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Holistic Medicine Secrets: Heart Disease Is #1 Killer In America

by: drlisa
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Every American should be paying attention to the health of their heart, particularly to the health of the arteries in their heart. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of Americans, including women. Overall, about 480,000 American women die of heart disease each year, which is 60,000 more women then men.

Women are very concerned about breast cancer and whether or not they should take hormones. What most women don't realize is that they have a much higher risk of dying from heart disease than dying from breast cancer.

Heart disease is different for women and men. Women need to focus more on the health of their small arteries, whereas men with heart disease often have blockage of their larger arteries.

The prevention and treatment of problems in the small versus large arteries are different. The larger and smaller arteries respond very differently to exercise and nutrition.

Exercise can lead to great improvement in the health and elasticity of the large arteries. The smaller arteries don't respond that well to exercise. Stiffness in the small arteries is better treated with nutrients and/or medication.

How do you know if you are at risk? Does cholesterol really matter?

More than half the people who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol. You do need to concern yourself with abnormally high or low cholesterol, but normal cholesterol levels do not protect you from heart attacks.

A cholesterol check is not the best test for determining whether or not you are at risk for coronary artery disease.

In fact, the American Heart Association now agrees that people with heart disease all have one factor in common, and it isn't high cholesterol. It's inflammation in their arteries (Heart guidelines urge test for inflammation; USA TODAY, Jan. 28, 2003).

A great book to read on the topic is, The Great Cholesterol Con, by Malcom Kendrick.

The two tests that I recommend are the C-reactive protein blood test and the Cardiovascular Profile. The C-reactive protein test is a standard test that can be ordered by your doctor. It will tell you if your arteries are inflamed. This is a much better indicator in knowing if you are at risk for heart disease.

The other test I like is the Cardiovascular Profile test. I introduced this test into my practice a few years ago, and I am really impressed with it. It is on the cutting edge of cardiovascular health. The computer analysis of our arteries can discern whether the arteries are stiff or elastic. It also tells us whether the problems lie mostly with the larger arteries or with the smaller arteries.

The Cardiovascular Profile test is harder to come by. You may contact the company to find a qualified practitioner near you: Hypertension Diagnostics, Inc.

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About the Author

I would like to offer you free access to my weekly Holistic Medicine Newsletter, Healthy Perspectives, where you can receive additional information on important health topics. You can sign up by going to Holistic Medicine Dr. Lisa Hosbein, MD, FACOG - The Wellness Doctor at Holistic Medicine  

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