Take Care of the Heart by Protecting against AGE Substances From Developing
Atherosclerosis is to blame for more than 40 % of fatalities in the United States and cardiovascular illness is a leading reason for dying in a lot of established nations, which causes close to 38 percent of most fatalities in 2002, as well as long term incapacity for 1. 1 million people. But what is a whole lot more frightening is the fact that 1 of the basic causes has been ignored, and that risk factor exists in your body right now, even if you recognise it or don't.
Advanced Glycation End molecules, otherwise known as AGEs, are molecules formed by a process called glycosylation by which excess sugars connect their selves on your body's lipids and proteins. And once formed, these types of AGEs will be wreaking totally permanent havoc on the body, where these substances harm tissues and cells whilst aging the entire body prematurely.
Of course, in ordinary conditions, this isn't a concern, the healthy human body is very well prepared to get rid of all these harmful molecules regularly. However in the way too typical case of lengthy periods of oxidative stress, brought on by hyperglycaemia, meals full of refined food or an environment full of toxins, you may not end up being so fortunate. In cases such as these, AGEs develop at a faster rate than the body can manage and research has shown the harm they're able to do to the cells, and especially your arterial blood vessels, renal system and retinas, is serious.
Studies reveal that AGE accumulation happens in the tiny arterial blood vessels in the cardiac muscle tissue and arterial blood vessels which have lost their usual flexibility on account of diminished nitric oxide levels, elevated inflammation and plaque formation, most of which directly contribute to the chance of serious cardiovascular situations such as cardiac arrest as well as strokes. What is worse, these kind of artery hardening and clogging effects had been shown to be completely separate from risk factors such as age, hypertension and high blood sugar, which will mean that when AGEs take place, even otherwise healthy people could possibly be at risk.
The only guaranteed way for you to protect the heart is to block these types of toxic, AGE compounds from forming to begin with, and several natural occurring substances will be able to perform an important part in performing that.
First off, the nutrient beta-alanyl-L-histidine can be a powerful AGE preventative, that protects lipids and proteins from non-enzymatic glycosylation and lessens the damaging results of oxidative stress. Regrettably, muscle tissue beta-alanyl-L-histidine levels decrease by approximately sixty three percent between the age ten till the age seventy, suggesting the need for supplementing with this particular dipeptide.
Compounds such as a-lipoic acid and N-acetyl-cysteine also are shown to minimize AGE associated cell death. B vits. are yet another important way to obtain defense. Pyridoxal-phosphate, the active form of B6, is transformed into pyridoxamine in the liver. Pyridoxamine suppresses the formation of AGE, which will help to reduce the AGE caused aggregation of blood platelets along with the development of blood clots. And research has shown that a-lipoic acid in combination with benfotiamine (a fat soluble form of vitamin B1) can inhibit development of AGE up to 40 percent. For an additional benefit, this class of anti-oxidant vitamins is also known to reduce diabetes complications as well as restrict the production of inflammatory reaction inducing chemicals such as NFkappaB.
Reference: American Journal of Hypertension
Blood Pressure Explanation
There is no absolute normal blood
pressure. It fluctuates every day, or under stress and the norm for age
20 to 40 isn't the norm for age 60. Even within each age group there
exists a middle, or ideal range, a high normal along with a low normal.
To add to the minor complications, there are two measurements in order
to read. The systolic pressure and the diastolic.
Systolic is the
pressure if the heart contracts, diastolic any time it relaxes. Put
another way, they are the pumping and the resting pressures. For the age
group 20 to 40, the best blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg. The mmHg is the
measurement used with the initial blood pressure measuring instruments
which is still how readings tend to be depicted currently. The
measurement indicates millimetres of mercury. The original instrument
inflated a balloon over the wrist artery suppressing the pulse. Once the
pressure was released, mercury moved up a column, presenting the
systolic pressure reading.
The high normal blood pressure for
this age group is 130/85 and the low normal is 110/75. An adult within
this age group can still be healthy within these ranges. However, if
your pressure goes up to a reading of 140/90, the reading indicates a
stage 1 high blood pressure. Stage 2 is 160/100, stage 3 is 180/110 and
stage 4 is 210/120.
For low blood pressure, as you would expect,
the readings go downwards from the ideal, although not in the same
stages as the high blood pressure readings. Borderline low pressure is
90/60, more serious low pressure is 60/40 and the danger zone is 50/33.
With
age, blood pressure readings increase. Not only are the arteries less
flexible and elastic but they could become furred, allowing a smaller
amount blood in the narrowing arteries and causing the blood pressure to
be raised above the norm for any age group.
Between the age
range of 30 and 34, the ideal reading is 122/81 the minimum is 110/77
and the maximum 134/84. Ten years older and those readings have risen to
an ideal 125/83, minimum 112/79 and maximum of 137/87. Between 60 and
64, the ideal is 134/87, minimum 121/83, maximum 147/91. As you can see,
a difference of 30 years gives a rise of 12/6mmHg.
High blood
pressure is often brought on by a number of different reasons.
Insufficient physical exercises plus poor circulation, overweight, or
illnesses such as those of the kidney can all contribute to a high
reading. Shedding that excess weight plus increasing exercise can easily
both considerably lessen a high reading. Smoking is yet another risk
factor in developing high blood pressure. Diet, including an increased
than usual ingestion of potassium abundant foods, also can help in
lessening high blood pressure. Bananas, seaweed,, almonds and wheat
germ, together with a number of other foods on the menu for most people,
all have potassium. But there's a health warning here. Sufferers with
kidney disorder shouldn't increase their intake of potassium without
advice from their medical professionals since it might have a
detrimental effect on the underlying disorder.
If blood pressure
is too high and untreated, it can, with time, bring on strokes as well
as a number of other potentially life threatening diseases. One of the
problems is the fact that it could be a silent killer. Symptoms may be
too subtle to be able to bring about an easily identifiable problem, at
least in the initial stages of high blood pressure. So the most
effective method should be to have your blood pressure looked at
routinely as part of a health check. Your physician will quickly pick up
any abnormalities and set you on the path to normal readings once
again.
What do Blood Pressure Readings Mean?
Most visits to the doctor include a blood pressure check. But do you
know what he or she is actually measuring and what those two figures,
for example 120/80 actually mean? There is a simple explanation.
Each
time the heart beats, it pumps blood out into the arteries. The
pressure it exerts to propel the blood is called systolic blood
pressure. That is the number 120 in the example given above. Between
beats, when the heart is resting before the next pumping action, the
pressure is lower and is called diastolic blood pressure or 80 in the
example.
There is not just one normal blood pressure measurement
but a range for each age group and both the systolic and diastolic
pressures rise with age. This is a normal part of aging as the arteries,
like the rest of the body, lose elasticity and suppleness and may be
narrowed because of a build up of fatty deposits. If the heart has to
work harder to push blood into narrower arteries, the pressure rises.
Within
each age group there are ideal measurements, high normal and low
normal. There is also a range of hypertension, or high blood pressure
measurements and a narrower band of low blood pressure.
Ideal
systolic blood pressure varies from 90 to 120. Elevated systolic
pressure which is not yet classified as high goes between 120 and 140
and high blood pressure from 140 to 190. Low blood pressure is between
70 and 90.
The bands for measuring diastolic pressure, that is
the resting phase of the heart’s activity, are between 60 and 80 as the
ideal, 80 to 90 elevated and 90 to 100 high blood pressure. Low
diastolic pressure is between 40 and 60.
There are numerous
factors leading to high blood pressure. Kidney disease is one factor but
there are others that are readily able to be controlled. Smoking is a
risk factor, as are overweight and obesity. Diet plays a part. Too high a
consumption of sodium or common salt can lead to high blood pressure.
With a high dependence on prepared foods in the Western world,
controlling the sodium and fat intakes can be difficult. Drinking more
than the recommended daily amounts of alcohol is another contributor to
hypertension. A sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise add to the risk
factors.
Provided there is no underlying disease, high blood
pressure can be brought down either by a change in lifestyle, losing
weight, for example, stopping smoking and increasing exercise, or by
taking one of the prescription medications dedicated to normalizing
blood pressure levels.
