Along with good nutrition and regular exercise, healthy sleep is essential for a healthy heart. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S, so treating sleep apnea is good for your sleep and your heart.

According to the National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project, obstructive sleep apnea is a chronic disease that afflicts at least 25 million U.S. adults.

“Obstructive sleep apnea is destroying the health of millions of Americans, and the problem has only gotten worse over the last two decades,” says Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and a national spokesperson for the Healthy Sleep Project. The project is a collaboration between the AASM, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Sleep Research Society and other partners.

Sleep apnea involves repetitive pauses in breathing during sleep, which can put an enormous strain on the heart. Severe sleep apnea can reduce the amount of oxygen in your blood and cause dangerous surges in your blood pressure. This stress triggers your body to respond in ways that may promote heart disease.

Sleep apnea may be far more common than you think. Between 30 percent and 40 percent of adults with high blood pressure also have sleep apnea. The rate of sleep apnea soars to 80 percent among people with high blood pressure that do not respond to treatment with medications. Research even shows that sleep apnea can affect the shape, size and performance of your heart.

“The good news is that detecting and treating sleep apnea can improve your heart health and other clinical outcomes,” Morgenthaler says.

The primary treatment for obstructive sleep apnea is continuous positive airway pressure therapy. CPAP therapy keeps your airway open by providing a stream of air through a mask that you wear during sleep. Treating sleep apnea with CPAP therapy improves blood pressure control and reduces the risk of heart disease. It can even reverse the changes to the shape and size of the heart that can be caused by sleep apnea.

Excess body weight is the leading risk factor for sleep apnea, and loud snoring is a common symptom. Other warning signs for sleep apnea include choking or gasping during sleep, and daytime fatigue or sleepiness. Visit stopsnoringpledge.org to pledge to “Stop the Snore” by talking to a doctor about your risk for sleep apnea.

“Treatment of sleep apnea can be life-changing and potentially life-saving,” Morgenthaler says. “For the best possible clinical outcomes, people with heart disease should discuss their risk for sleep apnea with their doctor.”

For more information, visit projecthealthysleep.org.

The post More than just annoying: The link between snoring and heart disease first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

A couple of the most common myths are that heart disease is more common in men than women, and that the first signs of a heart attack are the same for both men and women, says Dr. Mary Ann McLaughlin, medical director of the cardiac health program at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in men and women in the United States, affecting both sexes relatively equally. “Women are more afraid of dying from cancer,” says McLaughlin. “But in fact, they are much more likely to die from heart disease.”

Also, the first signs of a heart attack can manifest themselves in different ways between men and women. While both men and women can experience the more well-known symptoms like chest pain or tightness and a shooting pain in the left arm, here are the most common differences in symptoms by sex, according to McLaughlin.

The more obvious symptoms are more prevalent in men, which might be why research shows that men go to the emergency room with symptoms much earlier in than women.

More subtle symptoms are more likely in women. These include shortness of breath, sweating or dizziness, nausea, severe fatigue, sudden sleep disturbances, pain radiating through the jaw, small of the back or between the shoulder blades.

“Women with diabetes are about twice as susceptible to heart attacks as men with the condition,” says McLaughlin. “Increased risk factors for women also include having an autoimmune disorder and a history of gestational diabetes or preeclampsia during pregnancies.”

Knowing the first signs of a heart attack is important, but reducing your risks for heart disease is the best way to avoid experiencing one. McLaughlin offers the following tips for a healthy heart:

* Limit your consumption of processed foods. They are often high in salt that has not been iodized, giving you more salt, but without the essential nutritional element of the added iodine.

* Choose your fats wisely. Use olive oil instead of butter, snack on nuts instead of other sugary and high-fat snacks, and take supplements like flax seed oil that can boost your levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce artery inflammation. Consuming more omega-3s can also help you reduce your LDL (bad cholesterol) levels.

* Get regular exercise. A good rule of thumb is when balanced with a proper diet, 30 minutes of exercise a day will help you maintain your current weight, while 60 minutes will help you lose weight. If that seems like a lot, try to work exercises in to your daily tasks by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking or biking to work. Maintaining a healthy weight lowers your risk for cardiovascular disease.

* Ask your doctor whether a daily regimen of low-dose aspirin would be appropriate for you, as it could lower your risk of a heart attack.

* Maintain a daily intake of 1,000 mg of vitamin D, which can be found in some of the same fatty fish that contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Vitamin D supplements can also help you achieve this, as low levels are associated with heart disease and high blood pressure. Exposure to sunshine also helps your body produce vitamin D, but don’t forget your sunscreen.

* Know your numbers. Your doctor can help you get your readings and give you advice on how to meet the following goals for optimum heart health:

Total cholesterol: less than 200
LDL (bad cholesterol): less than 100
HDL (good cholesterol): greater than or equal to 40
Total cholesterol to HDL ratio: less or equal to 4.4 for women and less than or equal to 5 for men
Triglycerides: less than 150
Blood pressure: less than 120 systolic and less than 80 diastolic
Non-fasting glucose: less than 120
Fasting glucose: less than 100
Hemoglobin A1c: less than 7

To learn more about heart disease and care, and to hear stories from patients who have experienced heart disease, visit www.mountsinai.org/heart.

The post Heart Disease: Different First Signs for Men and Women first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

Cracking the Cholesterol Myth
Enjoying an egg a day as part of a healthy diet balanced with fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy, falls well within current cholesterol guidelines. In fact, according to USDA data, one large egg is 14 percent lower in cholesterol than previously recorded, down from 212 mg to 185 mg, and is also 64 percent higher in vitamin D, with 41 IU per large egg. Moreover, one large egg contains six grams of high-quality protein and 13 essential nutrients for 70 calories.

“Research shows that saturated fat may be more likely to raise a person’s blood cholesterol than dietary cholesterol,” says Neva Cochran, registered dietitian, nutrition writer and researcher for Woman’s World Magazine. “Eating a balanced breakfast with high-quality protein foods like eggs, along with other nutrient-rich foods like fruit and whole grains, is the best way to start the day. Unlike sugary foods, eggs have no simple sugars and contain no carbs, providing steady and sustained energy.”

Additionally, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recognize eggs as a nutrient dense food and state that the consumption of one egg per day is not associated with risk of coronary heart disease or stroke in healthy adults. And, eggs provide high-quality protein that helps build muscles and increases satiety for all-day energy, which can help maintain a healthy weight, an important factor in promoting overall health.

Incredible Egg Benefits
Cochran also points out that at an average of 15 cents a piece, eggs are an affordable, versatile, nutrient powerhouse that contribute to a healthy diet in many ways:

* Breakfast boosters: Research shows that eating high-quality protein foods for breakfast, like eggs, can help increase satiety, maintain long-lasting energy and improve cognitive skills like memory recall time.

* Sunshine supplement: Eggs are one of the few foods that are a naturally good source of vitamin D, meaning that one egg provides at least 10 percent of the recommended daily allowance. Vitamin D plays an important role in calcium absorption, helping to form and maintain strong bones.

* Weight-loss companion: Research shows that eating eggs for breakfast can help overweight dieters lose more weight, lower their body mass index and shrink their waist more than eating a bagel of equal calories for breakfast.

Eggs are Easy
Adding eggs to your breakfast routine can be easy, even on busy weekday mornings. Whether you’re craving scrambled eggs, an omelet or an egg sandwich, microwaves can be an incredible time-saving tool, so you can start every day with a nutritious breakfast. Try this quick and easy recipe next time you’re in a rush:

Egg and Cheese Breakfast Burrito
Ingredients:
1 flour tortilla (6-inch)
1 egg
1 tablespoon shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 tablespoon salsa

Directions:
1. Line 2-cup microwave-safe cereal bowl with microwave-safe paper towel. Press tortilla into bowl. Break egg into center of tortilla. Beat egg gently with a fork until blended, being careful not to tear tortilla.
2. Microwave on high 30 seconds; stir. Microwave until egg is almost set, 15 to 30 seconds longer.
3. Remove tortilla with paper towel liner from bowl to flat surface. Top egg with cheese and salsa. Fold bottom of tortilla over egg, then fold in sides.

For more information on the nutrition benefits of eggs or recipe ideas, visit www.eggnutritioncenter.org  or www.IncredibleEgg.org, “Like” the Incredible Edible Egg on Facebook or follow &#64IncredibleEggs on Twitter.

The post Unscrambling the Myths Behind Eggs and Cholesterol first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

And for a number of patients, talking to their doctors about low-dose daily aspirin therapy may be the “heart-smart” thing to do.

For more than 100 years, aspirin has been used as a pain reliever. Since the 1970s, however, studies showed aspirin could also be used to prevent and manage heart disease. There are a variety of patients who may benefit from aspirin therapy, including people who have had a heart attack, stroke or those with any risk factor for heart disease or stroke, as well as men over age 50 and women over age 60 who have diabetes along with any other risk factor.

According to the AHA, aspirin can help prevent heart attack.  More specifically, the AHA recommends that people at high risk of heart attack take a daily low-dose aspirin (if told to by their health care provider), and that heart attack survivors regularly take low-dose aspirin.

“You should never start aspirin therapy on your own,” says cardiologist Prerana Manohar, MD. “If you feel that a daily low-dose aspirin regimen may make sense for you, be sure to talk with your doctor about its benefits and risks.”

Aspirin benefits the heart in several ways. It decreases pain, inhibits blood clots and most significantly, it reduces the risk of death, particularly among people with heart disease. Additionally, aspirin can significantly reduce heart damage during a heart attack, and can prevent the occurrence of future heart problems.

“For individuals at high risk of suffering a cardiac event, aspirin really can make a difference,” Manohar says. “For my patients who are prescribed a daily low-dose regimen, I encourage them to purchase store-brand aspirin sold at leading retailers and pharmacies. These products are regulated by the FDA and use the same active ingredients, but cost significantly less than the brand names.”

Allegan, Mich.-based Perrigo is a pharmaceutical company that manufactures and distributes most of the over-the-counter medications found under store-brand labels at leading retailers, grocers and pharmacies. Perrigo offers consumers a variety of affordable store-brand aspirin choices that compare with a variety of brand names, including Bayer, Ecotrin and St. Joseph.

Another important line of defense in protecting against heart disease is to know and maintain your numbers. This means weight/body mass index, cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure levels, as all have an impact on heart health. Additionally, exercising 30 minutes a day most days of the week and eating a heart-healthy diet low in saturated fats, cholesterol and salt are some of the very best strategies for preventing heart disease. Avoiding the use of tobacco products, which according to Mayo Clinic is one of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease, is also critical. Finally, seeing the doctor for regular screenings is vital for managing and preventing heart disease.

“Remember to be good to your heart by eating right, moving more and working in partnership with your doctor to monitor and manage your health,” says Manohar. “Together you can work to control any risk factors and determine if daily low-dose aspirin therapy is a heart-smart decision for you.”

The post For Some, an Aspirin-a-Day May Keep the Doctor Away first appeared on The How Do Gardener.