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Month: August 2022

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Diseases Affecting The Heart – And Your Questions Answered

Diseases Affecting The Heart And Your Questions Answered

When we think of heart diseases, it’s common for most people to think only of heart attacks. This is probably because heart attacks are the direst consequences of heart disease and affect people when they least expect it.

What most of us don’t realize, though, is that heart attacks don’t just happen all of a sudden. Deep inside our bodies, there may have been a build-up of several stages of heart disease over a longer time – till things suddenly cross the threshold and cause the “unexpected” attack.

Many patients and their carers get taken aback when their doctors then tell them of the many causes of silent heart diseases and show them how they may have neglected their hearts all along, only to be taken by surprise by a sudden, severe, life-threatening cardiac malfunction.

Since knowledge is power, we dedicate this article to educating all our readers about the many ways our hearts can acquire and manifest heart disease. The sooner we become aware that we need to monitor our hearts regularly, the sooner we can take measures to prevent heart ailments from escalating into significant diseases.

FAQs on major ailments and conditions that can cause heart disease

One essential thing to know is that if you have a genetic predisposition to heart disease − or some serious ailments like obesity, cholesterol, diabetes, or hypertension – these factors seldom work alone on your heart. They combine to damage your heart with a multiplicative effect. That’s why we must begin by screening ourselves for our hearts by checking if we have any of these ailments singly or together.

1. How does genetics cause heart disease?

When a family passes its medical history and traits from one generation to another through genes, that process is called heredity. A lot of heart diseases can manifest as a result of genetic causes.

But even as genetics plays a part, CDC.gov states that families also share the same home environment and lifestyles. Their food habits may be common, and their attitude to healthy exercise may get passed on from one person to the other. When parents smoke and drink excessively or develop sedentary or stressful modes of living, children learn to follow these habits. Thus, they also develop similar mindsets and methods as their parents, and that may cause their latent genetic heart problems to manifest much earlier in life than expected.

This is one of the reasons why more and more younger people are showing early signs of heart disease.

2. How is obesity connected to heart disease?

A paper published by the National Library of Medicine explains how deeply, and in how many ways, obesity (or being overweight) can affect the heart.

They write: “Obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), particularly heart failure (HF) and coronary heart disease (CHD). The mechanisms through which obesity increases CVD risk involve changes in body composition that can affect hemodynamics and alters heart structure.”

In other words, being overweight can affect not only your heart’s condition and health, but also its structure, and behavior. Your heart may cease to act as it should in a healthy body.

3. How does cholesterol affect the heart?

Cholesterol is often described as a waxy substance found in your blood. Your body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells. But there are two kinds of cholesterol. LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) is considered “bad cholesterol”, while HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein) is considered “good cholesterol”.

Usually, the HDL or good cholesterol helps to wash away the bad LDL cholesterol from your bloodstream. But, if you allow yourself to have high LDL cholesterol levels you can develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels. These can even harden as plaque and restrict or block the blood flow in your arteries. At times, those cholesterol deposits can break suddenly and form a clot that causes a heart attack or stroke.

High cholesterol can be an inherited issue, but often people exacerbate the problem by unhealthy eating or inactive lifestyles. According to Mayo Clinic, high cholesterol has no symptoms. So a blood test is the only way to detect if you have it. And that could be the only way to help your heart too.

4. Why is diabetes a serious issue for the heart?

 

When you have diabetes, you’re more at risk of heart disease. But what is the exact connection? According to Diabetes UK: “If you have high blood sugar levels for some time, even slightly high, your blood vessels can start to get damaged, which can lead to serious heart complications. This is because your body can’t use all of this sugar properly, so more of it sticks to your red blood cells and builds up in your blood. This build-up can block and damage the vessels carrying blood to and from your heart, starving the heart of oxygen and nutrients.”

Therefore, they recommend that you stay as close as possible to your target “HbA1c level”. This helps protect your blood vessels − and in turn, it also protects your heart.

HbA1c is also known as “glycated hemoglobin”. This is something that’s made when the glucose (sugar) in your body sticks to your red blood cells. Your body can’t use the sugar properly, so more and more of it attaches to your blood cells and builds up in your blood.

Even if you only have mildly raised blood sugar levels, if the conditions prolong over time, you put your heart at greater risk.

 

5. What does hypertension do to the heart?

People with high blood pressure over a long period become prone to developing “hypertensive heart disease”. This may manifest as heart failure, heart conduction arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), acute coronary syndrome (sudden, reduced blood flow to the heart), or sudden cardiac death.

The Cleveland Clinic emphasizes that chronic high blood pressure greatly strains your heart. It makes it harder for your heart to pump your blood. Your heart muscles may get thick and weak. Or, the walls of your blood vessels may thicken, causing an even higher level of danger when combined with cholesterol deposits inside blood vessels.

The bad news is that when hypertension combines with obesity, it can do even more damage to the heart. The good news is that people who manage their high blood pressure can significantly reduce their risk of heart failure with medications and a change to a healthier lifestyle.

 

5 manifestations of heart disease that could appear in your body

Whatever the causes, heart disease can occur in your body in various forms of expression.

 

1. Coronary artery disease (blocked arteries)

According to an article in the health library of Mount Sinai hospital, coronary heart disease is a condition often referred to as “atherosclerosis”. It can happen either due to hardening of the arteries (due to cholesterol plaque fixing to artery walls) or thinning or narrowing of arteries (with age). People with this kind of problem usually feel symptoms of “angina” (chest pain) or sometimes suffer from a stroke.

 

2. Heart arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats)

 

 

Irregular heartbeats can feel alarming, especially if they occur suddenly without any warnings (as they usually do). According to WebMD you could have “tachycardia” (too fast heartbeats) or “bradycardia” (too slow heartbeats). A lot of arrhythmias are congenital. Talking to your doctor about your family medical history, and getting suitable medications, can help alleviate the issue.

 

3. Cardiomyopathy (diseased heart muscle)

According to Hopkins Medicine, cardiomyopathy (weakened or damaged heart muscles) may cause the heart to lose its ability to pump blood well. Heart muscles can degenerate due to viral infections, complex congenital defects, or certain types of cancer chemotherapy. The disease may go undetected unless symptoms like breathlessness or palpitations are visible or pronounced.

 

4. Endocarditis (infection of heart chambers and valves)

MedlinePlus writes, “Endocarditis is inflammation of the inside lining of the heart chambers and heart valves (endocardium). It is caused by a bacterial or, occasionally, a fungal infection.” Germs are most likely to enter the bloodstream due to injection drug use (from unsterile needles), dental surgery, or other minor surgical procedures on the breathing tract, urinary tract, infected skin, etc.

 

5. Valvular heart disease (heart valve problems)

The heart has four valves — namely the aortic, mitral, pulmonary, and tricuspid valves. These are supposed to open and close in tandem to direct blood flow through your heart and to various parts of your body. According to the American Heart Association (AHA) reasons for heart valve damage could be congenital conditions (being born with it), infections, or degenerative conditions (wearing out with age). Among many other symptoms, there may be marked shortness of breath and dizziness.

 

In summary 


We’ve looked at five ailments or conditions that can cause or worsen heart disease, and we’ve also gone through five ways heart disease could present itself in your body. Knowledge is half the cure.

The moral of the story in all these situations? Begin monitoring your heart early in life for congenital issues. Keep up a healthy diet and exercise regimen and stay off vices like smoking and drinking. Be proactive. Treat your heart responsibly when it’s well. Please don’t wait till it’s ill.

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Physiological Changes In Obesity – And The Value Of Exercise

Physiological Changes In Obesity And The Value Of Exercise

 

Did you know that obesity or being overweight does not only change your body’s appearance on the outside? It can impair many of your internal organs and skeletal framework, making you prone to several diseases.

Just as body weight does not accumulate overnight (it adds up slowly), in the same way, you have to bring your weight down slowly but consistently. For this, two things are essential. A strictly healthy diet as prescribed by a dietician – plus, more importantly, a regular and graduated exercise regimen, as recommended and supervised by a certified fitness instructor.

Many people with obesity think a diet alone can do the trick. But exercise is vital for five reasons, and we have covered this right at the beginning of this article.

Once you know how to reduce obesity gradually, also read how many other ways obesity changes the physiology of your body and mind − and how you will reduce all these ailments and internal damage with the proper diet and exercise.

Why diet alone cannot work for obesity, and you need to exercise

It’s usually apparent to anybody with obesity that they will have to throw out junk food and bad eating habits and begin afresh on a healthful customized diet.

Your diet must be designed for your age, gender, and health conditions. Despite what we all think, it’s possible that even if you are obese, you could be severely malnourished. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), people on an unbalanced diet can have unhealthy fat build-up without adequate vitamins, minerals, and other health-protective and health-regenerative ingredients.

Regarding exercise, there are five essential points to consider – all of these are vitally important.

1. Diet and exercise must work together:

Your exercise regimen has to be tailored to work in sync with your diet regimen. Your dietician and fitness instructor must put their heads together and devise a matched plan.

Neither should exercise make you tired and over-exhausted based on the slimming diet 
 nor should exercise be too light to use up the calories you consume each day. Intake and output have to be balanced.

2. Calibrated exercising is crucial:

When you have an obesity problem, overdoing specific exercises may injure your joints, muscles, and bones because your body is working out with a heavy weight load.

So, your fitness instructor will probably give you just enough exercises to get a good workout and help the weight come down gradually. When you’ve lost some weight, you will be lighter. It will be less harmful to your body as your exercise intensity slowly increases.

3. Moderate exercise with consistency is the key:

As we said earlier, no one quickly puts on a lot of body weight. It may be the result of weight accumulation over months and years. Therefore, your exercising also has to be moderate but consistent to bring the weight down gradually and in a healthy way.

Also, too much fat loss without simultaneous toning of muscles and skin will leave you with flabby arms or stomach pouches. As your weight goes down, your skin and muscles must shrink proportionately, states Health Match. This will happen aesthetically if your weight loss is slow but steady.

4. Exercising helps more than just obesity:

Exercising will help with many other ailments if you have them. You may have acquired illnesses like high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, or even heart disease due to obesity − or alongside obesity.

All these ailments can benefit significantly from exercise, so remember that exercising is a holistic health practice. With exercise, the body’s energy and resources get redirected towards regeneration. And, so many ailments lose their aggressive hold on you and become progressively controlled, thus aiding the medications your doctor prescribes.

5. During exercise, your body produces “happy hormones”:

A lot of endorphins are created and infused into your bloodstream during exercise. Mayo Clinic has good things to say about endorphins –also known as the “happy hormones”. They make you feel good 
 energetic, peppy, and cheerful.

This may be a great relief if you’ve silently suffered from the psychological stresses, social guilt, and low self-esteem of being obese. So, remember, exercise does as much good for your mind as it does for your body when you are serious about losing weight and feeling great.

Look at the damage to your physiology that obesity can do

Here are just a few of the most critical illnesses that obesity can contribute to 
 there are several more too numerous to recount:

Obesity and diabetes

The Harvard School of Public Health writes of research on obesity that showed these results: “Compared with men and women in the normal weight range (BMI lower than 25), men with BMIs of 30 or higher had a sevenfold higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and women with BMIs of 30 or higher had a 12-fold higher risk.”

They further explain that the fat cells in obese people, usually stored around the waist, secrete hormones that produce inflammation. And this inflammation makes the body less responsive to insulin. It changes the way the body can metabolize fats and carbohydrates. This leads to high blood sugar levels and, eventually, to full-blown diabetes.

Obesity and cholesterol

WebMD states, “Every 10 pounds you’re overweight causes your body to produce as much as 10 milligrams of additional cholesterol daily.”

When we have overweight bodies, the extra weight raises our chances of having too much low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad cholesterol”. This clogs arteries and may even cause heart disease or a stroke. Being overweight also increases the triglycerides in our bloodstream (another type of fat), compounding the problems of high cholesterol levels.

Obesity and hypertension

Scientists and other healthcare professionals already know that obesity causes “atherosclerosis”, which involves the narrowing and stiffening of arteries. This often leads to high blood pressure (also known as hypertension).

However, in the middle of 2021, Medical News Today released information about new research. This research has found that obesity may raise leptin levels − which in turn triggers the abnormal growth of small blood vessels in the hypothalamus part of the brain. These may also be responsible for causing hypertension in people with obesity.

Obesity and heart disease

In an article titled “Weight: A Silent Heart Risk”, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have written of a new heart-weight connection, other than the risks known hitherto to doctors. Most medical scientists already know that people with obesity (by genetics or lifestyle) are more likely to develop conditions like cholesterol, diabetes, and hypertension, which can all have a multiplicative effect on our hearts.

But now, John Hopkins writes, “Excess weight may be more than an “accomplice” in the development of heart problems. The pounds themselves can cause heart muscle injury. Down the road, this can lead to heart failure.”

Obesity and other ailments

There are a host of other ailments that you may not suspect of being triggered by obesity, but you must pay attention to these as well:

 

    • Obesity and cancer: CDC.gov quotes The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) to say there are 13 cancers associated with overweight and obesity: meningioma, multiple myeloma, adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, and cancers of the thyroid, postmenopausal breast, gallbladder, stomach, liver, pancreas, kidney, ovaries, uterus, colon, and rectum.

 

    • Obesity and depression: Healthline states that it’s now clear to doctors that obesity aids depression, and vice versa. For long, the vicious cycle was studied to see what caused what, but finally, it has become hard fact-backed science.

 

    • Obesity and lung function: According to News Medical, as body weight increases, lung volumes decrease. This leads to restricted air entry. Further, obesity around the abdomen worsens lung function and respiratory symptoms, because of the fat layers affect the movement of the diaphragm, which enables lung expansion.
    • Obesity and musculoskeletal disorders: An interesting PubMed paper (by S C Wearing et al) states, “To date, the majority of research has focused on the impact of obesity on bone and joint disorders, such as the risk of fracture and osteoarthritis. However, emerging evidence indicates that obesity may also profoundly affect soft-tissue structures, such as tendon, fascia, and cartilage.”

 

In summary 


Obesity can cause manifold problems to your health if it is not taken seriously. Diet is important, but exercise is more critical and must be in step with diet.

A sedentary lifestyle that adds to body weight is both externally and internally very unhealthy, for both your mind and body. Get a move on, get physical, grow slimmer with exercise, and treat your heart responsibly in the process.

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Facts About Weight – And Why You Shouldn’t Believe Myths

Facts About Weight – And Why You Shouldn’t Believe Myths

The most important fact about weight is that overweight people get a bad rap, often erroneously. They are assumed to be lazy, or averse to exercise. They are believed to be overeaters, without self-discipline − or doomed by fat genes. They are also seen as people who are out of touch with reality, and ignorant that excess weight can cause serious diseases. This is needless and harmful stereotyping.

Overweight people usually suffer a lot because they may be genuinely trying to lose weight but they don’t realize it can be a tug of war. They lose some weight, and soon their bodies fight them to add the weight back. Why is this so?

Many people soon discover this “metabolic rate” dilemma when trying to lose weight. Metabolic rate refers to the rate at which your body burns the food and fat it consumes to create energy. To lower weight, you do exercises or eat certain foods to raise your metabolic rate.

But when you lose weight, the body’s metabolism slows down. So, in a way, your weight loss success becomes the cause for slowing down any further weight loss. The weight and fat then begin to reappear. And the cycle goes on and on. People often call it the “yo-yo weight loss effect”.

How do you escape this “yo-yo cycle”? Read on 


3 facts about weight and its relationship to metabolic rate

There are 3 interesting facts about how your metabolic rate can be increased – and you can thereby hope to reach your ideal body weight without the “yo-yo effect” 


Your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is quite important for weight problems

Healthline states, “Basal metabolic rate is the number of calories your body needs to accomplish its most basic (basal) life-sustaining functions.”

Why is BMR key to body weight? Because it shows how active or inactive your everyday daily life is. The more generally active you are, the more calories you burn without additional exercise. Therefore, you must aim for an active movement-oriented life to lose weight.

Having more muscle raises your metabolic rate and weight loss

Physical fitness coaches always include muscle-building and weight training during exercise routines. The more muscle you have, the more calories your burn. In your body, your legs have the most muscle area 
 so the more you exercise using your legs, the more calories you can burn.

Mayo Clinic advises that if your body weight is composed more of fat than muscle, you must consciously build up your muscles in addition to just burning calories by movement.

Eating protein-rich food boosts your metabolism and aids weight loss

You burn calories even to digest food. Of all the food types – carbohydrates, fats, and proteins – it’s the proteins that burn the most calories during digestion.

According to a paper published by the National Library of Medicine, US, increasing protein intake boosts metabolism by roughly 15 to 30 percent. So, all in all, eat more proteins to lose weight.

 

Myths about weight − and the facts to replace them

There are a number of us who have wrong ideas about weight loss. The first step to losing weight is to lose these erroneous beliefs.

 

Myth 1: “If I exercise a lot, I can eat almost anything because I am burning it all.”

The fact:

To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume. You can’t do that, though, unless you count calories and keep track of your intake and output. Medical News Today has a table that shows a “healthy calorie deficit” between intake and output of calories, calculated by age and gender.

What should your calorie deficit be? WebMD states, “A good rule of thumb for healthy weight loss is a deficit of about 500 calories per day. That should put you on course to lose about 1 pound (approximately 0.45 kgs) per week. This is based on a starting point of at least 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day for women and 1,500 to 1,800 calories a day for men.”

 

Myth 2: “Drinking a lot of water can increase my body weight. I should take diuretics.”

The fact:

Water can increase metabolic rate and burn more calories. This is contrary to how people think they can reduce their weight by taking diuretics. What are diuretics? They are medications that rid the body of water (usually prescribed for some other illnesses by doctors). Often, they are misused by those who want to lose weight. But this kind of water-weight loss is not the same as healthy weight loss due to reduced body fat or body mass.

A novel finding in a study published by Oxford Academic says, “Drinking 500 ml of water increases metabolic rate by 30% in both men and women. The increase in metabolic rate was observed within 10 minutes after completion and reached a maximum of 30–40 minutes after water drinking. The effect was sustained for more than an hour.” Hydration seems to help in weight control.

 

Myth 3: “Body weight is a genetic handover. Whatever you try, you cannot fight your genes.”

The fact:

Research does indeed show that your genes can lead to weight issues. But, here’s the fact. You are not fated to be fat just because your parents are; you can fight genetics with proper diet and exercise. There’s one gene that’s now getting a lot of attention, called FTO. WebMD claims scientists found that people with this gene have a 20% to 30% higher chance of obesity. If a cause has been found, the cure may hopefully not be far behind.

Besides genetics, your environment, lifestyle, and healthy choices may also significantly affect how much you weigh. One interesting theory is that obesity may run in families both because of genetics and the family habits inculcated around diet and exercise. What your parents teach you about healthful habits may be as crucial as the hereditary tendencies they pass on to you.

 

Assessing your risk for weight-related diseases

Ailments like cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, obesity − or a family history of heart disease − can all have a multiplicative effect on our hearts. If you are overweight or obese, you will only compound your health and heart risks if you have any of these ailments. Plus, beware of the silent stress symptoms below:

  • You smoke a lot or drink too much alcohol without self-control
  • You have a lonely, sedentary lifestyle, often digitally-addicted
  • You feel silently worried about most things, including your weight
  • Your work and relationships don’t gel with your personality type

The wise saying goes, “When you have a weight problem, don’t just ask what you are eating. Ask what is eating you.”

 

The 6 unbeatable weight loss best practices

Just do these 6 things every day without fail, and your weight will drop away naturally over time 


  • Eat healthfully, keeping track of calories – and get the right calories into your body (i.e., more lean proteins).
  • Exercise for at least 30 minutes daily with muscle building routines for the legs. Don’t focus only on upper body muscles.
  • Stay stress-free. Learn yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, and mindful living. Don’t fret about being fat. It’s solvable.
  • Keep your body well hydrated. Drink lots of water (as plain water) – not as water in tea or coffee or juices or fizzy drinks.
  • Check your health for other illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, and heart disease. Tell the doctor about your genetics.
  • If you have genetic ailments, teach your children early on how to eat and exercise healthfully to stave off any premature diseases.

 

In summary 


There is a deep connection between body weight and metabolic rate. Often, they work at cross-purposes and defeat your good intentions to reduce weight. But despite this, it’s imperative to follow a proper diet and exercise to lose weight and reduce the risks of many weight-related ailments. All these ailments eventually lead to heart disease.

Blow away the myths in your mind about weight, and learn the facts. Assess the risks of your weight and stress on your health and heart. Most of all, be conscious and responsible about your weight issues. By doing so, you will treat your heart responsibly.

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