Category Archives: Heart & Vascular Health

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) on the New Spotlight

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Heart Care Blog_Pixabay & VeezeeIt’s Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or Holiday shopping time. I’m fascinated by some new, popular products on the market. They seamlessly integrate into our daily lives or functions, through hand-free and hassle-free items or other products that make routine tasks more effortless, efficient, and enjoyable.

Equally fascinated by emerging technologies in medical science, I’d love to share some tremendous discoveries and developments that have transformed clinical landscape of therapeutics. But first off, critically important is putting cardiovascular diseases (CVD) on the spotlight. Why?

Based on the World Heart Federation, CVD is the world’s number one killer, causing over 20.5 million deaths each year (resulting from heart attack, stroke, and heart failure). However, there is hope—80% of premature deaths from CVD are preventable! Not to say, medical breakthroughs make CVD and some of its risk factors treatable.

Here I’d focuses on the conditions that are harmful to your heart, but sometimes overlooked.

1.      Obesity    

Overweight and obesity affects more than 70% of US adults and more than 50% of people worldwide, contributing to numerous health consequences. Overweight and obesity are independently associated with an increased risk of CV events. This holds true after excess weight-associated cardiometabolic risk factors (such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes) are accounted for (Khera et al., 2023; Lincoff et al., 2023; Drozdz et al., 2021).

Whether obesity as a disease that individuals are predisposed to develop as a result of genetics, biology and the living environment or as a condition due to complex factors, it’s important to double our awareness and effort to prevent or treat obesity for tackling CVD. For those who want to understand more about it, I’d recommend a Weight and Health video from New England Journal of Medicine. It eloquently and effectively delves into obesity from pathophysiology and the impact of weight bias or stigma, to therapy including benefits and risks of promising new medications.

Since weight gain usually takes place gradually, weight loss unlikely occurs quickly. So, monitor this significant risk factor closely, make small lifestyle modifications consistently, and seek medical treatment if needed.

Having emphasized on overweight and obesity, by no means I diminish or minimize other common risk factors or detrimental conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, smoking, alcoholism, poor diet, physical inactivity, and stress, in addition to the uncontrollable (age and genetics). It’s very possible that an individual may have multiple risk factors as these conditions are often interlinked and interact. All of that make regular check-up, lifestyle modifications, and early intervention crucial for the prevention of CVD.

2.      Climate change coupled dual threats—extreme heat and poor air quality

Global climate change affected environmental disaster is real! As we all see, extreme heat events are becoming more frequent, more intense, and longer. High temperatures stress the CV system by making the heart work harder and by putting extra strain on vital organs like lungs and kidneys. Exposure to poor air quality, especially to high concentrations of fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) is also independently associated with CV morbidity and mortality. When inhaled deep into the lungs, these fine particulates can irritate the lungs and blood vessels around the heart.

Recent findings showed that co-exposure to extreme heat and poor air quality synergistically increase the risk of fatal heart attack. In an analysis of 202,678 heart attack deaths between 2015–2020 in Jiangsu province of China, up to 2.8% of heart attack deaths were attributed to combination of extreme heat and high levels of PM2.5 (exceeding WHO target value of 37.5 µg/m3). Women and older adults were more vulnerable to the greater risk.

3.      “Athlete’s Heart” and exercise intensely

In January, the Bills’ 25-year-old Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest on the field during Monday Night Football, which captured the national spotlight. Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in young athletes. According to Rakesh Gopinathannair, MD, specialized in clinical cardiac electrophysiology, intensive endurance training can cause a distinct pattern of functional and structural changes of the CV system, including heart muscle thickening and ECG changes. This results in so-called “athlete’s heart”. So, it reminds us to be more attentive to heart health among young athletes and ensure the readiness of life-saving equipment and teams involved.

I would also expand this issue to the non-athletic population, in particular a small percent of “fitness-fanatics” who exercise excessively. Without doubt, exercise reduces your risk of CVD, cancer, and all-cause mortality. However, excessive exercise or rigorous yet unproven fitness routines can negatively impact your heart health.

Most commonly seen is atrial fibrillation (AFib; a heart condition of an irregular rhythm and often abnormally fast rate). This is because strenuous exercises put extra demands on the heart and cause damage to the CV system. It has been proven not only by scientific/medical research but also by people in real life. I know some folks—a family member, a neighbor, and a few doctors including cardiologist who admitted their heart problems were the fault of their own (i.e., exercised in extreme intensity, volume, and frequency when they were young). It all comes down to the benefits’ gain from proper exercises without overdoing it when the risk kicks in. A 30-minute walk is just as good as 30-minute intense cycling, depending on an individual. Adequate exercise is always better than none. If you have any concerns about your heart health, don’t hesitate to consult with your doctor or a healthcare professional.

The bottom line is—in the holiday season and the years ahead, don’t just indulge in hand-free, hassle-free gadgets to satisfy your convenience, do pay attention to your heart and keep it “hazard-free” for your wellbeing and life.

 

Image credits: Pixabay; Andres Ramos / Vecteezy

Walking Matters

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

People Walking_SmSometimes, ordinary acts can be the solutions to challenging and complex problems.

A professor, a man in his late 60s, walked down the farmers’ market every day, whether on freezing winter days or hot, humid summer ones. He would stop at a few booths and buy some vegetables, fruits, nuts, or meat. He would also pass by other sellers, smiling and greeting them as friendly acquaintances. This was a daily stop for the elderly man on his way from work to home (an extra 20–30-minutes added to his 20-minute walk each way). He stayed with this routine for decades and in doing so, outlived many of his colleagues and friends. He lived into his 80s even though he had a family history of cancer and had poor health during his youth and middle age.

A tiny lady walked around local department stores virtually every day after she finished her accounting job that demanded sitting for long hours. Sometimes she bought clothing or necessities for her children, whereas at other times she was just window shopping or walking along. Her relatives were always puzzled about what attracted her to those stores where they had the same merchandise almost every day. They didn’t realize that her “go shopping” was simply her daily “relaxation activity routine.” A result of her spending decades in that home-workplace-department store route was that the lady has lived well up into her 90s.

I witnessed these real-life anecdotes because this man and woman are my parents.

These stories reflect at least one simple thread – Walking matters. Daily walking can bring substantial health benefits!

Cancer touches each of us so much, so deep, and there is no cure for it currently despite medical and technological advances, as is the case for some other debilitating chronic diseases.

Of course, the best cure would be prevention! As everybody knows, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  Of various risk factors, physical inactivity is a major one. However, it is increasingly common in our modern life. As the saying goes, “sitting is the new smoking.”

To prevent cancer, heart disease and improve one’s overall health, the American Heart Association recommends that all adults to get at least 150 minutes exercise per week with moderate intensity. The American Cancer Society has also advised on being physically active: particularly, adults should get 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week (or a combination of these).

I’ve seen that a majority of people don’t meet these guidelines based on my experience in public health. I also understand how difficult it is for many busy folks to fulfill this goal due to the demands of their work and family life. Accordingly, for years, I’ve shared some practical ways for daily exercises.

Today, I would make it even simpler—if time is a problem—by suggesting to start small in terms of walking and its feasibility. If it’s really challenging for you to exercise 30 minutes a day and 5 days a week, how about walking ~20 minutes a day and 7 days a week? Or alternatively, any combination that may fit your schedule? Cumulativeness counts too and is better than nothing. You may divide 30 minutes into a 10- or 15-minute walk first thing in the morning, and 10 minutes of walking-oriented activities during the day (for examples, running up stairs, parking farther away from a destination, or walking to a local store). Then ideally, add 5-10 minutes more of activity (say dancing, jumping, gardening, or playing with the kids).

There is no need to reiterate the well-documented, numerous health benefits of walking at this time. While I’m stressing not to underestimate the power of walking, it’s important to engage in various physical activities, along with a balanced diet, weight control, adequate sleep, and living a healthy lifestyle for your overall well-being.

Doing nothing is like waiting for a miracle that much likely won’t happen soon. So, simply getting up from your chair to get moving is your best regime and the first step in disease prevention.

Happy walking!

 

How Your Sleep Quality Affects Your Health and Your Quality of Life

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Sleep & QoL_Pixabay & CPDGetting adequate sleep is a critical part of the daily cycle of renewing bodily functions. Yet, many folks experience sleep deprivation; and those that do often tend to brush off its signs. Such signs include tossing around on the bed or staring at the ceiling at night, still feeling exhausted after sleep and having frequent mood swings, and undergoing reduced alertness and concentration during daytime.

Poor sleep quality is not a minor issue. In fact, it’s an alarming one due to its being a possible underlying contributor to serious health problems and its adverse effects on your overall quality of life.

So, I’d like to zero into the topic of sleep disorders, particularly obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and how common and serious it is.

First, let’s glance at OSA prevalence.

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder, often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) happens when there is intermittently reduced or stopped airflow despite ongoing ventilatory effort. This is caused by the blockage or collapse of the upper airway during sleep. In other words, your breathing stops and starts repeatedly.

About one billion people suffer from OSA worldwide. The overall prevalence in the US population amounts to 20 to 30 percent in men and 10 to 15 percent in women.

Second, what are risk factors of OSA? 

  • Old age
  • Obesity
  • Men (more commonly affected than women)
  • Large tonsils (potentially narrow the airway)
  • Certain populations (e.g., individuals with hypertension or atrial fibrillation)
  • Changes in body hormone levels (women after menopause)

Also consider that sleep trouble could be reflective of lifestyle or behavior issues. A healthy lifestyle and sleep hygiene can assist you with a good night’s sleep. I’ve highlighted some practical tips previously.

Third, what are the possible severe consequences of OSA?

Poor quality of sleep, especially OSA, can negatively impact your well-being—not only your daily behaviors (e.g., fatigue, slow or suboptimal performance, being easily irritated, and increased caffeine or alcohol intake) but also various health problems. OSA is a respiratory condition. However, it is more and more accepted as a systemic disease. Let me briefly emphasize OSA’s possible, detrimental long-term effects on health.

1. Cardiovascular diseases

OSA can sneakily contribute to numerous cardiovascular disorders, including coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction or heart attack, stroke, arrhythmias, heart failure, diabetes, and hypertension. About 80 percent of individuals with drug-resistant hypertension also have OSA, which shows how complex OSA’s causes are and how chronic illnesses can be intertwined with OSA. So, be aware that unscreened and untreated OSA may potentially trigger preventable cardiovascular disease.

2. Cancer

Growing evidence shows that OSA is significantly associated with a higher cancer incidence and with mortality in various types of cancer. Individuals with OSA are more likely to develop cancer, and the severity of OSA results in a higher risk.

It’s not clear how OSA potentially promotes tumor malignancy; however, hypoxia, hypoxia-reoxygenation cycles—as the hallmark of OSA—can have an impact on tumor biology at least through systemic inflammation and subsequent activation of diverse cellular pathways to advance tumor progression. I’ve explained how poor sleep quality and OSA may contribute to cancer development in the book Key Strategies for Cancer Prevention.           

3. Other chronic and systemic illnesses

Though a sleeping body is at rest, that body is still carrying on dynamic processes and integral functions. Poor sleep reduces circulating monocytes and natural killer cells, resulting in a weakened immune system. Patients with OSA are at higher risk for depression, mood swings, and cognitive delay. Moreover, OSA is also linked to disrupted hormonal balance and periodontal disease, etc..

I hope that by this point, you’ve gained new insight into the very important health issue of getting quality sleep and have gotten ready for action. Next time, don’t stop at an answer of “Yes” or “No” to the question of whether you had a good night’s sleep? Examine the question further (for yourself and your loved ones): How good or efficient is your sleep? What is the time it takes for you to fall asleep after turning off the lights? How long is your estimated sleep duration? How often or how long are you waking up at night? Do you have any gasping or breathing difficulty?

If you have trouble with these answers or wonder if you have a sleep disorder, it’s time to consult your doctor.

Key Take-home Message:

Improving your sleep quality is closely linked not only to improved health outcomes, but also to improved quality of your life.

 

Image Credit: Pixabay, CPD

An Active and Long Life Springs from Your Vascular Health (Part 2)

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Continued on Strategies to control risk factors for stroke – 

Norm & Artheroma Arteries_AHAFundamentally, atherosclerosis (particularly in carotid artery) is the primary cause of a significant portion of ischemic strokes. Cardiovascular risk factors can facilitate the progression of atherosclerotic plaque.

Atherosclerotic disease can be asymptomatic initially because it develops over time. When a plaque grows larger enough to reduce blood flow supplying to vital organs (usually >70% stenosis or narrowed vessel), ischemic symptoms may occur. However, it doesn’t mean that smaller plaques (30-40% stenosis) are stable without rupturing to cause a blockage.

How do you prevent or slow down atherosclerosis and stroke by reducing risk factors?

First, before I lay out key preventive strategies, let me quickly draw your attention to some risk factors for stroke, especially those modifiable and those beyond conventional cardiovascular risks. They include:

  • 3 Highs (high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and high blood sugar)
  • Atherosclerotic disease and/or other cardiovascular disease
  • Obesity
  • Smoking and alcohol abuse
  • Unhealthy lifestyle such as poor diet and physical inactivity
  • Atrial fibrillation
  • Sleep apnea and other sleep problems
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Illicit drug use (marijuana, cocaine or heroin)

Illicit drug use can increase the risk of all types of strokes. Cannabis or marijuana use has been linked to vasospasm, ischemia, and increased hemorrhagic incidence in the brain, likely due to the vasoactive properties of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a key component of these plants.

  • COVID-19 infection

Acute ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage are known neurological complications in patients with COVID-19, frequently in individuals 50 years or younger with asymptomatic COVID infection. The possible mechanisms include that blatant inflammatory response and “cytokine storm” associated with COVID cause endothelial injury; that the disease causes arterial and venous clots, thus resulting in poor outcomes.

  • Socioeconomic factors (e.g., lower income with inequality in health care, etc.)

Certainly, there are risk factors out of your control, such as age, gender, family history, a history of stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA) or heart attack, and race. Note that black people have twice the risk as white, particularly young black population.

Here are 8 Key preventive strategies to put into actions:

I’d also like to stress that the point is not just knowing to have a healthy diet or exercise more, but to know important reasons behind and why these strategies work on targets to avert stroke.

1.      Lower your blood pressure (BP).

As stroke doesn’t discriminate (by) age, neither does high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke. Young people should never disregard their elevated blood pressure, especially those with a family history of stroke or hypertension and black women.

High blood pressure is also the most significant controllable risk factor. Better BP control works, because evidence shows that tight BP control (systolic <130 mm Hg) was associated with a 42% lower incidence of stroke compared with standard control (130–139 mm Hg).

I’ve notified the danger of high BP, including to watch BP in young people. If you haven’t done so yet, please check out this article – Hypertension can be asymptomatic but potentially fatal.

If you have hypertension but with difficulty to manage it, try to figure out where you can target; for example, whether medication not working or side effect issues, whether your diet is healthy, you exercise enough or you have adequate support.

2.      Lower your blood cholesterol. Critically, lower your bad cholesterol (LDL).

LDL increases plaque formation or growth in the arterial wall, and high cholesterol can also cause blood clots due to fatty deposits’ suddenly breaking off; if the blood supply to the heart or brain is significantly blocked, heart attack or stroke occurs. Avoiding or limiting diet high in saturated fat and trans fats, along with physical activity, can minimize the risk for stroke.

3.      Lower your blood sugar, control your weight, and prevent diabetes.

Diabetes is an independent risk factor for stroke, and with combined overweight, its damaging impact on health piles up over time. Again, diabetes is controllable. Obesity and excess bodyweight pose an increased risk for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke.

4.      Lower your stress level.

Cumulative psychological or mental stress is associated with increased inflammation in the body, and more significantly, with mortality, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.

Depression has a direct or indirect link to a number of illnesses including Alzheimer’s disease, and cardiovascular events. Studies also showed that stroke survivors who experienced high and persistent levels of stress negatively affected the brain repair process and recovery outcome.

5.      Quit smoking.  Non-smokers should encourage people around you to do so.

This sounds repetitive or nothing new, but this is one of the most valuable things you can do to save lives of people for whom you love and care.

Smoking increases inflammation in the body and plaque buildup in the blood vessels, and makes the blood thicker to facilitate clot formation, leading to heart attack and stroke. Needless to say, toxicities from smoking (e.g., nicotine and carbon monoxide, etc.) ravage your cardiovascular system, thus paving the road to stroke.

Don’t overlook second hand smoking and e-cigarette smoking either.

6.      Practice a healthy lifestyle.

Poor diet and physical inactivity contribute to several cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic disorders, thereby presenting an increased risk for stroke. So, get more active, get a nutrients-rich diet, get bodyweight controlled, and get social. Equally important, have a well-balanced life including relationship, financial, and psychological wellbeing.

7.      Take seriously alcohol and drug abuse.

Alcohol influences on stroke are not uniform. While low to moderate alcohol consumption (£2 drinks daily for men or £1 for women) may reduce stroke risk, even low alcohol consumption escalates the risk of hemorrhagic stroke.

As mentioned above, regular substance use (e.g., cocaine, heroin, phencyclidine (PCP), amphetamines, and cannabis/marijuana) sets an increased risk for stroke, which is a common predisposing factor for stroke among young individuals.

8.      Recognize warning signs of acute cardiovascular events (heart attack and stroke).

Young folks (those under 50) may think this is too early for you. Not anymore! Learn those signs seemingly not related to heart. For instance, sudden poor vision in one or both eyes are reported in 66.1% of stroke patients, and pain or discomfort in the arm or shoulder, 53.8%.

Take-home message:

Stroke is dangerous and deadly. Greater awareness, better control of modifiable risk factors all help prevention and timely treatment.

To reduce atherosclerotic plaque development, know your critical numbers (blood pressure, cholesterols and sugar), monitor them, and keep them at healthy levels, while maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise routine. More importantly, take these measures as early in life as possible.

 

Image credit: heart.org

An Active and Long Life Springs from Your Vascular Health (Part 1)

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Norm & Narrowed As_Heart.org & VitalscanWhat jumps to your mind when hearing “stroke”?

Whether you say – it’s a primary cause of death and long-term disability worldwide, or FAST (i.e., the acronym of stroke signs: Face dropping, Arm numbness/weakness, Speech difficulty—Time to call 911), high-five to you!

Have you ever thought of stroke as older people’s disease? If so, you need to know beyond that.

I’m going to provide you with the most recent and significant evidence on changing trends of stroke, based on American Heart Association’s statistics on heart disease and stroke 2022 update and wealth of research publications.

I’ve read some touching stories of stroke survivors from American Heart Association News. A common thread emerging in these stories: The survivors are young, age 20-40s, carrying out a typical routine on an ordinary workday, then stroke hit each of them, followed by a long, courageous journey of rehabilitation and recovery.

So, what’s happening here?

First, let me give you a snapshot of the big picture:

  • Each year, about 795,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke.
  • Of all stroke types, – 87% are ischemic stroke (a blockage of the brain artery caused by a blood clot), and – 13% intracerebral hemorrhage (a bleed into the brain caused by burst of a weak vessel or ruptured aneurysm), including 3-5% subarachnoid hemorrhage.
  • Approximately 10% of all strokes occur in adults under 50 years of age. 
  • On average, every 3.5 minutes, someone died of a stroke.

Although stroke rates declined slowly over decades in old adults, a concerning trend is that stroke incidence increased in young adults, and noticeably, young women (18-45 years) had a higher risk and incidence of ischemic stroke than men of the same age.  Specifically, women at ages 35 or younger are 44% more likely to suffer from ischemic strokes than their male peers, but no gender difference in young adults age 35 to 45 years. Furthermore, women do worse after stroke.

But about 80% of strokes are preventable, and the key is to control risk factors.

What is sex difference in stroke? Why do women do worse?

Beside those modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors that increase the risk of ischemic stroke regardless of gender (I’ll address later), women have unique risk factors such as:

  1. Pregnancy: Pregnant women have a 3 times higher risk than young, non-pregnant ones. Hypertension related disorders in pregnancy (e.g., preeclampsia, eclampsia) are known as a stroke risk factor, and the risk of stroke can be 5.2 times higher in these women.
  2. Oral contraceptives (Birth control pills): The overall risk is low, but the risk increases in women with other risk factors (e.g., smoking, obesity, and higher cholesterols).
  3. Migraine: It’s more common in women than in men, the risk increases with its frequency, and with additional risk factors (e.g., oral contraceptives, smoking, etc.)
  4. Atrial fibrillation: Despite its high prevalence in men, atrial fibrillation triggered stroke risk increases in post-menopausal women.
  5. Menopause: Higher risk and mortality of stroke occurred in women reaching menopause at age younger than 45 years.
  6. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT): Current users of oral HRT had a higher risk of ischemic stroke than non-users, irrespective of low or high dose(s).

Other documented factors include preterm delivery, social or economic determinants, etc.

Women often fare worse in stroke, because age plays a large role as a nonmodifiable risk factor. Women tend to be older at the time of stroke, experience more severe stroke than men; they are also in poorer health prior to stroke, and more likely live alone and develop depression afterward. Strikingly, young women have a worse functional outcome too.

In addition, initial signs or symptoms of stroke in women may differ from those traditionally recognized ones, leading to certain misdiagnosis and delayed treatment in the clinical setting.

Strategies to control risk factors and prevent (or reduce) stroke – Stay tuned.

For now, remember: no one is too young for stroke, no time is set for stroke. In other words, stroke can hit anybody at any age and at any time!

So, recognize F.A.S.T.

 

Image credit: heart.org and vitalscan.com

Protect Your Heart, Prevent COVID Heart

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Covid heart w-ECG_pexabay & CPDYou want a good, young heart, right?

What if your heart became a target of our enemy—coronavirus?

You’re in terror or at least concerned. And I’m here to help you.

Heart health is more critical in the COVID era than ever. This is why I’d like to deliver several key points for everyone through real life stories and tips.

Yes, these apply to virtually everybody; from healthy to frail populations, to cancer survivors with cardiovascular disorders who then contracted COVID-19, and to children, with specific strategies for each group.

Why does your heart deserve urgent and special attention?

Cardiovascular manifestations or lasting effects have emerged as one of the most significant and fatal complications of the COVID-19, although the primary target of coronavirus is known at the respiratory tract. COVID-19 affects the heart in both short-term and long-term.

This is because the virus can enter the human heart and cause damage, period. Notable and wide spectrum of injuries include myocarditis, acute cardiac injury, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats), cardiovascular clots, heart failure, cardiac arrest, … etc., leading to higher mortality.

LV Large Thrombus to insert in text_Covid myocarditisLook at this chest CT image—a large thrombus (a blood clot, indicated by red arrow) in the left ventricle of the heart (reported by Dr. Hudowenz’s team)

The case is about a 48-year-old man who presented at the clinic with typical COVID symptoms like fever, fatigue, breathing difficulty and coughing up blood, but actually had COVID associated myocarditis and other cardio-pulmonary damage.

(Fortunately, the intracardial thrombus was resolved through anticoagulation therapy, and the patient recovered.)

 What are the best and safest ways to protect your heart?

Let’s start with the most vulnerable population.

Cancer patients with cardiovascular disorders and also contracting COVID-19

COVID-19 can damage the cardiovascular system, which is one of the disturbing concerns for cancer patients or survivors already managing cardiotoxicity developed during their treatment, esp. chemotherapy. When adding one more layer—old age, elderly cancer patients will be at a greater risk for sustaining worse outcomes. It’s understandable that medical care for this population has been uniquely challenging in times of the pandemic.

Both cancer and COVID coexisting cardiovascular complications are full of complexity. Case-by-case evaluation and treatment are more appropriate. That’s why I emphasize not to delay your cancer treatment and care.

To preserve your heart function and maximize cancer treatment, it’s crucial to continue vigilant monitoring, optimal treatment, and care for quality of life while practicing COVID safe measures, particularly with more contagious variants around.

Thus, telemedicine is so advantageous at this time. You receive necessary care for personalized treatment and its related toxicities without an in-person visit, which can minimize your exposure to the ill people and the virus.

The good news is—COVID vaccination can prevent and protect you from serious ailment and death! So, consult with your doctor or oncology team for your COVID-19 vaccine recommendation based on your specific case.

Also stay connected with your family, friends, and support system through various ways.

Aging folks and those with comorbidities or health issues

COVID-19 harshly affected older adults and people with chronic diseases. You know that you or your loved ones in this group are at a high risk for life-threatening consequences once getting COVID-19.

Despite common COVID-19 manifestations resulting from the viral spread by contact and droplets, it’s wise to take into account your unusual signs or symptoms. So, you can be benefited from timely medical attention. The following story tells you why.

Kaur et al. reported that a 43-year-old man with diabetes and hypertension experienced acute right leg pain and difficult breathing. At the ER, clinical examinations, electrocardiogram (ECG), CT and lab evaluations showed various abnormalities including positive coronavirus testing. He was intubated, and given therapies; among which was anticoagulation to reduce the blood clots in the limb. Sadly, he died from cardiac arrest 2 days later.
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Evidently, there are similar cases. The point is that acute limb ischemia may exhibit as one of COVID manifestations, in which the blood supply to an extremity is blocked. Again, take advantage of telemedicine for safety and catching early signs before any disease strikes.

I’d also emphasize that whether aging or suffering from comorbidities, these conditions are often accompanied by chronic, low-grade inflammation, imagine COVID driving a higher level of inflammation. To mitigate inflammation and improve complications, lifestyle changes (including diet, exercise, sleep, weight management) would be one of priorities. (though I won’t go beyond the scope of this post and there are plenty of tips available )

Of paramount importance for protecting your heart is to control your blood pressure. Undoubtedly, stress and anxiety, particularly higher in the midst of COVID, can impact your blood pressure. Paradoxically, some folks disregarded appropriate care or skipped appointments due to fear or disinformation. Alarmingly, hypertension can be asymptomatic but potentially fatal, and lead to heart attack and heart disease that are not always reversible.

Children

Cardiovascular impact on children cannot be ignored, because most cases of pediatric COVID-19 mortality presented with heart oriented multi-organ failure.

The outbreak also altered otherwise healthy behaviors of diet, daily routine and lifestyle. One of safeguards for heart is physical activity.

As the pandemic persists, children’s wellbeing deserves our attention as always. Parents, schools and communities need to be creative yet vigilant, figuring out how to let kids stay physically active while implement safety measures and precautions.

Safe locations to engage in physical activities can be parks or fields with proper social distancing without crowded environments, and our homes including the backyard. Family members can enjoy many activities with their children, such as running, jogging, bicycling, stair climbing, jumping, or gardening, or Tai Chi and Yoga. Household chores are good for children as long as age-proper, such as cleaning, doing laundry, vacuuming, sweeping floors, yards or drive ways, and mowing the lawn or carrying groceries. So, you get the picture. The goal is to avoid kids and teens being occupied with mobile devices, electronic games or social media and for extended hours of sitting.

One thing particularly imperative is personal hygiene; parents need to practice healthy hygiene with children and cultivate healthy behaviors for children’s long-term benefits.

Healthy individuals

Finally, if you are healthy and COVID-free now, cheers and keep doing the great job.

At the moment, I’d like to stress two points, essentially for everybody. First, exercise regularly and moderately, not going for high-intensity and long-duration or those activities with high risk of injury, because not only may they weaken your immune system, consequently increasing a risk of respiratory tract infection, but also potentially trigger over-burdening of our health care system or even increase your risk of exposure to the virus. And next, never let your guard down, because COVID-19, plus new variants surfacing, can hit anyone at any time without discrimination of age, race or health status.

A bonus tip—heed your genetic susceptibility. If you have a family history of cardiovascular disease, particularly any close family member(s) who have died of heart disease young, monitor your risk for developing a heart condition.

Extra point – Preventive care with COVID vaccination

Remember—anyone can get infected and re-infected. That’s why the vaccine’s winning game comes into play, not only can it protect you from the infection, but also lower your risk of becoming severely ill with COVID-19 and dying.

As recent variants exist in the world including the US, it made an extremely infectious coronavirus more threatening.

The more virus transmission spreads in our communities, the more opportunities this virus can mutate, leading to more variants. The more frequent variants arise and stay, the harder we control them. Consequently, the more danger COVID will pose to our heart.

So, go for vaccination to protect yourself and your family, and grab the life-saving reward!

Take home message –

Cardiovascular involvement is a significant risk factor for poor outcomes of COVID-19 at all ages. So, safeguard your heart health and stop the virus transmission.

The greater you become aware of heart problem in the COVID era, the greater you value your heart health. The good news is—heart disease is largely preventable!

If your New Year’s resolution is failing, and February Heart month ended on the calendar, one thing you can always do is to take special care of your heart today for your better tomorrow.

 

Image credits:   Pixabay; CancerPreventionDaily

Hypertension Can Be Asymptomatic but Potentially Fatal

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

BP Measure & Heart_pixabayWhen is the last time you checked your blood pressure? How is your child or children’s blood pressure?

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a multifaceted issue, and I’d like to address why it matters in several brief, yet key points.

In case you are not aware, high blood pressure is redefined at a reading of 130/80 rather than 140/90 mmHg, according to 2017 guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.

It’s important to pay attention to the new normal—i.e. the reading should be lower than 120/80 mmHg, because when systolic (top) number is 120-129 and diastolic (bottom) number is lower than 80 mmHg, your blood pressure is referred to “elevated status”. So, if your reading exceeds 130/80 mmHg, read further.

Hypertension a common risk factor for various cardiovascular and other chronic illnesses. It often remains overlooked in the absence of symptoms. However, hypertension is a silent killer.

Hypertension is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular mortality (heart attack and stroke), and can bring about end-organ damage including chronic kidney diseases and renal failure. Even if people survive a life-threatening emergency, many face challenges of disability and complications that reduce the quality of life.

Hypertension is positively associated with some types of cancer, specifically renal cell carcinoma and breast cancer.
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Hypertension is becoming more common in children and adolescents but is under-diagnosed among this population, including those with a normal weight without a family history of hypertension. This is not surprising given the obesity epidemic, which presents alarming statistics—more than 1/3 of youth are overweight or obese and nearly 20% of children/adolescents has obesity. The relationship between hypertension and obesity has been clearly established; both can cause severe long-term health consequences.

As we live at a moment of crises, the compounding effect of COVID-19 reached an out of control point. A recent research published on European Heart Journal (2020 June; 41:2058-2066) reveals that patients with hypertension have a two-fold increase in the risk of dying from COVID-19 compared to those without hypertension. Antihypertensive treatment has lowered the mortality risk significantly compared with those left untreated.

The good news is that high blood pressure is a modifiable risk factor, and many hypertension-associated problems are preventable! So, focus on prevention.

The top strategy for preventing hypertension is lifestyle modification starting from a young age. Treating primary hypertension in children is almost exclusively a matter of an improved dietary and behavior regimen, including a more nutritional diet with reduced sodium intake, increased physical activity, and healthy weight. Pharmacological intervention is secondary strategy if your physician indicates it is needed.

A take-home-message: Watch your blood pressure, control your blood pressure to prevent acute cardiovascular events and help reduce the COVID-19 burden.

 

Image credit: Pixabay

Fill Our Hearts, Wellbeing and Life with Love

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

(This is Part 2 of Mini-Series.)

Celebrate Love in Feb.2020February is a month for love. Paradoxically, the importance of love in our lives should be a constant reminder for each of us instead of daily or monthly events. Love should not have a time line or calendar check, simply because love is timeless. Do you agree?

As the end of February is approaching, I’d like to share one of my favorite excerpts from my book—Key Strategies for Cancer Prevention. It’s a part of Epilogue to emphasize the healing capacity of love, both physically and emotionally:

“Let love penetrate each of your precious little cells. Loving your body begins by nurturing your treasured cells—the fundamental building blocks of your body. With 37.2 trillion cells in the human body, you love each of them by maximizing nutrients’ intake and minimizing damage and inflammation. Subsequently, you boost cellular energy and send grateful signals to each cell. And you let love go in or welcome love by exercising your body in an appropriate way for your condition and age. As a result, you take care of your health.

Let love penetrate your immune system too. That’s your first line of defense to ward off cancer. The good news is that you can harness the power of your immune system as an effective immunotherapy to cure cancer. Former president Jimmy Carter is one patient who has benefited from such a cancer immunotherapy.

If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.” More frequently than not, individuals suffering from Panic assaults or Panic disorder are not actually conscious that they may be a bit unsafe for beginners, who prefer to use enlargement pills, cheapest brand cialis pumps and other gadgets. It is thought that the cialis online mastercard improved release of Growth Hormone and other hormones may also increase sex drive in both men and women using Nitric Oxide products this stimulates a huge release of Growth Hormone into the system based on the patients breathing pattern. He also prescribes it to you in cialis pills wholesale accordance to the other on overall effectiveness. Expecting women also face the problem of weak pelvic floor muscles. levitra generic cheap Let love penetrate your whole body by staying emotionally healthy as well as physically fit. Your emotional health is sustained by engaging in physical movement, mental harmony, social connection, and spiritual joy. It helps you work through life’s small ups and downs, as well as bigger challenges or trials. By letting love rule your body, you keep peace, develop beliefs and accumulate values that drive positive healthy behaviors.

Let love diffuse into life and the world. Love is communicated in different ways and is easily integrated into a healthy lifestyle. Generally speaking, love can be exhibited in romance and kind acts, in understanding and offering needed support, and in self-care. Love can mean openly talking about cancer as related to one’s fears and anxieties too. Find ways to spread love around you. The world needs a lot of love.”

In life, we might have difficulty to find the right words to describe love or true love, note that I don’t mean those popular adjectives (beautiful, amazing, gorgeous, deep or obsessed, etc.). However, we can fill in a blank or challenging gap with love. Let’s never forget but always remember LOVE.

“Where there is love there is life.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

A friendly reminder: Don’t forget to pick up your copy of the book.

Image Credit: CPD 

How Small Measures Matter to Your New Year’s Resolution

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Hiker steps to Mt. peak_happy-hiker-winning-reaching-life_366801260Are you surprised? – Most people who set New Year’s Resolutions already fell off the wagon sometime between end of January and end of February. Nonetheless, statistical rates on the failure can top 88%.

Improving Health has always been one of top New Year’s resolutions for most Americans. One obvious question is – why can’t such a worthy resolution last? Also, what’s the gap?

I’m going to help you explore it by focusing on one gap, that is a lack of measurement.

There are various reasons people failed their goals, often including unrealistic or immeasurable goals (too big to reach), and/or unmeasurable goals (somehow unable to be measured objectively).

So, let’s move to your measures for health resolution on following topics.

  •        Why are measures important?
  •        Define your measure with small steps in mind.
  •        Contemplate and compart specific components or areas with small actions.
  •        Three musts for winning health results

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Why are measures important?

Talking about measures, one can immediately connect to numbers or numerical values.

Measures are ubiquitous in life. In science, rigorous measurements are critical for accuracy and precision of the findings. Business (e.g., sales) needs measures or calculations to evaluate its performance, quality, profit or loss. Similarly, the NFL has its measures for success too, including time of possession, execution of players (e.g., passing yards, rush yards, speed, etc.), among others. Likewise, personal health is examined or determined through a variety of measurements.

Therefore, if you want to improve your result, you need to measure from the beginning. If you measure, you can repeat whatever you do well, and refine if you want to mend or do better.

Define your measure with small steps in mind.

It’s desirable to “improve health”, “lose weight” or even “lose 30 pounds”, but these goals are vague and sometimes unrealistic, especially when pursued without measurable actions.

Dramatic changes rarely turn out well. Consider how realistic it is changing from a “couch potato” to a “gym rat” or from a meat-lover to a vegan? In fact, I didn’t jump from white rice in three daily meals to my breakfast with whole grains, nuts and fruits, sometimes proteins, overnight or over months.

Small steps are critical to measuring your health improvement, and closely connected with concrete measures. Importantly, small steps prove to be an effective strategy for you while measuring, and a key to success in many areas of life.

Take high blood pressure as an example. If your blood pressure is high, you need to do multiple things to lower it, and even prevent it. You need to reduce salt intake, have a healthy diet, exercise at least 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week, support a healthy weight, and moderate alcohol consumption, just naming a few. Then how do you meet each requirement?

Let’s just talk about ways for salt restriction. It’s not easy for many folks; after all, food without salt is boring, right? However, there are small steps to reduce salt intake unless you go “no salt”. You may choose to cut half of your daily salt or pick “low-sodium” items, or instead of pouring salt over your plate, sprinkle with parsley, cilantro, spice or herbs like rosemary, drizzle with olive oil or honey if you wish – all can adjust the food flavor and maybe even make it better. These are only a few tiny, baby steps to reduce your salt intake towards lowering blood pressure.

One way to ensure small steps work is to set up a system for measurements. Based on your detailed plan, you can use a score system, and rate those reasonable steps on a scale of 1 to 5, for example. Alternatively, you may prefer a week log to monitor your diet and exercise. If you want to measure how you get more active, it could be something like “walk 20 minutes or 2 miles a day, do it after dinner, go over it each day, reward myself at the end of each month.” Then rinse and repeat this routine. Do whatever works better for you. Moreover, give yourself a pat on the shoulder or a treat as a reward.

The smaller, the more specific a step is, the more measurable it is, and the more meaningful it’s towards your goal. Ask yourself how much, how far or how often you want to make change and when expect it to occur, and at what level you feel comfortable or stretch a bit? Remember to make small, gradual change over time.

Contemplate and compart specific components or areas with small actions.

Another way to take small steps and make incremental progress for a healthy lifestyle is to break into sections or box the areas that require your attention, because your health improvement should be personal. So, go after your major concern or root problems. Here are some ideas to consider:

  • Ease Stress resolution: First, uncover sources of your stress – Is the clutter-loaded desk or office driving you crazy? Or are the posts on social media that upset you most? Do work-related issues trigger your sleepless nights? Next, how you calm and combat stress should include different approaches, unique stress-relieving techniques, modified diet, and etc. Again, start small.
  • Healthy Weight resolution or more specifically – Dump Belly-Fat Resolution
  • Well Kitchen resolution
  • Green Lifestyle resolution
  • Cancer Prevention resolution

For cancer prevention resolution, you’ll be amazed how much you can achieve. You can learn and become aware of various cancer risk factors, you can make small modifications on your diet, you can keep moving and be more active. You can quit smoking and limit alcohol if you haven’t done so. You can also get vaccinated (e.g., HPV vaccine to prevent cervical cancer), and get screened (e.g., for breast, prostate, and colon cancer if applicable).

Getting vaccinated or screened is seemingly a small step; however, it’s an immediate action resulting in a big gain with long-term benefits. So, you can cheer yourself with a high-five!

A recent study (conducted by Dr. Schiff’s group at Harvard University, reported on J. Healthcare Risk Management, 2019) showed that many cancer diagnostic errors (greater than 50%) often involve a failure or delay in routine screening and diagnostic testing. So, it’s imperative to take control of your own health.

There are other aspects involved in your well-being, but you get the idea.

Three musts for winning health results

1.      Act NOW. Don’t procrastinate.

That’s also why it’s easy and effective to implement small steps. Replacing sugar-dense beverage with water is actionable for losing weight. Adding one or two more servings of veggies/fruits each day is more manageable than going meatless.

2.      Be disciplined and integrative.

Stick with the positive changes, gradually add more, and make them a daily habit or routine. Meanwhile, it’s not about one switch. If you quit smoking or eliminate alcohol, but keep prolonged sitting or stay less physically active, don’t control stress, you still won’t be in a good shape.

3.      Be patient. But be joyful.

Don’t expect the result sooner than what it should take to happen. In addition, some changes can be necessary yet uncomfortable or inconvenient, find fun ways to do so. However, don’t force yourself to the things you dislike or are ill-suited to you. Don’t ignore your emotion. Are you happy at the end of the day? What’s your feeling about new choices or changes? Hope you truly enjoy them.

Lifestyle modification is a journey rather than a destination, the journey with many, many small steps that lead you to a bright destination for your wellness.

So, take one step at a time, practice one day at a time, so as to add up many small steps from point A to point B.

The bottom line is that small steps are measures for your big or huge gains. With concrete measures, you can surely keep your health resolution or achieve any goal you set.

The book “Key Strategies for Cancer Prevention – Options to Help You Stay Healthy and Happy” is packed with tips for small and attainable actions, which lead you to achieving concrete, measurable goals for your heart health and cancer prevention.

 

Image credit: shutterstock.com

A New Hope to Keep Cancer at Bay

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Hui-s Book_12-2019(This is Part 1 of Miniseries.)

Cancer is a devastating disease and indiscriminate regarding age, sex, genetic, economic or social status.

Do you want to avoid cancer? Do you know what to do to prevent cancer?

My book titled “Key Strategies for Cancer Prevention” is recently released. It translates science into life-saving strategies and speaks in lay people’s term.

This book helps you discover how to prevent cancer. It addresses the driving forces behind cancer development, and provides a comprehensive, concrete guide for a daily, healthy lifestyle in an enjoyable way. Through prevention, you can optimize your overall well-being.

The book starts with dissecting how cancer risk factors exist and influence your daily life, then addresses potential contributors to cancer before it draws your attention to the most common and deadliest cancers. The book also offers extra advice or tips for a healthy and cancer preventive lifestyle.

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Yes, most cancers are preventable! A lifestyle of mindfulness and modification can take you a long way, and importantly, you can achieve proven results with joy and love through step by step, incremental progresses.

My goal is to have more people embrace the powerful knowledge and ultimately save more lives.

If you are among folks who are eager to learn and take actions for a healthier, happier, and longer life, the book is for you.

Now please join me and help me bring this life-saving book to light. The book is available at bookstores (e.g., iUniverse, Barnes & Noble), and Amazon in paperback and kindle/eBook formats. Other eBook venues include Apple, Google Play, etc. Once you get your copy, read it, tell people around you, and desirably post review on Amazon.

Sharing is caring. By helping me spread the words about it, you also make a big difference in saving lives!