Heart Health – #1 Killer in America

Heart Health – #1 Killer in America

by | Feb 3, 2022 | Cup of News

Heart Health – the No. 1 Killer in America

What is Cardiovascular Disease?

Taking care of your heart health is essential so you can avoid developing cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular disease can refer to a number of conditions. These are the following [1]:

Heart Disease

Heart and blood vessel disease (also called heart disease). It includes many problems, many related to atherosclerosis.
 
Atherosclerosis is when plaque builds up in the walls of the arteries. Also, the buildup narrows the arteries, making it harder for blood to flow through. If a blood clot forms, it can block the blood flow, which can cause a heart attack or stroke.

Heart Attack

A heart attack occurs when a blood clot blocks the blood flow to a part of the heart. If this clot cuts off the blood flow completely, the role of the heart muscle supplied by that artery begins to die.
 
Most people survive their first heart attack and return to their everyday lives. But experiencing a heart attack does mean that you need to make some changes.
 
The medications and lifestyle changes that your doctor recommends may vary. This depends on the damage to your heart and to what degree heart disease caused the attack.
 
A complete blockage of a coronary artery means you suffered a “STEMI” heart attack. It is also known as ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Partial blockage is an “NSTEMI” heart attack or a non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction.
  • Angioplasty: Special tubing with an attached deflated balloon is threaded up to the coronary arteries.
  • Angioplasty, Laser: Similar to angioplasty except that the catheter has a laser tip that opens the blocked artery.
  • Artificial heart valve surgery: Replaces an abnormal or diseased heart valve with a healthy one.
  • Atherectomy: Similar to angioplasty except that the catheter has a rotating shaver on its tip to cut away plaque from the artery.
  • Bypass surgery: Treats blocked heart arteries by creating new passages for blood to flow to your heart muscle.
  • Cardiomyoplasty: An experimental procedure in which skeletal muscles are taken from a patient’s back or abdomen.
  • Heart transplant: Removes a diseased heart and replaces it with a donated healthy human heart.
  • Radiofrequency ablation: A catheter with an electrode at its tip is guided through the veins to the heart muscle to destroy carefully selected heart muscle cells in a very small area.
  • Stent procedure: A stent is a wire mesh tube used to prop open an artery during angioplasty.
  • Transmyocardial revascularization (TMR): A laser is used to drill a series of holes from the outside of the heart into the heart’s pumping chamber.

Stroke

An ischemic stroke (the most common type) occurs when a blood vessel that feeds the brain gets blocked. It is usually from a blood clot.
 
When the blood supply to a part of the brain is cut off, some brain cells will begin to die. It can lose functions controlled by that part of the brain, such as walking or talking.
 
A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel within the brain bursts. It is most often caused by uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure).
 
Some effects of stroke are permanent if too many brain cells die after lacking oxygen. These cells are never replaced.
 
The good news is that sometimes brain cells don’t die during the stroke — instead, the damage is temporary. Over time, as injured cells repair themselves, impaired function improves. (In other cases, intact brain cells nearby may take over for the damaged brain areas.)
 
Either way, strength may return, speech may improve, and memory may improve. This recovery process is what stroke rehabilitation is all about.
 

Treatment

Gold standard treatment is tissue plasminogen activator, r-tPA (alteplase). It is given 3 hrs after the last normal some situations allow for 4.5 hrs.
 
Another treatment is called an endovascular procedure or a mechanical thrombectomy. It is a recommended option that can help remove a clot in eligible patients. Those with a large vessel occlusion or LVO are usually prioritized.
 
In this procedure, doctors use a wire-cage device called a stent retriever. They thread a catheter through an artery in the groin up to the blocked artery in the brain. The stent opens and grabs the clot. Special suction tubes may also remove the clot.

Heart Failure

Heart failure is sometimes called congestive heart failure. It means the heart isn’t pumping blood as well as it should. But, heart failure does not mean that the heart stops beating — that’s a common misperception.
 
Instead, the heart keeps working, but the body’s need for blood and oxygen isn’t met. Heart failure can get worse if left untreated. If your loved one has heart failure, it’s vital to follow the doctor’s orders.

Treatments

  • Coronary bypass surgery. Blocked arteries can cause heart failure. To clear this, your doctor may recommend coronary artery bypass surgery. The procedure involves taking a healthy blood vessel from your leg, arm, or chest. The blood vessel is then connected below and above the blocked arteries Omit heart. This new pathway improves blood flow to your heart muscle.
  • Heart valve repair or replacement. If a faulty heart valve causes your heart failure, the valve needs to be repaired or replaced. Surgeons can repair the valve by reconnecting valve flaps. It can also be by removing excess valve tissue so that the leaflet closes. Sometimes, fixing the valve includes tightening or replacing the ring around the valve.
  • Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). An ICD is used to prevent complications of heart failure. It isn’t a treatment for heart failure itself, but it is like a pacemaker. It is implanted under the skin in your chest with wires leading through your veins and into your heart.
  • The ICD monitors the heart rhythm. If the heart starts beating at a dangerous rhythm, or if the heart stops. When the heart stops, this device will try to pace your heart or shock it back into normal rhythm. An ICD can also work as a pacemaker and speed your heart up if it is going too slow.
  • Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Also called biventricular pacing. CRT is a treatment for heart failure in people whose lower heart chambers (ventricles) aren’t pumping in sync. A biventricular pacemaker sends electrical signals to the ventricles. It signals your ventricles to contract. This will trigger the ventricles to contract in a more coordinated way. It improves blood pumping out of your heart, and CRT may be used with an ICD.
  • Ventricular assist devices (VADs). — also known as a mechanical circulatory support device. It is a device that helps pump blood from the lower chambers of your heart (ventricles) to the rest of your body. Although a VAD can be placed in one or both ventricles of your heart, it is most implanted in the left ventricle.
    • The doctor may recommend a VAD if you wait for a heart transplant. In some cases, VAD is used as a permanent treatment for people who have heart failure. But those who aren’t good candidates for a heart transplant are first in line.
  • Heart transplant. Some people have severe heart failure, that surgery or medications don’t help. These people may need to have their hearts replaced with a healthy donor heart.
 
Medications
  • Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. These drugs relax blood vessels to lower blood pressure, improve blood flow and decrease the strain on the heart. Examples include enalapril (Vasotec, Epaned), lisinopril (Zestril, Qbrelis, Prinivil), and captopril.
  • Angiotensin II receptor blockers. These drugs, which include losartan (Cozaar), valsartan (Diovan), and candesartan (Atacand), have many of the same benefits as ACE inhibitors. They may be an option for people who can’t tolerate ACE inhibitors.
  • Beta-blockers. These drugs slow your heart rate and reduce blood pressure. Beta-blockers may reduce signs and symptoms of heart failure, improve heart function, and help you live longer. Examples include carvedilol (Coreg), metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol-XL, Kapspargo Sprinkle), and bisoprolol.
  • Diuretics. Often called water pills, diuretics make you urinate more frequently and keep fluid from collecting in your body. Diuretics, such as furosemide (Lasix), also decrease fluid in your lungs to breathe more easily.
    • Because diuretics make your body lose potassium and magnesium, your doctor may also prescribe supplements of these minerals. If you’re taking a diuretic, your doctor will likely monitor potassium and magnesium levels in your blood through regular blood tests.
  • Aldosterone antagonists. These drugs include spironolactone (Aldactone, Carospir) and eplerenone (Inspra). They are potassium-sparing diuretics with additional properties that may help people with severe systolic heart failure live longer.
    • Diuretics like spironolactone and eplerenone can raise the potassium in your blood to dangerous levels. Talk to your doctor if this is a concern so you can modify your intake of food high in potassium.
  • Positive inotropes. These medications may be given by IV to people with certain types of severe heart failure who are in the hospital. Positive inotropes can help the heart pump blood more effectively and maintain blood pressure. Long-term use of these drugs has been linked to an increased risk of death. Talk to your health care provider about the benefits and risks of these drugs.
    • Dobutamine and milrinone are the most common. 
  • Digoxin (Lanoxin). This drug, also called digitalis, increases the strength of your heart muscle contractions. It also tends to slow the heartbeat. Digoxin reduces heart failure symptoms in systolic heart failure. It may be more likely to be given to someone with a heart rhythm problem, such as atrial fibrillation.
  • Hydralazine and isosorbide dinitrate (BiDil). This drug combination helps relax blood vessels. It may be added to your treatment plan if you have severe heart failure symptoms and ACE inhibitors or beta-blockers haven’t allowed.
  • Vericiguat (Verquvo). This newer medicine for chronic heart failure is taken once a day by mouth. It’s a type of drug called an oral soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator. In studies, those with high-risk heart failure who took vericiguat had fewer hospital stays for heart failure and heart disease-related deaths than those who received an inactive pill (placebo).

Arrhythmia

Arrhythmia refers to an abnormal heart rhythm. There are various types of arrhythmias. The heart can beat too slow, too fast, or irregularly.

Bradycardia, or a heart rate that’s too slow, is when the heart rate is less than 60 beats per minute. Tachycardia, or a heart rate that’s too fast, refers to a heart rate of more than 100 beats per minute.

An arrhythmia can affect your heart health and how it works. With an irregular heartbeat, your heart may not be able to pump enough blood to meet your body’s needs.

Treatment

  • Vagal maneuvers. If you have a very fast heartbeat due to supraventricular tachycardia, your doctor may recommend this therapy. Vagal maneuvers affect the nervous system that controls your heartbeat (vagus nerves), often causing your heart rate to slow. For example, you may be able to stop an arrhythmia by holding your breath and straining, dunking your face in ice water, or coughing. Vagal maneuvers don’t work for all types of arrhythmias.
  • Cardioversion. This method to reset the heart rhythm may be done with medications or as a procedure. Your doctor may recommend this treatment if you have a certain type of arrhythmia, such as atrial fibrillation.
    • During the cardioversion procedure, a shock is delivered to your heart through paddles or patches on your chest. The current affects the electrical impulses in your heart and can restore a normal rhythm.
  • Catheter ablation. In this procedure, the doctor threads one or more catheters through the blood vessels to the heart. Electrodes at the catheter tips use heat or cold energy to create tiny scars in your heart to block abnormal electrical signals and restore a normal heartbeat.
  • Pacemaker. If slow heartbeats (bradycardias) don’t have a cause that can be corrected. Doctors often treat them with a pacemaker because there aren’t any medications that can reliably speed up the heart.
    • A pacemaker is a small device that’s usually implanted near the collarbone. One or more electrode-tipped wires run from the pacemaker through the blood vessels to the inner heart. If the heart rate is too slow or if it stops, the pacemaker sends out electrical impulses that stimulate the heart to beat at a steady rate.
  • Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). Your doctor may recommend this device if you’re at high risk of developing a dangerously fast or irregular heartbeat in the lower heart chambers (ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation). If you have heart health issues, had a sudden cardiac arrest, or have certain heart conditions that increase your risk of sudden cardiac arrest, your doctor may also recommend an ICD.
    • An ICD is a battery-powered unit that’s implanted under the skin near the collarbone — similar to a pacemaker. One or more electrode-tipped wires from the ICD run through veins to the heart. The ICD continuously monitors your heart rhythm.
    • If the ICD detects an abnormal heart rhythm, it sends out low- or high-energy shocks to reset the heart to a normal rhythm. An ICD doesn’t prevent an irregular heart rhythm from occurring, but it treats it if it occurs.
  • Maze procedure. In the maze procedure, a surgeon makes a series of incisions in the heart tissue in the upper half of your heart (atria) to create a pattern (or maze) of scar tissue. Because scar tissue doesn’t conduct electricity, it interferes with stray electrical impulses that cause some types of arrhythmia.
    • The maze procedure is usually reserved for people who don’t get better with other treatments or who are having open-heart surgery for other reasons.
  • Coronary bypass surgery. If you have severe coronary artery disease in addition to heart arrhythmia, your doctor may perform coronary bypass surgery. This procedure may improve the blood flow to your heart. Because of this, your heart health may be compromised. 

Heart valve problems

Once your heart health goes down, problems arise. When heart valves don’t open enough to allow the blood to flow through as it should, a condition called stenosis results.

When the heart valves don’t close properly and allow blood to leak through, it’s called regurgitation. If the valve leaflets bulge or prolapse back into the upper chamber, it’s a condition called prolapse. 

Treatment

  • Heart valve repair: Patch holes in a valve. Separate valve leaflets that have fused. Replace the cords that support the valve. Remove excess valve tissue so that the valve can close tightly.
    • Surgeons often tighten or reinforce the ring around a valve (annulus) by implanting an artificial ring. In some cases, doctors use less invasive procedures to repair certain valves using long, thin tubes (catheters). These procedures can involve clips, plugs, or other devices.
  • Heart Valve Replacement: If the valve is not repaired, surgeons might remove the damaged valve and replace it with a mechanical valve. It can also be a valve made from cow, pig, or human heart tissue (biological or tissue valve).
    • If you had valve replacement with a mechanical valve, you’d need to take blood thinners to prevent blood clots for the rest of your life. Biological tissue valves break down over time and usually need to be replaced.
    • A minimally invasive procedure called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) may be used to replace a damaged aortic valve. In this procedure, the doctor inserts a long, thin tube (catheter) into an artery in your leg or chest and guides it to the heart valve. A replacement valve is moved through this catheter to the correct position.

Types of Cardiac Medications for Your Heart’s Health

  • Anticoagulant – is used to treat specific blood vessel, heart, and lung conditions.
  • Antiplatelet agent – keeps blood clots from forming by preventing blood platelets from sticking together.
  • Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor – expands blood vessels and decreases resistance by lowering levels of angiotensin II. Allows blood to flow more easily and makes the heart’s work easier or more efficient.
  • Beta-blocker: Decreases the heart health rate and cardiac output, lowering blood pressure and making the heartbeat more slowly, with less force.
  • Angiotensin II receptor blocker – rather than lowering levels of angiotensin II (as ACE inhibitors do), angiotensin II receptor blockers prevent this chemical from having any effects on the heart and blood vessels. This medication keeps blood pressure from rising.
  • Combined alpha and beta-blocker: Combined alpha and beta-blockers are used as an IV drip for those patients experiencing a hypertensive crisis. They may be prescribed for outpatient high blood pressure use if the patient is at risk for heart failure.
  • Angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor: Neprilysin is an enzyme that breaks down natural substances in the body that open narrowed arteries. By inhibiting neprilysin, those natural substances can have their usual effect. That improves artery opening and blood flow, reduces sodium (salt) retention, and decreases strain on the heart.
  • Calcium channel blocker Interrupts the movement of calcium into the heart and blood vessel cells. May decrease the heart’s pumping strength and relax the blood vessels.
  • Cholesterol-lowering medications: Various medications can lower blood cholesterol levels, but statins are the best first course of action. Other drugs may be recommended when statins prove ineffective or if a patient experiences severe side effects from statin therapy.
  • Digitalis preparation: Increases the force of the heart’s contractions, which can be beneficial in heart failure and for irregular heartbeats.
  • Diuretics: Cause the body to rid itself of excess fluids and sodium through urination. Help to relieve the heart’s workload. Diuretics also decrease fluid buildup in the lungs and other parts of the body, such as the ankles and legs. Different diuretics remove fluid at varied rates and through various methods.
  • Vasodilator: Relaxes blood vessels and increases the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart while reducing its workload. Available as pills to be swallowed, chewable tablets, and a topical application (cream).

Fact Sheet – Heart Disease

Taking care of your heart health is essential. Remember that heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States [2].

  • There are about 3 million deaths in the US.
  • Cardiovascular disease alone accounts for almost 1/4th of the total deaths in the US. 
  • One person dies every 36 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease.
  • Heart disease cost the United States about $363 billion each year from 2016 to 2017. It includes the cost of heart health care services, medicines, and lost productivity due to death.

Coronary Artery Disease

  • Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing 360,900 people in 2019.
    • About 18.2 million adults age 20 and older have CAD (about 6.7%).
    • About 2 in 10 deaths from CAD happen in adults less than 65 years old.

Heart Attacks

In the United States, a person suffers from a heart attack every 40 seconds.

  • Every year, about 805,000 people in the United States have a heart attack. Of these,
    • 605,000 are a first heart attack
    • 200,000 happen to people who have already had a heart attack
    • About 1 in 5 heart attacks are silent—the damage is done, but the person is not aware of it.
Race of Ethnic Group % of Deaths Men, % Women, %
American Indian or Alaska Native 18.3 19.4 17.0
Asian American or Pacific Islander 21.4 22.9 19.9
Black (Non-Hispanic) 23.5 23.9 23.1
White (Non-Hispanic) 23.7 24.9 22.5
Hispanic 20.3 20.6 19.9
All 23.4 24.4 22.3

Cardiovascular Disease Beyond Death

Cardiovascular disease isn’t something that just happens one day and death follows it the next. It is a chronic heart health condition that gets worse over time. Often times it can be managed and people can live active and great lives even when they have comorbidity.

Cardiovascular disease is not a death sentence but when it is not managed properly, it can be a problem[3]. According to heart.org, almost half of the US population has some type of cardiovascular disease. 

    • According to 2017 figures, 116.4 million people had hypertension, almost half of the US population at that time, and that is just hypertension alone.
    • Cardiovascular disease is such an issue that the AHA had to lower its guidelines for what hypertension is from 140/90 to 130/80 so that people can get treated sooner.
  • 1 in 5 Americans reported having adequate aerobic exercise and muscle-strengthening activity to meet the physical activity guidelines.
  • Estimates for 2035 are showing that more than 130 million people will have some form of cardiovascular disease and the total cost to the healthcare system would be $1.1 trillion. 

Activity Guidelines for Your Heart Health

Key Guidelines for Adults

    • Adults should move more and sit less throughout the day. Some physical activity is better than none. Those people who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity gain some health benefits.
  • For substantial heart health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) to 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise. Preferably, aerobic activity should be spread throughout the week.
  • Additional heart health benefits are gained by engaging in physical activity beyond 300 minutes (5 hours) of moderate-intensity physical activity a week.
  • Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity that involve all major muscle groups two or more days a week. These activities provide additional heart health benefits.

Key Guidelines for Older Adults

The fundamental guidelines for adults also apply to older adults. In addition, the following vital guidelines are just for older adults [4]:

    • Older adults should do multicomponent physical activity as part of their weekly physical activity that includes balance training and aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises.
    • Senior adults should determine their level of effort for physical activity relative to their fitness level.
    • Older adults with chronic conditions should understand whether and how their conditions affect their ability to do regular physical activity safely.

Aging adults cannot do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity weekly because of chronic conditions. They should be as physically active as their abilities and needs allow. 

Diets Effects on Cardiovascular Disease

Trans Fats

Artificial trans fats or trans fatty acids are created in the industrial food-making process. By adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils, making them more solid [5]. Restaurants and certain food businesses use trans fats because they make food taste better and improve texture. The oils can be reused many times over. 
 
Although the FDA has guidelines on how much trans fats are allowed, they are not illegal to use. The FDA has stated that hydrogenated oils are not generally recognized as safe. Heart.org recommends ideal 2 grams or less, the closer to 0, the better. 

Trans Fat in Our Diet

The FDA also does not require to list trans fats if the product contains <0.5g. So, if you think about it, some of the products can have 0.4g, and through your diet, the total can add up to well over the 2g recommendation. 

Common foods that have trans fats:

  • Fast food
  • Doughnuts
  • baked goods 
  • pie crusts
  • Biscuits
  • frozen pizza
  • Cookies
  • Crackers
  • margarine and other spreads
There are naturally occurring trans fats like those in dairy and milk products. Keep in mind those are occurring and also in small amounts. There’s no research on the difference between artificial trans fats and occurring ones. 
 
One study looked at trans fat consumption in Iranian homes [6]. A study was done on 35,924 individuals and looked at their trans fat consumption. This consumption showed an association with heart health and coronary artery diseases.
 
It concluded that the average intake of trans fats was about 14g/1000 kcal. Trans fatty acids is accounted for 33% of fatty acid consumption. They concluded that 39% of coronary heart health events could have been prevented if unsaturated fatty acids had replaced them. 

To watch the full episode of Ep. 85, check out the whole video here 👇👇👇

TIME STAMPS:

0:00 Introduction
0:52 Sponsor Ads
2:01 Cup of Nurses Introduction
2:30 Episode Introduction
2:46 What is Cardiovascular Disease?
5:36 Heart Disease
9:50 What happens in the hospital when you get a heart attack?
26:00 What are the 2 types of stroke?
28:32 Treatments for Stroke
31:58 Heart Failure
32:20 When does heart failure happen?
34:48 Treatments for Heart Failure
48:00 Medications for Heart Failure
54:41 What is Arrhythmia?
55:03 Treatments for Arrhythmia
1:04:10 Heart Valve Problems
1:06:12 Treatments for Heart Valve Problems
1:07:01 Types of Cardiac Medications
1:11:58 Fact sheet – Heart Disease
1:14:49 Probability of Heart Attack Based on Ethnicity Group
1:17:47 Activity Guidelines for Adults
1:21:25 Diets Affecting Cardiovascular Disease

How to Optimize Your Immune System

How to Optimize Your Immune System

by | Dec 27, 2021 | Wellness - Blog

How to Optimize Your Immune System

It is important to optimize your immune system. When the weather is cold, many people get sick, and sometimes, common colds turn to flu when your body cannot fight it off.
 
 
It is why you optimizing your immune system is a must.

Unfortunately, a lot of people have a low immune system during cold seasons. Many look for ways to boost it, but it’s best to get ahead. It is ideal for strengthening our immune system before illness takes over.
 
The best way to stop being sick is to prevent yourself from getting sick. There are steps you can take to better optimize your immune system.
 
Hydration, sleep, nutrition, and supplements are key fundamentals for staying healthy. 

Hydration

Drinking enough water optimizes your body’s performance in every aspect. Staying hydrated has been associated with an increase in the performance of your immune system.

Studies have shown that fluid balance plays a major role in immunity and immune function [1].

The Lymphatic System

The lymphatic system is responsible for maintaining optimal immune system health. Some of the functions of the lymph system are:

  • Maintains fluid levels in your body: The lymphatic system collects excess fluid that drains from cells and tissue throughout your body and returns it to your bloodstream; it then recirculates through your body.
  • Absorbs fats from the digestive tract: Lymph includes fluids from your intestines that contain fats and proteins and transport them back to your bloodstream.
  • Protects your body against foreign invaders: The lymphatic system produces and releases lymphocytes (white blood cells) and other immune cells that monitor and destroy foreign invaders.

How the Lymphatic System Helps Optimize Your Immune System

How does the lymphatic system help your immune system? ]Here are studies we found out regarding this topic:

1. Transports and removes waste products and abnormal cells from the lymph.

The lymphatic system relies heavily on lymph which is made up of about 90% water. Less body water may mean less lymph production or a less efficient lymph system.

2. In A 2013 study published in Luminescence, researchers investigated the effects of dehydration on immune functions in 25 university judoists after a judo practice session.

Subjects were divided into two groups according to their level of dehydration after practice (mild dehydration and severe dehydration).

Results suggested that dehydration resulted in immunosuppression, including decreased neutrophil (an important type of tissue-healing and infection-fighting white blood cell) function.

3. In a 2012 study published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism by researchers. In this investigation, they found the effect of exercise-induced dehydration and overnight fluid restriction on saliva antimicrobial proteins (secretory IgA (SIgA), α-amylase, and lysozyme).

All are essential for the host defense. 

The researchers concluded that modest dehydration decreased salivary flow rate (SFR), α-amylase, and lysozyme secretion rates.

However, they also commented that whether the observed magnitude of decrease in saliva AMPs during dehydration compromises host defense remains to be shown.

4. A 2019 review showed that researchers evaluated the effects of dehydration on several kinds of allergy responses and exercise-induced asthma, especially during endurance exercise.

They found that exercise-induced dehydration reduces airway surface hydration, resulting in increased bronchoconstriction. This is a response to exercise in exercise-induced asthma individuals and asthma patients [2].

How Sleep Affects the Immune System and Your Mood

Sleep is one of the most important components of staying healthy. Not only does sleep impact your immune system it is safe to say that sleep affects every part of your life.

Many people don’t know that a part of your immune system actually increases when you fall asleep.  When you sleep, the production of cytokines increases, which means you’re in a more inflamed state [3].

Some experts even say that sleep can increase immune memory:

  • During sleep, breathing and muscle activity slows down, freeing up energy for the immune system to perform these critical tasks.
  • The inflammation that happens during sleep could harm physical and mental performance if it occurs during waking hours, so the body has evolved so that these processes unfold during nightly sleep.
  • Melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone that is produced at night, is adept at counteracting the stress that can come from inflammation during sleep. 

Undifferentiated or less differentiated cells like naïve and central memory T cells peak during the night, when the more slowly evolving adaptive immune response is initiated.

Nocturnal sleep, and especially SWS prevalent during the early night, promotes the release of GH and prolactin, while anti-inflammatory actions of cortisol and catecholamines are at the lowest levels [4].

The endocrine milieu during early sleep critically supports (1) the interaction between APC and T cells, as evidenced by enhanced production of IL-12, (2) a shift of the Th1/Th2 cytokine balance towards Th1 cytokines, and (3) an increase in Th cell proliferation and (4) probably also facilitates the migration of naïve T cells to lymph nodes.

Thereby, the endocrine milieu during early sleep likely promotes the initiation of Th1 immune responses that eventually supports the formation of long-lasting immunological memories.

Prolonged sleep curtailment and the accompanying stress response invoke a persistent unspecific production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

This is best described as chronic low-grade inflammation and also produces immunodeficiency, which both have detrimental effects on health.

Effects of Citrus, Ginger, and Yogurt in Optimizing Your Immune System

To stay healthy and maintain a solid immune system, you must include foods rich in antioxidants and vitamins.

How can citrus, ginger, and yogurt help optimize your immune system? In many ways, of course. For one, citrus fruits are rich in Vitamin C, which keeps your immune system strong.

Ginger is an excellent addition to food and drinks. It also helps decrease inflammation in your body, while yogurt’s “live cultures” help stimulate your immune system to help fight diseases.

In addition to that, here are the health benefits of citrus, ginger, and yogurt:

Citrus fruits

  • Citrus fruits have a high vitamin C content. They are also high in potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin B. They also contain a good amount of fiber.
  • Citrus fruits also contain antioxidants. It is theorized that antioxidants may block the expression of certain genes that can be associated with cancer or certain degenerative diseases. 

Ginger

  • Ginger boosts a variety of antioxidants such as gingerols, paradols, sesquiterpenes, shogaols, and zingerone.
  • It has been shown that ginger is able to decrease inflammation in conditions such as RA, gut disease, and asthma
  • A 2-month study in 64 people with type 2 diabetes found that taking 2 grams of ginger powder daily significantly reduced levels of inflammatory proteins like tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and C-reactive protein (CRP), compared to taking a placebo [5].
  • In another study, male athletes who received 1.5 grams of ginger powder daily for 6 weeks had significant reductions in levels of inflammatory markers, such as TNF-alpha, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1-beta), compared to athletes who received a placebo

Yogurt

  • One of the key elements in why yogurt helps the immune system is its probiotic effect, specifically something called lactobacillus [6]. 
  • Lactobacillus produces an enzyme called lactase which breaks down lactose into lactic acid. 
  • In one study in 326 children, six months of daily L. acidophilus probiotics reduced fever by 53%, coughing by 41%, antibiotic use by 68%, and days absent from school by 32%

Supplements to Help Optimize Your Immune System

Supplements are always talked about, especially in winter. In addition to that, winter is when most people get sick.

It is why it is crucial to keep your body healthy. You can also do this by taking supplements. What are the supplements you need to help optimize your immune system?

Vitamin D 

  • The recommended amount is 600 – 2000 IU.
  • Vitamin D is required in the regulation of T and B cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and keratinocytes. There also seems to be a link between vitamin D and many autoimmune diseases, including Crohn’s disease, juvenile diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Fish, red meat, liver, and egg yolks, are excellent foods rich in Vitamin D. 

Vitamin C Optimizes Your Immune System

  • For adults, the recommended daily amount for vitamin C is 65 to 90 milligrams (mg) a day, and the upper limit is 2,000 mg a day.
  • Research shows vitamin C is essential for the growth and repair of tissue all over the body. Vitamin C helps heal wounds and repair and maintain healthy bones, teeth, skin, and cartilage — a type of firm tissue that covers the bones.
  • As an antioxidant, vitamin C fights free radicals in the body, which may help prevent or delay certain cancers and heart diseases and promote healthy aging. Vitamin C from foods also seems to reduce the risk of cartilage loss in those with osteoarthritis.
  • Citrus fruit, such as oranges and orange juice, peppers, strawberries, blackcurrants, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and potatoes.

Iron

  • The amount of iron you need is 8.7mg a day for men over 18. 14.8mg a day for women aged 19 to 50. 8.7mg a day for women over 50.
  • The main responsibility of iron is properly functioning hemoglobin. It helps carry oxygen to your tissue and organs. 
  • Some of the other ways iron helps your immune system is by playing a major role in pathways and immune cells involved in iron regulation, from initial uptake in the gut to the utilization of iron for Fe-S clusters, heme biogenesis, and mitochondrial function. 
  • Shellfish, spinach, liver, legumes, red meat, pumpkin seeds, and quinoa 

Vitamin E to Help Optimize Your Immune System

  • The recommended daily amount of vitamin E for adults is 15 milligrams a day.
  • Besides acting as an antioxidant, vitamin E supports your body’s immune function by supporting the growth of t cells. The role of the t cell is to fight infection by fighting against infected cells and activating other immune cells for an effective immune response. As a result, Vitamin E is a necessary tool in helping your body fight off and prevent infections.
  • Kiwi, avocado, spinach, squash, seeds, asparagus, and berries are great sources of Vitamin E.

Vitamin B

  • The recommended daily amount of vitamin B-12 for adults is 2.4 micrograms
  • Hyperhomocysteinemia that occurs due to a deficiency of folic acid and B12 causes systemic and vascular inflammation contributing to the pathogenesis of many other diseases such as cardiovascular, kidney, and neurovascular diseases, osteoporosis, and cancer.
  • Adequate dietary levels of folic acid and B12 can act as preventative measures for inflammation, immune dysfunction, and disease progression.
  • Salmon, walnuts, leafy greens, legumes, and eggs are excellent sources of Vitamin B. 

Do you want to optimize your immune system better? Check out the full Episode 80 here 👇

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Introduction
2:17 Episode Introduction
4:34 Maintain Hydration
13:53 How sleep affects the immune system and your mood
22:20 Citrus, ginger, and yogurt
28:07 Supplements

EP 142: Is Wellness a Skill with Dawn Jones

EP 142: Is Wellness a Skill with Dawn Jones

by | Dec 17, 2021 | Podcast

EP 142: Is Wellness a Skill with Dawn Jones

Do you believe that wellness is a skill? Today’s episode will help shed light on that. In this episode, we would like to introduce our special guest, Dawn Jones. Dawn is a nurse for 26 years and now focuses as a Holistic Nurse Coach.

She practices self-compassion, Heart-Centered healing, and conscious wellness. Incorporating coaching and healing modalities that integrate body-mind-emotion-spirit-environment.

Join us as she explains why she thinks wellness is a skill and why you should start paying attention to the other parts of your holistic self.

Questions for Our Guest

  • Can you give us a background about yourself and your nursing experience? 
  • Why did you leave your job in March 2020?
  • What does health mean to you?
  • What does it mean to be a Board Certified Holistic Nurse Coach?
  • How do you feel when you are anxious?
  • Can nurses suffer from PTSD? Have you ever experienced it?
  • What led you to your soulful journey? 
  • How do we develop a healthcare system focused on Health promotion and Holistic Wellness.
  • What is your current obsession? 

Learn more about wellness by clicking on the full episode here 👇👇

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Introduction
0:59 Sponsor Ads
1:28 Cup of Nurses introduction
2:45 Episode Introduction
3:10 Dawn Jones Introduction
17:03 How did you get past PTSD?
23:27 How do you uplift yourself and your patient?
30:09 How important is communication to get over PTSD?
34:35 How do we promote a healthcare system that evolved in holistic wellness?
44:34 Where did you learn holistic wellness?
51:09 Trusting yourself
58:35 Top 3 things to empower yourself and cultivate wellness
1:05:22 What’s the emotional process of a Kidney Donor?
1:08:45 Where can people find Dawn Jones?

 

The Effects of Diabetes on Your Body

The Effects of Diabetes on Your Body

by | Nov 15, 2021 | Cup of News

CON EP 74: The Effects of Diabetes on Your Body 

November is National Diabetes Month and to bring awareness to it we’d like to teach you all about the effects of diabetes, from prevention to how it impacts a person on the cellular level in this episode.

What is Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the body has a problem with turning food into energy.

When you eat food majority of it, for example, carbs, get broken down into something called glucose. Glucose is then used by the body for energy.

Role of glucose:

  • Needed for energy and proper cellular function
  • Glucose comes directly from food or is made by the liver (glucogenesis)
  • Glucose hangs out in the bloodstream before being transferred into the cell by insulin
  • When blood sugar is low the liver breaks down glycogen into glucose. 

Role of insulin:

  • Produced by the beta cells in the pancreas
  • Insulin is a hormone that circulates in your blood
  • Insulin help cells use glucose for energy

When your body senses an increase in glucose in the blood it notifies the pancreas to produce a hormone called insulin. Insulin then allows your body’s cells to use glucose.

Without insulin your body would not be able to use glucose, it is like insulin is the key to the door to let glucose into the cell. 

When you have diabetes your body either doesn’t make enough insulin to counter the glucose or can’t use insulin properly. During this disruption blood sugar stays elevated causing chronic inflammation and leading to other problems like heart disease, eye damage, kidney impairment. 

Currently, there is no cure for diabetes but there are ways to prevent it. Some people are also born with diabetes. 

Diabetes is a chronic disease requiring medication and lifestyle changes, however, when managed properly the life of a person with diabetes is minimally changed. 

Diabetes Facts:

In 2020, 34.2 million people have diabetes. With this, 26.9 million have been diagnosed while 7.3 million others have undiagnosed diabetes [1]. This shows that the effects of diabetes affect millions of people. 

In the same year, 88 million people or 30% of the US population aged 18 years old or older were reported to have pre-diabetes.

The 2030 Estimates

It has been hypothesized that the prevalence of diabetes will increase by 54% between the years 2015 and 2030. That’s around 54.9 million Americans suffering from this disease.

The total annual medical and societal costs related to diabetes will also increase to 53% or more than $622 billion by 2030 [2]. While it is believed that the total number of people with diabetes will rise from ∼11 million in 2000 to almost 20 million by 2025 [3].

Types of Diabetes

There are a few different types of diabetes, type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. All are dangerous in their own way and can lead to other health-related problems and even death. 

1. Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes can affect anyone and it can even start from birth. In type 1 diabetes the pancreas does not produce insulin. The person with type 1 diabetes is going to be insulin-dependent because without it cells cannot absorb glucose. 

2. Type 2 Diabetes

In type 2 diabetes either the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin or your body cannot use the insulin properly. Certain people that fall under this category of diabetes can manage their blood sugar with diet and exercise while other people may need medication or even insulin. 

3. Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a little different than the prior types. This diabetes affects pregnant women. We are still unsure what causes gestational diabetes but it doesn’t guarantee that the woman will have diabetes after the birth of the baby. Researchers hypothesis that since there are so many hormones at play during pregnancy that sometimes the mother can get insulin resistance while the child develops inside. 

4. Prediabetes

Prediabetes is a condition of elevated blood sugars but the blood sugar levels are not high enough to be considered in the diabetic range. This is a warning sign, if you don’t start incorporating better lifestyle habits you may become diabetic. 

Effects of Diabetes

Long-term complications of diabetes are associated with a chronic inflammatory state. This causes prolonged damage to the blood vessels and organs, the ones that are affected the most are the heart, brain, eyes, and kidneys.

Heart

Over time, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart. People with diabetes are also more likely to have other conditions that raise the risk for heart disease

The most common form of heart disease is coronary artery disease. It develops over time as the vessels fill with plaque. Atherosclerosis occurs causing a narrowing of arteries reducing oxygen to the heart causing a weakening and straining of the heart muscle leading to heart attacks and strokes [4]. 

Eyes

Diabetes complication that affects the eyes. It causes progressive damage to the retina, the light-sensitive lining at the back of the eye. 

Diabetic retinopathy occurs when the tiny blood vessels in the eye leak blood and fluids causing the retinal tissue to swell causing a decrease in vision [5]. 

Brain

Research has shown that there is a link between diabetes and dementia. They don’t have an exact rationale behind it but many things it has to do with the heightened levels of inflammation diabetics have. 

Even though your brain is responsible for only about 2% of your body’s weight but consumes about 25% of glucose. Some study’s show a reduction of brain volume of people with type 2 diabetes. 

Nervous system

Over time diabetes damages blood vessels and nerves. This ultimately affects how your nerves send signals and information. 

Depending on the affected nerves, diabetic neuropathy symptoms can range from pain and numbness in your legs and feet to problems with your digestive system, urinary tract, blood vessels, and heart [6]. 

Kidneys

When our bodies digest the protein we eat, the process creates waste products. In the kidneys, millions of tiny blood vessels (capillaries) with even tinier holes in them act as filters.

As blood flows through the blood vessels, small molecules such as waste products squeeze through the holes. These waste products become part of the urine. Useful substances, such as protein and red blood cells, are too big to pass through the holes in the filter and stay in the blood.

Diabetes can damage this system. High levels of blood sugar make the kidneys filter too much blood. All this extra work is hard on the filters. After many years, they start to leak and useful protein is lost in the urine.

In time, the stress of overwork causes the kidneys to lose their filtering ability. Waste products then start to build up in the blood. Finally, the kidneys fail. This failure is called ESRD [7].

Pancreatic Transplant

Impact of pancreas transplantation on the patient survival – an analysis of the Japanese pancreas transplant registry 

Results: 

  • The survival rates at 1, 5, and 10 years on the waiting list were 98.4%, 90.3%, and 78.1%, respectively, while those after transplantation were significantly improved (p = 0.029) at 100%, 97.5%, and 88.9%, respectively.
  • Furthermore, the survival rates of patients waiting for the simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation (SPK) at 1, 5, and 10 years were 98.2%, 89.4%, and 75.4%, respectively, while those after SPK were also significantly improved (p = 0.026) at 100%, 94.6%, and 88.8%.
  • The multivariable analysis revealed that the duration of diabetes before surgery was the only independent risk factor (hazard ratio = 1.095, p = 0.012) that affected the patient survival after SPK. 

Conclusion:

Pancreas transplantation was found to improve the life prognosis of patients with type 1 diabetes, especially those with end-stage renal failure waiting for SPK [8].

Transplant Process

The surgeon makes an incision down the center of the abdomen. Next, the surgeon places the donor pancreas on the lower right side of the abdomen attached to the nearby blood vessels.

If the pancreas is taken from a deceased donor, then the surgeon removes the pancreas along with a small section of the small intestine.

Whereas, if the pancreas is taken from a living donor, the surgeon takes a portion of the body and the tail of the pancreas.

The surgeon generally connects the new pancreas to your intestines so its digestive juices can drain. The recipient’s existing pancreas usually remains in their body.

Sources:

https://www.medicinenet.com/what_is_the_success_rate_of_a_pancreas_transplant/article.htm
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20371444
https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/diabetes.html

To know more about the effects of diabetes, check out the full video of this episode here 👇👇👇

SHOW NOTES:

0:00 Cup of Nurses Introduction
1:54 Episode Introduction
2:10 What is Diabetes?
3:50 Role of Glucose
4:06 Role of Insulin
6:13 Diabetes Facts
12:50 Types of Diabetes
18:00 Effects of Diabetes
35:1 Pancreatic Transplant

 

 

Health Anxiety with Aleks Zubek

Health Anxiety with Aleks Zubek

by | Oct 25, 2021 | Cup of News

Health Anxiety with Aleks Zubek

Anxiety and depression are something that many of us are dealing with these days. It has been reported that about 264 million people suffer from it all over the world.

In this episode, we would like to introduce our guest, Aleks Zubek who is a Licenses Professional Counselor with a Master’s in Counseling Psychology.

We dive into some interesting topics such as depression and anxiety, how it affects us, what we can do, and finding our inner self. It is another informational episode where you’ll surely have a lot of takeaways.

The questions below are some we tackle.

  • You’ve got your Master’s in Counseling Psychology and now are a Licensed Professional Counselor, what made you choose that route? And what’s the schooling process?
  • What does an LPC do? Do you work with a team?
  • Is there a certain psychological or mental demographic that you specifically help or is it a wide range?
  • You taught us a little about health anxiety, it’s almost like the fear of getting sick or imagining an illness, can you explain what it actually is?
  • Where does this stem from? Are certain people more susceptible?
  • How do you treat it or help someone with health anxiety?
  • What kind of patients do you work with?
  • Is there a trend or an increase in certain mental illnesses that you are seeing?
  • Do you have a favorite type of patient?
  • Is there any advice that can generally help most people?
  • More open communication, being honest, getting help, meditation?

To watch the full Episode 71, click here 👇

 

TIME STAMPS:

0:00 Cup of Nurses Introduction
1:56 Guest Introduction
2:15 News and updates about Aleks Zubek
5:15 What is your day-to-day as an LPC?
9:46 What is the state of the unit in terms of mental health?
11:28 What are the common mental health issues of your patients?
12:48 Are you seeing a lot of health anxiety lately?
17:00 How do you help someone manage their anxiety?
19:38 How do you stop the disease that is causing the symptoms?
21:50 Is it depression that causes anxiety or the other way around?
23:30 What are your tips to people who are suffering from anxiety/depression?
28:23 Have you noticed any trends or issues that are more prevalent now?
34:28 What are the traits that a person needs in order to overcome trauma?
36:47 Questions you can ask yourself to assess your own mental health
41:48 How do you get somebody to open up 100%?
46:20 How do you develop emotional literacy?
49:40 How soon do you start seeing improvements in your patients?