While many of you are aware that many times heart disease (particularly congestive heart failure) leads to depression in heart patients, a study just showed that this depression likely leads to even worse heart trouble- showing another way that heart disease is indeed part of a vicious cycle.
A just released published study in the Journal of American Medical Association showed that researchers followed a little more than 1000 heart patients with stable yet chronic heart disease during a five year period. During that period it was determined that 341 of those patients had a heart related incident that forced them to visit the hospital such as a heart attack.
From that, it was determined that the heart disease patients who suffered from depression were 31% more likely to have a heart attack, heart failure, stroke, or death.
Here is the kicker:
But the clearest differences between groups were behavioral, Whooley says. When researchers accounted for differences between the groups in smoking habits, exercise habits and discipline in taking medications, the heart risk apparently imparted by depression evaporated.
Meanwhile, the depressed people were nearly twice as likely to smoke and were more likely than the nondepressed group to fail to take medications on schedule. The depressed group also exercised less.
Study coauthor Mary Whooley, an internist at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco said that it is difficult to change the behavior of depressed patients who often aren't motivated and she wanted doctors to be more aware of the risks of their patients maintaining a sedentary lifestyle and other detrimental behaviors.
While of course it is hard to determine which came first the chicken or the egg ie. "is the depression stemming from the heart problems? Or are the heart problems occurring because of the depression," what I got from this study (and this one) is to try and stay active. Do some exercise, get off the couch, stop smoking, try and keep a positive attitude even though I know it is difficult at times.
This is probably good advice for everybody, not just heart patients- but it is something heart disease patients should take note of. All of us should keep this in mind especially at this time during the holiday season, as we are more likely to sit on the couch and watch Law and Order reruns while waiting for the next football or basketball (or hockey for my Canadian audience) game to start.
Many of our adult stem cell therapy patients are scared to come to Thailand. I am not quite sure the reasoning behind this and I'm sure the reasons vary from person to person. However, after speaking to our heart disease patients before they arrive, they seem to think that Thailand is a third world country with sub par medical facilities. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. And today, we have some proof. This week, Bangkok Hospital (one of Vescell's affiliated hospitals) was named "Best Global Hospital" by HealthLeaders Media. Bangkok Hospital is the only facility outside the United States to receive this prestigious award.
Bangkok Hospital Medical Centre (BMC) is one of the most technologically sophisticated hospitals in the world. Located in Bangkok, Thailand, BMC is a state-of-the-art medical campus providing comprehensive medical care through multidisciplinary teams of highly trained specialists. With its four hospitals and broad range of specialized clinics, BMC is equipped with all of the diagnostic and treatment facilities not generally available at local hospitals. BMC is known throughout the world for delivering world-class, award-winning healthcare.
It really is a 5 star hospital with wonderful caring doctors and state-of-the-art medical facilities and equipment. I would say it is better than 99% of the hospitals in the U.S. And you don't have to take my word for it. You can call some of our former patients and ask them. Joe Woolfolk was treated there in December 2006 and you can reach him at 214-697-0086. Or, you can try Richard Stuart, who was treated in December 2005 at his email address stext184@yahoo.com.
And Bangkok Hospital isn't the only great hospital we work with. We work with other great stem cell hospitals as well. Namely, Chao Phya Hospital, Praram 9 Hospital, Phyathai 2 Hospital, Mt. Elizabeth's Hospital (Singapore) and Gleneagles Hospital (Singapore).
In fact, one of our heart patients, David Foege (you can call him at 239-961-6117 or email at dfayg@yahoo.com )came back to Chao Phya Hospital and stayed there for one full month because as he told me "the rehabilitation facilities, doctors, and rehab program there is superior to any in the United States."
Going further on our health teaching for patients with heart disease, I'll let Joe Woolfolk have the last word on this. As Joe once said when asked about if he had a message for heart disease patients considering the adult stem cell procedure-“Do it. You will never be sorry. Thailand is a beautiful country with beautiful people. You don’t have to die, there is an alternative out there.”
Vitamin D has been getting a lot of run in the media recently and for good reason. According to the Vitamin D Council-
low levels of Vitamin D have been linked to 17 different types of cancer as well as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, depression, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, muscle wasting, birth defects, periodontal disease, and more.
The researchers found that higher levels of vitamin D were associated with a lower prevalence of PAD. Among individuals with the highest vitamin D levels --more than 29.2 nanogram per milliliter (ng/mL) -- only 3.7 percent had PAD. Among those with the lowest vitamin D levels -- less than 17.8 ng/mL -- 8.1 percent had PAD.
When the researchers adjusted for age, sex, race and co-existing health problems, they found that PAD was 64 percent more common in the group with the lowest vitamin D levels compared with the group with the highest levels. For each 10 ng/mL drop in vitamin D level, the risk for PAD increased by 29 percent.
In fact, the Vitamin D Council has oodles of research showing there is a clear correlation between cardiovascular disease (and other diseases) and a lack of Vitamin D.
Now that we have established that Vitamin D is important to our health. How do we get it? It is well established that with sunlight, our bodies can help synthesize Vitamin D. However, our ability to do that decreases as we get older. Vitamin D is available in some food, but in rather small amounts. Therefore, most of us will need to use supplements to get our Vitamin D.
Here are the Vitamin D Council recommendations:
regularly receive midday sun exposure in the late spring, summer, and early fall, exposing as much of the skin as possible.
regularly use a sun bed (avoiding sunburn) during the colder months.
take 5,000 IU per day for three months, then obtain a 25-hydroxyvitamin D test. Adjust your dosage so that blood levels are between 50–80 ng/mL (or 125–200 nM/L) year around. (you will need to get it tested for this- ed)
Keep in mind that the Vitamin D they are speaking of is Vitamin D3- cholecalciferol. Not D2, Not D1- D3 cholecalciferol is the good stuff. And according to Dr. Davis at the Heart Scan Blog, the D3 should be in the gel/liquid form.
All of us (whether we are heart patients or not) should be making sure we maintain adequate levels of Vitamin D in our bodies. I think the evidence is there. Let's make it a little slogan "Vitamin D for Me!"
Yes, they are all fruits. But what else do they have in common? Well, in the span of three days, three different studies have come out - each study touting the potential of slowing heart disease by eating a particular fruit. Today, I offer you a brief summary of each:
Grapes- the University of Michigan came out with a study that showed that rats who ate grape powder had lower cardiovascular risks, better heart function, and less inflammation than rats who didn't eat the grapes, but had the same diet. It is believed the flavonoids in the grapes (just like in red wine) are the key. However, they still recommend people to "bench the salt" as they say on ESPN, in order to avoid high blood pressure.
Dried Plums- another mice study, this one saying that mice that ate the dried plum powder had less atherosclerosis (this means less inflammation!) than mice that had the same diet, but did not eat the dried plum powder. This study was sponsored by the California Dried Plum Board so you may want to take this advice with a grain of salt- but not too much salt because that will raise your blood pressure!
Tart Cherries- also from the University of Michigan. This study showed that rats who ate cherries had lowered cholesterol and reduced inflammation compared to the rats who had the same diet except for the cherries.
Lowering inflammation from these fruits seems to be the key. It seems we have to find a way to directly target the inflammatory process in our bodies in order to lower our cardiovascular risks. I have no doubt that lowering our inflammation would lower our risks for other diseases as well- cancer, diabetes- to name a couple.
I'll try to explore ways in our everyday life we can lower our inflammation next week in this blog- so stay tuned!
Ok, this isn't exactly a big scoop I admit. There are some facts of life that are drilled into our heads from a young age and the truth that exercise provides health aspects is one of those facts.
We don't need studies to tell us that walking around the mall everyday or jogging 3 miles a day is good for us. When we do exercise, our bodies respond and we do feel better.
However, as part of our health teaching for patients with heart disease, it is still nice to see a study once in a while. It reinforces our knowledge and may give us extra incentive to go out and get moving! And it doesn't seem like we have to do it often- only once a week?? Yes, that is what the study says:
"The most important finding was that CHD patients lived longer even though they exercised only once a week," says Trine Moholdt a PhD student at the Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging at the Faculty of Medicine, NTNU. "Mortality decreased by 30 per cent among women who exercised once a week compared to those who did not exercise at all. For men the corresponding figure was 20 per cent," states Trine Moholdt.
And this wasn't some "fly by night" study testing 20 patients over 3 months. No, no, no, this study followed 3,500 people with coronary artery disease over an 18 year period.
Moholdt also says that "The more intense the exercise is, the better," A lot of people are apprehensive about exercise after a myocardial infarction. But it is more risky to be inactive than to do exercise.
So as the weekend is near, for you weekend warriors who go golfing every Saturday, or for those who play a weekly doubles match on the tennis court, or whatever exercise you may do- these activities do seem to be beneficial, even if it is only once a week. Or for those of you who may be a little leary of exercising after a heart attack, remember, it is actually more risky to do nothing than to be active. So stay active people!
This is the internet age or era. Information has never been so easy to compile and gather. Whatever subject we wish to know about is right at our fingertips on the keyboard.
This applies to diet as well. All over the internet you see lists of how to eat- "Top 10 Healthy Foods" "Top 8 Foods to Avoid" "How to watch out for trans-fat" etc. In the history of humans, we have never been subject to so much education on what is good dietary practice in regards to eating. Then can someone please tell me why are we in the midst of a heart disease epidemic?
Dr. Barry Sears tries to answer my question with the launching of his new book- Toxic Fat. You may know Dr. Sears as the developer of the Zone Diet (you know, the diet that Jennifer Aniston and Dara Torres, the 41 year old Olympian swimmer in Beijing, both follow. Tiger Woods is also rumored to follow it). Some of you may also know it as the 40-30-30 diet ie when you eat 40% Carbs 30% Protein and 30% Fat.
Dr. Sears' New Book, Toxic Fat, Explains 'If You're Fat, It's Not Your Fault' Follows His #1 Bestseller, The Zone
Now in Toxic Fat: When Good Fat Turns Bad he shows how our current pro-inflammatory diet has caused the activation of a "fat trap" in genetically predisposed individuals, while at the same time increasing hunger by changing levels of hormones in the brain that now override normal appetite suppression.
"To lose weight and keep it off requires rebalancing of hormonal signals in the brain. These signals have been radically altered by recent changes in the American diet induced by governmental agricultural policies started in the 1970s," Dr. Sears said. "We need to look at foods we eat as powerful drugs that can either reduce inflammation or increase it." Dr. Sears also demonstrates that the reduction of inflammation can be as simple as 1-2-3. That is for every one gram of fat, you should consume two grams of protein, and three grams of carbohydrates; and you have to do it the best you can at every meal.
Although the "diet" being promoted here sounds similar to the original one, being a big fan of Dr. Sears and his diet for a long time, I am looking forward to reading this book. It should give me a better understanding of his health teaching for heart disease and diabetes.
And I think diet is the wrong word. Diet implies that you have to cut back on foods, sometimes not eating. Actually, in the Zone, one is able to eat more food. Of course- the choice of food is the key.
For more information on the Zone Diet, buy one of Dr. Barry Sears books, not only will you look better, you will feel better too.
However, one thing I have to disagree with is his new slogan "If You're Fat, It's Not Your Fault." Yes, I agree with the premise that some people are more predisposed to being overweight due to genetics. However, if I'm eating a Super Sized Value Meal at McDonald's everyday and sitting on the couch watching TV all night, and then I get fat- Yes, it is my fault.
I believe we as humans have gotten away from personal responsibility with this 'It's not my fault' mentality. Blame everyone except ourselves. Yes, we can't always control everything that happens to us, but how we deal with the hands we are dealt is something we can control. We have a choice of what we eat, just like we have many other choices in life. My father used to compare life as sailing a boat. He said "God sends you the weather, but how you deal with the weather is up to you Captain."
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