“You know what they call alternative medicine that’s been proved to work? – Medicine.”
― Tim Minchin, Comedian
Over the past century, there have been amazing advances in the medical field. Many diseases have been eradicated and illnesses which were once a death sentence are now treatable.
This holds true especially for cardiovascular disease. With the identification of traditional risk factors, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and inflammation, along with tried and true treatment modes, cardiovascular disease is now more manageable and morbidity and mortality from this disease has decreased.
Many known risk factors for cardiovascular disease are silent and have no associative symptoms. The good news is that these silent diseases take many years to cause damage and wreak havoc on our health. So as long as we see our cardiologist regularly, there is time to monitor and place preventative measures in place.
Blood pressure control is essential for good heart health. High Blood Pressure causes endothelial damage, injury to the lining of our blood vessels. That injury causes atherosclerosis or blockage of the arteries which can lead to heart attack, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, kidney failure and more. Medication in conjunction with diet, exercise, meditation, nutritional supplements and sleep are all essential elements of a successful treatment plan.
Diabetes is known to cause many serious health issues. Diabetes occurs when our body has difficulty maintaining proper blood sugar levels. When allowed to go higher than normal, the sugars “gum up” proteins, enzymes and disturb basic metabolic function. Diet, exercise, meditation, supplements, sleep and medication are known to reduce the risk for this disease and are also an essential part of treatment.
Cholesterol is more complicated than just good (HDL), Bad (LDL) and triglycerides.
Newer methods have been developed to look at the types of cholesterol, size of cholesterol and patterns. Using a combination of medication and nutritional supplements, in addition to exercise, can reduce our cardiovascular risk. High cholesterol levels are thought to promote atherosclerosis (blockage of the arteries) when placed in the context of High Blood Pressure, sugars can be a recipe for disaster.
The combination of traditional and non-traditional medicine is the best way to prevent and treat the triggers which can lead to heart disease.
Prevention is key and we can have our risk factors checked by having a physical exam and labs and sharing our medical history in our cardiologist’s office.
But what we do outside the office is equally as important.
Our lifestyle decisions are the key to good health and only we can unlock the possibilities through diet and exercise.
