While bacon is not for everyone, let’s face it, it’s a pretty popular food item that we as Americans have a slight obsession with! Now, a new study is linking not only bacon, but sausage, hot dogs, and deli meats with an increase in heart disease. More importantly, it may not even be for the reason that you think.
A Harvard research team analyzed data from approximately 1,600 studies that were conducted to determine whether a link existed between meat consumption and heart disease and diabetes. They defined meat as beef, pork, and lamb, but not poultry. Additionally, the study recognized processed meats preserved by salting, curing, smoking, or using preservatives, bacon being one such processed meat. According to Food Consumer, the research team found that consuming approximately two ounces or fifty grams of processed meat per day was associated with a forty-two percent increased risk of heart disease. They could not, however, find any association between consuming regular, unprocessed meat with an increased risk of the harmful condition.
The researchers believe that it must be the preservatives, such as salt, sodium nitrate, and nitrate salt that are responsible for the increase. This stands to reason due to the fact that the wholly unprocessed meats did not return the same results. Even doctors and other professionals that encourage low carbohydrate dieting, in which many people consume meat, including bacon, recommend eating nitrate free products for this very reason. Despite the conclusions of the study, the results are not meant to show a direct cause between the consumption of these products and heart disease. It was merely a finding of connection between the two.
If you are concerned about the impact of preservatives in your meat products, you are in luck. Many retailers now carry these items with no preservatives and you can always seek out local farmers who sell them in their whole state. As with any food, the closer it is to nature the better it is going to be for your body and as a protection against diseases, such as heart disease.
Filed under heart disease research, heart disease risk factors by on May 26th, 2010. Comment. 
When most people think of calcium they think about how it strengthens our bones and helps our teeth remain healthy. It may even be beneficial in weight loss. For the most part, calcium in our bodies is a good thing. However, new research has shown that calcium deposits in our arteries may be an accurate predictor of heart disease in some individuals. This calcium build-up is indicative of the accumulation of plaque in our arteries, otherwise known as atherosclerosis. According to WebMD, the amount of calcium in the arteries is directly related to the amount of plaque present, and the latter can be measured by a calcium score.
This new study stemmed from the fact that although calcium build up is a symptom of coronary artery disease and usually a precursor for an arterial blockage, it is not known whether a calcium score itself can predict if a person will develop heart disease. Approximately 5,878 participants, ages forty-five to eighty-four, were involved in the study, known as the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. Researchers used CT scans to evaluate whether the individuals had calcium accumulation in their arteries. The participants had not been diagnosed with coronary disease at the start of the study and came from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The researchers spent the next six years following up with the individuals, noting any new medical conditions, heart health, hospital visits, and even deaths. They found that 209 participants had a heart attack, cardiac arrest, or heart disease.
When the researchers examined the CT scans, they were able to accurately identify the individuals who eventually developed heart problems at a rate of seventy-seven percent. When not using the CT scans and only looking at other risk factors, the identification accuracy fell to sixty-nine percent. The researchers believe that this score, used with the determination of other risk factors, is a useful tool in predicting whether an individual will develop heart disease. They did not note, however, whether this ease of detection will improve a person’s quality of life. Further, they did not condone a CT scan as a routine test for everyone, noting its expense and small exposure to radiation. It does appear that the researchers are working in the right direction and that more studies will need to be conducted to understand the outcomes of the calcium score on heart disease. What’s more is that if this scoring eventually becomes the norm, more people may have a concrete diagnosis of heart disease. This will allow them to get the treatment they need and maybe even the social security disability benefits that they deserve.
Filed under heart disease research, heart disease risk factors by on May 25th, 2010. Comment.
I once tried a case before a very nitpicky Administrative Law Judge. The case involved a 55 year old woman who suffered from a heart condition. The woman had a pacemaker including a defibrillator. She experienced shortness of breath, chest pain and severe fatigue. She had a consistent work history over the past decade. She also had 2 treating physicians, and both doctors supported her disability claim. The woman had the following:
- Thorough medical records
- One or more functional capacity forms explaining her work activity limitations
- She was a credible claimant
- She had a long work history
Sounds like a winning case, right?
Well, the judge thoroughly examined the claimant’s medical records and stated that the test results (cardiac tests in order to measure the heart’s pumping capacity) showed very little pumping capacity limitation. However, the doctor’s notes stated that the patient indeed experienced severe limitation. So there was a discrepancy between what the test results showed and what the doctor’s notes said.
This was the first distraction in what I expected to be a relatively east and straightforward hearing. Luckily, based on experience, I was able to steer away from this discrepancy which the Judge was focusing on to focus his attention instead on how my client’s disability affected her ability to work overall.
During the hearing, I created an argument that the claimant had a severe medical problem (no matter how you looked at the evidence) and that her inability to hold down a job was due to her medication side effects, fatigue, and other related symptoms.
Fortunately, the judge issued a favorable decision. Even though this was considered an extremely stressful hearing, it only reiterated the importance of hearing preparation and things to always keep in mind when it comes to arguing for disability. Here are a few tips to consider during your hearing:
1) Argue that your ability to work for a living has been greatly reduced because of medical conditions. You are unable to be a productive worker on the job because of your medical problems.
2) When you are asked about your ability to perform day to day tasks such as standing, sitting, walking and lifting, don’t give general answers. Be specific. For example, never say something like “I can’t sit for very long.” Instead, say something like “I can’t sit for longer than 20 minutes because it gives me intense pain in my back and knees to the point where I’m unable to focus and concentrate on what I’m doing.” Also, it is important to note, if you testify that you are unable to site for more than 20 minutes without pain, don’t come to the hearing and sit calmly for 40 minutes! Try standing up and moving around throughout the course of the hearing if you feel uncomfortable.
3) When you are asked about your pain, try using scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being a mild headache and 10 being a kidney stone. Never say your pain is constantly at level 10. It is better to say that your pain is constantly at a level 5, but that it will, at times, shoot up to around 8 or 9.
The above principles may be used in a cardiac disability case or any disability case for that matter. Just remember to focus on how your condition keeps you from being able to work and you are off to a good start.
Technorati Claim Code: CTVNY3UACPC2
Filed under Hearing strategies, Heart Disease - Case Strategies by on May 3rd, 2010. Comment.
It has long been known that sugar is a villain in the world of oral health and that it is largely responsible for a huge diabetes epidemic in the United States, but what many may not know is how sugar negatively impacts our hearts. We have mostly assumed that it was the fat in our diets that was clogging our arteries and raising our cholesterol. A new study, however, is changing that general presumption to include sugar as one of the primary factors influencing heart disease.
The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, asked approximately six thousands participants about their diets. They were then grouped according to their cholesterol numbers and sugar intake. The researchers found that almost sixteen percent of the participants’ daily calories came from sugar. When assessed even further, they concluded that those who ate the most sugar ingested about forty-six teaspoons of sugar per day, while those who ate the least amount of sugar clocked in at three teaspoons per day. This influx of sugar may lead to heart disease and stroke, as well as risk factors for the disease, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. In fact, the American Heart Association feels so strongly about limiting sugar that it has issued new guidelines about its consumption, limiting women to eating only six teaspoons of sugar per day, while men can consume up to nine teaspoons.
But, sugar has been around for years and has not been considered a culprit for heart problems until very recently, so why the new change? Well, sugar has been added to virtually all of our foods and it comes in various names other than simply ‘sugar.’ Usually, anything ending in –ose is a sugar variant, and of course anything with the word ‘syrup’ is a sugar derivative. The sweetener is in many beverages, prepared foods, and even ‘healthy’ foods such as granola, oatmeal, and yogurt. It has been hard for people to limit their sugar intake simply because it seems like it is in everything. Some new legislation is trying to change that, however, by attempting to impose a tax on sweetened soft drinks. But, much like with a tax on cigarettes, we will have to see if a sugar tax detracts people from buying soda.
So, if it is in everything and causes harm to our hearts, how can we limit our intake? You can start with simple steps like cutting out the sugar in your coffee or limiting it to half of a teaspoon. Also, switch your regular sodas for diet, or better yet, drink tea, water, or coffee. Finally, limit the amount of processed and packaged foods that you consume, as this will easily cut down your sugar intake. Getting rid of the white stuff will definitely boost your health and your heart will thank you.
Filed under Tips for a healthy lifestyle, heart disease research, heart disease risk factors by on Apr 29th, 2010. Comment.
Do you sit down to a meal and automatically categorize the food on your plate as being a “bad” food or a “good” food? Do you avoid certain dining establishments because the food that is served is full of butter, fat, or grease? Most of us have been conditioned to think that fatty foods raise our “bad” cholesterol, LDL, while lowering our “good” cholesterol, HDL. Millions of individuals in the United States are on statins to control their cholesterol, yet the number of people developing or even dying from heart disease continues to grow. It appears we have taken all precautions to fight heart disease (by taking the fat out of our foods, taking a lot of medications, exercising regularly, etc.), and yet still our heart disease numbers continue to grow. According to an article in Men’s Health, perhaps the reason is due to the flawed logic and studies behind demonizing fat and LDL cholesterol as a whole.
The prevailing idea over the last number of years has been that LDL is wholly bad and that a high number in LDL testing is a marker for heart disease. Additionally, we have been taught that saturated fat consumption raises our chances for developing heart disease. All of this is now being called into question by Dr. Ronald Krauss of the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute and the director of the atherosclerosis department. He has developed an instrument, using ion mobility process that separates the LDL particles down to small components. The theory behind using this machine is that LDL is made up of many sub particles and not all of them are “bad” or cause heart disease. Therefore, simply relying on one number associated with LDL could lead many people to begin using drugs they have no need for, changing their diet when it doesn’t need changing, and more importantly, actually putting them in danger of developing a heart problem.
According to Men’s Health, LDL comes in four different types: the benign, big fluffy type; the medium, relatively harmless type; the small, dangerous types; and the very small, very dangerous types. Researchers have found that individuals who eat a diet high in saturated fat boast the big fluffy LDL particles, while those who eat a low-fat, high carbohydrate diet have smaller LDL particles. Because the standard blood test does not differentiate these types, Dr. Krauss and his team decided to use the ion mobility analysis on blood samples from 4600 healthy Swedish men and women. They found that the strongest indicators for heart disease, from highest to lowest were: high levels of medium and small LDL particles combined with low HDL; low HDL levels; and high total LDL levels. What is even more concerning is that because a standard lipid test only shows the total LDL number, most of what makes up that number can be large, fluffy particles.
Dr. Krauss also wanted to test the impact of diet on cholesterol, specifically on LDL numbers. Using data from the Framingham Heart Study, he found that a diet high in saturated fat did in fact increase LDL numbers, but only the large, fluffy, benign type. Meanwhile, individuals who ate a low fat, carbohydrate heavy diet increased the small LDL, thereby increasing the overall heart disease risk. Strikingly, people who change their diets in the hope of decreasing their overall cholesterol number may be doing more harm than good.
Filed under heart disease research by on Apr 21st, 2010. Comment.
We know that fat plays a role in heart disease, but just which fats are responsible for damaging our cardiovascular system? For many years, it was believed that the saturated fat in that juicy steak was to blame. Then, many researchers and doctors noted that there were good fats, such as the essential fatty acids found in some types of fish, which are great for the body and heart. Until recently, many doctors did not understand why, while more people decreased their overall fat intake and continued to consume “healthy” fats, there was still a rise in cardiovascular disease, especially among women. Now, due to many current studies, doctors are confident that trans fats, found in many processed foods, and are to blame for widespread heart disease.
A study, conducted by Rodale Health and published in the American Heart Journal, examined information from 86,000 women who participated in the Nurse’s Health Study. The researchers found that women who ate the most trans fats, relatively two and a half percent of their daily caloric intake, were three times as likely to suffer cardiac arrest as compared to women who only consumed one percent of trans fats according to the New York Daily News. These findings led the research team to believe that there is an unequivocal link between the consumption of trans fats and the development of heart disease. Whereas saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats occur naturally in the foods we eat, trans fats are created during the processing of certain foods. These manufactured, chemically altered fats raise your bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower your good cholesterol (HDL), both of which contribute to cardiovascular problems.
The problem is that most of these trans fats are found in many of the foods that we eat, especially in fried foods (such as doughnuts and french fries), and in baked goods (such as pies). It is critical to know what you are eating and to read the labels of any processed food that you are consuming. If you already have heart disease, it is even more crucial to get rid of all of the trans fats in your diet. The risk of having cardiac risk is even greater if you combine an already diagnosed heart disease condition with a consumption of trans fats. Although those Little Debbie snack cakes may sound like a good idea, it is best to find an alternative option to avoid unnecessary trans fats and an unnecessary heart disease diagnosis, or even worse, a heart attack of stroke.
Filed under Tips for a healthy lifestyle, heart disease research, heart disease risk factors by on Apr 15th, 2010. Comment.
In recent years there has been a big push in the United States for people to adopt a more Mediterranean lifestyle and diet. This concept is based on the fact that many people in the Mediterranean have longer life spans than Americans and have much lower rates of heart disease. Although eating Mediterranean style cuisine is delicious, the fact that the diet encourages moderate drinking may even be a more welcome surprise to many. Until recently it was unknown whether drinking actually played a role in reducing heart disease when compared to people who never drank. Two new studies, however, begin to put that debate to rest.
The first study was conducted by researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and involved reviewing the results of a CDC Study of approximately 250,000 adults between 1987 and 2000. According to WebMD, the researchers divided the participants into six categories based on their alcohol consumption, ranging from heavy drinkers to complete abstainers. Light drinkers were characterized as drinking three or fewer drinks per week, while moderate drinkers had four to seven drinks per week for women and four to fourteen drinks per week for men. They found that the light drinkers had a thirty-one percent lower risk of developing heart disease than those who did not drink. The statistics were even better for the moderate drinking group at thirty-eight percent less likely to die from heart disease. The research found a caveat to the good news about alcohol, however, noting that drinking in excess of the moderate amounts did not improve heart health.
The second study was conducted by an Italian research team and it found that women who had one drink per day and men who had two drinks per day had a great impact on prohibiting the development of heart disease. Those who drank more than twenty-five grams, however, did not have the same protections and were more likely to die from any cause, not just heart disease. WebMD notes that the researchers do not expressly recommend that people who do not currently drink begin to consume alcohol for heart health benefits. However, these two studies seem to strongly support the idea that moderate drinking plays a protective role in the heart health of many individuals. So while having a drink or two per day appears like it may help to decrease the chances of developing heart disease, it is important to discuss your diet and drinking habits with your doctor. Additionally, if you suffer from alcoholism or other health conditions, you may need to refrain from drinking and pursue other treatment options. Otherwise, cheers!
Filed under Tips for a healthy lifestyle, heart disease research by on Mar 31st, 2010. Comment.
While the TV commercials seem to be saying that erectile dysfunction (ED) is nothing to worry about and can simply be cured by taking a little blue pill, a new study indicates that ED may be a more serious condition to contend with and is not to be taken so lightly. German researchers have recently stated that men who suffer from erectile dysfunction are 1.6 times more likely to suffer from a serious cardiovascular condition – such as a heart attack or stroke – than those men who do not report such a disorder. Moreover, men who have a combination of erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular diseases are twice as likely to die from various causes as men who do not have the dysfunction. Their findings, published in the American Heart Association’s Journal, Circulation, explore the very important, yet often untreated group of men who are suffering from erectile dysfunction in combination with underlying problems in cardiovascular health.
The researchers evaluated 1500 men from different countries who had heart disease. They were asked to fill out questionnaires that included questions about erectile dysfunction. The men reported how severe their impotency was and participated in follow-ups after two years and a final examination after five. During this span of time, some of the men received heart disease medications to relax the muscles, while others were given placebos. At the conclusion of the study, the researchers found that the men suffering from erectile dysfunction also suffered in other areas, including hypertension, diabetes, and urinary tract infections. Additionally, men who suffered from impotency had a higher rate of death (at eleven percent) than those who did not have erectile dysfunction, whose rate of death was five percent. The study showed that the risk of death greatly increased with the progression of the impotency.
Many men with erectile dysfunction are only treated for that specific, immediate problem, as indicated by the barrage of Viagra commercials. The researchers, however, hope that this study sheds light on a possible underlying and more serious problem. They encourage men with impotency to also be evaluated for any cardiovascular problems, as well as change lifestyle behaviors, such as diet and exercise. Furthermore, although erectile dysfunction can slow you down in the bedroom, the possible cardiovascular link can have far more limiting consequences, including disability, stroke, heart attack, and even death. If you suffer from impotency or if you know someone who does, you are encouraged to seek the advice of a health care professional to get tested for any heart related complications. The fact is, you can only enjoy the benefits of the little blue pill if you are around and healthy enough to participate.
Filed under heart disease research, heart disease risk factors by on Mar 19th, 2010. Comment.
Most people will admit that they cannot fully engage in their day without a nice cup of coffee. This is further supported by the fact that coffee shops are on every corner and open early and close late. It is also true that coffee, and more importantly, caffeine, may lead to some bad side effects, such as dehydration, indigestion, and even the dreaded coffee breath. The good news, however, is that it may just be good for your heart…
Fox News reports that researchers in a Kaiser Permanente study found that people who drank coffee more on a regular basis decreased their risk of developing a dangerous irregular heartbeat. The researchers examined the daily habits of 130,054 adults who consumed four or more cups of coffee a day. When compared with those who did not drink coffee, the coffee drinkers reduced their risk of being hospitalized for irregular heartbeats by approximately eighteen percent. If four cups of coffee a day seems a little too much for your taste, there is still good news for people who drink coffee, but a smaller amount. Specifically, researchers discovered that people who consumed one to three cups of coffee per day reduced their chances of developing irregular heartbeats by seven percent. With the constant barrage in the media about the ill effects of our favorite substances – such as sugar, fat, and caffeine – it is nice to know that at least one may not be as bad as we previously believed.
Irregular heartbeats are a common form of heart disease, and according to Fox News, the condition affects about 2.7 million people in the United States alone. It is marked by people experiencing fast, irregular heartbeats at any given time. The concern with coffee is that it tends to speed up the heartbeat when it is consumed. This study, while not proving that coffee has a protective effect on the heart, does indicate that people who drink it are not doing harm to their hearts. Certainly this study will lead to further research on the topic, and hopefully, a protective link will be discovered. Many people suffering with heart disease are required to give up many of the things that they once enjoyed, including certain foods, activities, and possibly even a job, depending on the severity of the condition (this is the point at which people will typically apply for Social Security Disability benefits based on heart disease). Armed with this study, however, they can still enjoy their morning, afternoon, and evening cup of coffee without worry.
Filed under heart disease research by on Mar 12th, 2010. Comment.
For a number of years, the medical establishment and scientists have urged people to take an aspirin daily to ward off strokes and heart attacks. The belief is that taking a low dose of aspirin regularly offered some type of heart protection. Many middle aged individuals bought into this theory, and according to The Wall Street Journal, more than forty-four million packages of low dose aspirin were sold this past year, up twelve percent from 2005. Medical experts, however, are refining their earlier suggestions that everyone can benefit from taking aspirin daily.
Among their concerns is that aspirin can produce dangerous side effects, such as bleeding ulcers, which can far outweigh any small impact it may provide in the way of health care. This is especially troubling when otherwise healthy individuals take aspirin to ward off heart attacks and begin to develop other gastrointestinal problems because of the aspirin. The medical community, therefore, is beginning to recommend that taking the drug on a daily basis only be recommended to those who are at high risk for stroke or heart disease, or who have already experienced a heart attack or stroke. The new guidelines suggest that men, ages forty-five to seventy-nine, take aspirin if they have increased heart disease risk because of smoking or high cholesterol levels. Further, it is suggested that women, ages fifty-five to seventy-nine, take aspirin if they are at risk for having a stroke due to high blood pressure or diabetes. In both circumstances, individuals should be evaluated for ulcers and bleeding problems, and if either exists, aspirin should not be recommended. Additionally, the drug is not recommended for those over the age of eighty or younger than the aforementioned age groups.
The reason that aspirin is championed as a protector against heart disease is because it acts as a blood thinner, which guards against clots that cause strokes or heart attacks. This same thinning action, however, can also affect the stomach’s lining, causing bleeding. Although the chances of developing these conditions are relatively low, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force is asking doctors to evaluate patients individually, and if a person is otherwise healthy and does not present other risk factors, to not prescribe aspirin as part of a treatment regimen.
Although these recommendations are contrary to what many people have believed for a number of years and different from what other countries recommend, one thing is clear. Not all individuals should be treated in a similar fashion for heart disease. If you have been prescribed an aspirin regimen, but don’t have any of the risk factors listed above, have never experienced a heart attack or stroke, or are out of the age range, discuss alternative options with your physician. If, on the other hand, you are at risk for heart disease and have experienced a heart attack or stroke, you should talk with your doctor about beginning an aspirin regimen if you do not take the drug already. It many case it has been shown to be a lifesaver….literally.
Filed under Heart Disease - medical developments by on Mar 5th, 2010. Comment.
