Have you ever had feelings of lightheadedness? Chest pains? Heart palpitations and/or irregular heartbeats? Perhaps, you’ve experienced all of these symptoms at some point in your life and swept it under the rug thinking it was just dehydration or a reaction to something you ate. However, these symptoms are warning signs and can be much more serious than you think, as all of them are related to heart disease. Did you know that about 610,000 people die of heart disease in the U.S every year? This number could be drastically lower if people took the necessary steps to prevent the disease from occurring. For those whose genetics seem to haunt them with heart related issues, there are still ways to prevent them from happening. Thankfully, we do have some good news for you. LifeWorks Wellness Center has treated multiple patients with heart disease, cholesterol issues and diabetes, and luckily, there are some easy steps you can take to prevent heart disease… naturally.
Knowing the Cause
At LifeWorks, we don’t just diagnose a patient with heart disease, we discover the root cause. In most cases, heart disease is usually caused by a blockage within one or more of the three arteries that lead to the heart muscle, which results in the organ lacking blood causing part of it to die. In turn, a heart attack ensues. But the real question is what caused the blockage? According to Dr. Minkoff, a basic cause of artery blocking is inflammation from bacteria that seep through the artery walls. As a response, the body uses cholesterol to coat over the injured area further narrowing the artery. People with these issues usually have an imbalance of essential fatty acids, omega 3 and magnesium. These issues develop due to smoking, high insulin, poor dental health, and obesity, which all have a potential of causing inflammation within the heart arteries.
Do You Have The Right Supplements?
Most medical doctors will prescribe cholesterol medication or heart pills to ease the symptoms and keep the body working as it should, but this still doesn’t solve the health condition. Most people don’t even know that heart disease can be prevented by just the use of a few supplements. The main one that we recommend to most patients suffering with heart related issues is magnesium. About 80% of patients tested at LifeWorks have had low magnesium within their bloodstream and Dr. Minkoff specifically highlights this supplement as a primary medicine to preventing heart disease. “Magnesium is really important for muscle contractility in the heart” said Dr. Minkoff. “It keeps the blood vessels that feed the muscle in a relaxed state.”
Other recommended supplements to assist in maintaining a healthy heart is BodyHealth Multivitamins, Fish and Vegetable Oils (Omega 3 and Omega 6), Perfect Greens supplements, and PerfectAmino Acids. Before starting a supplement plan, consult with your healthcare practitioner to identify which supplements are the right ones for you.
Lead a Healthy Lifestyle
Our heart is the most important part of our body. It is the organ that literally decides whether or not we’re dead or alive, so it’s critical that we cherish it as if it’s our child and take good care of it. In order to prevent heart disease, you must try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Similar to how a child needs fruits and vegetables to develop properly, our hearts need proper nutrients and must constantly be active in order for it to pump blood through our veins. It is essential that you exercise daily (to get the blood pumping), receive quality sleep every night, consume the right supplements (such as magnesium and fish oils) and maintain a balanced diet. One diet that we would recommend to decrease the risk of heart disease is the Paleo Diet, which was found to “increase concentration of certain fats found in the blood”¹. Here at LifeWorks, we encourage the Paleo Diet to many of our patients who have successfully lost weight or healed a health issue that they have suffered with for years. Heart disease is not excluded from this.
Therapies That Can Decrease Risks
Is heart disease a genetic health condition that runs in your family? Are you worried about your chances of developing the disease? Fortunately, there are things that you can do to decrease your risks, even if heart disease is in your DNA. Therapies such as Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and Ozone Therapy have proven to decrease the risks of getting heart disease in the future. According to a study from Ozone Hospital, “the use of ozone in cardiovascular diseases and chronic fatigue has shown significant results in relief and operational success”². In turn, this improves the circulation of oxygen and utilization of heart tissues. On the other hand, a recent 2020 study showed that HBOT improved the performance of the heart’s functions. Out of 31 patients that were given an HBOT treatment, the results showed that each heart had improved in ejection fraction, myocardial performance index (MPI), and apical rotation, increased the left ventricular global longitudinal strain, and decreased the left ventricular and systolic volume³. With that being said, LifeWorks offers both Ozone and Hyperbaric Treatments for all patients who suffer from heart issues and other chronic illnesses such as Lyme Disease or Cancer.
To Sum Up…
Heart disease is extremely common and takes the life of twice as many people as cancer. This is unfortunate because these issues are possible to thwart, however there are many who are unknowledgeable about the preventions of cardiovascular diseases. A large reason for this is because most doctors will provide relief of symptoms, while here at LifeWorks we strive to dig into the true cause of the problems within your heart.
If you feel that you are experiencing heart disease symptoms, please contact our office today to schedule an appointment at 727-466-6789 or contact us online.
Helpful Heart Health Resources
- Heart Health - our complete page on heart health / cardiovascular treatment.
