Category: Heart disease (Page 12 of 14)

Did you know…

May 9, 2009 / Mike Furci

In my latest “Did you know…” column I discuss more sunshine vitamin benefits (below); the link between obesity and bad sex; the relationship of soy foods and low sperm counts; decreasing your risk of infection in the gym, and cardiologist’s admissions.

… there are more than 800 scientific articles showing the effects of vitamin D on cancer? Some researchers point out that increasing vitamin D levels world-wide could prevent numerous diseases that claim nearly 1 million lives per year. Vitamin D, or the ?sunshine vitamin,? is really not a vitamin, but a powerful hormone precursor that has an enormous influence on our bodies. Receptors that respond to the vitamin have been found in almost every human cell. Researchers have found that vitamin D has a direct influence on 3,000 of your 30,000 genes.
The health benefits of optimal vitamin D levels are absolutely extraordinary. The main reason it?s not more widely promoted is there is no money to be made from it by the medical and pharmaceutical industries.

Anti-Aging, Cancer, Heart disease, Medical Issues for Men, Men's Health and Wellness, Supplements, Vitamin D, Vitamins/Minerals

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Statins benefits do not outweigh risks.

April 3, 2009 / Mike Furci

A review of the literature by the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, cites nearly 900 studies which show adverse effect of statins, which are widely used in treating high cholesterol. Researchers report that muscle adverse effects are the most commonly reported problem in the literature and by patients. Adverse effects are dose dependent, and risks are amplified by drug interactions, thyroid disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and genetics.

The risk of adverse side effects goes up as age goes up, and this helps to explain why statins benefits have not been found to exceed their risks. Unfortunately, researchers report the physician awareness of statin side effects is low.

Statin side effects may include:
Increased cancer risk
Sexual dysfunction
Immune system suppresion
Cognitive loss
Neuropathy (numbness, tingling in extremities)
Anemia
Cataracts
Hepatic dysfunction.
Pancreatic dysfunction

American Journal of Cardiovascular Drugs

Anti-Aging, Cholesterol, Cholesterol levels, Heart disease, Medical Issues for Men, Men's Health and Wellness, Sexual Health

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CoQ10 for better health.

April 1, 2009 / Mike Furci

Coq10 is found in most body tissues, with the highest amounts being in the heart. This makes sense considering the heart is the most energetic part of our bodies beating beating 115,000 times per day. The amount of Coq10 found in body tissues reduces after the age of twenty. Our ability to synthesize Coq10 falls strikingly after age fifty. This is a problem considering Coq10 is helpful in reducing inflammation and has been successfully used in the treatment of heart disease. 9, 10, 11
Some of the most common drugs used to treat heart disease are statins. Drugs like Lipitor, Zocor, and Crestor are used to treat people with supposed high levels of cholesterol which has been hypothesized (Lipid Hypothesis) to cause heart disease. Formally referred to as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, these drugs (Statins) work by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. Inhibiting this enzyme does reduce cholesterol levels but also reduces the production of CoQ10 (Co-enzyme Q 10). CoQ10 is a vital component to all cells in our body and is a very powerful antioxidant (50 times stronger than vitamin E).
A decreased ability to synthesize Coq10 with age compounded with a decreased ability to synthesize CoQ10 with statins is a recipe for disaster. Depletion of this essential enzyme can lead to fatigue, muscle soreness, muscle weakness and heart failure, which happens to be the most common complaints of statin users.

Daily Consumption for Optimum Health

Anti-Aging, Bodybuilding, Cholesterol, General training, Heart disease, Medical Issues for Men, Men's Health and Wellness, Nutrition, Power lifting, Supplements, Weight training

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Did You Know?

January 21, 2009 / Anthony Stalter

In his latest edition of ?Did You Know??, Mike Furci tackles such topics as anabolic steroids and their link (or lack of a link) to dangerous side effects, muscle contracting while working out and low testosterone levels and whether or not they can be associated with heart disease, diabetes and decreased libido.

?all the actual data and medical studies on healthy individuals (adults) show no conclusions that physiological replacement doses of testosterone or other anabolic steroids are dangerous or cause side effects that do not reverse with cessation?
Moreover, in males who maintain physiological high normal levels, there appears to be health-promoting benefits associated with steroids. All the evidence contradicts the anti-steroid media blitz that started in the 80?s and continues today.
Approximately 25 years ago, Dr. Bob Goldman took a ride on the media feeding frenzy train and wrote a book, ?Death in the Locker Room.? This book puts steroids in the same class with alcohol and other recreational drugs as far as the dangers of usage. Since its release and despite the enormous increase in their use and dosage, there has not been one death attributable to steroids. (Planet Muscle Aug/Sept 2008: 72)

(Read the entire article here.)

Anti-Aging, Cancer, Exercise, General training, Heart disease, Hormone replacement, Medical Issues for Men, Men's Health and Wellness, Sexual Health, Sports Health and Fitness, Supplements, Testosterone, Weight training, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

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Statins and inflammation

December 9, 2008 / Mike Furci

Results of the JUPITER study seemed to show that the statin drug Crestor lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes in those with high levels of inflammation. Some believe this will lead to even more people being put on statin drugs.

In reality the benefits are actually insignificant. Aproximately 0.72 percent of the statin takers in the trial had a heart attack or stroke, compared with 1.5 percent of those taking placebos.

Instead of taking statin drugs that come with dangerous side effects, there are things you can do to reduce inflammation naturally.

Stop smoking. Smoking increases inflammation and your risk of cardiovascular disease. But research shows you can reverse all the damaging effects to your arteries within 10 years of quitting.

Olive oil and fish. Consuming olive oil and omega-3 fatty acids fight inflammation.

Get of the couch. Exercise a great way to lower stress and inflammation without any of the side effects associated with medications.

Get your sleep. Some research shows that both too little and too much sleep increases inflammation. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says most adults need between seven and eight hours of sleep each night.

Reduce stress. High levels of stress hormones can lead to the release of excess inflammatory chemicals.

Anti-Aging, Heart disease, Medical Issues for Men, Men's Health and Wellness, Nutrition

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