C-Reactive Protein Good Heart Attack Predictor
For quite awhile now, I’ve been encouraging you to look at more than just your standard cholesterol panel to assess your risk for heart disease. I’m going to share the findings of an expert panel that supports this need.
In the Journal of Clinical Lipidology a panel of specialists concluded that patients considered at intermediate risk for heart disease be tested for C-reactive protein. It’s likely this applies to a majority of the U.S. population since overweight and obesity is rampant. Family history, diet, exercise, and tobacco use also factor into determining if you are at intermediate risk.
Just evaluating total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol does not work well for predicting heart attack and stroke risk, especially for patients with metabolic syndrome or diabetes. It’s even more difficult to evaluate risk if a patient is using cholesterol lowering statin medications.
C-Reactive Protein
C-Reactive protein is a marker for inflammation and is associated with plaque build up in blood vessel walls. The plaque build up in coronary arteries leads to narrow arteries, which can cause chest pain. If these arteries rupture you are dealing with a heart attack or stroke.
High Dietary Salt Equals High Blood Pressure
Earlier this month (February 2012), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report showing that nine out of ten adults eat too much salt daily.
This excess salt is not the salt you are adding with the salt shaker. The high salt diet comes from processed foods and restaurant meals.
A diet high in sodium (salt) leads to high blood pressure. This equals an increased risk for developing heart disease and having a stroke.
According to CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden, heart disease and strokes are responsible for the deaths of more than 800,000 Americans annually and add approximately $273 BILLION dollars to health care costs.
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend salt be limited to no more than 2300 milligrams per day. This recommendation may be even lower (no more than 1500 milligrams per day) depending on your ethnicity, age, and medical history.
The average adult in the U.S. consumes more than 3300 milligrams of salt each day.
10 Foods Contributing the Most Sodium
Continue reading
High Blood Pressure Linked to Dementia
It’s well known high blood pressure increases your risk for stroke. A stroke occurs when blood flow to an area of the brain is blocked and brain cells become deprived of oxygen and die. Individuals with high blood pressure are 4-6 times more likely to have a stroke. An individual’s risk of having a stroke is directly related to how elevated their blood pressure is.
Now there is evidence linking high blood pressure with dementia and the risk is also directly related to how high your blood pressure is.
Reduce Brain Damage by Eating Fish
If you eat fish three or more times a week, studies find your risk of developing dementia and stroke to be reduced.
The Cardiovascular Health Study examined over 3600 participants over the age of 65. The study focused on “silent brain death”. Silent brain death occurs when small areas within the brain die due to lack of oxygen, but the individual shows no symptoms of this occurring. Individuals who eat fish regularly had a 26% reduction in silent brain death.
The protective benefit may be related to omega 3 fatty acids, specifically DHA and EPA. The results were seen when fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids, such as tuna and salmon. There was no positive benefit from eating fried fish, such as fish sticks made from fish low in omega 3’s.
On the plus side for those who dislike fish or won’t prepare it three times a week. Eating fish once a week reduced silent brain death 7%. Also, using a supplement to increase omega 3 fatty acids in your diet is an option.
Be sure to discuss all supplements with your MD!
All the best,
Lisa Nelson, RD
eNutritionServices
