason to believe he or she may be at high risk for cardiovascular disease—because of family history, previously diagnosed coronary or vascular disease, or factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, any measure of coronary plaque, or identified abnormalities in cholesterol or triglycerides — should strongly consider VAP testing. Even if you are simply concerned about heart disease, you can proactively encourage your doctor to perform this advanced test. It is now widely available in diagnostic laboratories around the country.
Being proactive means being eager to learn about ways to improve your health, and working with your doctor to create a personalized prevention and treatment plan. However, when it comes to tests that involve risk — such as imaging procedures that deliver radiation — I caution you to be wary. Sometimes, being proactive can lead you down that slippery slope to unnecessary surgical intervention. Fortunately, the VAP test has the distinct advantage of providing added information without added risk.
©2008 Michael Ozner, MD, FACC, FAHA
Author Bio
Michael Ozner, MD, FACC, FAHA, is one of America’s leading advocates for heart disease prevention. Dr. Ozner is a board-certified cardiologist, a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and of the American Heart Association, medical director of Wellness & Prevention at Baptist Health South Florida and a well-known regional and national speaker in the field of preventive cardiology. He is the medical director of the Cardiovascular Prevention Institute of South Florida and symposium director for “Cardiovascular Disease Prevention,” an annual international meeting highlighting advances in preventive cardiology. He was the recipient of the 2008 American Heart Association Humanitarian Award. Dr. Ozner is also the author of the BenBella Books title The Miami Mediterranean Diet.
Michael Ozner, Md, Facc, Faha
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/the-blood-test-that-can-save-your-life-693622.html
Posted in 
Are you aware that symptoms of Asbestos exposure may not reveal themselves for decades? If you think you could have been exposed to Asbestos, the signs may not be evident, and can often be confused for more common health problems, like the flu. Its important to let your doctor know if you have been exposed. We are a team of expert Asbestos attorneys in the California area.
Duration : 1 min 13 sec
Tags:
Sometimes the signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus have been undiagnosed because there have been no great changes seen by the individual. Many people are amazed at the physician’s diagnosis. While you may not have signs and symptoms that cause pain, diabetes mellitus is a disease working in the background. It has been estimated that nearly 7 million people in the United States have the disease and do not even know it.
Serious consequences can erupt if left undetected and untreated.
Diabetes is a killer disease. It can lead to kidney failure, heart disease, neuropathy, blindness, and much more. If you have diabetes, you must take control of it without delay.
The hormone released from the pancreas, that controls the quantity of sugar in the blood is called Insulin. High blood sugar levels are the sign and symptom of diabetes mellitus. This occurs if there is an insufficient amount of insulin being made by the body.
When consuming solids and liquids, food is broken into materials, including sugar that the body needs to function. Sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream and stimulates the pancreas to excrete insulin. This allows sugar to move from the blood into the cells. Once inside the cells, sugar is changed to energy, which is either used instantly or stored until it is needed.
These are some signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus:
1. You’re at least 45 years old.
2. Your waist is over 40 inches if you are man and over 34.5 inches if you are women.
3. You do not exercise more than half an hour daily. There are many forms of exercising. Like walking, cycling, swimming, gardening etc…
4. You are using medicine for high blood pressure.
5. In the past you have been diagnosed at least once for a high blood sugar level; for instance during a pregnancy or illness.
6. You family tree has diabetes in it.
Someone can have diabetes for months or even years without realizing they have the condition. The danger of not seeing the signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus is that it may not be immediately life threatening. Therefore some people will act slowly or not at all.The bigger problem in not seeing the signs and symptoms of diabetes mellitus is what the long term effects of high blood sugar can have to damaging one’s health.
Please pass this on to someone that you think would benefit from reading it.
Aron Wallad
http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/six-signs-and-symptoms-of-diabetes-mellitus-102629.html
http://www.infertilityguidance.com/
Know How To Overcome Infertility Naturally
Duration : 1 min 3 sec
Diabetes type 2 also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease which appears when the insulin produced by the pancreas can not reduce the blood level of glucose. Sometimes diabetes appears when insulin is not produced in a sufficient quantity by the pancreas. The role of insulin is to take the glucose from the blood and lead it inside the body cells which use it to produce energy. If the level of glucose is too high in blood it will be eliminated by the kidneys in urine.
Diabetes type 1 is known to occur during childhood and was named as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The pancreas is not able to produce the insulin any more as the cells responsible to this process have been destroyed by the body. These patients require insulin injections permanently.
Diabetes type 2 occurs mostly during adulthood and is found in 90% of the diabetic patients. In this case the insulin is not produced in sufficient quantities or it is not effective on the body cells. This type of diabetes occurs mostly in obese people and in those who have high levels of cholesterol in blood. Elder people can get affected of this type of diabetes too.
There is another type of diabetes called the gestational diabetes which sometimes occurs in women who are pregnant.
Genetics and family history also have an important role in determining whether diabetes type 2 will install or not. Also, having a sedentary lifestyle, eating junk food will only increase the risk of developing this affection.
Some other risk factors are: the age over 45, high blood pressure, HDL less than 35 mg/dl, triglycerides more than 250 mg/dl and a previous history of personal impaired glucose tolerance.
Most of the diabetes type 2 cases do not present any symptoms at all. In some cases increased thirst, appetite and urination might occur along with blurred vision, fatigue, infections, and erectile dysfunctions.
Diagnosing diabetes is made after the doctor sees the results of some tests. He will ask for fasting blood glucose level (it has to be higher than 126 mg/dl in order for the patient to have diabetes); non-fasting blood glucose level which leads to a suspicion of diabetes if higher than 200 mg/dl and along with symptoms of increased thirst, urination, and fatigue; and positive oral glucose tolerance test (if found higher than 200 mg/dl after 2 hours).
The treatment of diabetes focuses on eliminating the symptoms and keeping the blood glucose levels under control.
At first the doctor will recommend the patient to exercise daily and to keep a diet. Also, monitoring regularly the level of glucose in blood is essential for further treatment measures. If weight is being reduced type 2 diabetes can be managed quite easily along with keeping a diet and exercising. The doctor will help the patient to test his level of glucose in blood by its own; will let him know what he is allowed to eat and what he must avoid; will advise him what to do when he feels sick and will tell him where he can procure his diabetes supplies.
Testing the level of glucose in blood can be done by the patient without the doctor’s help. These tests are usually done before meals and at bedtime. The patient will monitor its level of glucose in blood with the help of a glucometer. This device shows quickly the results, in about 30 seconds. All the patient needs to do is prick his finger with a small needle attached to the glucometer and a drop of blood will appear on the finger. This drop of blood will be then placed on the glucometer’s test strip and the results will appear in no time. By keeping a record of the values obtained in several days by the glucometer the doctor will be able to set a more adequate treatment scheme for the patient.
Keeping a diet is very important along with exercising as it can help the overweight patient reach a satisfying weight and reduce the glucose level in blood in this way. The diet will be also set by the doctor and a nutritionist who will choose healthy foods for the patient, in adequate amounts, and will also set a schedule for taking meals.
So, if you want to find out more about diabetes or even about diabetes treatment please follow this link http://diabetes-info-center.com/
Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/essential-tips-in-managing-diabetes-type-2-symptoms-121319.html
A closer look and feel at how the mind game works as it relate to peace of mind
and happiness.
http://overcomingdepressionsymptoms.com/ Distributed by Tubemogul.
Duration : 3 min 7 sec
for the past week i been having these bad headaches that come and go and usually when they start pounding my head is when i go up the stairs and I’m out of breath.. is this all normal during pregnancy or should i be concern about all this?
BTW the headaches are every day.. on and off..
and by going up the stairs mean going un 30 stairs minimum
These are very normal symptoms of pregnancy. and does your heart sometimes feel like it’s beating out of your chest? I do too. Very normal.
The blood pressure is the force that pushes on the arteries and veins’ walls, because the blood is flowing through them. At those that have high blood pressure this force is much higher than normal and in time this can damage the arteries and veins and cause heart attacks and heart diseases.
High blood pressure is a very common affection, more than 50 million people suffer from it only in the USA. Some call it the silent killer because it has no symptoms and you can have it for years without knowing, and if you don’t treat it for a long time then the chances that you get a heart disease or stroke are very high.
The causes of high blood pressure are not known, but the most common risk factors that lead to it are stress, the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, salt and fat foods. Those overweight usually have high blood pressure too.
It is very important to control your blood pressure as much as you can, before you reach an older age and you regret that you haven’t done it. High blood pressure can only be discovered if you constantly monitor your blood pressure and keep an eye on the values. If you see that the values are high then you need to measure them more often to see if they are increasing even more. Once you discover that you have high blood pressure you must start the treatment and continue to check the values to see whether it working or not.
You can check your blood pressure regularly by visiting the doctor and asking him to measure it. However, if you know that you have high blood pressure and you need to check it often visiting the doctor a few times a week is too time consuming. At those who have a very high blood pressure it needs to be measured a few times a day, so going to the doctor more than one time a day is impossible.
In this case you need to purchase a blood pressure monitor. It is a tiny device, as big as a cell phone that can be worn on the belt, and that is connected to a wrist cuff. The wrist cuff measures the blood pressure and records the values a few times a day. The doctor can make a chart based on these values and see how the treatment is progressing. The information provided by the blood pressure monitor is very valuable when you are trying to treat your condition.
The monitor and the cuff can be worn under the clothes so they are invisible to others. It’s very simple and very helpful, so try one if you have high blood pressure and need to know the values of your blood pressure.
You can check more about lower blood pressure and especially about lower blood pressure naturally by visiting http://www.lowerbloodpressure.info
Groshan Fabiola
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/keep-track-of-your-blood-pressure-easily-with-a-blood-pressure-monitor-73364.html
http://tinyurl.com/123fibs â â Eliminate Fibromyalgia right Now.
It can occur independently, or can be associated with another disease, such as systemic lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. The prevalence of fibromyalgia varies in different countries.
Duration : 59 sec
High blood pressure is one of the most serious problems today with reports estimating that more than 50 million Americans suffer from the condition. High blood pressure usually doesn’t cause any symptoms in the early stages and often runs in families.
High blood pressure illness is the force in the arteries when the heart beats (systolic pressure) and when the heart is at rest (diastolic pressure). High blood pressure or (hypertension) is defined in an adult as a blood pressure greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg systolic pressure or greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg diastolic pressure. High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher.
The illness can also be caused by an underlying conditions: such as kidney disease, hormonal disorders, thyroid disease, adrenal gland disease, and the use of certain drugs, such as oral contraceptives, or herbs such as licorice.
High blood pressure is a very dangerous, sometimes life-threatening condition, affecting people all around the world. It occurs when there is an increase of force against the arterial wall, with potentially damaging consequences.
The illness occurs more often in men than in women, and in African Americans almost twice as often as in Caucasians. The disease is dangerous because it makes the heart work harder to pump blood to the body and it contributes to hardening of the arteries.
It can occur in children or adults, but it’s more common among people over age 35. It is believed by some in the medical profession that High blood pressure can be <i><b>cured</i></b> by taking high amounts of magnesium and calcium in food.
High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, but it can cause serious problems such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure. It is also estimated to affect about two million American teens and children and the Journal of the American Medical Association reports that many are under-diagnosed.
Herbal medicines rarely have significant side effects when used appropriately and at suggested doses. Herbal remedies can effectively be used to treat high blood pressure instead of the pharmaceutical drugs by those who want to avoid such adverse reactions as dizziness, drowsiness, insomnia, dry mouth, headaches, bloating, constipation, depression, and others caused by anti-hypertensive medications.
Herbs are effective but it is important that you consult your doctor and understand the severity of your condition first so that the correct approach is taken. Herbs have shown overwhelming evidence that they work. Herbs that lower blood pressure such as Stevia and Passionflower have been scientifically validated in a study in the early 1980’s.
They act in almost magical and astonishing ways: spasms may relax, pains vanish, constipation overcome, nervousness recede, headaches disappear, colds banished, allergies counteracted, fevers controlled, and blood flow arrested.
High blood pressure tea, a mixture of valerian root, ginger root, motherwort leaves, and hawthorn berries and flowers can also be used to reduce hypertension. Herbal tea is more available nowadays and has become more popular among mainstream consumers who are discovering the benefits of herbal tea.
Garlic helps to break up toxins which leads to abnormal blood pressure and heart problems. Garlic is one of the most ancient of herbs going back to 3,000 BC. This bulb that is so common and abundantly available has shown to be beneficial.
Garlic (Allium Sativum) has been used to treat high blood pressure and lower cholesterol effectively. In a meta-analysis of seven randomized controlled trials of garlic supplements, it was indicated that in three trials it showed a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure and four in diastolic blood pressure.
Garlic supplements should only be used under the supervision of a qualified health practitioner. High blood pressure garlic can be taken but should not be taken alone for it can increase dullness of the mind.
Herbal hawthorn and vitamin C helps in widening of blood vessels and regulate heart rate. Herbal products like fish oils and flax-seed oil help in proper blood circulation as well.
Sharyce Arciaga
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/high-blood-pressure-and-herbs-that-help-725486.html
