SACRED VESSELS

SACRED

VESSELS The Lifeblood of Heart Health

Whenpeoplethinkabout hearthealth,whatgenerallycomestomindis thefist-sizedmusclethatpumps andoxygenatesthebody’slifeblood.However,theheartof thematterisnotthepump itself,butthevascular system—thenetworkof veins,arteriesandcapillariesthat distributes bloodto everycell inthe body,deliveringnutrientsandeliminatingwaste. Eachhumanadultharborsanastonishing60,000milesofbloodvessels— enoughtowraparoundtheplanettwice. Keepingthesehard-workingvesselssupple andopenisthekeynotonlytoavoiding disease,butalsotoensuringalongand healthylife. Thealternative—arteriosclerosis, orhardeningofthearteries—canslowly andsilentlybringoncardiovascular disease(CVD),whichcanresultinaheart attack,stroke,visionlossandcognitive decline.CVDistheleadingcauseofdeath intheU.S.,killingoneinfourAmericans, accordingtotheU.S.CentersforDisease ControlandPrevention(CDC).By2035, nearlyhalfthepopulation—45percent—is predictedtohavesomeformofthedisease. “Ahundredyearsago,wewerefarmingtheback40withateamofhorses, eatingwhatwegrew.Kidsdon’tgetoutand ridebikes;they’replayingvideogamesand eatingcrap.There’sverylittledoubthow wegottothisproblem,”saysJohnOsborne, M.D.,directorofcardiologyatStateofthe HeartCardiology,nearDallas. Yet,thenation’snumberonekiller, whichcanfesterfordecadeswithoutsymptoms,islargelypreventableandreversible. Only15percentofCVDisrelatedtogenetics;therestisattributedtolifestyle,andthe rightchoicescanmakeallthedifference.The keyistoadoptheart-healthyhabitsbefore thebodydeliversapotentiallyfatalwarning. “Theinitialpresentationofheart diseasecanbeanacutecatastrophicevent thatresultsindeathinhalfthemenand two-thirdsofthewomen.That’snottreatable,”warnsOsborne.

Know the Risk Factors

Thefirststeptowardcardiovascularhealth isawareness.ImportantindicatorsofCVD riskinclude: 4 Highbloodpressure(over140/90) 4 Highcholesterol(over240mg/dL) 4 Hightriglycerides(over200mg/dL) 4 Highbloodglucose(over140mg/dL) 4 Obesity(BMIover30) 4 Inflammation(hsCRPtestabove2ml/dL) 4 Physicalinactivity(lessthan30minutes aday) 4 Smokingorvaping(anyatall) 4 Chronicstress 4 Loneliness by Julie Peterson When a disease is lifestyleinduced, the only thing that can reverse it is a dramatic change in diet and lifestyle. We’ve seen over and over again that it works. ~Brenda Davis

Anyofthesefactorscanincreasetherisk ofCVD,butpossessingaclusterofthefirst fivecomprisesaconditioncalledmetabolic syndrome,whichsignificantlyincreases thepotentialforheartdiseaseandType2 diabetes—itselfasignificantriskfactorthat candamagebloodvessels,aswellasthe organstheysupport. “Whilediabetesistheseventh-leadingcauseofdeathintheUnitedStates, thisfigurebeliesthefactthatmostpeople withdiabetesdieofheartdisease,kidney failureandothercomplications,”says BrendaDavis,RD,ofAlberta,Canada, authorofKick Diabetes Essentials: The Diet and Lifestyle Guide. Metabolicsyndrome,likeCVD,has fewobvioussymptomsandisontherise: Nearlyone-thirdofadultsintheU.S.have it,accordingtotheCDC.Theonedistinct markerfortheconditionisanaccumulationoffataroundthewaistline,characterizedbyameasurementofover35inches forwomenand40formen.

Take Action to Cut Risks

“Whenadiseaseislifestyle-induced,theonly thingthatcanreverseitisadramaticchange indietandlifestyle,”saysDavis.“We’veseen overandoveragainthatitworks.”

n Know the Numbers CVDfliesunderthe radareventhough it’sincreasingly commonatyounger ages.The Journal of the American Medical Association releasedastudyinDecember2019stating thataboutoneinfouryoungadultsinthe U.S.havepre-diabetes,puttingthemat increasedriskforType2diabetesandCVD. LisaMcDowell,directorofclinical nutritionandwellnessatSt.Joseph’sMercy HealthSystem,inAnnArbor,Michigan, andteamdietitianfortheDetroitRed Wings,workswitheliteathletesofall agesandnotesthattheymorelikelyknow theirfavoriteplayer’sjerseynumberthan theirownhealthnumbers.“Learnwhat yourbloodpressureis,knowyourbody massindex,getyourcholesterollevelsand triglyceridesandyour[hemoglobin] A1C.

There’s not an excess of blueberries in the American diet; there’s an excess of relatively inexpensive, highly processed junk foods in large containers. ~Lisa McDowell

Knowthesenumbersearlyonand,ifthere’s aproblem,fixit,”sheadvises. Whilesimplebloodtestshelpmonitor indicatorsforCVD,moresophisticated testscanbeevenmorerevealing.In2018, theAmericanCollegeofCardiologyand theAmericanHeartAssociation(AHA) jointlyissuednewguidelinesforpatients overage50togetacomputerizedtomography(CT)scantodeterminetheircalcium score.Theprocedurechecksforhardening ofthearteriesandpredictstheriskofa10- yearfuturecardiovascularevent. “Thisidentifiespeoplewhohavepreclinicalatherosclerosis,regardlessofrisk factors,”saysOsborne.“Italsohelpspeople modifybehaviors,becausetheyarefaced withadiagnosis.” YaleR.Smith,aMelbourne,Florida, M.D.,whospecializesinmetabolicand functionalmedicine,utilizestheU.S.Food &DrugAdministration-approvedprotein unstablelesionsignature(PULS)blood test.Recommendedforpatientsintheir 40s,itmeasuresinflammatorybiomarkers forthebody’simmunesystemresponseto arterialinjuryandprovidesachronological heartageandriskofaCVDevent. “Ifyoucanshowsomeonethefuture, it’sawake-upcalltomakelifestylechanges toincreaselongevity,”Smithsays.

n Eat for Heart Health Perhapsthesinglemost importantchangethat peoplecanmakeisdiet. “Butalotofpeople don’twantlifestyle medicine—they’d rathertakeastatinwith theirBigMac,”saysMcDowell. PreventingorreversingCVDrequires diligence,butit’slargelyabouteating real,wholefood—andmostlyplants. Thismeansavoidingprocessedfoodsand consuminglesssalt,transfats,saturatedfat andcholesterol;andmorefruits,vegetables,wholegrains,nutsandseeds. “There’snotanexcessofblueberries intheAmericandiet;there’sanexcessof relativelyinexpensive,highlyprocessed junkfoodsinlargecontainers,”says McDowell.Overcomingtheurgetograb fastandeasyfoodsrequireseducation. “Everyoneneedstolearnhowtoreada foodlabelandavoidfoodslinkedtovasculardisease,”sheadds. Veganshavehealthiercholesterollevelsintheirbloodcomparedtovegetarians, whichinturnhavebetterlevelsthanmeateaters.Study-verifieddietsthatlowerCVD indicatorsalsoincludetheMediterranean diet,aswellastwodevelopedbytheNationalHeart,Lung,andBloodInstitute:the DietaryApproachestoStopHypertension (DASH)dietandtheTherapeuticLifestyle Changes(TLC)diet,whichalsoaddresses exerciseandweightcontrol. “Idon’tbelievethatonedietfitseverybody,butthere’sapreponderanceofevidencethatthemoreplantcompoundsyou get,thebetteroffyouare,”saysMcDowell.

Some cardiovascular boosters:

Leafy greens flushoutexcesssodium andmagnesium,andreduceinflammation.

Berries improvecirculationby boostingnitricoxide,whichexpands bloodvessels.

Pomegranate juice lowersblood pressureandreducesplaqueformation.

Walnuts,peanuts andalmonds lower LDL,the“badcholesterol”.

Oily fish,chia and flax seeds with omega-3fattyacidslowertriglycerides.

Soywithanti-inflammatoryisoflavoneshelpsdilatebloodvessels.“Wecould eattofu,tempeh,miso,edamame,soy beansorevenorganicsoy‘veggiemeats’in placeofredmeat,”saysDavis.

Yogurt,kefir and other fermented probiotic dairy productshelpimprove glycemiccontrol,bloodlipids,cholesterol andbloodpressure. Supplementscanbeveryhelpful: Red yeast rice extract,muchlikeastatin, significantlylowerstotalcholesterolandLDL.

Coenzyme Q10,apowerfulantioxidant,lowersbloodpressureandcombats thesideeffectsofstatins.

Omega-3s infishoilsupplements reduceheartriskinhealthypeopleand thosealreadydiagnosedwithCVDrisk.

Nicotinamide ribosideimproves bloodpressureandarterialhealthinthose withmildhypertension.

Garlic,freshorincapsules,canlower cholesterolandbloodpressure.

n Move It Sittingalldayand thenbrieflyexercisingdoesn’tprovide thesamebenefitas movingperiodically throughouttheday. Takemorefrequent breaksfromsitting, getuptomovearoundforacoupleofminutesevery30minutes. Exercisestrengthenstheendothelium, theinnermostofanartery’sthreelayers, andproducesnitricoxide,whichhelps keeparteriesopenandhealthy.Getting thebloodmovinglowerscholesteroland bloodpressure,andincreasesoxygenand nutrientstothebody. Exercisingoutdoorsprovidesadditionalbenefits.ResearchfromtheBarcelonaInstituteforGlobalHealthfoundthat exposuretogreenspaceshelpedprevent metabolicsyndrome.

n Stress Less, Socialize More Spendingeven20 minutesoutdoorsin naturecandowondersforhighblood pressureandcortisol levels,studiesshow. Walkingortalkingwithafrienddeepenssocialengagement,akeyfactorinloweringCVDrisk: “Havingtherighttribeiscrucial,”says McDowell.“Ifyou’rewithpeoplewhosupportyouandmakeyoulaugh,youfeelless stress.” Walkingadogoutdoorsgetsthree cardiovascularpluses—exercise,natureand sociability,asdogstendtobetail-wagging ice-breakers.Further,merelystrokingapet lowersbloodpressure. AppslikeHeadspaceandInsight Timermakeiteasytodomeditation, whichstudiessuggestmayreduceoverall CVDrisk.

n Don’t Smoke Notstartingto smokeorvapeat allisidealforcardiovascularhealth, butquittingallows thebodytobegin toheal,reducing theriskofcoronary heartdiseaseafteroneyearby50percent, reportstheAHA;14yearslater,theriskis thesameasanon-smoker’s. “It’snotintuitivelyeasytomake healthydecisions,”saysMcDowell.“We havetolearnhowtomakegoodchoices.”

Julie Peterson writes from rural Wisconsin. Connect at JuliePeterson2222@gmail.com.