High Blood Pressure Remedies

You May Need To Evaluate Your Use of Painkillers

Wednesday, August 25, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

Research has found a connection between high blood pressure levels and non-aspirin painkillers. A report from the Harvard School of Medicine’s ongoing Nurses Health Study concluded

that women are at increased risk for high blood pressure levels if they take daily doses of painkillers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin).

The Harvard study involved 5,123 women age 34 to 77, each of whom had healthy blood pressure at the onset. Here are the results:

For women not taking painkillers, the risk of developing high blood pressure levels was about 1 to 3 percent a year.
Women taking an average daily dose of more than 500 mg of acetaminophen (one extra-strength tablet) had a 93 to 99 percent increased risk of developing high blood pressure levels within three years, compared to women taking less than 500 mg.
Women taking more than 400 mg a day of over-the-counter NSAIDS (the equivalent of two ibuprofen) had a 60 to 78 percent increased risk of developing high blood pressure levels, compared to women taking less than 400 mg.

For more information on high blood pressure levels and other cardiovascular problems, visit www.drsinatra.com.

Four Things You May Not Know About Salt Consumption

Monday, August 23, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

If you’re working hard to prevent heart attack and stroke, as well as the occurrence of other cardiovascular problems, you need to beware of the dangers associated with salt.

As any decent doctor or holistic practitioner will tell you, having too much salt in your system can make it difficult for you to maintain healthy blood pressure levels, as well as healthy cholesterol levels. In fact, too much salt can severely compromise your overall health and force you to deal with a myriad of serious heart risk factors you’d do well to avoid.

Here are four things you may not know about salt consumption:

Your body requires sodium (a component of salt) to regulate fluid balance and distribution, as well as nerve and muscle cell function. Although you need some sodium, the standard American diet includes way too much. That’s why I urge my patients to try what I often refer to as "the healthiest diet of all." You'll be amazed at how effective it can be.
The current recommendation for salt consumption is less than 2,400 mg of sodium a day, which amounts to about one teaspoon of salt. Recent research suggests that people ingesting less than 1,500 mg of sodium a day are better able to keep their blood pressure low. If you have high blood pressure, you should definitely aim for that kind of level. Don’t use salt from the shaker, and read labels to add up the amount you’re taking in.
Many items at fast food restaurants are high in salt, so you can easily exceed the recommended level with one serving.
You can easily make up for the reduced salt in your diet by cooking with fresh herbs and spices such as basil, garlic, oregano, rosemary, chives, parsley, and onion. What’s more, all of these flavorings contain natural substances that are good for your health. Garlic, in particular, has been shown to have a positive effect on blood pressure when consumed on a daily basis.

I hope you'll share this information with your friends and loved ones. It's just another example of how you can do something simple to help control your cardiovascular health.

For more information on blood pressure levels and other cardiovascular problems, visit www.drsinatra.com.

Let Food Be Thy Medicine

Thursday, August 19, 2010 by Jan Sinatra

Dr. Sinatra has long believed in the famous words of Hippocrates, the Greek physician of

centuries past who is now recognized as the “Father of Medicine.” Hippocrates employed food to assist his patients in healing their physical ailments. With all our high tech medical approaches and complex pharmaceutical agents, it is amazing how much we have forgotten that simple approach!

After years of applying nutritional solutions to the myriad faces of heart disease—high blood pressure levels; chronic hypertension; high triglycerides; elevated L(p)a; angina; and heart attack and stroke—Dr. Sinatra has finally answered his patients’ many requests for a book that they can have as a reference at home. His research and personal experiences with his family, friends, and cardiac patients has continually impressed my husband that Hippocrates was so right on—and provided the foundation for this effort.

Dr. Sinatra has collaborated with former pro athlete and health editor Jim Healthy, as well as recipe queen Rebecca Bent to write Bottom Line’s The Healing Kitchen. The Healing Kitchen is a strategic resource for making healthy grocery selections and healing meal planning guidelines, as well as specific recipes to assist you in selecting the right healthy foods to meet your specific health and fitness needs.

Subscribers to Heart, Health, and Nutrition have been reading Dr. Sinatra’s take on which foods, herbs, and supplements can help with their cardiovascular problems (not to mention cancer and other diseases caused by inflammation) for many years. Now all that information and more is the basis for this one reference to help guide you to foods that can heal your body.

For instance, the omega 3 essential fatty acids—especially those found in squid and fish oils—assuage cardiac arrhythmia, lower blood pressure levels, reduce LDL cholesterol levels, and even prevent plaque rupture.

Garlic is a potent blood thinner and, like onions which are rich in quercetin, helps you prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Garlic and onions are both superb foods for lowering blood pressure levels. And, speaking of hypertension, Dr. Sinatra also recommends sardines and wakame seaweed as natural blood pressure lowering foods.

And that’s just the beginning! Did you know that the right diet can help alleviate your migraines headaches, or that non-inflammatory foods can heal your arthritis?

Foods can also protect women from menopausal symptoms, as well as heal and protect us from cancer. The lutein in tomatoes along with pumpkin seeds and other fine herbs and spices can help men with their prostate concerns. From heart disease and diabetes to sleep and sex, The Healing Kitchen will educate you about natural, tasty remedies for many of the illnesses that afflict the 20th century.

If you are looking to use simple, healthy foods, herbs and spices to get your body back on track, and keep it there, you will love this book!

For more information on healthy heart nutrition or some of Dr. Sinatra’s famous recipes, visit his Web site at www.drsinatra.com.

Beat Your Sugar Habit

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 by Jan Sinatra

The dangers of excess refined carbohydrate and sugar consumption are downright endemic in

our society. Sugar causes a myriad of health concerns from obesity and diabetes to high blood pressure levels and cardiovascular problems. Excess sugar is even a major culprit in anxiety, depression, fatigue, and pain.

As Dr. Sinatra has warned in lectures, books, newsletters, e-letters, and blogs, elevated blood sugar stokes inflammatory processes that fuel disease. In fact, his concern for the overconsumption of sugar is what led Dr. Sinatra co-author Sugar Shock in 2006 with Connie Bennett.

Dr. Sinatra also recommends Beat Sugar Addiction NOW! (Fair Winds Press, March 2010), the newest book from one of Dr Sinatra’s “top docs,” Jacob Teitelbaum, MD. In the book, Dr. Teitelbaum reveals four types of sugar habits and their hidden causes. “Understanding your sugar addiction type, you can take steps to beat it and in the same stroke improve your overall health,” says Dr Teitelbaum. “Knowing the type of sugar addict you are also helps to solve many other chronic medical problems.”

By understanding your metabolic makeup, you are more likely to succeed in kicking your sugar habit. See if you recognize yourself as one the types Dr. Teitelbaum describes:

Type 1. Sugar addiction driven by fatigue. This is characterized by being hooked on so-called “energy drinks,” which are in reality energy loan sharks.
Type 2. Sugar addiction driven by adrenal exhaustion. This is when your body's stress handlers (the adrenal glands) are exhausted by the stresses of modern life. It is characterized by intermittent feelings of “feed me now or I'll kill you!”
Type 3. Sugar addiction driven by yeast/Candida overgrowth. In addition to fatigue and sugar cravings, this is often associated with digestive problems (irritable bowel syndrome/spastic colon) and chronic nasal congestion or sinusitis.
Type 4. Sugar addiction driven by depression and anxiety caused by hormonal shifts. These include PMS, perimenopause and menopause in women, and andropause (testosterone deficiency) in men.

The best part of his down-to-earth approach is that Dr. Teitelbaum doesn’t give you some insurmountable goals to achieve. He doesn’t wasn’t you to obsess about it! Rather, he shows you how to simply make sugar your dessert, instead of the main course!

For a good chuckle, and an introduction to the four sugar addiction types defined in the book, check out the animation promo on YouTube.

And for more information on proper nutrition or other health concerns, visit Dr. Sinatra's Web site.

Leading Causes of High Blood Pressure Levels

Wednesday, August 11, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

The leading causes of high blood pressure levels include stress, genetics, being overweight, a high-sugar diet, heavy metal toxicity, and lack of exercise.

This blog is loaded with posts that can help you manage all of these. And once you have them under control, you’ll be well on your way to avoiding a host of cardiovascular problems, including heart attack and stroke.

Obviously, it’s better to prevent high blood pressure levels than to treat them. That’s why I work so hard to educate my readers. I want you all to know that there are natural ways to lower blood pressure, including:

reducing stress,
losing weight (you can get great tips for doing this here),
controlling your sugar intake, and
exercising more.

You also want to adhere to good cardiovascular nutrition and following my PAMM diet makes that easy. You’ll never go hungry, but will enjoy delicious foods filled with the nutrients you need to maintain good health.

For more information on blood pressure levels and healthy blood pressure, visit Dr. Sinatra's Web site.

Know Your Blood Pressure Levels

Monday, August 9, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

If you’re unaware of your blood pressure levels, you put yourself at great risk. That’s because uncontrolled high blood pressure (or hypertension) is a leading risk factor for heart

disease and stroke.

Often, there are no symptoms to alert you of the need to better control high blood pressure, which is why hypertension is called the “silent killer.” You may not know you have it unless you have your blood pressure levels checked regularly.

Your blood pressure levels reflect how hard your heart has to work to pump adequate blood through your arteries. Each contraction of your heart pumps out a wave of oxygen-rich blood that causes the flexible arterial walls to expand. After the wave passes, the walls deflate. The intensity of this sequence is your blood pressure.

The first number is your systolic reading (the pressure of the blood against arterial walls at the wave’s peak), and the second number is the diastolic reading (the pressure when the wave passes).

Years ago, we thought a reading of 140/88 was the upper limit of normal. These days, a reading that high is unacceptable. Research shows that you want your systolic pressure to be in the 120s and your diastolic pressure to be in the high 70s or low 80s.

For more information on blood pressure levels or healthy blood pressure, visit Dr. Sinatra's Web site.

Coronary Artery Disease: More Common Than You Think

Friday, July 30, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is by far the most common cardiovascular problem.

You may have heard of the term atherosclerosis, which refers to the buildup of plaque in the blood vessels. Essentially, coronary artery disease is a form of atherosclerosis that affects the arteries leading to the heart. As plaque in the coronary arteries builds up and blockages grow, the level of oxygen and nutrients provided to the heart decreases, limiting the heart’s effectiveness. Should an artery become blocked completely—due to plaque buildup or the inability of a clot to pass through the narrowed opening—a heart attack results.

Informing a patient that he or she has coronary artery disease is never pleasant for me. But what the patient says to me in the next few minutes can make all the difference in that individual’s course of recovery. In over 35 years of practice, I have found that the single most important question that can come from a patient is: “Dr. Sinatra, what can I do to help myself?”

I tell them that, in almost every case, coronary artery disease is a story about an unhealthy lifestyle. I probably don’t have to remind you traditional heart risk factors can predispose you to it, including:

cigarette smoking,
high blood pressure levels,
diabetes,
physical inactivity,
obesity,
unhealthy cholesterol levels, and
emotional stress.

Research has clearly demonstrated that the more heart risk factors you have, the greater your chances of developing serious coronary artery disease.

I challenge my patients, as I’m challenging you now, to become proactive and do what it takes to reduce your heart risk factors and take control of your health. You must realize that all of the advice, medicine, and technology in the world won’t help you if you continue to abuse your body and live an unhealthy lifestyle.

For more information on coronary artery disease or other cardiovascular problems, visit www.drsinatra.com.

Could “Home Grown” Increase Blood Pressure Levels?

Tuesday, July 27, 2010 by Jan Sinatra

I love summertime dining, farm stand meals, and harvesting my own crops from my container

garden. (This week, I even cut and zip locked our own fresh basil, oregano, mint, and chives to take on vacation with us!)

But, I was recently perusing a friends gardening eLetter when I came across an important tip. If you reside in an older home that was ever painted with lead paint—even if those painted wood, shingles, trim, stucco, brick, or what-have-you was covered over with some kind of siding—never plant any edibles in beds next to the house. That means never plant fruit, veggies, herbs, or fruit-bearing trees in the soil near the house known—or suspected—to have been painted with lead-based paint.

Lead can leach out of weathered paint and remain in the soil for a long time. The lead is then absorbed by the plants, which is very dangerous. We should be especially aware of this exposure for pregnant women and children. Of course, all of us must avoid lead contamination!

When I shared this info with Dr. Sinatra, he was reminded of a famous French vineyard that was planted close to a highway. Leaded gas fumes penetrated the soils, and the wine was contaminated with lead when it was tested.

In the cardiology world, higher levels of lead in the body are associated with high blood pressure levels and an increased risk for heart attack in men. Excess lead in the body can cause also renal failure, and for our children, behavioral problems and more.

So, if you have an older home that may have been painted with a lead-based product, just don’t take any chances. Plant colorful flowers and shrubs for display close to the house, but nothing that could end up on your plate and/or in your body.

For more great information on cardiovascular nutrition or ways to lower blood pressure levels, visit Dr. Sinatra's Web site.

Watch White Coat Hypertension

Friday, July 23, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

Often when patients come to my office, I will find their blood pressure levels to be high. However, when they go home and measure it themselves, their blood pressure levels are normal.

Occasionally they’ll ask if the instruments in my office are off, or if my staff misread the result.

The actual problem, however, is a common condition called white coat hypertension. It’s used to describe people who become anxious over a visit to a physician, holistic health practitioner, dentist, or other medical facility. Such visits evoke a fight-or-flight response, and their blood pressure levels go up. But research has shown that abnormally high blood pressure readings in a medical setting could be more than just a benign byproduct of anxiety. Although the condition is poorly understood, WCH could be a precursor to high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems.

A Danish study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension found a heightened cardiovascular event risk for patients with WCH over a 10-year period. A Japanese study reported in the journal Hypertension Research suggests that white coat hypertension contributes to carotid arteriosclerosis. And in another Japanese medical report, based on eight years of observation, researchers suggest that white coat hypertension is a “transitional condition to hypertension” and may carry a “poor cardiovascular prognosis.”

If you experience white coat hypertension, I suggest you introduce a regular stress-reduction program into your life. That could include activities such as exercise, T'ai chi, meditation, or yoga.

You may also want to start taking blood pressure-friendly supplements on a daily basis—such as fish oil (2–3 grams), magnesium (400–800 mg), hydrosoluble CoQ10 (100–200 mg), and a garlic supplement high in allicin (500–1,000 mg).

Finally, consider my book, Lower Your Blood Pressure in Eight Weeks (Ballantine Books, 2003). It has lots of great, practical tips for lowering blood pressure levels.

For more information on natural ways to lower blood pressure, visit www.drsinatra.com. While there, sign up for FREE e-letters or subscribe to Dr. Sinatra’s monthly newsletter, Heart, Health & Nutrition.

Beware of Salt and Elevated Blood Pressure Levels

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

I’ll never forget a patient I treated a few years ago who was living with chronic hypertension. One Easter Sunday, he ate his fill of canned ham (packed with salt) and found himself in

the hospital emergency room the next day. He was in a hypertensive crisis and suffering with acute heart failure. His heart just couldn’t handle the large amount of salt he had consumed.

His was an extraordinary situation, but it underscores the need to be careful with salt intake. So please let his story be a lesson to you. And please share it with family and friends who may be dealing with cardiovascular problems.

Here are some things you need to know about salt consumption:

Your body requires sodium (a component of salt) to regulate fluid balance and distribution, as well as nerve and muscle cell function. Although you need some sodium, the standard diet includes way too much.
“Salt sensitivity” is a key factor in determining the response to dietary salt intake. Cardiovascular problems, including heart attack and stroke, are more common in “salt sensitive” patients than in “salt resistant” ones.
The current recommendation for salt consumption is less than 2,400 mg of sodium a day, which amounts to about one teaspoon of salt. Recent research suggests that people ingesting less than 1,500 mg of sodium a day are better able to control high blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, you should definitely aim for that kind of level. Don’t use salt from the shaker, and read labels to add up the amount you’re taking in.
Many items at fast food restaurants are high in salt, so you can easily exceed the recommended level with one serving.
You can easily make up for the reduced salt in your diet by cooking with fresh herbs and spices such as basil, garlic, oregano, rosemary, chives, parsley, and onion. What’s more, all of these flavorings contain natural substances that are good for your health. Garlic, in particular, has been shown to have a positive effect on blood pressure when consumed on a daily basis.
Beware of cutting your salt consumption too much. You need a minimum amount of sodium in your system to maintain proper electrolyte balance, regardless of your blood pressure status. For that reason, don’t let your daily salt intake fall below about 500 mg.

Managing your salt intake is just one of the natural ways to lower blood pressure that are highlighted here. For even more information on reducing hypertension visit www.drsinatra.com. While there, sign up for FREE e-letters or subscribe to Dr. Sinatra’s monthly newsletter, Heart, Health & Nutrition.

Controlling High Blood Pressure

Monday, July 19, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

Uncontrolled blood pressure levels (or hypertension) are a leading risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Often, there are no symptoms, which is why hypertension is called the “silent

killer.” You may not know you have it unless you have your blood pressure checked regularly.

Your blood pressure reflects how hard your heart has to work to pump adequate blood through your arteries. Each contraction of your heart pumps out a wave of oxygen-rich blood that causes the flexible arterial walls to expand. After the wave passes, the walls deflate. The intensity of this sequence is your blood pressure. The first number is your systolic reading (the pressure of the blood against arterial walls at the wave’s peak), and the second number is the diastolic reading (the pressure when the wave passes).

Years ago, we thought a reading of 140/88 was the upper limit of normal. These days, a reading that high is unacceptable. Research shows that you want your systolic pressure to be in the 120s and your diastolic pressure to be in the high 70s or low 80s.

Unfortunately, our arteries become more rigid and calcified as we age, making it harder to attain these optimum blood pressure levels. Think of your arteries as rivers full of twists and turns. Just as the force of rushing high water can eat away at the bank of a river, high blood pressure has a potentially damaging effect on the inner layer of the arterial wall. The arteries are especially vulnerable where they bend or form branches.

The leading causes of high blood pressure include stress, genetics, being overweight, a high-sugar diet, heavy metal toxicity, and lack of exercise. Stress-related hormones, for instance, cause the peripheral vessels to constrict. This forces the heart to pump harder in order to move blood through the narrowed channels, and leads to more pressure at the bends.

Obviously, it’s better to prevent hypertension than to have to treat it. For more information on natural ways to lower blood pressure, visit www.drsinatra.com. While there, sign up for FREE e-letters or subscribe to Dr. Sinatra’s monthly newsletter, Heart, Health & Nutrition.

48 Hours After a Heart Attack

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

Time is of the essence when you’re dealing with a heart attack. The best chance for survival and optimum recovery occurs if you are treated within two hours of the onset of symptoms.

At the hospital, things will move quickly. Up to 50 percent of the time, sudden death is the first symptom of heart disease, so any patient who survives the first two hours after a heart attack has passed a significant milestone. However, even with the best of medical care, 10–12 percent of those who survive the initial attack never leave the hospital (they die in the days following).

When it’s time for a patient to be discharged from the hospital, close caregivers should be present for any medical instructions because patients frequently don’t remember details. In fact, patients sometimes fail to recognize hospital staff members when they return for follow-up visits—that kind of psychological side effect is common during times of shock and trauma. At home, one of the biggest challenges that patients and loved ones face is a sense of day-to-day suspense. Many patients say they feel like they are just waiting for the other shoe to drop. These feelings are normal.

While I hope you’ll never need this information, I want you to be aware of it. I also want you to recognize common heart risk factors so that you can avoid ever being victim to heart attack or other cardiovascular problems. The key is prevention, which includes good cardiovascular nutrition, the ability to control high blood pressure, and maintaining healthy cholesterol and healthy triglycerides levels.

For more information on heart attack and stroke, heart risk factors, or other cardiovascular problems, visit www.drsinatra.com. While there, sign up for FREE e-letters or subscribe to Dr. Sinatra’s monthly newsletter, Heart, Health & Nutrition.

Lowering Blood Pressure Naturally

Friday, June 25, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

When considering targeted nutritional supplements for lowering blood pressure naturally, there’s no room for a “one size fits all” mentality.

For example, some patients who are trying to control high blood pressure will require as much as 800 mg of magnesium, higher doses of essential fatty acids, or a raft of insulin support, while others do well with just hawthorn and garlic. It all depends on many variables, such as how high the blood pressure levels are, how overweight the individual is, and so on.

Typically, I start patients on the four minerals (magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc), CoQ10, L-carnitine, and fish oil. Then we wait three to four weeks to see if blood pressure levels come down. Some do very well with these nutritional supports alone, and that’s all they need.

If there’s little or no response, I add garlic, hawthorn, and grapeseed to their regimen. We wait another three or four weeks and re-evaluate. If blood pressure levels are still not coming down, I add L-arginine and possibly another essential fatty acid, usually flaxseed.

And this is how the process goes—add a nutrient or two, wait a month, assess blood pressure, add a few more nutrients from the lists above if needed. The process can take as long as six months to a year, which is why patience is key. (A good blood pressure cuff for home monitoring is also important.)

Lowering blood pressure naturally doesn’t take rocket science, but it does take a special kind of dedication to get those numbers down—and keep them there.

Note: These targeted nutritional supplements must be used in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise; weight loss; following a a healthy cardiovascular nutrition plan; minimal or no alcohol use; avoiding excessive use of common NSAID medications; and stress reduction.

For more information on natural ways to lower your blood pressure and other health conditions, visit www.drsinatra.com.

Combat Insulin Resistance

Wednesday, June 23, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

Insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes, can lead to weight gain and high blood pressure levels.

It’s a complex of factors that results from eating too many refined sugars and carbohydrates (white bread, white rice, cookies, etc.). These foods cause insulin to be secreted in high amounts; and when too much of this hormone circulates in the blood for too long, specialized receptor cells for insulin eventually shut down and refuse it entry. At this point, your body has trouble processing blood sugar. This is insulin resistance.

Fortunately, by adhering to healthy cardiovascular nutrition and support from the right nutritional supplements, the receptor cells will come around and start to open their doors to insulin again. Improvement in insulin receptivity will favorably affect metabolic mediators that in turn will make it easier to control high blood pressure and avoid other cardiovascular problems.

Supplements that can help include:

Grapeseed extract (100–200 mg/day)
Maitake mushroom extract (15–20 drops of Griffon Maitake D-Frac Liquid, three times/day)
Coenzyme Q10 (200–400 mg/day)
Chromium polynicotinate (200 mcg/day)
Coleus (50–100 mg/day in divided doses)
Cinnamon (1/2 teaspoon in oatmeal)

For more information on cardiovascular nutrition, visit www.drsinatra.com.

Control High Blood Pressure Naturally

Wednesday, June 16, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

Most doctors and holistic health practitioners will tell you that lowering blood pressure naturally is possible. But it takes a few changes in lifestyle, good cardiovascular nutrition, and the use of targeted nutritional supplements.

It also requires a total commitment, and I do my utmost to support every patient who chooses to go this route. In fact, my belief in a non-pharmacological approach to controlling blood pressure levels is so strong that I wrote a book (Lower Your Blood Pressure in Eight Weeks) about lowering blood pressure naturally.

If you have high blood pressure levels, you’ve undoubtedly been advised to evaluate your lifestyle and start exercising. You may have been told to consider psychotherapy to explore unexpressed or unrecognized emotions like anger, fear, and anxiety. I have written and will continue to write about these topics because they’re essential to lowering blood pressure levels, as well as healing from heart attack and strokes, and almost any other illness.

For more information on natural ways to lower your blood pressure, visit www.drsinatra.com.

Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure

Monday, June 14, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

It’s estimated that 60 million Americans need to control high blood pressure, making this condition the No. 1 concern of cardiologists and internists today. Only about two-thirds of the people who know they have high blood pressure have it under fair control, usually with drug therapy.

Despite lifestyle modifications and drugs, many people’s high blood pressure levels remain uncontrolled. And uncontrolled high blood pressure (known medically as hypertension) is a leading risk factor for both heart attack and stroke, with women even more vulnerable to its ravages than men.

One of the most common consultations I see in my office is someone with high blood pressure levels who can’t tolerate the side effects of prescription drugs or who just doesn’t want to risk taking drugs. I can’t blame them: The fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. is properly prescribed drugs in a hospital environment.

Anti-hypertensive medications can control high blood pressure levels, but at a high cost in terms of side effects and increased risk of other diseases. However, some patients need pharmacological agents, especially those whose hearts and daily life are highly compromised.

There are natural ways to lower blood pressure. They involve good cardiovascular nutrition, as well as simple lifestyle modifications and targeted supplementation. Lowering blood pressure naturally is possible, but it takes commitment and the willingness to make some changes.

For more information on natural ways to lower blood pressure and good cardiovascular nutrition, visit www.drsinatra.com.

Healthy Heart Nutrition Does Not Include Sugar

Thursday, June 10, 2010 by Jan Sinatra

Why is it that the summer months conjure up images of cool sugary drinks enjoyed while lounging in the backyard or at a family picnic? As we embrace the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, most of us will fall prey to the temptation of easy-to-grab, ice-laden sugary drinks for cold refreshment. So, I just want to remind you: Whoa!

Consider results of research at Louisiana State University where 810 people with varying degrees of concerning blood pressure levels participated in an 18-month experiment to evaluate how exercise, weight loss, and diet would affect their blood pressure levels. They found that cutting back on sugar lowered blood pressure levels. High blood pressure is a risk factor for both heart attack and stroke, and even moderate reductions can lower that risk.

Study participants drank 10.5 ounces (a little less than a can) of a sugary drink every day at the beginning of the study, then cut back. Sugary drinks included soft drinks, lemonade, fruit punch, and fruit drinks sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

The answer? Cut the sugar! Opt instead for mineral water sweetened with flavored stevia (I like Sweet Leaf) or Dr. Sinatra’s favorite, club soda with D-ribose and pureed raspberries…yum!

If you have any great, low-sugar or sugar-free cold summer drink alternatives, let us know!

For more information on healthy heart nutrition, visit www.drsinatra.com.

The Connection Between Lipoprotein A and Heart Disease

Friday, June 4, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

Lipoprotein A, or Lp(a), is a component of LDL or “bad” cholesterol and high levels of it in your blood can be a serious heart risk factor.

According to an article in the 1997 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Lp(a) appears to regulate clot formation (thrombosis) and inhibit blood thinning, which can lead to blood circulation problems.

We know that Lp(a) increases in unstable diabetics and menopausal women with elevated levels due to lowered estrogen levels. This may be why the incidence of heart disease among menopausal women quadruples.

Conversely, Lp(a) decreases with estrogen replacement therapy. For this reason, it’s imperative that all menopausal and perimenopausal women with a strong family history of heart disease have their Lp(a) levels checked by their doctor. Further, postmenopausal women with multiple heart risk factors should consider natural, topical estrogen replacement therapy, particularly if their Lp(a) is elevated.

Research shows that elevated Lp(a) levels appear to be even stronger predictors for the development of premature heart disease in men. JAMA reported a study of 2,191 men confirming this.

Statin Drugs Will Not Reduce Lp(a)

Statins, drugs commonly prescribed to help you keep good cholesterol levels, are not effective for lowering Lp(a) levels. In fact, a study involving these drugs showed an increase in Lp(a) levels! And therein lies the dilemma.

While cholesterol-lowering drugs can reduce LDL, they can’t reduce Lp(a). If you find that a high Lp(a) level runs in your family, you must attack it with an alternative approach.

Here’s what I recommend:

Take 100 mg of niacin, twice a day. If you experience side effects like flushing, headache, and diarrhea, follow the diet and stop the niacin. You can try a lower dosage at a later date and you can increase the dose to 500 mg a day, twice a day for further protection, or reduce it by no less than 100 mg daily if you have side effects. Twinlabs’ quick-acting Niacin is a good product.
Follow my Pan-Asian Modified Mediterranean (PAMM) diet.
Take 1–2grams of vitamin C and 100–200 mg of standard coenzyme Q10.
Take 1–2grams of fish oil daily.
Take 50mg of nattokinase twice a day.
Take 100mg of delta tocotrienols twice a day.
Exercise regularly.

If you’re concerned, you and your family members should have your Lp(a) and other risk factors (homocysteine, fibrinogen, and serum ferritin) evaluated by your doctor. And be aware of other heart disease risk factors, including smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, glucose intolerance, and repressed emotions, all of which can cause cardiovascular problems.

For more information on LDL cholesterol levels and ways to lower them, visit www.drsinatra.com.

Dr. Sinatra Book: Arthritis Interrupted

Thursday, May 27, 2010 by Jan Sinatra

Dr. Sinatra has been busy the last year or so collaborating with Jim Healthy on a book designed to help people navigate the tough waters of living with arthritis. While arthritis seems so out of the realm of a cardiologist, you may be surprised to learn that, like most cardiovascular problems, inflammation is a major culprit at the root of arthritis.

The motivation for Dr. Sinatra to do this book is personal. After playing high school football, as well as “wrestling” his way into a college scholarship on the mats (along with four more years of wrestling), and skiing moguls as an adult, Dr. Sinatra has his own personal collection of injured and arthritic joints. As for Jim Healthy, he too has dealt with joint aches and pains secondary to his life as a semi-pro football player and athlete extraordinaire.

I like to refer to this book as a couple of “good ole boys,” Monday morning quarterbackin’ as they sit rocking in their chairs on the front porch—and sharing with you what they have learned through research and direct experience. Actually, a better picture is these two silver haired, hunky ex-jocks riding exercise bikes in tandem as they banter new ideas and approaches to share based on what has worked for their own bodies.

As I said earlier, arthritis and cardiovascular problems share a common cause: inflammation. Inflammation is a culprit behind the myriad faces of heart disease:

high blood pressure levels;
cardiac arrhythmias;
high LDL cholesterol levels;
high triglycerides;
elevated L(p)a; and
heart attack and stroke….just to name a few.

The medical suffix “--itis” literally means INFLAMMATION. Unchecked, many of these “-itises” can not only wreak havoc in terms of overall health and localized pain, the chromic inflammation over time can lead to infection…and no one wants THAT! It must be intercepted, and these football-playing cronies know all about interceptions!

To reduce the inflammation, and therefore alleviate arthritis and also reduce your risk for a number of cardiovascular problems, your first (and easiest!) step is to eat an anti-inflammatory diet. A pro-inflammatory diet can make you sick, and feed the fires of the health problems mentioned here…and more. Therefore, you must be armed with a solid anti-inflammatory eating plan so you can calm the flames of arthritis, as well as heal so many other diseases.

Arthritis Interrupted, featuring the Arthritis Healing Diet, will give you the diet tips you need to ease arthritis. It will also broaden your understanding about how inflammation can be downright debilitating, and provide you with an action plan to “tackle” your arthritis head on. Hold on to your helmets!

You can order a hard copy of Arthritis Interrupted at myhealingkitchen.com. While there, you can choose to download a copy of the book to your computer to get you started, and even get free bonus recipes and other booklets on foods that fuel, foods that heal arthritis, non-drug pain relievers, and more.

For more information on overall health and nutrition, visit www.drsinatra.com.

Bypass Surgery Makes Sense for High-Risk Patients

Monday, May 24, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

If you have high heart risk factors, you may need to opt for intervention.

Bypass surgery is probably the best option for you when many vessels are involved, or if your single or double-vessel disease is not amenable to angioplasty. In a nutshell, the greater the extent of heart disease, the more I lean toward bypass surgery.

But I want to stress that a bypass is rarely a “cure” for heart disease. It actually is an opportunity to alleviate your painful symptoms so you can begin to participate in your own care and take responsibility for healing yourself. You'll immediately want to control high blood pressure, maintain healthy triglycerides and healthy cholesterol, among other things.

The two most important criteria you and your cardiologist should use to decide whether bypass surgery is necessary are: whether it’s a quality-of-life issue and the condition of your coronary vessels.

In my next blog posting, we’ll discuss if angioplasty is right for treating your cardiovascular problems.

For more information on cardiovascular problems, visit www.drsinatra.com.