Arteriosclerosis, heart

DISORDERS

(Their description, characteristics or symptoms,

causes, and complementary or alternative treatments)

Disorder: HEART / CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (Arteriosclerosis)

Description: Your heart is the most important muscle in your body. The cardiovascular system is made up of the heart and blood vessels. Blood is pumped by the heart and circulated throughout the body through the blood vessels. The arteries that supply blood to the heart are called the coronary arteries. If the blood vessels of the heart narrow, the amount of blood they supply to the heart may be insufficient to provide the oxygen the heart needs. This oxygen deprivation is what causes a type of chest pain known as angina pectoris. If the coronary arteries that carry oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle become obstructed, the flow of blood is cut off completely, triggering a heart attack, or myocardial infarction. Arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, or a clot in a blood vessel, are the most common causes of obstruction. Arteriosclerosis is responsible for most of the deaths resulting from heart attacks. Spasms of the coronary arteries can also result in a heart attack.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is often a precursor to heart problems and is a common form of cardiovascular disease. Because it is essentially painless, especially in the early stages, many people don’t know they have it; hence the term "silent killer." Untreated hypertension is the leading cause of stroke, and also greatly increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure, and kidney failure.

Other types of cardiovascular disease include heart failure, arrhythmias, and valvular disease. While a heart attack occurs because of an interruption in blood flow to the heart, heart failure is characterized by inadequate blood flow from the heart – the heart does not pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Arrhythmias are disturbances in the normal rhythm of the heartbeat. There are different types of arrhythmias, some of which are quite dangerous, or even life threatening, while others may be merely annoying or scarcely noticeable, posing no particular danger. Valvular disease is a disorder that impairs the functioning of one or more of the heart’s valves. It may be caused by congenital defects, or it may be the consequence of illness such as rheumatic fever or endocarditis (infection of the heart muscle).

Symptoms: Disorders of the cardiovascular system are often far advanced before they become symptomatic. An estimated 25 percent of people who have heart attacks have no previous symptoms of heart trouble. Symptoms of heart diseases are as follows:

(a) Heart Attack: A heart attack may feel as if someone is applying intense pressure to the chest. This pain may last for several minutes, often extending to the shoulder, arm, neck, or jaw. Other signs of heart attack include sweating, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, feelings of anxiety, difficulty swallowing, sudden ringing in the ears and loss of speech. The amount and type of chest pain vary from one person to another. Some people have intense pain, while others feel only mild discomfort. Many mistake the symptoms of a heart attack for indigestion. Some have no symptoms at all, a situation referred to as a "silent" heart attack.

(b) Angina Pectoris: Angina is characterized by a heavy, tight pain in the chest area, usually after some type of exertion. The pain usually recedes with rest.

(c) Heart Failure: Symptoms include fatigue, poor color, shortness of breath, and edema (swelling due to the accumulation of fluid in the body’s tissues, especially around the ankles.)

Incidence: Over 60 million Americans currently suffer from heart disease. Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, claiming more than 1 million lives annually.

Causes: Most heart disease, including angina and electrical problems that are responsible for sudden cardiac death, is actually caused by atherosclerosis, a condition in which cholesterol and cells roaming our bloodstream build up along the walls of coronary arteries and cause them to narrow. This narrowing reduces the flow of blood to the heart and increases the chance that blood cells might clump together and get wedged in the artery. When that happens, blood flow to the heart is cut off, triggering a heart attack.

Treatments: Overwhelming evidence shows that the risk of heart disease can be reduced greatly through lifestyle changes. Controllable factors that contribute to heart disease include smoking, high blood pressure, elevated serum cholesterol, stress, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and diabetes.

Nutrients:

Supplement Dosage Comments

Coenzyme Q10	50-100 mg. 3 times daily.	Increases oxygenation of heart tissue. Has been shown to prevent recurrences in individuals who have had a heart attack.
Calcium And Magnesium	1500-2000 mg. daily in divided doses, after meals and at bedtime. 750-1000 mg. daily, in divided doses, after meals and at bedtime.	Important in the proper functioning of the cardiac muscle.
Garlic	2 capsules 3 times daily	Lowers blood pressure and thins the blood.
L-Carnitine	500 mg. twice daily on an empty stomach. Take with 5 mg. vitamin B6 and 100 mg. vitamin C for better absorption.	Reduces fat and triglyceride levels in the blood. Increases oxygen uptake and stress tolerance.
Lecithin granules or capsules	1 tbsp. 3 times daily before meals. 2400 mg. 3 times daily with meals. Take with vitamin E.	Acts as a fat emulsifier.
Essential fatty acids (black currant seed oil, flaxseed oil, primrose oil, and salmon oil are good sources.	As directed on label.	Helps prevent hardening of the arteries. If you use a fish oil, use a product with vitamin E added to prevent rancidity.
Potassium	99 mg. daily	Needed for electrolyte balance especially if taking cortisone or blood pressure medication.
Selenium	200 mcg. daily	Deficiency has been linked with heart disease.
Vitamin E	Start with 100-200 IU daily and increase slowly, adding 100 IU each week until daily dosage is 800-1000 IU. If you take an anticoagulant drug, do not exceed 400 IU daily.	Strengthens the immune system and heart muscle, improves circulation and destroys free radicals. Caution: Use this supplement only under the supervision of a physician.
Melatonin	2-3 mg. daily, taken 2 hours or less before bedtime.	A powerful antioxidant that may help prevent stroke and also aids sleep.
Vitamin B Complex Plus Extra Vitamin B1 (thiamin) And Vitamin B3 (niacin) And Folic Acid	50 mg. 3 times daily, with meals. 50 mg. daily 50 mg. daily. Do not exceed a total of 200 mg. daily if you have a have a history of rheumatic heart disease or other valvular heart problem. 400 mcg. daily	B vitamins work best when taken together. Deficiency in the heart muscle leads to heart disease. Lowers cholesterol and improves circulation. Caution: Do not take niacin if you have a liver disorder, gout, or high blood pressure.
Vitamin C with bioflavonoids	1000 mg. daily.	Extremely important in treating cardiovascular disease.

Herbs:

	People with cardiovascular disease may benefit from suma tea. Take 3 cups of this herbal tea daily with ginkgo biloba extract as directed on the product label.
	Other herbs beneficial for cardiovascular disorders include barberry, black cohosh, butcher’s broom, cayenne (capsicum), dandelion, ginseng, hawthorn berries, and valerian root. Caution: Do not use barberry or black cohosh during pregnancy. Do not use ginseng if you have high blood pressure.
	Avoid the herbs ephedra (ma huang) and licorice; they can cause a rise in blood pressure.

Recommendations:

	Half of all heart attack deaths occur within three to four hours of the onset of the attack, so immediate medical attention is required. If you experience any heart attack symptoms, *immediately* contact your doctor or go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital.
	Quit smoking.
	Walk 2 miles a day (or the equivalent in another form of exercise). (Don’t begin an exercise program without first checking with your doctor, especially if you have had a heart attack.)
	Decrease overall dietary fat to no more than 55 grams daily (or not more than 25 percent of calories) based on a 2,000 calorie diet. To limit total fat, steer clear of bakery goodies, snack foods (such as chips and packaged cookies), and deep-fried foods (especially fast foods).
	Decrease saturated fat to no more than 20 grams daily (10 grams if you’ve suffered a heart attack). Saturated fats are the number one contributor to bad blood fats. Avoid butter and dairy products like whole and 2% milk, high-fat cheese and high-fat ice cream.
	Decrease dietary cholesterol to no more than 300 mg. daily (200 mg. if you have had a heart attack).
	Make sure your diet is well balanced and contains plenty of fiber. Eat plenty of raw foods. For protein, eat broiled fish and skinless turkey and chicken.
	Decrease sodium intake. Read all labels and avoid those foods that have "soda," "sodium," or the symbol "Na" on the label. Some foods that should be avoided include Monosodium glutamate (MSG), baking soda, canned vegetables, diet soft drinks, saccharin, meat tenderizers.
	Do not consume stimulants such as coffee and black tea that contain caffeine. Also avoid alcohol, chocolate, sugar, butter, red meat, fried foods, and white flour products such as white bread.
	If you’re a woman at or near menopause, consider hormone-replace therapy (HRT).
	Find an outlet for your stress. Use stress reduction strategies such as meditation, deep breathing, regular exercise, and massage.

Considerations:

	Studies suggest that the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) may help to prevent cardiovascular disease.
	Controlling high blood pressure can prevent, or at least delay, dangerous complications.
	According to some studies, magnesium supplementation can correct some types of irregular heartbeat.
	The FDA asserts that taking one baby aspirin a day can reduce the risk of heart attack without side effects, although a Harvard Medical School newsletter states that there is insufficient evidence to support this. If you do use aspirin, keep in mind that it can cause internal bleeding and stomach ulceration.
	Certain viruses may infect blood vessels, causing change that eventually lead to heart disease.
	Nitroglycerin is commonly prescribed to relieve chest pain and to improve the oxygen supply to the heart. This drug is taken at the first sign of chest pain. If dry mouth prevents sublingual nitroglycerin tablets from dissolving, the spray form may be a better choice. Nitroglycerin has some side effects including headache, weakness, and dizziness. These usually disappear with continued use.

Vitamin For Life Recommended Regimen and cost:

Product No. 59618	Description	Comments	Cost
969-11	Coenzyme Q10 100 mg.	Take 1 – 3 tabs daily	$19.95/30
112-17	Calcium Oyscal with D 500 mg. Tabs.	3 – 4 tabs daily in divided doses, after meals and at bedtime.	$5.75/120
232-15	Magnesium 200mg. Caps.	4 tabs daily in divided doses, after meals and at bedtime.	$4.95/100
978-15	Garlic 400 mg. odor free Tabs.	1 tablet 3 times daily	$5.50
627-12 OP	L-Carnitine 500 mg.	1 tablet twice daily. Take on empty stomach.	$27.95/60
921-15	Lecithin 1200 mg. Softgels	2 tablets daily, with meals.	$4.50/100
941-15	Omega 3 fish oil 1000 mg. softgels	As directed on label	$7.98/100
236-15	Selenium 200 mcg. tabs.	1 tablet daily	$5.95/100
234-15	Vitamin E 400 I.U. (d-alpha tocopheryl)	2 tablets daily. Caution: If you take an anticoagulant drug, take only one tablet daily.	$8.95/100
927-12	Melatonin 3 mg. w/B6 tablets	1 tablet 2 hours or less before bedtime.	$5.50/60
891-15	B Complex 50 mg. tabs.	1 tablet 3 times daily	$6.95/100
903-15	Folic Acid 400 mcg. tabs.	1 tablet daily	$2.50/100
091-15	Citrus bioflavonoids 1000 mg. tabs.	1 tablet 3 times daily	$5.95/100
970-12	Vitamin C 1000 mg. w/rose hips tabs.	1 tablet 3 times daily	$5.75/6

Sources:

Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 2^nd Edition

By James F. Balch, M.D. & Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C.

Prevention’s Healing with Vitamins, by the Editors of

Prevention Magazine Health Books

Alternative Medicine, The Definitive Guide

Compiled by Burton Goldberg

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