Tag Archives: heart health

11.02.17
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Is Your Heart Healthy?

heart

Is your heart healthy? Unless given reason to believe otherwise, we all go on the assumption “yes”.

There are some basic tests you can do to monitor your heart and make sure it is staying healthy without much effort or cost.

Check your blood pressure. Though one single reading won’t give you a full picture, keeping a chart of readings can establish a baseline. If you are generally within a good range, wonderful. If your numbers are often higher than they should be or consistently lower it may be time to visit your physician.

What’s normal range?

“Normal” for a resting adult is 120 over 80 or less. Hypertension begins at 140/90 or higher. You may not think a high reading is a big deal but what happens over time is that adding that extra pressure can stiffen and even narrow the artery walls blocking natural blood flow to and from the heart. This can lead to heart attack or heart disease.

Your blood pressure is a reading of the pressure in your arteries every time your heart pumps and relaxes. Systolic is the contracted measurement and Diastolic measures the relaxation between beats.

Take a blood test

A blood test is a great way to monitor health. Your doctor can look at your levels of potassium, sodium, albumin, and creatinine. Abnormal levels can signal heart problems including failure as well as other issues with cholesterol, liver and or kidneys.

Get some exercise

Getting regular exercise strengthens the heart muscle as well as the rest of your body. It is important to note that cardiovascular exercise shouldn’t make your chest hurt. If it does, check with your doctor before continuing any exercise program.

Monitor your heart rate

Your heart rate is the number of times your heart beats within one minute. When monitored by using a stethoscope the opening and closing of your heart valves can also be heard and checked for abnormalities. The normal range goes from 60 to 100 beats per minute. If yours is higher – it may be a sign your heart is working too hard.

If you are in the Tampa, Florida area and in need of a Cardiovascular Physician please think of Tampa Cardiovascular Associates www.tampacardio.com. Give us a call at 813-975-2800.

08.07.17
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Vitamins, Supplements that are Good for Your Heart

vitamins

A healthy diet could aide in saving your life. By eating balanced, nutritious meals, you are fueling the body with what it needs to keep your cholesterol and sugar levels in check, while fighting off harmful diseases. Instead of thinking about what to take out of your diet, focus your attention on what foods you should be adding in to your daily eating habits. Lean meats, fruits, vegetables, “good” fats, and whole grains are essential to your health, especially heart health.

However, no one has the perfect diet. Life gets in the way sometimes, and you could have a few days in the week in which you didn’t get in enough vitamins. Whether you were too busy or just not in the mood for a salad, your diet can sometimes fall short. That’s OK. If your consistently eating healthy over time, your body will reap the benefits. Since we cannot have the perfect diet, it can be good for you to supplement your diet with vitamins, but talk to your doctor about what you should or can take daily, especially if you think you may have a vitamin deficiency.

For this article, I wanted to share with you some vitamins and supplements that you can take to help with your cardiovascular health. Whether you currently have a heart condition or not, it’s always a good idea to try and keep your heart at its healthiest, since heart disease is the #1 killer in America. The following list are supplements and vitamins that can help keep heart conditions at bay, or keep your heart from further deterioration.

Magnesium – Magnesium helps sodium move throughout the cells in the body, supports relaxation and dilation of vascular arterial walls and stabilizes heart rhythm.

Omega-3 – Omega-3 helps the body balance cholesterol and triglycerides, which is great for people who are at risk for heart disease. Omega-3 is also known to lower blood pressure and slows down the buildup of plaque in the arteries.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) – Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that fights off free radicals, and manages blood pressure and cholesterol. It also helps with keep the arteries healthy and muscle cells optimally utilizing energy.

L-carnitine – L-carnitine helps transport fat into the mitochondria to be used and burned as fuel by cells.

Arginine – Arginine is an amino acid that helps improve vascular function.

Phospholipids– are necessary to “prime” the HDL particle thus allowing it to sop up cholesterol.

If you’re looking for help with your diet or have concerns about your heart health, Dr. Kordonowy of Internal Medicine, Lipid & Wellness of Fort Myers offers comprehensive dietary consults to his patients. Dr. Kordonowy also offers vitamins and supplements for you to purchase online here.   Dr. Kordonowy offers direct patient care membership and concierge services including the unique Inpatient Advocate Service™. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kordonowy, call 239-362-3005, ext. 200 or click here.