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smoking are, by far, the main culprits.
Nearly half of all Americans have
one or more of these three factors.
Also contributing are diabetes, obesity, and excessive alcohol consumption.
The good news is that steps can be
taken to prevent heart disease, as well
as correct and improve existing con-
ditions. As is the case for nearly all
disease prevention, healthy diet and
exercise are the best weapons to fight
cardiovascular disease. Exercise can
make your heart stronger and more
efficient, lower your blood pressure,
Sometimes, though, diet and exer-
cise are not enough. For a variety of
reasons such as genetic predisposi-
tion, issues like high cholesterol and
elevated blood pressure can prove
too stubborn to respond to lifestyle
modifications. This is when both pre-
scription drugs and over the counter
supplements can provide support.
Generally, prescription drugs are
intended to manage risk factors associated with heart disease, such as high
blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Doctors may prescribe from an army
of agents that work in different manners to reduce risk of complications
such as stroke and heart attack. Additionally, your doctor may prescribe
drugs that help control and improve
efficiency of the heart’s pumping
function.
Many people, however, choose
to avoid prescription medication, if
possible, and attempt to tackle cardiovascular issues through nutritional supplementation. While individual
circumstance and severity of disease
state vary from person to person, this
“natural” approach may prove effective when paired with healthful diet
and exercise. As with prescription
drugs, there exists a number of nutritional options, each addressing different complications of heart disease.
When aiming to target high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, heart
healthy omega supplements, as well
as those containing red yeast rice
are common. Today’s popular statin
drugs were actually modeled from red
yeast rice, which, like statins, works
to lower your body’s production of
LDL. Omega supplements serve a
dual purpose in lowering triglyceride
levels, as well as potentially reducing
inflammation caused by plaque buildup in the arteries.
One of the most common over
the counter supplements, omegas
products are not all equal in quality
or effectiveness. Often derived from
seafood sources, which earns them
the name “fish oil,” omega products
can contain different levels of the
essential omega- 3 fatty acids EPA and
DHA, the substances that give fish oil
its beneficial effect. Consumers must
be vigilant in reading product labels,
as many omega supplements may list
a larger dosage of “fish oil” on the
label, when, in fact, the active omega-
3s (EPA and DHA) are minimal, and
the bulk of the listed omega-3s are
inactive ones that are poorly utilized
by the body. For patients with high
cholesterol, the typical target dosage for EPA and DHA combined, is
1,500mg to 3,000mg.
Beyond cholesterol management,
supplements exist to support healthy
blood pressure. For instance, arginine
is an amino acid, that, when taken
as a supplement, can promote relaxation of the blood vessels. This relaxation, or vasodilation, eases the flow
of blood through the vessels and thus
lowers the pressure exerted on them.
Finally, other supplements promote
