| What had once been labeled "dropsy" could now be attributed to congestive heart failure or some other specific disease. So dropsy became a quaint term from yesteryear. Today we know the myriad things that can lead to a failing heart: infection, coronary artery disease, toxins, and so on. The challenge for tomorrow's researchers is to understand the causative factors in order to identify an "etiologic disease entity": a definite disease with a definite cause. |
Joan Liebmann-Smith, Ph. D., and Jacqueline Nardi Egan
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 Unfortunately, and especially in younger people, these nails are often signs of cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes, chronic kidney failure, or congestive heart failure.
Blue Nails
While painting your nails blue may be a sign of youthful fancy or rebellion, naturally blue nails may be an important tip off that you're not getting enough oxygen—a condition medically known as cyanosis. As with blue lips, blue skin (See Chapter 5 speaking of signs
For three days after death, hair and fingernails continue to grow, but phone calls taper off. |
| If left untreated, it can progress to a thyroid storm (aka thyrotoxic crisis), which can cause congestive heart failure and death.
A goiter can also be your body's way of saying that you're eating too many foods known as goitrogens. Excess consumption of goitrogens can promote goiters—medically referred to as sporadic goiters— by interfering with your body's ability to absorb iodine. The most common goitrogenic culprits are soybeans, soy products, and cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli. |
Bottom Line Health
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| PACEMAKER FOR HEART FAILURE
Every year, 550,000 Americans are diagnosed with congestive heart failure, meaning that the heart is not pumping effectively due to coronary artery disease, damage from a heart attack, high blood pressure or other factors.
As a result, the cells of the body may not receive enough oxygen, which can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty walking, reduced kidney function and even death.
In most people, the heart's pumping chambers contract in synchrony, allowing the heart to beat steadily and pump blood throughout the body. |
Marshall Editions
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 However, edema can also indicate more serious medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, kidney disease, or an underactive or overactive thyroid gland.
SYMPTOMS
TREATMENT GOAL
• Swollen ankles
• Swollen feet
• Swollen fingers
• Puffy, shiny-looking skin
• Dimpled or puckered skin when pressure is applied
To establish the cause of the swelling and fluid retention, and carry out appropriate treatment. m a m
The treatment of edema is dependent on the diagnosis. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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 Astragaloside IV, a component of Astragalus, had positive inotropic effects in patients with congestive heart failure. Nineteen patients were treated by astragaloside IV injection for 2 weeks. Patients had decreased symptoms and radionucleide ventriculography showed improvements in left ventricular modeling and ejection (Luo et al, 1995). Injection of Astragalus membranaceus significantly shortened the duration of ventricular late potentials (VLPs) in a study of 313 patients. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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 D-ribose
Yes
It's been shown to improve blood pressure and exercise tolerance in patients with congestive heart failure. It seems to work by getting ATP energy to heart and skeletal muscles. The dose is 5 grams once to three times daily.
YOU Tip: Know the Ratio. We could spend an entire book talking about the fat around our waists (oh, wait, we already did that). But we also need to spend some time talking about the fat in our diet. Most of us know that dietary fats come in two general forms: Either they're good for us, or they're more destructive than tank treads on armadillos. |
Lester A. Mitscher and Victoria Toews
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 The elevated arterial pressure also weakens the blood vessel walls, encouraging the development of aneurysms that diminish cardiovascular function and that, when ruptured, can cause stroke, internal bleeding, and a host of other life-threatening conditions. congestive heart failure and damage to the kidneys are also common in uncontrolled hypertension.
One of the things that makes hypertension so serious is its lack of obviously unpleasant symptoms; it is a silent killer. Anxiety, heart poundings, or increased pulse rate are not necessarily indicators of high blood pressure. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 Drugs that are affected include allergy medication (like Allegra), congestive heart failure medication (like Digoxin), blood pressure medicines and/or calcium channel blockers (like Cozaar, Plendil, Procardia, and Sular), epilepsy drugs (like Carbatrol and Tegretol), and cholesterol-lowering drugs (like Mevacor, Zocar, and Lipitor), but there are probably tons more, so if your med isn't on that list, don't take a chance. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
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 While formerly used to treat congestive heart failure, more modern drugs (diuretics, ACE inhibitors) are usually used for this condition today.
Action: Digoxin (brand names Lanoxin, Lanoxicaps) works by making the heart muscle contract more forcefully. It also decreases conduction of the electrical signal that causes it to beat, which slows down the dangerously fast heart rhythm.
Side effects: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, headache, weakness, slow heart rate, blurred vision, and mental changes. |
| Side effects: Side effects may include excessive heart rate slowing; inability to raise heart rate much during exercise; worsening of congestive heart failure; and rarely, confusion, depression, or worsening erectile dysfunction (impotence).
Nutrient depleted: Beta blockers deplete CoQ10 and reduce production of a hormone called melatonin. By blocking beta receptors, these medicines may also block the action of an enzyme needed to make this hormone, which is produced at nightfall and promotes sound sleep.
Needed supplement: Take 100-300 mg of CoQi0. |
| Side effects: Possible side effects include headache, edema (swelling) in ankles and feet; verapamil may worsen congestive heart failure or cause constipation.
Nutrients depleted: This drug class can deplete potassium. Needed supplement: Take 100 mg of potassium.
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors: captopril
(Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil), ramipril (Altace)
ACE inhibitors are a newer class of drugs that are used to treat high blood pressure. |
| Deficiency of CoQ10 makes the heart less able to do its job, leading to congestive heart failure (CHF). CHF happens when the heart becomes too weak to efficiently pump blood through the whole cardiovascular system. Blood backs up and fluid accumulates in the lungs and throughout the body. In 1968, about 10,000 people died from CHF; in 1993, that figure increased to 42,000. Could CoQ10 depletion from statin therapy have played a role in this dramatic increase? The logic seems too compelling to dismiss.
In fact, CoQ10 is regarded as a valuable natural therapy for people with heart failure. |
Jack Challem
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 Your prediabetes will lead to diabetes, and diabetes is a terrible disease—in its later stages, as terrible as cancer or congestive heart failure. Habitual cheating also points to powerful food addictions. If you have a history of being a diet cheater, you may want to revisit the section on food addictions in chapter 3.
What should you do if you occasionally fall "off the wagon" and eat unhealthy foods, such as a rich dessert? It is essential that later the same day or the next, you resume your healthier eating habits and emphasize lean protein. |
| His health continued to deteriorate, and he had difficulty breathing, an inability to walk more than a few feet, and congestive heart failure.
A nutritionist looked at the couple's eating habits and pointed out that they ate few fresh foods. Instead, home-cooked meals consisted of processed and packaged foods, most of them with large amounts of sugar, sugarlike carbohydrates, and trans fats. Because Niki worked two jobs (Daniel was not able to work), she often brought home fast foods—burgers, fries, fried chicken, and pizzas. |
Mehmet C. Oz., M.D. and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.
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| An elevated BUN level may be caused by kidney disease or by poor blood flow to the kidneys, as in congestive heart failure, dehydration, or hemorrhage into the gastrointestinal tract. A decreased level may be seen in liver failure, malnutrition, or anabolic steroid use.
Creatinine: This protein waste product is generated by muscle metabolism and eliminated by the kidneys. Because creatinine is released at a constant rate (depending on muscle mass), its blood level is a good indicator of kidney function. It generally creeps up as you age. |
Rick Levy and Lou Aronica
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 Did she develop congestive heart failure after a string of lost loves in her life?
Take out a piece of paper and write down the most essential things you can appreciate about your life as an epic journey in self-discovery, about you as hero. You are beginning to see the story behind the story. I will help you explore this in greater depth in subsequent chapters.
Start to Look Ahead
Now is the time to begin thinking about how you want the story to continue. You are in fact the screenwriter of your own destiny and can dictate where the story will go from here. I'm going to show you how. |
Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D.
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 Whether it's recovery from a heart attack, an angioplasty, or cardiac surgery, the unfortunate truth is that the mortality rate for people 70-plus is three times that of those under 70. congestive heart failure is another concern. It's the most common cause of death for older patients with heart disease, and it's on the rise. The older heart is more vulnerable to lack of oxygen and other stressors including emotional stress, anxiety, and depression.
But what makes the older heart so vulnerable? 1 believe that the cause is falling levels of coenzyme Q10 in the heart tissue. Let me explain. |
Melody Petersen
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 It became one of the first effective treatments for high blood pressure, and eventually doctors recognized its potential to help patients suffering from congestive heart failure.
Yet Dr. Black wasn't about to sit back and enjoy his success. He soon decided to leave ICI, he later recounted, because he did not wish to get caught up in the final development and marketing of the new drug. It was also clear that he did not crave the limelight. He was happiest when at work on questions still unanswered. |
Mark Sircus
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 Patients with hypertension and diabetes need careful regulation of their calcium and magnesium levels, whereas in patients with congestive heart failure, sodium and potassium levels also are critical Potassium, magnesium, and electrolyte imbalance and complications in disease management. Weglicki W, Quamme G, Tucker K, Haigney M, Resnick L. Clin Exp Hypertens. 2005 Jan;27(l):95-l 12. Entrez Pubmed
37 Case Western Scientists Reveal How Magnesium Works On Ion Channels
Important For Regulating Blood Pressure; 2002-08-26 See: www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2002/08/020826071458. |
| Americans now 55 or over face a 90% chance of developing high blood pressure, or hypertension, a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, congestive heart failure, circulatory failure, kidney disease, and loss of vision." More than 15 million (more than 30% of the 50 million) are undiagnosed.32
Dr. Jay Cohen, author of "Toxic Dose" tells us in a recent Life Extension article, "High blood pressure is an even stronger predictor of cardiovascular risk than high cholesterol. Scientific studies directly correlate high blood pressure with decreased longevity. |
J. Douglas Bremner
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 Gold salts should never be used by patients with kidney disease, Sjogren's syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE), congestive heart failure (CHF), hypertension (HTN), urticaria, colitis, or gold sensitivity or by women who are pregnant or breast-feeding.
TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR (TNF) INHIBITORS
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, including etanercept (Enbrel), have more recently reached the market as a gentler alternative to DMARDs in treating RA. |
Dr. Steven R. Gundry
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 Studies of my patients with congestive heart failure and/or cardiomyopathy have often shown dramatic improvement in heart muscle and other muscle function with daily supplementation.6 Two of my patients improved to such an extent that both were removed from the heart transplant list. All of my cardiac surgery patients now receive this supplement postoperatively, which is also available in prescription form under the name Carnitor. |
Mark Sircus
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| Congestive heart failure patients have recently been reported to have 22,000 times more mercury and 14,000 times more antimony in their hearts.10
Zinc, chromium and selenium in addition to magnesium are excreted in the sweat"12 or in the actual accelerated metabolism of strenuous exercise and are difficult to replenish.13 When we sweat, we lose more than just water. Other components of sweat include electrolytes, principally sodium and magnesium. |
Elaine Magee
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 High blood pressure also increases your risks of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, eye damage, congestive heart failure, and fatty buildups in arteries. Almost one in three adults has high blood pressure!
If you're curious to see whether your readings place you in that group, know that the AHA defines high blood pressure as systolic pressure (the top number in a reading) of 140 mm Hg or higher or diastolic pressure (the bottom number) of 90 mm Hg or higher. |
Hyla Cass
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| Side effects: Possible side effects include headache, edema (swelling) in ankles and feet; verapamil may worsen congestive heart failure or cause constipation.
Nutrients depleted: This drug class can deplete potassium. Needed supplement: Take 100 mg of potassium.
Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors: captopril
(Capoten), enalapril (Vasotec), lisinopril (Prinivil), ramipril (Altace)
ACE inhibitors are a newer class of drugs that are used to treat high blood pressure. |
Andreas Moritz
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 The symptoms of hypothyroidism include depression, dizziness, fatigue, weight gain, muscle and joint pain, hair loss, headache, migraine, shortness of breath, GI problems, menstrual problems, unbalanced blood pressure, increased cholesterol levels, allergies, insomnia, panic attacks and moodiness, irregular heart beat, and congestive heart failure. A large number of children and adults in India and other developing countries are crippled and their teeth are destroyed because of fluoride poisoning from industry pollution. |
| The important question is how such a simple thing as obstructed bile flow can cause such complex diseases as congestive heart failure, diabetes, and cancer.
Liver bile is a bitter, alkaline fluid of a yellow, brown, or green color. It has multiple functions. Each one of these profoundly influences the health of every organ and system in the body. |
Melody Petersen
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| They said the underlying cause of death should have been listed as the atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease that had caused the congestive heart failure. They said nothing about noting the harm caused by the diuretic pills on the death certificate even though they had concluded that the medicine brought on the death. This line of reasoning takes all blame off the medicine and the doctor, who may have prescribed a dose of diuretics that was too high. |
Ann M. Coulston and Carol J. Boushey
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 Further evidence for a role of adequate vitamin D status in slowing the development of cardiovascular disease was demonstrated recently in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind vitamin D supplementation trial where 50 pg/day (2000 IU) of cholecalciferol markedly improved the inflammatory cytokine profiles in patients with congestive heart failure [95]. There is clearly a need for more well-controlled intervention trials of longer duration and possibly higher doses of vitamin D to thoroughly establish safety and efficacy in slowing the progression of these chronic diseases.
D. |
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