Hawthorne Berry and Other Herbal Remedies for Heart Health

March 18, 2009 by  
Filed under Alternative Treatments

magnesium

There are many herbal remedies for heart health on the market. The heart health benefits of magnesium have been studied by scientific researchers and magnesium is sometimes including in natural and herbal remedies for heart health.

Some of the herbs have basis in scientific fact, but care must be taken when selecting a product, particularly if you are taking prescription medications. Many of today’s prescription drugs are based on and function similarly to herb components. Thus, interactions can occur.

In order to understand how vitamins, minerals, herbs and other natural products promote heart health, it is necessary to understand the risk factors that lead to heart disease. It is believed that if we can control these risk factors, we may be able to prevent many types of heart disease, including atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, blood clots and possibly strokes. Since the risk factors of heart disease and stroke are similar.

The major controllable risk factors for developing heart disease include obesity, high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels, diabetes, physical inactivity and chronic stress.

Studies have shown that the heart health benefits of magnesium are related to the risk factors that magnesium helps to address and other unique attributes of the mineral. In one study, patients who already exhibited signs of heart disease were noted to have lower levels of magnesium.

During a six month trial, patients who were given an oral magnesium supplement had less chest pain and performed better during stress tests. In other studies magnesium supplements have been shown to correct irregular heart beat, palpitations and even heart murmurs.

Because of the heart health benefits of magnesium, some of the better herbal remedies for heart health contain magnesium ascorbate. This is the form of the mineral that is most easily absorbed by the human body.

Some of the herbal remedies for heart health include Butcher’s Broom, Gingko Biloba, Green Tea and Hawthorne Berry. Butcher’s Broom was used historically as a diuretic and should have beneficial effects on blood pressure.

Gingko Biloba improves circulation by dilating the blood vessels and is believed to protect the arterial walls. Green Tea has been used for weight loss, as a diuretic and is believed to prevent platelet aggregation, this is the technical term for materials in the blood that bind together and eventually form blood clots.

Some herbal remedies for heart health contain Hawthorne Berry, because of its traditional use as a heart tonic. Components in the plant, probably flavonoids and procyanidins, improve the strength of heart muscle contractions, help the body maintain a healthy blood pressure, and have been reported to reduce blood lipid concentrations.

Courtesy: Patsy Hamilton

https://www.amazines.com/article_detail.cfm/226334?articleid=226334

More evidence that depression is hard on the heart (AP)

March 16, 2009 by  
Filed under Heart Health News

AP – Severe depression may silently break a seemingly healthy woman’s heart. Doctors have long known that depression is common after a heart attack or stroke, and worsens those people’s outcomes. Monday, Columbia University researchers reported new evidence that depression can lead to heart disease in the first place.

Antidepressant Use Tied to Cardiac Death in Women (HealthDay)

March 16, 2009 by  
Filed under Heart Health News

HealthDay – MONDAY, March 9 (HealthDay News) — Women who use antidepressants
appear to be at heightened risk for sudden cardiac death, although the
exact nature of the link remains unclear, researchers say.

Traffic Jams Harm the Heart (HealthDay)

March 16, 2009 by  
Filed under Heart Health News

HealthDay – FRIDAY, March 13 (HealthDay News) — Forget road rage. A new
study out of Germany has uncovered evidence that getting stuck in traffic
prompts an even more serious and immediate consequence — a much higher
risk for suffering a heart attack.

Medications – Healthy Heart Care

March 16, 2009 by  
Filed under Medical Treatments, Treatments

beta-blocker

Medications are all important when it comes to healthy heart care. The patient needs to understand how the proper medication effects the heart. The fact that the heart has different problems means that accordingly the medication may vary as well. It is possible to have multiple problems such as high blood pressure and cholesterol then you would need two different types of medications.

The medicine that is Beta-Blockers, which reduce the heart rate and the output of blood by counteracting a hormone called noradrenalin, is not recommended for people with severe heart failure. Diuretics are a medication that helps people with fluid retention. The digitalis medicines increase the force of the heart’s contractions, helping to improve circulation. The medicines known as Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBS) may improve survival among heart failure patients and may slow or prevent the loss of heart pumping activity. The ACE inhibitors were originally developed as a treatment for high blood pressure the inhibitors help heart failure patients by decreasing the pressure inside the blood vessels. This results in the heart not needing to work as hard to pump blood through the vessels. Nitrate or hydralazine is prescribed to patients who cannot take ACE inhibitors or ARBS. These medications help relax tension in blood vessels and improve blood flow.

These are the basic groups of medications but they are manufactured by drug companies that attach their own name, however, just read the explanation you will get from your pharmacist and that will let you know the type of medication you are taking. Patients with high cholesterol levels take a drug called Lipitor while another patient might be in need of a Beta-Blocker so the medicine named Plavix. A patient might be inclined to strokes therefore; Nadolol helps with this problem. One medication that you can take that is highly recommended is Bayer Aspirin 81mg. The Aspirin known to stop heart attacks or prevent heart attacks and this medicine bought over the counter without a prescription.

The above medications are just a few that your doctor can prescribe for you according to your heart condition. The heart is one of the most vital organs in our body. It is essential that we take care of our heart in order to survive. That is why taking medications are a very serious matter. This could prevent your heart from functioning. I knew a man who was not of the wisest nature and whenever he traveled on his short weekend trips would take all of us heart medications on Friday afternoon so he would not have to take them with him. The first time he proclaimed that the room went round and he was dizzy for a while. This did not stop him the next time he did this when he stood up his heart stopped. Yes, the man died at the age of 55 years simply because he mismanaged his medications. Please only take what your doctor recommends and only as it is prescribed.

Courtesy: Patrick Louis

https://www.amazines.com/article_detail.cfm/429042?articleid=429042