Congenital Heart Disease and Sleep Apnea

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Posted from: http://pulmonaryhypertensionrn.com/congenital-heart-disease/congenital-heart-disease-and-sleep-apnea/

A new excellent article with reference to heart health.

Co-Authored By Tabitha Moe and Jeremy Feldman

Fatigued pulmonary hypertension patientAs of 2011, there are more adults than children with congenital heart disease.  Children with congenital heart disease who were born in the 1980’s and 1990’s were given exercise restrictions that were quite limiting.  This kept them from participating in competitive sports, recreational sports, or even playing in gym class at school.

The unfortunate outcome is that we now have an entire generation of adults who were born with congenital heart disease that are now accustomed to a very sedentary lifestyle.  Many of them feel as though they have always been told what they couldn’t do, and they have carried these outdated ideas into adulthood.  Unfortunately, when a sedentary lifestyle intersects with an American diet of fast food and take-out pizza there are many health consequences such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity.  Another important consequence is the development of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) describes a problem whereby when you sleep your tongue slides backward in your throat and blocks your airway resulting in an inability to breath.  Gradually your oxygen saturation falls as you continue to be unable to breath.  Eventually your brain recognizes that you are not breathing and you awaken with a big gasp.  Your bed partner may hear this as choking sounds followed by a big loud breath.

The consequences of severe OSA may be quite profound.  Untreated sleep apnea increases your risk for high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, traffic accidents, and reduced work productivity.  Patients with sleep apnea complain of fatigue, sleepiness, falling asleep at inappropriate times such as at work, in the doctor’s office, while talking, eating or driving.

Diagnosis of Sleep Apnea

A history of loud snoring, sleepiness during the day, waking up with headaches and witnessed choking episodes during sleep can suggest the diagnosis.  However, proving the diagnosis requires a Sleep Study (polysomnograph).  This test may be done either at a sleep laboratory where you spend 1-2 nights or at home.

Treatment of Sleep Apnea

An ounce of prevention is worth many pounds of cure.  To that end, the best strategy to prevent sleep apnea is to avoid being overweight.  As our weight increases, so does the risk of sleep apnea.  Weight loss leads to improvements in sleep apnea and in some patients may even lead to resolution of the problem.  The first line of treatment after weight loss is CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure).  This involves using a small air compressor connected to a facemask or nose-mask.  The air creates a pneumatic splint that keeps your airway open preventing you from choking yourself while you sleep.  Some patients are unable to tolerate CPAP and there are a variety of other options.  Oxygen alone is not adequate treatment of sleep apnea.

Ask your congenital heart disease cardiologist or pulmonary hypertension specialist if you should be evaluated for sleep apnea.

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Zinc Deficiency Linked to Chronic Inflammation in Study

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Posted from: http://www.naturaleyecare.com/blog/zinc-deficiency-inflammation/

Another tremendous treatise as regards vision health.

foods high in zincResearchers at Oregon State University found a link between chronic inflammation, immune dysfunction and zinc deficiency. 1 Inflammation is involved in cardiovascular disease and other diseases.

They introduced an inflammation-provoking substance to a human white blood cell culture. This resulted in an increase in the responses of the cytokines interleukin 1beta and interleukin 6.

The researchers conducted a related experiment on aged mice with zinc deficiency. The results were similar: an increase in interleukin 6 gene expression.

Zinc deficiency can be detected in a blood test or a taste test. Nutritional intake is another way to measure it. Approximately 12% of U.S. residents fail to get enough zinc. For seniors age 65 and older, the number is a whopping 40%.2 Seniors tend to ingest less zinc, and are less efficient at absorbing it.

“Zinc deficiency induced inflammatory response in part by eliciting aberrant immune cell activation and altered promoter methylation. Our results suggested potential interactions between zinc status, epigenetics, and immune function, and how their dysregulation could contribute to chronic inflammation,” the study concluded.

Zinc is a metal that is needed in very small amounts for human health. The Recommended Daily Allowance for males aged 14 and up is 11 mg/day; non-pregnant/non-lactating women 19 and older, 8 mg/day. Food sources of this mineral include seafood, beef, lamb, wheat germ, spinach, pumpkin seeds, squash seeds, and many types of nuts. Some individuals use zinc for eye diseases such as night blindness (with Vitamin A). Zinc gluconate is the safest supplement because it is low in toxic cadmium.

The post Zinc Deficiency Linked to Chronic Inflammation in Study appeared first on Eye conditions, eye care, & how to support healthy vision naturally.

Sigmaceutical is passionate about spreading health and strongly advocates the idea of strengthening the body’s defenses against sickness and disease through world class nutritional supplement formulations.

Try Sigmaceutical Lutein Vision Support today!

Prolonged shortened sleep increases blood pressure at night

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Posted from: http://www.health.am/hypertension/more/prolonged-shortened-sleep/

Any more admirable comment pertaining to heart health.

People exposed to prolonged periods of shortened sleep have significant increases in blood pressure during nighttime hours, Mayo Clinic researchers report in a small study of eight participants.

Results of the study will be presented Sunday, March 15, at the American College of Cardiology’s 64th Annual Scientific Session in San Diego.

In this study, eight healthy, normal weight participants, ages 19 to 36, participated in a 16-day inpatient protocol, consisting of a four-day acclimation period followed by nine days of either sleep restriction (four hours of sleep per night) or normal sleep (nine hours of sleep per night), and three days of recovery. Twenty-four blood pressure monitoring at regular intervals was measured at each study phase.

During the nighttime, in the sleep restriction phase compared to the normal sleep phase, systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure averaged 115/64 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) versus 105/57 mm Hg, respectively, researchers found. Furthermore, the expected fall in blood pressure during the night was suppressed when subjects had inadequate sleep. They also found that nighttime heart rate was higher with sleep restriction than in normal sleep.

Sigmaceutical is passionate about spreading health and strongly advocates the idea of strengthening the body’s defenses against sickness and disease through world class nutritional supplement formulations.

Try Sigmaceutical Blood Pressure Support today!

Need An Eye-Healthy Recipe? We’ve Got You Covered!

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Posted from: http://www.cargoeyecare.com/need-eye-healthy-recipe-weve-got-covered/

A further high-quality explanation re: vision health.

Need An Eye-Healthy Recipe? We’ve Got You Covered!

Nothing makes us want a fresh spring salad more than chirping birds, blooming flowers, and a pleasant spring breeze. Not only can a good salad refresh your palette, it can benefit your vision as well!

We’re taking advantage of all of our favorite in-season fruits and vegetables this spring to provide you with an eye-healthy recipe you’ll crave year-round!

A Fresh Salad Satisfies More Than Just Your Tastebuds

Many common salad ingredients provide nutrients that are essential to maintaining healthy eyes and vision. Walnuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds are excellent sources of vitamin E and zinc, which help keep your retina healthy. Grapeseed oil is also a good source of vitamin E.

Spinach contains the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin. Not only do these antioxidants protect against macular degeneration, they also absorb blue light, protecting your retina from any damage.

Strawberries, and berries in general for that matter, are a great source of vitamin C and help reduce the risk of eye diseases like cataracts and macular degeneration.Blueberries are especially good for your health, reducing the risk of glaucoma, heart disease and cancer.

Try the recipe below and give your eyes a healthy boost!

Eye-Healthy Spinach And Fruit Salad

Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

  • 3 cups spinach
  • ½ cup blueberries and/or strawberries
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries
  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds
  • ¼ cup walnut and/or almond pieces
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
  • ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar, or to taste
  • ¼ cup maple syrup, or to taste
  • ¼ cup grapeseed oil, or to taste
  • Salt, to taste

Here’s how you make it:
Toss spinach, berries, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, nuts, feta and goat cheese in a large bowl. Pour the vinegar, syrup and grapeseed oil over the salat one at a time. Toss until evenly coated. Season with salt to taste.

Here’s our inspiration for this eye-healthy salad!

If you want to go the extra mile, eat your salad with a salmon on the side! Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are great for boosting eye health and protecting against disease.

If you prefer your greens blended, here’s an idea for a delicious smoothie to boost vision health!

A Healthy Diet Makes For Healthy Vision

Your vision and your overall health are intimately connected. A healthy lifestyle, including a healthy diet, protects your eyes from damage and disease.

If you have any healthy recipes to share we’d love to see them in the comments below or on our Facebook page!

Our patients rock!

The post Need An Eye-Healthy Recipe? We’ve Got You Covered! appeared first on Cargo Eye Care of Las Colinas.

Sigmaceutical is passionate about spreading health and strongly advocates the idea of strengthening the body’s defenses against sickness and disease through world class nutritional supplement formulations.

Try Sigmaceutical Lutein Vision Support today!