Oral Chelation Blog

There are a certain tests that are commonly given for heart conditions.  Some measure symptoms, some how well the body copes with the stress that disease place on it, and others gauge how well blood moves about the body.  Here are just some of the common tests for heart conditions.

Peripheral Artery Disease
The most common test to diagnose peripheral artery disease is the ankle – brachial test. Blood pressure is measured at the ankle and the wrist, and the two measurements are compared. If the pressure at the ankle is lower, that signals a blockage in the legs. Other tests that can be used to diagnose PAD and related conditions (such as Reynaud’s ) are:
•    Angiogram
•    Blood lipid profile
•    Doppler ultrasound
•    Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)

Heart Disease
Heart disease, also known as coronary heart disease or coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of death in the US. Diagnosing heart disease can involve a multitude of tests including -
•    Physical exam including an EEG, lab tests, and an X-ray / CT scan
•    Stress test
•    Nuclear perfusion study
•    Echocardiography
•    Electron beam CT scan (EBCT)
•    Coronary angiography

Carotid Artery Disease
Many tests are used to confirm carotid artery disease and help decide on a course of treatment. The most common ones are non-invasive procedures that take images of the arteries (like CT scans) or measure blood pressure above and below the neck, such as oculoplethysmography.
•    Doppler Ultrasound
•    CT Scan and CT Angiography (CTA)
•    Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA)
•    Angiography

Many of the effects of these diseases can be reduced or prevented with oral chelation therapy . Getting started with chelation therapy is easy. Learn more about the EDTA chelation at Cardio Renew.

According to the Center of Disease and Control, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Stroke is also a leading cause of serious long-term disability. Stroke prevention is critical, especially as we age. Here are some of the latest findings about strokes -

Medline Plus 4/15/09
Two new studies find that acetaminophen and statins can be of great benefit in either preventing or treating stroke. In the first study, statin use seemed to be correlated with a lower risk of having a first stroke, according to a group of French researchers. Meanwhile, another team in the Netherlands found that patients with a body temperature ranging from normal (98.6 F) to 102.2 F who received acetaminophen soon after the onset of a stroke fared better than patients who did not receive the drug.

National Institutes of Health News 4/15/09

Scientists have identified a previously unknown connection between two genetic variants and an increased risk of stroke, providing strong evidence for the existence of specific genes that help explain the genetic component of stroke. The research was funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health and by several other NIH institutes and centers.

US Department of Health & Human Services 3/16/09

Patients and clinicians should consider risk factors—including age, gender, diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, smoking and risk of gastrointestinal bleeding—before deciding whether to use aspirin to prevent heart attacks or strokes, according to new recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. These recommendations do not apply to people who have already had a heart attack or stroke.

To learn more about strokes, visit these earlier posts  -  How to Reduce the risk of stroke with Oral EDTA Chelation Therapy and the The Impact of Strokes and Prevention with Chelation Therapy.

CNN reported a few days ago that ‘silent’ heart attacks may be much more common than previously believed. A silent heart attack is heart attack that is not painful, or when a person experiencing it does not recognize the symptoms as heart-related, so he or she does not go to a hospital for treatment.

Undiagnosed, or “silent,” heart attacks affect nearly 200,000 people in the United States annually. As many as 40 to 60 percent of all heart attacks are unrecognized, studies show.

A new study from Duke University Medical Center shows that these silent heart attacks may occur more frequently than physicians thought. Researchers used a relatively new technique called delayed-enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance and then followed up with patients after about two years. The study was done on 185 patients who had never had a diagnosed heart attack but were suspected of having coronary artery disease. The researchers found that 35 percent of patients had evidence of a heart attack and that silent heart attacks without Q-waves were three times more common than those that had Q-waves.

Read full story from CNN >

With findings like these, it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re doing everything you can to maintain and improve your heart’s health.  A heart attack usually happens when a clot gets in the way of blood flow from a coronary artery to the heart.  There are many ways to prevent this happening including a healthy diet and exercise.  Oral chelation therapy can also lower your risk for heart attack.  EDTA chelation improves blood flow to your heart by removing excess heavy metals that accumulate in the body, including the calcium that collects in plaque.  Visit Cardio Renew to learn more!

High cholesterol puts you at risk of having a heart attack and stroke.  There are many ways to reduce your cholesterol.  There are many resources available that provide information on how you can lower your cholesterol.  Prevention.com offers a comprehensive list called The Ten Commandments of Cholesterol Control. Here are just a few -

Learn All You Can
Once you’ve been diagnosed with high cholesterol, your instinct may be to jump right into whatever treatment plan your doctor recommends. Unless your cholesterol has gone through the roof, which may require immediate intervention, you’re better off taking time to think through your situation and your treatment options. By exercising some control up front, you’re more likely to develop a cholesterol management plan you can truly live with. Perhaps a good place to begin is with an assessment of your personal risk factors for heart disease beyond high cholesterol.

Discover Fiber’s Cholesterol-Cutting Capacity
It’s no secret that vegetarians have lower cholesterol levels and lower heart disease rates than meat eaters. That’s in part because vegetarians consume so much fiber, which is found exclusively in plant foods–fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans.

Get Rid of Those Extra Pounds
If you weigh more than you should, slimming down may produce a significant drop in your cholesterol level. Research suggests that being overweight disrupts the normal metabolism of dietary fat. So even though you may be eating less fat, you may not see a difference in your cholesterol profile until you unload the excess pounds.
In fact, shedding just 5 to 10 pounds may be enough to improve your cholesterol level.

Become Acquainted with the Good Fats
When you were diagnosed with high cholesterol, your doctor likely advised you to reduce your fat intake. In general, cutting your dietary fat will lower cholesterol. But as with any rule, this one has exceptions. Evidence suggests that eating more of some fats and less of others is better than simply cutting way back on all fats. Peanut butter, avocados, olive and canola oils, and most nuts are mostly monounsaturated fat. Research has shown that monounsaturated fat can help lower LDL and triglycerides (another type of blood fat) while raising HDL

EDTA chelation therapy can also help reduce your cholesterol.  Visit Cardio Renew to learn more and get started on our 6 week starter program.

Cholesterol is found in every cell in your body. It’s used by your body to build healthy cells, as well as some vital hormones. When your cholesterol is too high, you may develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Eventually these deposits make it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries. Your heart may not get as much oxygen-rich blood as it needs, which increases the risk of a heart attack. Decreased blood flow to your brain can cause a stroke. Lowering your cholesterol will help reduce your chances of having a heart attack and stroke.

The best ways to reduce your cholesterol levels are through diet, exercise and losing weight.  There are also medications that can help you lower your cholesterol and alternative methods such as EDTA oral chelation therapy which can help reduce plaque blockages and increase blood flow.  Next we’ll go into specific ways you can lower your blood cholesterol for better heart health.