The first force occurs as blood pumps out of the heart and into the arteries that are part of the circulatory system. The second force is created as the heart rests between heart beats. (These two forces are each represented by numbers in a blood pressure reading.)

High Blood Pressure

The more forcefully that blood pumps, the more the arteries stretch to allow blood to easily flow. Over time, if the force of the blood flow is often high, the tissue that makes up the walls of arteries gets stretched beyond its healthy limit. This creates problems in several ways.

High Blood Pressure Problems

You may not feel that anything is wrong, but high blood pressure can permanently damage your heart, brain, eyes and kidneys before you feel anything. High blood pressure can often lead to heart attack and heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and other health consequences.

SOURCE:  www.heart.org

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Tako-Tsubo Syndrome or Tako-Tsubo Cardiomyopathy has been studied in Japan for several years.  It can also be called Transient Myocardial Stunning, either catecholaminergic or neurogenic.

The predominate group affected are post menopausal women.  The signs an symptoms are the same as a ” heart attack”.

Definition below from wikipedia.org

“During the course of evaluation of the patient, a bulging out of the left ventricular apex with a hypercontractile base of the left ventricle is often noted. It is the hallmark bulging out of the apex of the heart with preserved function of the base that earned the syndrome its name “tako tsubo”, or octopus trap in Japan, where it was first described.^[5] The cause appears to involve high circulating levels of catecholamines (mainly adrenaline/epinephrine).

There is an interesting web site has great illustrations about this Cardiomyopathy, using 6 characters to illustrate what

The theory is in this heart issue.

Source:  takotsubo.com

“Pathophysiology of Tako-Tsubo syndrome explained — goofy “theory of everything”, using all 6 character actors … (Japanese researchers have come up with first papers and attempts to explain this syndrome… they should tie up all things under 6 character actors… here it is for the first time… I hope that this gets me 1/2 of their Nobel Prize…ahahahah!)”

6 character actors

1. tako-tsubo (octopus trap)

2. the octopus itself

3. some serious stress, anger, resentment

4. the central and sympathetic nervous system

5. norepinephrine being released uncontrollably

6. the heart (the target of all this)

1. The Octopus is resting in its Tako-Tsubo – Do NOT irk it !

2. The Octopus is unhappy and on a prowl

3. The Octopus has found its target – the heart

4. Oh! No ! — Big trouble ! — The Octopus IS the CNS

5. The CNS is stressed and resentful

6. The CNS, through the sympathetic nervous system, discharges unconscionable and irrational amounts of catecholamines (mainly norepinephrine) on the heart and this creates chest pain, myocardial stunning and/or congestive heart failure… or even SHOCK

Conclusion…

First described medically in 1991 by Japanese doctors, the condition was originally called takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Takotsubo is a type of pot used by Japanese fishermen to capture octopuses. When doctors take X-ray images of a person who’s experiencing broken heart syndrome, part of his or her heart resembles the pot. Today, the condition is also referred to as stress cardiomyopathy, stress-induced cardiomyopathy or apical ballooning syndrome.

By Mayo Clinic staff

It’s thought that a brief surge of stress hormones, such as adrenaline, might temporarily damage the hearts of some people. How these hormones might hurt the heart or whether something else is responsible isn’t clear.

Most heart attacks are caused by a complete blockage of a heart artery due to a blood clot forming at the site of narrowing from fatty buildup (atherosclerosis). In broken heart syndrome, the heart arteries are not blocked, although blood flow in the arteries of the heart may be reduced.

Broken heart syndrome affects women far more often than men. Some research indicates nearly nine out of 10 cases occur in women, and of those, almost all are in women 50 or older.

Other complications of broken heart syndrome include:
• Disruptions in your heartbeat
• A fast or slow heartbeat
• Backup of fluid into your lungs (pulmonary edema)
There are no standard treatment guidelines for treating broken heart syndrome. At first, it’s treated similar to a heart attack until the diagnosis is clear. There is no specific therapy, and most people stay in the hospital while they recover, which takes about a week.
Your doctor will likely prescribe blood pressure medications for you to take while you’re in the hospital, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, beta blockers or diuretics. These medications help reduce the workload on your heart while you recover. Usually, your doctor will tell you to stop taking these medications once you recover.

If you have had experience with this problem, feel free to e-mail me at

email

SOURCE: mayoclinic.com

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When the stock market declines, do heart attacks go up? That’s what Duke University Medical Center researchers are wondering based on an analysis of data collected during the current U.S. economic crisis.

“During the period that the NASDAQ was declining, the MI (myocardial infarction, or heart attack) rates were increasing,” Mona Fiuzat, the study’s lead investigator, said in a university news release.

Using figures from the Duke Databank for Cardiovascular Disease, the research team traced a rise in heart attacks from January 2008 to July 2009, a roller-coaster period for the stock market.

But when the researchers adjusted their findings for known seasonal variations — heart attacks are more common in winter months — their initial results were less clear.

“In the unadjusted findings we saw a strong trend,” said Dr. Christopher O’Connor, director of the Duke Heart Center and study senior author. “However, previous research has shown that myocardial infarctions occur more frequently during winter months than summer months. When we corrected for seasonality, we learned the time of year could be impacting our results.”

Fiuzat said the seasonal variation makes it impossible to say there is a relationship. “There is the possibility that there is no relationship,” she said.

O’Connor and Fiuzat, who were to present their findings Saturday at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Atlanta, said they intend to conduct a larger study to further explore the possible relationship between heart attacks and economic volatility.

How stock market fluctuations affect heart health has had little study before now, Fiuzat said.

SORUCE:  ivillage.com

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Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt

Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt

Recipe courtesy EatingWell.com

Jammy raspberries and rich chocolate combine for a delicious, tart frozen yogurt. It is quick and easy to prepare, but plan ahead if you’re using fresh berries—they take a little longer to freeze. Mini chocolate chips give you the most chocolate in every bite, but any kind of chip will work—dark-chocolate lovers should try bittersweet chips.

Prep Time:
5 min
Inactive Prep Time:
–
Cook Time:  30 min

Level:  Easy

Serves:  8 servings, 1/2 cup each (1 quart)

Ingredients

* 3 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) raspberries
* 2 cups low-fat plain yogurt
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup chocolate chips, preferably mini

Directions

Place raspberries, yogurt, sugar and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker (or see “No Ice Cream Maker?” below). Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions, or until desired consistency. Add chocolate chips during the last 5 minutes of freezing. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve. No Ice Cream Maker?Pour the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch pan and place in the freezer. Stir every few hours, until the mixture is firm along the edges and semi-firm in the center, 2 to 6 hours (using frozen berries will shorten the freezing time). Transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container, stir in chocolate chips, cover and freeze until ready to serve.

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Today, we’re learning more and more about the way our health needs change over time.

Heart Check up for Women

While some things never change, like the need for a healthy diet, regular exercise and a positive attitude, other aspects of your health are simply due to your stage of life.

Age, however, can be deceiving. In Inspiring Stories you’ll find the stories of several women who experienced heart-related incidents at age 35 and younger.

With that in mind, make it your goal to know your cholesterol and triglyceride numbers as well as you know your 401(K) balance and shoe size. Instead of counting wrinkles (not that you have any!) keep an eye on your calorie count – and eat from each of the six food groups as recommended by the USDA and the American Heart Association.

Above all, remember: Your body and current state of health are as unique as you are. That’s why it’s so important for women to find realistic heart health goals with the help of their doctors, and to be aware of the lifestyle choices that can decrease the risk of heart disease.

An ounce of prevention? Make that a gallon!

The more thoughtfully you protect your heart, starting as early as your 20s, the less likely you’ll face the life-threatening challenges posed by cardiovascular disease. No matter what your age or where you feel you are in your life, the best time to take action and get healthy is always right now.

From jogging with your friends, to swapping healthy recipes, to keeping up with loved ones and learning your family history, your heart health depends on a life-long commitment. As always, the first way for you, as a woman, to Go Red is to take good care of yourself every day. Because when you do, your life can be as beautiful as you are yourself!

We hope the information you’ll find here will help you take charge of your health, so you can continue to renew your passionate commitment to fight back against heart disease in all forms.

SOURCE: .goredforwomen.org

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