Heart Health

Resveratrol and Heart Disease: Helping the Heart Via the Gut

Resveratrol is present in red wine, berries, grapes and a variety of healthy foods. It has become a popular supplement in the last several years. Believed to have powerful antioxidant properties which promote healthy aging, this plant compound is being linked to a variety of positive health effects in studies. A new study looking at resveratrol and heart disease shows promise for the use of this supplement to protect against atherosclerosis, but through a surprising mechanism.

What Is Resveratrol?

Resveratrol is a compound that many plants make when they are injured or have an infection. It is believed to aid in DNA repair and act as an antioxidant in human cells, while also improving mitochondrial function. While resveratrol is best known for being present in red wine, it also can be found in grapes, berries, peanuts and a variety of plant foods.

Because the effects of this natural plant compound can improve the health of almost every cell in the human body, resveratrol is a very versatile supplement. It has been found to protect against cardiovascular disease, seems to be beneficial for certain types of cancer and may even promote healthy aging. Surprisingly, a new study has found that the positive cardiovascular effects of resveratrol may be due to its effect of the microbiome of the gastrointestinal tract.

The Microbiome and Heart Disease

Atherosclerosis is the root cause of many types of heart disease. When blood vessels are partially blocked by plaques, areas of the heart can lose blood supply. If the loss of blood supply is great enough, it can lead to cell death, also known as a myocardial infarction or heart attack. A large amount of atherosclerosis, or plaque build-up in blood vessels, is the result of inflammation.

Recent studies have found that the condition of our microbiome, or the bacteria that live in our gut, can have an immense effect on atherosclerosis and the inflammation that causes it. At the same time, resveratrol has been shown to have far-reaching effects on the microbiota of our guts. It promotes healthy levels of bacteria that have positive health effects while reducing those that can cause disease. In addition, it helps reduce the populations of bacteria that release the inflammatory factors that can lead to blood vessel damage. New studies suggest that in the future, due to its protective effect on the healthy bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, resveratrol may be useful in both protecting against and treating cardiovascular disease.

Potential Anti-Aging Benefits

Another possible link between resveratrol and heart disease relates to the way in which it promotes healthy aging. Researchers have long known that controlled food restriction can slow aging and lead to a longer lifespan. This is due to a class of enzymes made by the body in times of food deprivation called sirtuins. Higher levels of sirtuins can reduce the risk of heart disease, arthritis, and other conditions that we associate with aging, which is why controlled fasting can have so many positive health effects. Sirtuins may even slow visible signs of aging such as wrinkles and changes in skin texture. Resveratrol has been shown to increase production of sirtuins. Between its effect on the microbiome and its effect on sirtuin production, this simple health supplement appears to be a powerhouse of cardiovascular disease protection.

The cogs of the pharmaceutical approval process turn slowly, so it may be years or even decades before isolates from resveratrol are used as drugs to treat cardiovascular disease. However, people can benefit from the effects of this nutritional powerhouse by taking a high-quality resveratrol supplement or by choosing foods and drinks that are rich in this phytonutrient. There is no need to wait to enjoy the healthy effects of a healthy diet and supplement regime.

Omega-3 Supplementation Linked to Healthier Mood and Better Cognitive Function

Apr 01 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Low-fat diets are all the rage in the Western world, with many trying to follow medical advice to keep fat consumption low and avoid fried foods. However, there is one fat that many people actually need to consume more of: omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are important to brain and joint function and play a vital role in almost every area of the body.

What Is are Omega-3 Fatty Acids?

Omega-3 fatty acids are unsaturated and present in a variety of naturally oily foods, such as fish, nuts and flaxseeds. The best known omega-3 fatty acids are DHA and EPA, both of which can be found in fish. Another omega-3 fatty acid is ALA, found in nuts and seeds such as flaxseed.

Omega-3s have a variety of positive health effects, but they are not present in large enough amounts in the Western diet. This is why physicians often recommend that people take a supplement with these healthy oils. They have been found to support good joint function in people with arthritis, improve cardiovascular health and protect against cellular inflammation. While these are all positive effects, new studies are suggesting that the real benefit of omega-3s may be related to brain function and mood.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Depression

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most severe types of clinical depression, as well as one of the most difficult to treat. People who suffer from this disease feel a pervasive sadness that affects every area of their lives. While there are many antidepressants available, it can be difficult to find a dosage high enough to treat the effects of this disease yet low enough to minimize side effects. A new study suggests that taking an omega-3 supplement can help people suffering from MDD.

In this study, researchers found that omega-3s had an effect similar to antidepressants on people with MDD. Even better, these long chain fatty acids can be taken along with antidepressants, potentially doubling the mood-boosting effects. Most antidepressants increase the amount of circulating serotonin, the hormone associated with happiness. Omega-3s appear to increase the sensitivity of cell receptors to serotonin, allowing the higher circulating levels of this hormone to have an even greater effect. In addition, the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on serotonin receptors can improve the mood of people who are not even taking antidepressants.

Unsaturated Fats and Alzheimer Disease

A slight decrease in memory and cognitive skills is normal in aging. However, people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia suffer losses that are abnormal and have negative effects on almost every area of their lives. In Alzheimer’s disease, most of the effects are caused by loss of neurons, especially those with acetylcholine receptors. Acetylcholine is essential to brain function, so the inability to respond to this neurohormone can affect cognition and almost every aspect of a patient’s life.

New research is giving hope for those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, finding that taking omega-3 fatty acids appears to have a protective effect on neurons. People who take an omega-3 supplement perform better on memory tests and show fewer symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related cognitive decline. This study suggests that we all may be able to protect our brains from both natural aging and degenerative disease by taking a simple fish oil supplement.

There are many amazing new drugs on the market, but research is finding over and over that the keys to managing some health concerns are already available to the public. Certain dietary supplements can improve health comparable to some “miracle drugs,” but with fewer side effects and less expense. Omega-3s appear to be important in maintaining a good mood and high cognitive function, so this supplement should be part of your daily health regimen.

Skipping Breakfast Can Increase Your Stroke Risk

Mar 08 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Who has time for breakfast? In the modern world, many people succumb to the morning rush and run out the door with empty stomachs. However, this can have a negative effect on health in a variety of ways. People who skip breakfast tend to have lower cognition and poorer memory. A new study suggests that skipping the most important meal of the day can even increase stroke risk.

Blood Pressure and Stroke Risk

Health care workers and scientists have long acknowledged the link between blood pressure and stroke risk. In fact, there is a direct relationship between the two. High blood pressure can cause clots to break free from blood vessel walls and lodge in the delicate vessels of the brain, causing a lack of blood flow to key areas and a resulting loss of function, also known as an ischemic stroke. High blood pressure can also cause a hemorrhagic stroke, also known as a brain bleed, when the high pressure causes cerebral blood vessels to rupture.

Circadian Rhythm, Blood Pressure, and Breakfast

How can skipping breakfast contribute to stroke? While a recent study has confirmed that there is a connection, it seems to be counter-intuitive at first look. However, researchers believe that high blood pressure may be the link. Skipping a meal ultimately results in a rise in blood pressure. Because blood pressure is naturally higher in the morning, people who skip breakfast ultimately may end up with dangerously high blood pressure. The result is damage to blood vessels and a 30 percent rise in stroke risk.

Circadian Rhythm, Hypertension, and Health

Understanding the circadian rhythm can help people to reduce their disease risk. Our bodies create hormones and other important cell proteins on a 24-hour cycle. Understanding this cycle and its effects on our bodies can help people to make better health decisions. While few people would think that eating breakfast affects their disease risk, it indeed appears to be the case. It is important to eat breakfast because it helps us to think better and function better throughout the day, but also because it keeps blood pressure from spiking, thus prevents stroke risk from soaring.

Living With Your Circadian Rhythm

Our bodies are designed to live according to a 24-hour rhythm. While modern life often interferes, it is important to keep healthy habits. There is a reason our ancestors believed in eating a healthy breakfast, even if they could not perform double-blind studies on every benefit. They understood on some innate level that our bodies were intended to work on a 24-hour cycle.

Research in chronobiology is constantly helping people to understand their bodies better and thus to reduce the chances of developing deadly disorders such as stroke. Your healthy breakfast is not just a great way to start a productive day, but a way of reducing your disease risk as well.

Night Shift Work Linked to Increased Risk of Heart Disease

Feb 20 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Night shift work can make you very tired and interfere with your sleep cycles. Alarmingly, a growing body of research suggests that it can also contribute to heart disease.

Anyone who has ever performed night shift work knows that it can have immense effects on your schedule as well as your general feelings of well-being. When you work the night shift, it can be difficult to maintain a schedule, get adequate sleep and avoid feeling fatigued all the time. Sleeping at odd hours, especially during the day, is a challenge for many. The result is fatigue, fuzzy thinking and other complaints. However, the effects of night shift work are not a mere inconvenience. Not only can working nights mess with your sleep and energy, but it can affect your cardiovascular health as well.

How Does Night Shift Work Affect Your Heart?

The Nurses’ Health Study has been following a huge population of nurses(more than 100,000 people) for several decades. One surprising discovery is that people who work the night shift or are on-call at night have an increased risk of mortality by 11 percent. In addition, these workers are between 19 and 23 percent more likely to die of cardiovascular illness. The increased incidence of heart disease and cardiovascular-related death is present even when other variables are the same.

The Physiology of Night Shifts and Heart Disease

Medical researchers have identified a few ways that night shift work can contribute to heart disease. One study found that even a short-term disruption of a person’s natural circadian rhythm can lead to higher blood pressure and increased inflammation, both of which are important risk factors for heart disease.

Another study looked the effect of working irregular hours in health care workers and found that these people have more activity in the sympathetic nervous system. This system is associated with both emotional and physiological stress, the creator of what we call the “fight or flight response.” Health care workers who miss sleep for work have more physiological stress hormones. In addition, they have thickening of the carotid arteries and other signs of developing cardiovascular disease.

Healthcare workers are not the only population where shift work can affect heart health. The CDC and WHO consider shift work a major cause of occupation-related illness due to several studies finding a significant increased risk. Working the night shift is simply not healthy for most people.

New Discoveries, New Approaches

We will always need night shift workers to staff hospitals and in other fields that don’t close down for the night. However, there are ways that knowledge of the link between heart disease and night shift work can be used to improve health. People who work odd hours can be screened earlier and more carefully for cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure to allow early detection and treatment. In addition, melatonin and other supplements may help to prevent cardiovascular disease by helping workers to get adequate rest and maintain a healthy circadian rhythm. Fields where night work is not necessary may consider changing hours so workers can keep a more natural circadian rhythm.

Sleepless nights affect people more than we often realize. New studies are constantly linking surprising diseases with disruptions in the circadian rhythm. Regular sleep of high quality is very important to good health, even if modern life often makes it difficult.

Take Your Blood Pressure Medication Before Bed for Best Results

Jan 22 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

A new study finds blood pressure medication may be more effective and even prevent death due to cardiovascular disease when taken at night.

Treating hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a challenge for many health care workers. While there are many medications available, it can be difficult to find the right combinations and doses that will keep blood pressure under control with minimum side effects. A new study suggests that the time when people take their blood pressure medication may be an important factor in hypertension control.

What Causes Hypertension?

There are several causes of hypertension. As people age, many develop atherosclerosis, or hardening of their blood vessels. This keeps their vessels from stretching to accommodate changes in blood volume, which leads to higher pressure in the circulatory system. Second, many people also develop lipid deposits in their arteries as they age, which further constricts their blood vessels and raises pressure.

One last and highly-treatable factor in blood pressure is the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System, or RAAS. This system releases hormones that control the excretion of fluids and electrolytes. Retaining fluid and electrolytes as a result of abnormal activity in the RAAS is a major cause of hypertension. For this reason, this system is the target of the most commonly-used classes of blood pressure medication, including ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs).

The Timing of Blood Pressure

The RAAS is tightly-timed and runs on a circadian rhythm, which means that hypertension also has a distinct 24-hour cycle. In a healthy person, blood pressure rises shortly before waking as the RAAS goes into high gear. It reaches a peak around noon and then slowly falls until bedtime. It reaches an all-time low when people finally fall into deep sleep.

However, in people with hypertension, especially hypertension that doesn’t respond to medication, blood pressure fails to fall at night. People with higher nighttime blood pressure, called non-dippers, are more likely to suffer heart attacks and strokes, especially late at night and in the early morning.

Can Timing Blood Pressure Medication Help?

In a recent chronobiology study, people with hypertension were followed for more than five years. Some took their blood pressure medication in the morning, which is typical, while others took it before bed.

The people who took their blood pressure medication at night had lower blood pressure. In addition, they had one-third the amount of heart attacks and strokes. This is not the only study suggesting that taking blood pressure medication at night has health benefits. Another recent study found that people who take their medication at night have a lower risk of developing diabetes, a common complication in hypertensive people.

Chronopharmacology and Health Care

Chronopharmacology, a sub-discipline of chronobiology, is one of the fastest growing fields in medicine. New studies are published almost every week suggesting that when we take medication can have a huge effect on treatment, side effects and even death rates. Circadian rhythms dictate almost every cell process, including how we use and metabolize medications.

One in three adults, or about 70 million Americans, suffer from hypertension. Of these people, only about half have their condition under control. These new studies on chronopharmacology and blood pressure medication offer hope that people may find better control of a difficult-to-treat disease and lead longer, healthier lives.