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How to Protect Your HeartBy Dr. Kristen Plunkett
High Blood PressureHypertension is a major risk factor of the top two causes of death:
stroke and heart attacks.
• Identify if you have hypertension
o Want your blood pressure to be below 120/80
o Hypertension is diagnosed after 3 readings over 140/90 by your
dotor! or an e"tre#ely high reading with sy#pto#s listed below$o %he& your blood pressure at phar#aies 'sit for ( #inutes before
ta&ing)o *urhase your own blood pressure unit and reord readings daily
'reo##end +,-+. brand)o ee your pri#ary health are provider
o y#pto#s often asy#pto#ati$ ,ay have sy#pto#s of flushing!
sweating! blurred vision! headahe! diiness! and nosebleeds$o y#pto#s of hypertensive e#ergeny 'reuires e#ergeny roo#
visit) restlessness! onfusion! tiredness! blurred vision! headahe!nausea and vo#iting! neurologi defiits! seiures! hest pain!trouble breathing$
• Identify the ause of hypertension
o iet! stress! atheroslerosis! #ediations 'birth ontrol pills!
estrogen! steroids! thyroid hor#one! deongestants!a#pheta#ines! liorie)! pree"isting health onditions '&idneydisease! hyperthyroidis#! %ushing5s syndro#e! et)! beingoverweight! affeine! niotine! alohol! la& of e"erise et$
• %o#pliations of hypertension
o Inreases the wor&load of the heart leading to heart enlarge#ent
o 6elerates the develop#ent of atheroslerosis 'plaue on your
artery walls) whih inreases blood pressure further o Inreases the ris& of heart atta&s and stro&es
o Inreases your hane of developing an aneurys# with is a
ballooning of your blood vessel walls in a wea&ened vessel #a&ing
it #ore li&ely to rupture leading to a he#orrhagi stro&eo 7eads to &idney da#age and failure
o asular hanges in the eye leading to vision diffiulties
• Identify 7ifestyle hanges you an #a&e to derease your blood pressure
o ietary hanges
o "erise
o tress #anage#ent
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• ,ediations isontinuation of blood pressure #ediations should be
#onitored by your dotor$ o not stop ta&ing beta blo&ers abruptly forthey an ause a rebound hypertensive risis$
High %holesterolCholesterol lowering drugs are one of the top pharmaceuticals
prescribed in the United States.
• Identify if you have high holesterol
o -euires a blood test by your dotor$
:otal holesterol #easure of all types of holesterol$ Wantit lower than 200$
77 'low density lipoproteins) ;<ad= holesterol leads toatherosleroti plaue for#ation on your artery walls$ Wantit less than 130$
H7 'high density lipoproteins) ;>ood= holesterol$ %arriesholesterol fro# peripheral irulation ba& to the liver to bee"reted$ Want it over (($
:riglyerides are a #easure of fat in the blood! transports fatto other tissues$ Want the# less than 12($
%alulate ardiovasular ris&
• :otal holesterol/H7 want a ratio of 3 or less
• H7/77 want a ratio of 0$( or higher
hould be tested yearly$ +ne diagnosed #ay need to betested every 3 #onths to #onitor suess of treat#ent$
•
-is& fators for developing high holesterolo High saturated and transfat diet 'fast foods)! high arbohydrate diet
inreases triglyerides! la& of antio"idants in diet 'fruit andvegetables)! fa#ily history! obesity! la& of e"erise
• %o#pliations of high holesterol ;hyperlipide#ia=
o 6therosleroti plaue for#ation on your arteries! thi&ens blood
#a&ing harder to pu#p around 'hypertension) and ausing theheart to enlarge to pu#p harder! #ore diffiulty getting it throughthe s#aller apillaries leading to dereased o"ygenation andnutrients being delivered to tissues$ :issues build up to"ins! unableto eli#inate waste produts ba& into the blood strea#
o %oronary artery olusion leading to heart atta& or stro&e• Identify lifestyle hanges to derease holesterol
o ietary hanges
o "erise
o tress #anage#ent
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7ifestyle %hanges to Inrease the Health of ?our HeartThrough Diet !"ercise #$oiding common triggers you can decrease your
cholesterol and high blood pressure.
•
Healthy Heart ieto 6void #argarine! fried! overoo&ed #eats! heated oils! refined
sugars! alohol! arbonated beverages! affeine! #ini#ie si#plearbohydrates
o at uality proteins suh as fish! organi eggs! free range hi&en!
grass fed beef! nuts! seedso at a high fiber diet with plenty of green leafy vegetables! whole
grains! fresh fruit 'buy organi whenever possible)$o Identify and avoid any food allergens 'eating a food you are
sensitive to an inrease your blood pressure by 10 points)o 6 diet high in garli and onions dereases your blood visosity and
dereases your lipid levelso 6 diet high in tu#eri and ayenne dereases infla##ation helping
the blood get to the tissues needing o"ygen and nutrients! as wellas dereasing pain$
o 6 diet high in berries strengthens the vasular lining! helping to
prevent aneurys#s$o ,editerranean iet is great for heart health high in fish! whole
grains! fruit and vegetables! and olive oilo at a diet high in nutrients that are healthy for the heart
*otassiu# sunflower seeds! al#onds! nuts! seeds! wheatger#! raisins! dates! figs! orange @uie! banana! soy!legu#es! avoado! apriots! antaloupe! papaya '#ay needto #onitor a#ount of potassiu# in foods if you are on apotassiu# sparing diureti spironolactone triamtereneamiloride hydrochlorothia%ide&
,agnesiu# 'helps with vasodilation) soybeans! bu&wheat!tofu! al#onds! ashews! legu#es
6rginine 'auses vasodilation) tur&ey! hi&en! la#b! por&!tuna! sal#on! shri#p! al#onds! wheat ger#! ashews! oats
ssential Aatty 6ids 'A6s an derease blood pressure by10 points! strengthen vasular walls! i#prove lipid levels!
and derease infla##ation) fish! fla" seed! borage oil!walnuts! pu#p&in seedso If you are on statin drugs or red rie yeast! #a&e sure to
supple#ent with %oB10$ %oB10 is essential for ell energy and itan also derease blood pressure by 10C by dereasing the bloodflow resistane through the vessels$ tatin drugs derease your%oB10 levels$
• "erise
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o I#proves blood flow to the tissues dereasing da#age due to
dereased blood flow of atheroslerosis$o 6therosleroti vessels #a&e it harder for the# to dilate! regular
e"erise an restore the plastiity of your vessels$o :he heart is a #usle! li&e all #usles the #ore you use the# the
better they funtion$o Want to get your heart rate between D080C of #a"
220 E age " 0$D0 F resting heart rate G D0C of #a"
220 E age " 0$80 F resting heart rate G 80C of #a"
If you have not e"erised in a while start slow and graduallybuild up$ If you have any pree"isting health onditionsontat your dotor before beginning and e"erise regi#en$
o Aind an e"erise that you en@oy doing$
• tress ,anage#ent
o tress inreases blood pressure! auses a sy#patheti nervous
syste# do#inant state$ ?ou want to inrease the parasy#pathetinervous syste# by pratiing stress #anage#ent$
o :he stress response is an i#portant reation if you see danger it
gives you what you need to fight or flight$ It is not good to have aonstant high level of stress$
o :he parasy#patheti nervous syste# is i#portant to rest and
digest$o :ools
eep <reathing$ :a&e 12 deep slow breaths deep into yourabdo#en$ %an derease your blood pressure by 10 points$
?oga teahes breathing tehniues and strethes :ai %hi
Aind a hobby you en@oy and do it #ore often
• >ardening
• ewing/stithing
• Aishing
Aor #ore infor#ation please ontat #e
risten *lun&ett! ..aturopathi ,edial %lini1200 . th t>rants *ass! +- 9(2D'(41) 4D291D
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I%76I,- :he infor#ation ontained in these pages should not be used as a basis for treat#ent whih an onlybe provided by a ualified #edial pratitioner$ ?ou should onsult a #edial provider or the appropriate healthprofessional for speifi personal advie if you have onerns about your health or general wellbeing$