Healthy Heart facts

More causes of heart disease are always being identified and the most recent cause of heart disease is psoriasis.

It seems as if psoriasis causes a build up of plaque in our arteries. It is thought that psoriasis may act due to its inflammatory properties, similar to rheumatoid arthritis and SLE which are both linked to an increased incidence of myocardial infarction (heart attack).

This is bad news for Americans as over 7 million suffer from the skin condition, and combine this with the high incidence of obesity in America and you have an even greater risk of heart disease than before. A recent study on people with psoriasis showed that they were more likely than those without the skin condition to have blood vessels disorders such as ischaemic heart disease, CVD, or peripheral vascular disease. Of course these blood vessel abnormalities lead to an increased risk of heart disease including heart attack and stroke.

If you are in your forties or older and get less than 8 hours sleep each night then you are at risk of high blood pressure (hypertension). High blood pressure brings with it an array of health risks including heart disease, kidney problems and stroke.

Ideal blood pressure is set at 120/80 and as we get older our blood pressure increases. Insomnia is now thought to be one factor which is responsible for the increase in blood pressure in the middle aged. It is a well known fact that the stresses of employment, financial problems as well as troublesome teenagers can cause parents sleepless nights.

A five year study carried out in the US on over 500 adults showed that those adults with fewer hours of sleep had a higher chance of developing high blood pressure. Further to this it was shown that each hour of reduction of sleep was associated with a 37 percent increase in the risk of developing high blood pressure. Additionally those that slept less over the five year period had higher risks of developing high blood pressure.

This latest research may point towards curing sleep disorders in order to prevent high blood pressure.

A healthy resting heart rate is essential for a lower risk of heart disease including heart attack. A healthy resting heart rate should be between 60-90 heart beats per minute.

There are many ways to measure your healthy resting heart rate including a manual method and an electronic method.

Manual method

This method involves measuring your pulse at sites such as your wrist or your neck. I find it is much easier to count the number of heartbeats using the wrist method. Make sure you use your fingers, index and middle finger, on the opposite hand to count the number of heart beats per minute. For a more accurate representation, count the number of heartbeats for several separate minutes and take the average. Before starting to count make sure you can obtain a pulse. Do not start counting until you can find a regular pulse.

An electrocardiogram can also be used for a more accurate reading of heart rate and can determine whether you have a healthy resting heart rate or not.

While having your heart rate measured it is important to relax, as stress will increase your heart rate and give an inaccurate result.

Best ways to achieve your healthy resting heart rate

Latest research has suggested that aspirin should be given to both men and women who do not have heart disease. Men between the ages of 45-79, and women between the ages of 55-79 are encouraged to take aspirin to reduce the risk of men having a first heart attack and to reduce the risk of women having an ischaemic stroke.

In normal circumstances aspirin is only recommended after men and women have had a previous heart attack or stroke respectively. By introducing aspirin use to those individual's at a greater risk it is postulated that many heart attacks and strokes will be prevented.

HOW DOES ASPIRIN PREVENT HEART ATTACKS AND STROKES

Aspirin is responsible for thinning the blood and preventing blood clots. Normally blood clots narrow the arteries and can block the oxygen supply to he heart leading to a heart attack. Therefore the prevention of blood clots helps to decrease the risk of heart disease.

However despite all the benefits of aspirin one must be careful as high doses of aspirin may lead to ulcers and GI bleeding. A dose as little as 82mg a day should be suffice but please ask a doctor before commencing daily aspirin.

Smoking cigarettes is a massive detrimental effect on your health, leading to breathing problems, many cancers and decreased life expectancy. Over 70% of smokers want to quit smoking cigarette but feel they cannot live without cigarettes for good.

There are many ways to quit smoking cigarette including nicotine replacement therapy and cold turkey. On many occasions these ways to quit smoking cigarette fail, leaving the smokers resorting back to their 20 a day habit. Another popular way to quit smoking cigarette is by using quit smoking pills.

There are several approved quit smoking pills on the market including Chantix which acts on the nicotine receptors on the brain to prevent nicotine addiction. Latest research showed that 44% of smokers who used Chantix were successful in quit smoking cigarette for the first 12 weeks. More longer term research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of this quit smoking pill and as with any therapy some counselling and support is required.