Heart disease is perhaps the nation’s most prevalent killer of men and women.  Because of this, there is constant research being conducted to find a cure for heart disease.  Although there is no official cure as of yet, a few procedures and treatments do show a great deal of promise.

A Simple Potential Cure for Heart Disease

Recent studies have indicated that the same methods used to prevent heart disease can possibly be a way to cure heart disease.  These studies indicate that a drastic change in diet and exercise practices can in fact reverse or even cure heart disease.

One such program is the one presented by Dean Ornish Program.  Based on a whole food and plant based diet, this program provides a very regimented and regulated plan as a cure for heart disease.

According to this program, there are a number of steps that are necessary to reverse the affect of this killer disease. 

The first is to lower the fat intake to 10% of your daily calorie intake.  This action alone has been shown to lower cholesterol, and help with hypertension, both major contributing factors of heart disease.

Also, this plan calls for lowering the intake of dietary cholesterol by a drastic amount.  In addition, this program calls for a regular amount of soy protein, usually amounting to 15% of your daily calorie intake.

In addition to some drastic dietary changes, this program also calls for at least 30 minutes of strenuous exercise per day to help maintain a healthy weight and body condition.

All these factors, as well as quitting smoking and drinking, in small quantities appear to be very promising techniques for a cure for heart disease.
 
Of course, the body is not the only part of you involved with finding a cure for heart disease.  Many studies indicate that joining a support group and having the encouragement of family and friends is a fantastic way to help beat this disease.

Different stress management techniques such as meditation, anger management, and even being among friends are great ways to help in the cure for heart disease.

Surgical Options

Of course, occasionally for various reasons, drastic changes in diet or exercise practices are not really available to the patient.  Diet and exercise should always be the first change made in finding a cure for heart disease, but sometimes surgery might be a possibility. 

Although surgery is drastic, and it doesn’t always fix the underlying problem of bad diet or poor exercise habits that contributed to the disease, it can be one method for a cure for heart disease.  One such common surgery is that of angioplasty.

This procedure uses a tiny balloon to push open blocked arteries around the heart to aid in the flow of blood, and help in the cure for heart disease. 

Another surgical method that is gaining popularity in the cure for heart disease is that of bypass surgery.

In this procedure, small pieces of veins or arteries are taken from another portion of the body, sometimes the arms or legs, and used to create a ‘bypass’ for the blood around the blocked blood vessel. 

Which is Right for You?

Which cure for heart disease is correct for you can only be decided by consulting with your chosen medical professional, and perhaps even consulting a cardiologist would be in order.

Most likely the best cure for heart disease would be a combination of exercise diet, and surgical options as outlined by your doctor.

Tags: kidney and heart disease, prevent heart disease, rheumatic heart disease

Coronary heart disease (CHD), also known as coronary artery disease (CAD) and atherosclerotic heart disease, is the result of accumulation of atheromatous plaques (an abnormal inflammatory accumulation of the macrophage white blood cells) within the walls of the arteries.

The symptoms and signs of coronary heart disease can only be noted in the advanced state of the disease. Most individuals who suffer from coronary heart disease can have no evidence of its existence for long periods of time before they have a stroke.

Causes of Coronary Heart Disease

• Family history of coronary heart disease
• Males are more prone to this particular disease
• Being 65-years-old or greater
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Lack of physical activities
• Menopause in women
• Infection that causes inflammation of the artery wall

Symptoms leading to coronary heart disease may not always be easily readable, as many live with clogged arteries for years before they realize they have a problem. Usually people suffering from coronary heart disease walk in the emergency room with a heart attack on their hands.

Here are some of the symptoms that may help you recognize this disease:

• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath

As prevention is always better then treatment, one should try and have regular check ups and follow the doctor’s advice. Knowing in time that you are likely to have a heart problem may save you from being faced with an emergency situation, which can sometimes turn to be fatal.

Preventing Coronary Heart Disease

Coronary heart disease is the most common of heart diseases in the western world. Here are some ways to prevent ever suffering from it in the near future:

• Decrease your cholesterol level.
• Maintain your ideal body weight – obesity is one of the main factors of coronary heart disease.
• If you are a smoker, this is yet another reason you should stop smoking.
• Have a healthy diet and exercise – some doctors strongly recommend diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C.

Proper diet and exercise have always have always been the key to maintaining one’s health, and for centuries man has practiced this as being the best natural medicine.

Health is our most valuable possession, which often cannot be bought back once lost. One should try to make an effort to maintain what we naturally have – good health; as an old saying goes ‘health is wealth’ after all, treasure it while you still have it.

Tags: cure for heart disease, heart disease prevention, heart disease in woman

Congestive heart disease affects approximately five million Americans, and some medical professionals believe that within five years time approximately half of those people will unfortunately die from their condition.

Congestive heart disease is marked by the heart’s inability to pump efficiently enough to supply the body with freshly oxygenated blood.  It is the leading cause of hospitalization among senior citizens and accounted for nearly 20% of the hospitalization of this age group in 2003.

Since congestive heart disease is a condition that warrants attention, a brief discussion of some of the risk factors might be in order.  While some of these factors cannot be helped, there are many things a person can change about their lives to reduce the risk.

Risk Factors That Cannot be Helped

There are a number of risk factors for congestive heart disease that simply can’t be helped.  One such factor is a previous heart attack, and advanced age, specifically over the age of 65, is another common factor for this condition.

Another, of course, is a history of diabetes.  Both these factors, although treatable cannot be reversed, and if you have had one of these medical conditions, there is a distinct possibility that congestive heart disease might be a condition to watch out for.

Another risk factor that cannot be changed when dealing with congestive heart disease is having a genetic disposition to the disease.

Genetic testing and knowledge of the complete family history can go a long way in indicating whether or not congestive heart disease is something that should be a concern for you.

Risk Factors That Can Be Changed

While some factors that indicate the potential for congestive heart disease cannot be helped, there are a number that can.  These factors include such things as chronic high blood pressure, drug or alcohol abuse, thyroid disease, and even heart valve disease.

All these risk factors, especially drug and alcohol abuse can be managed with help from your medical professional or friendly neighborhood physician.    The best course of action is talk to your doctor to design a plan to attack congestive heart disease and hopefully stop it from affecting your life.

Unfortunately, congestive heart disease is difficult to diagnose because it often occurs as a result of or in conjunction with other forms of heart disease.  Perhaps the best hope for patients with this disease is to catch it early and begin treatment as soon as possible.

Tags: kidney and heart disease, cure for heart disease, woman and heart disease

The heart is the most important part of one’s body; it ensures blood circulation throughout the body, without which life would not be possible. Medicine has advanced greatly and, with modern technology, almost all heart diseases can be treated successfully if detected in time.

What is Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease, or CHD, is a malformation of the heart or a large blood vessel near the heart. Congenital heart disease is a condition that one is born with and it is one of the most common forms of major birth defects in newborns, affecting approximately 8% per 1000 infants.

It is normally diagnosed within one week from birth in 40-50% of congenital heart disease cases.

This condition is not a problem until after birth, as the blood circulation differs from that after birth.

The fetal circulation derives oxygen and nutrients from the mother through the placenta, and the fetal circulation has important communications between the upper heart chambers and the great blood vessels near the heart.

Consequently, most types of congenital heart disease are well tolerated during fetal life.

The Cause of Congenital Heart Disease

This disease can have different causes such as:

• Environmental factors such as chemicals or drugs are sometimes to blame. For example, if a mother-to-be catches measles or rubella during pregnancy, the infection can impair the development of the unborn baby’s heart or other organs. Similar effects can take place if the mother-to-be consumes alcohol during pregnancy.
• Maternal diseases for the mother can increase the risks of developing congenital heart disease in the unborn baby.
• Chromosome abnormalities – a common chromosome abnormality causing congenital heart disease is Down’s syndrome where an extra #21 chromosome is present. About 50% of children with Down’s syndrome also have CHD.

Treating Congenital Heart Disease

The treatment depends from person to person due to the huge difference in occurrence from case to case. Everything needs to be taken into consideration in order to follow an effective treatment program.

A treatment program can only be decided after proper diagnosis made by a specialist. While eating healthy and exercising always helps, congenital heart disease is a special case which needs to follow strict doctor’s instructions; no self medication or treatment is advised.

Information and guidelines are available both online and in the doctor’s office to help one educate themselves in order to deal better with this disease.

Tags: congenital heart disease, information on heart disease, heart disease treatment