STRESS TEST: WHO is it FOR?

Posted on November 24, 2012 by MDadvice

An exercise stress test may be appropriate for someone who is fit and in good general health. If you already run or walk or ride a bicycle, an exercise stress test may seem familiar to you.
How does it work?
Your heart is monitored while you walk or run on a treadmill or pedal a stationary exercise bike. Here’s what happens during the test:
-Before you start the “stress” part of a stress test, a technician or nurse will put sticky patches called electrodes on the skin of your chest, arms, and legs.
-The electrodes are connected to an EKG (electrocardiogram) machine. This machine records your heart’s electrical activity.
-The technician or nurse will put a blood pressure cuff on your arm to check your blood pressure during the stress test, and you may be asked to breathe into a special tube so your breathing can be measured.
-After these preparations, you’ll exercise on a treadmill or stationary bicycle. As you walk, run, or pedal, the test becomes gradually more difficult. You can stop whenever you feel the exercise is too much for you.
-After the test, while you’re cooling down, the EKG continues to monitor your heart rate until it returns to normal. Generally, exercise test time is 15 minutes or less.

ANGIOPLASTY increases quality of LIFE

Posted on October 3, 2012 by MDadvice

Angioplasty physically opens the channel of diseased arterial segments (see video), relieves the recurrence of chest pain, increases the quality of life and reduces other complications of the disease. Since it is performed through a little needle hole in the groin (or sometimes the arm) it is much less invasive than surgery and can be repeated more often should the patient develop disease in the same, or another, artery in the future. It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a three hours to perform the entire case. The duration is dependent upon the technical difficulty of the case and the number of balloon catheters that have to be employed.
Have a Happy Life and enjoy the video:

Are CLEANING and cooking BAD FOR THE HEART?

Posted on October 2, 2012 by MDadvice

They cannot be seen with the naked eye, and most people do not even know they exist. But perfluorinated chemicals are hiding in all sorts of common consumer products, from the pans you cook with and the clothes you wear, to the paper products you write on and the foods you eat. And a new study published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine has found that such chemicals may be linked to causing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and peripheral artery disease (PAD).
After accounting for outside factors that may have altered the results; such as age, sex, body mass index, and cholesterol levels, the team found that blood levels of PFOA are directly related to rates of both CVD and PAD. They also learned that 98 percent of people living in the U.S. have PFOA circulating in their bloodstream.
Despite all this we would like advice that you continue cooking and, afterwards, cleaning your dishes: that’s probably better for your health than reading this and also, we want so say that’s is alright to wear your clothes like you did yesterday and yesterday, specially while your cooking and cleaning… Nevertheless if you want to do it naked is naturally OK with us, but be extra careful with burnings.
And now, if you like, let’s watch a video about PAD:

5 foods to low and LOW and WOW! your CHOLESTEROL!

Posted on September 28, 2012 by MDadvice

Diet can play an important role in lowering your cholesterol. Here are five foods that can lower your cholesterol and protect your heart.
Can a bowl of oatmeal help lower your cholesterol? How about a handful of walnuts or even a baked potato topped with some heart-healthy margarine? A few simple tweaks to your diet — like these, along with exercise and other heart-healthy habits — may be helpful in lowering your cholesterol.
1. Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods
Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the “bad,” cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, apples, pears, barley and prunes.
2. Fish and omega-3 fatty acids
Eating fatty fish can be heart healthy because of its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce your blood pressure and risk of developing blood clots.
3. Walnuts, almonds and other nuts
Rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy.
4. Olive oil
Oh! The green gold, like the Spaniards call it. Olive oil contains a potent mix of antioxidants that can lower your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol but leave your “good” (HDL) cholesterol untouched.
5. Foods with added plant sterols or stanols.
Foods are now available that have been fortified with sterols or stanols — substances found in plants that help block the absorption of cholesterol.
And now let’s watch a video:

Would EECP HELP promote LONGEVITY and wellness?

Posted on September 27, 2012 by MDadvice

The foremost degenerative process is age and can be defined as a reduction in circulating stem cells. Since EECP has been shown to increase the level of circulating stem cells, it is likely to slow the effects of aging. By keeping the blood flowing to all organs oxygen and nutrients delivered to the cells, , which helps “keeps them alive”.

EECP offers not only therapeutic benefits, but amazing potential to prevent or at least slow the onset of many of the diseases that are so prevalent in modern-day living, including aging. With aging this micro-circulation gradually closes down slowing the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients to our cells. Without sufficient oxygen and nutrients cells gradually become less efficient and die.

We have over 60,000 miles of blood vessels in our body, which pulsate with our heartbeat an average of 100,000 times a day. The blood and cardiovascular system are an ongoing miracle bringing life to our body. Take care of them!

CHOLESTEROL: The Bad, the Good and the… Triglycerides

Posted on September 24, 2012 by MDadvice

Cholesterol can’t dissolve in the blood. It has to be transported to and from the cells by carriers called lipoproteins. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as “bad” cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is known as “good” cholesterol. These two types of lipids, along with triglycerides and Lp(a) cholesterol (genetic), make up your total cholesterol count, which can be determined through a blood test.

LDL (Bad) Cholesterol
When too much LDL (bad) cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. Together with other substances, it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can narrow the arteries. If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, heart attack or stroke can result. Your desirable LDL is bellow 200mg/dL.

HDL (Good) Cholesterol
About one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL cholesterol is known as “good” cholesterol, because high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack. Low levels of HDL (less than 40 mg/dL) also increase the risk of heart disease. Some experts believe that HDL removes excess cholesterol from arterial plaque, slowing its buildup. Your HDL ideal numberis around 100-129 mg/dL.

Triglycerides
Triglyceride is a form of fat made in the body. Elevated triglycerides can be due to overweight/obesity, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol consumption and a diet very high in carbohydrates. People with high triglycerides often have a high total cholesterol level. Your desirable number is 150mg/dL.
Let’s watch the video and practice our Spanish level:

What Is CORONARY Heart DISEASE?

Posted on September 23, 2012 by MDadvice

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a disease in which a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries. These arteries supply oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle.

When plaque builds up in the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis. The buildup of plaque occurs over many years.
Over time, plaque can harden or rupture (break open). Hardened plaque narrows the coronary arteries and reduces the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart.

If the plaque ruptures, a blood clot can form on its surface. A large blood clot can mostly or completely block blood flow through a coronary artery. Over time, ruptured plaque also hardens and narrows the coronary arteries.
If the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle is reduced or blocked, angina or a heart attack can occur.
Let’s watch the video:

Are Arthritis and Heart Disease Related?

Posted on September 21, 2012 by MDadvice

Arthritis and heart diseases often occur simultaneously. In fact, a recent study found that arthritis affects 57 percent of adults with heart disease. And in the case of patients with RA, the incidence of heart disease is much higher. RA is actually a separate risk factor for heart disease just like high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important for both people with arthritis and with heart disease. In particular, physical activity is recommended for people with both diseases. However, recent research has shown that over one-quarter of people with both heart disease and arthritis are not physically active.
Unfortunately for those people, physical activity is one of several healthy self-management tools that can help both arthritis and heart disease.

Let’s watch the video and learn some Spanish:

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