Tag Archives: Cardiac Disease

weight loss

Cardiac toxicity and lifestyle

August 30, 2016
Cardiac toxicity

Cardiac toxicity and lifestyle can be affected by the daily toxin exposure from the environment and the foods we eat.

Cardiac toxicity and lifestyle: Preventing heart diseases

Unless we expand our knowledge about the dangers of diseases around us, we are likely to sink with them. There are very many health conditions affecting people from all walks of life and the sooner we pool together to fight them from a common front the better for everyone. Most of these diseases could be avoided if we chose to live a healthy lifestyle. What we eat and how we live our lives contributes greatly to the risks of some of these conditions. For instance damaging the heart using toxins could be prevented if we eat the right organic foods and live an active life. You may be wondering how best you can protect yourself and your children from the effects of such health problems. We have a solution for you and you are just in time to meet with our qualified and experienced team of experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury MD who will be helping us discuss the real issues and how to go about them.

Doctor Akoury says that many people may not know but chemotherapy drugs are toxins in themselves and can cause injury to your heart. This is what is referred to us as cardiac toxicity. These injuries to the heart will incapacitate the heart and render it in effective. When this happens the heart will be unable to pump enough blood to supply the body with essential oxygen and nutrients. Even though several chemotherapy drugs may cause cardiac toxicity, the most common cause in cancer patients may include treatment with chemotherapy drugs known as anthraxcyclines. Doxorubicin (Adriamycin®) is a frequently prescribed anthraxcyclines. Although the best way to currently prevent cardiac toxicity from anthraxcyclines is to limit the amount of anthraxcyclines administered, forms of less toxic anthraxcyclines drugs and drugs that may relieve side effects are being developed to supplement the on what is already available. As we progress into the discussion, doctor Akoury is going to respond to some of the questions that are being raised by many patients from time to time. The questions include:

  • What is cardiac toxicity?
  • What causes cardiac toxicity?
  • How is it diagnosed?
  • What are the symptoms of cardiac toxicity?
  • How can it be prevented?
  • How is cardiac toxicity treated?

What is cardiac toxicity?

Damage to the heart muscle by a toxin is called cardiac toxicity she says. Cardiac toxicity may cause arrhythmias which are changes in heart rhythm or it can develop into heart failure. Remember that when we talk heart failure it does not mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop. It simply means that the heart muscle cannot pump with enough force to supply the body with blood containing essential oxygen and nutrients. Heart failure develops over time as the pumping action of the heart grows weaker.

Preventing heart diseases

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Effects of High blood pressure and cholesterol

April 17, 2015

Effects of High blood pressure and cholesterol: How they affect the Heart

Effects of High blood pressure and cholesterol

Effects of High blood pressure and cholesterol. Blood pressure is preventable and all the preventive measures to be embraced for better health

The heart is one of the organs of the body that is very sensitive and plays very vital role in the body. A healthy heart is an indication that other organs which depends on its proper functionality are actually operating well. Despite being that important, it is very vulnerable to several attacks that hinder its abilities to function as is expected. Some of the attackers may include high blood pressure and high cholesterol among many others. For the purpose of this article, we want to center our discussion on the effects of high blood pressure and cholesterol. We spoke to doctor Dalal Akoury about these two factors and she is sharing with us some of the known effects of this tow to the heart. High blood pressure isn’t usually something that you can feel or notice, but if you have it you’re more likely to develop coronary heart disease or have a stroke says doctor Akoury. The best way of ascertaining whether you have high blood pressure is to have it measured. Doctor Akoury says that it is very important that people should get to know their blood pressure. It is very unhealthy to wait until you are sick for you to visit your doctor to determine your blood pressure. In fact health professionals recommends that people of 40 years and above should get their blood pressure taken periodically as part of health check up to assess their risk for getting cardiovascular disease.

Effects of High blood pressure and cholesterol: Blood pressure and High blood pressure

One may wonder if there is any different between blood pressure and high blood pressure. If you are wondering then you are at the right place and in a moment you are finding out the difference. Blood pressure is the pressure or force of blood in your arteries the vessels that is charged with transporting the blood from the heart to the brain and to the rest of the body. For this role to be effectively done, the body needs adequate pressure or force to push the assignment successfully throughout the body systems. The pressure of the blood flowing through your arteries is regulated with your heart beats (in other words they change as your heart beats). The pressure in your arteries will be at its highest when your heart is contracting and pumping blood around your body and lowest as it relaxes while it fills with blood before pumping again. That explains what blood pressure is, nonetheless high blood pressure also known as hypertension means that there is no fluctuation in the blood pressure. The blood pressure remains at a certain high point than it is recommended. Expert says that high blood pressure is not something that you can feel or notice easily. Nonetheless if this is not addressed in good time, it can cause an enlargement on your heart making your heart to be less effective in pumping the blood to the various parts of the body. This is what in many cases result in a condition known as heart failure.

Effects of High blood pressure and cholesterol: Heart attack and Stroke

Having high blood pressure increases your chances of having a heart attack or stroke. Even though this is a life threatening condition, it is regrettable that no proper reason is given as to how high blood pressure is caused. However it is believed that the following can play a part:

  • Luck of adequate physical activity
  • Being overweight or obese
  • Having too much salt in your diet
  • Alcohol abuse
  • Having a family history of high blood pressure.

Prevention is always the best and therefore if you are not having high blood pressure, living a healthy lifestyle is very important as it is one of the best ways of preventing this problem from occurring in the future.

Effects of High blood pressure and cholesterol: How does my General Practitioner know I have high blood pressure?

Like we had said before, this is measurable and your doctor will do just that. If your blood pressure is 140/90mmHg or higher you will probably have to have this rechecked several times. It is necessary to note that everyone’s blood pressure varies during the day. Some people have a condition known as ‘white coat hypertension’ or ‘white coat syndrome’. This is a condition where your blood pressure rises only because someone is taking your blood pressure, and not because you have an underlying medical problem. If you have white coat hypertension, your blood pressure will return to normal when your doctor or stops taking it. It can be very difficult to diagnose and this is why you may need to have your blood pressure rechecked several times, or you may be sent home with a 24 hour blood pressure monitor for the same reason.

Effects of High blood pressure and cholesterol: What do the numbers mean?

If you have been to a health institution for high blood pressure measurement, you must have noticed that every blood pressure reading consists of two figures or measurements shown as one number on top of the other and measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). If your reading is 120/80mmHg for example, you might hear your doctor or nurse saying your blood pressure is 120 over 80. The interpretation of the figures is that the top figure represents the highest level your blood pressure reaches when your heart contracts and pumps blood through your arteries – your systolic blood pressure. An example might be 130mmHg. The second (or bottom) number represents the lowest level your blood pressure reaches as your heart relaxes between beats – your diastolic blood pressure. An example might be 75mmHg. Not unless stated otherwise the human blood pressure should be below 140/90mmHg.  But as for those struggling with heart or circulatory disease the recommended blood pressure should be below 130/80mmHg.

Effects of High blood pressure and cholesterol: What can I do to reduce my blood pressure?

Finally if it has been established that you have high blood pressure, then it would be advisable that you consider changing your lifestyle and engaging in healthy physical activities, losing weight, reducing the salt content in your diet, cutting down on alcohol and eating a balanced, healthy diet. In the event that you have done all these and still the high blood pressure persists, then you may need to consult with your doctor for professional advice to help you reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Effects of High blood pressure and cholesterol: How they affect the Heart

 

 

 

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Prevention and Treatment of cardiac toxicity

April 13, 2015

Prevention and Treatment of cardiac toxicity:  What damages the Heart muscles?

Prevention and Treatment of cardiac toxicity

Prevention and Treatment of cardiac toxicity begins with changing life style in all dimensions.

While addressing the topic “Damaging the heart muscle using Toxins” in our last article, we answered some questions touching on the cardiac toxicity including what is cardiac toxicity, what causes cardiac toxicity, how is cardiac toxicity diagnosed and what are the symptoms of cardiac toxicity? Nonetheless what we did not address is how to prevent this problem from surfacing in our lives. We were also not able to address issue of treatment should this problem occur in one’s life. This that we were not able to address is what doctor Dalal Akoury is going to help us understand their effects in the effort of trying to be safe from all the attacks of cardiac toxicity. It is important to note that prevention and treatment of cardiac toxicity like any other health condition is the beginning on solving the problem in it’s entirely.

If we could succeed in the prevention aspect of it, then life would be very healthy and comfortable. But with that entire story telling heart problems can be prevented by changing the quantity of drug administered (dose) to the patient at a time, method of administration and type of anthracycline. Besides that, in the process of making effort in trying to find workable solutions to this problem, a lot of special medications which are very effective in the prevention of the damages caused from doxorubicin have been developed says doctor Akoury. Now let us consider these treatment options one by one as we progress into the discussion:

Dosage: In the journey of prevention and treatment of cardiac toxicity a lot will have to be done. However, one of the main ways to prevent cardiac toxicity is to limit the cumulative dose of drugs that damage the heart, and more so the anthracyclines. It is important to note that there is a defined amount of doxorubicin that can be given with a lesser risk of complications, like for instance if your total dose of doxorubicin is less than 550mg/m2, you may just have about 1% of experiencing cardiac toxicity. On the other hand when your total dose of doxorubicin is say between 560mg/m2 and 1155mg/m2, your risk is likely to go up to 30%.

Besides that experts have also established that individual patients will tolerate differently the medication of doxorubicin. Like for example some patients may receive high doses of doxorubicin without ever developing heart damage while some have problems at relatively low doses of even less than 550mg/m2 total dose. These variances are all applicable when making effort in preventing the prevention and treatment of cardiac toxicity.

Method of administration: It has been noted in certain cases that there is some supporting evidence that the method of drug administration may affect the risk of cardiac toxicity. Rapid administration of drugs for instance may results in high blood levels, which is likely to cause more heart damage than if the same quantity of drugs given over or spread over a longer period of time. In other words giving smaller doses of drug more frequently can be a perfect prevention and Treatment of cardiac toxicity since it will be instrumental in decreasing the toxicity compared to large doses of drugs at longer intervals.

Liposomal anthracyclines: The risk of cardiac toxicity from anthracyclines has been reduced by making them in a different way. Liposomal anthracyclines have been encapsulated, or enclosed in a liposome, a tiny globule of fat. Because of it capability to hide the drug in fat, it is able to stay in the body much longer because the immune system doesn’t target it for elimination and the liver doesn’t break it down as quickly either. The currently ongoing studies indicate that the risk of heart problems is considerably lower with liposomal doxorubicin formulations than with conventional doxorubicin. Types of liposomal anthracyclines include:

  • Liposomal daunorubicin (DaunoXome®)
  • Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil®)

Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin has been studied most extensively and has demonstrated the most significant reductions in heart problems. Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin has shown a similar anti-cancer effect to doxorubicin, but with less cardiac toxicity.

Dexrazoxane (Zinecard®): This drug has been shown to prevent or reduce the severity of heart damage caused by doxorubicin. Dexrazoxane is thought to protect the heart muscle by blocking the formation of oxygen free radicals. One of the ways that radiation and chemotherapy drugs damage cells is by forming free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules which are formed during many normal cellular processes that involve oxygen, such as burning fuel for energy. They are also formed from exposure to elements in the environment, like tobacco smoke, radiation and chemotherapy drugs.

Prevention and Treatment of cardiac toxicity:  How is cardiac toxicity treated?

When a disease has invaded the body, treatment becomes necessary. At this point we can’t talk of prevention since we are already affected. In the past cardiac toxicity used to be treated by stopping or reducing the dose of the medication that is deemed to be causing damage to your heart. After that, the treatment of cardiac toxicity was changed and it was now done in the same way just like it is done in other causes of heart failures. Therefore your doctor may prescribe medications to thin your blood and make it easier for your heart to move and medications that help your heart beat more efficiently. The following are some of the medications that your doctor is likely to prescribe for you.

Diuretics: Damage to your heart may cause you to retain water and have swelling in your ankles. A prescription of a diuretic to increase the amount of water you excrete in the urine may become necessary. Like for instance the use of diuretic is furosemide (Lasix®) could be applicable.

Digitalis drugs: Digitalis refers to a whole group of drugs that make the heart beat more efficiently and increase the amount of blood that is pumped to the body. This can also be efficient in offering the much needed solution.

ACE inhibitors: These drugs also make it easier for your heart to pump blood to the body by opening your arteries and lowering your blood pressure. This improves blood flow to your kidneys, which do not function properly with low blood flow. Some examples of ACE inhibitors include benazepril (Lotensin®), enalapril (Vasotec®) and fosinopril (Monopril®).

Beta-blockers: These medications slow down your heart rate and may be used if you have a myocardial infarction (heart attack.) Examples are: metoprolol (Lopressor®), propranolol (Inderal®) and atenolol (Tenormin®). This article may be loaded with heavy medical terminologies and therefore if there is anything you need to be clarified, you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today for direction.

Prevention and Treatment of cardiac toxicity:  What damages the Heart muscles?

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments, Women Become Rejuvenated!

January 30, 2013

Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments, Women Become Rejuvenated!

Dr. Dalal Akoury focuses on Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments. Do you suffer from any or all of the following Symptoms?

•Night sweats
•Vaginal dryness
•Anxiety
•Mood swings
•Irritability
•Insomnia
•Depression
•Loss of sexual interest
•Hair growth on face
•Painful intercourse
•Panic attacks
•Weird dreams
•Urinary tract infections
•Vaginal itching
•Lower back pain
•Bloating
These are some of the symptoms of Menopause says Dr. Dalal Akoury who will offer you Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments. 

Women Become Rejuvenated, you deserve it stresses Dr. Dalal Akoury!
Beside adequate Bio-identical hormone therapy BHRT, Dr. Dalal Akoury recommends lifestyle changes to her patients for Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments. Dr. Dalal Akoury advocates fitness as part of her  Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments.  Dr. Dalal Akoury states that the word fitness is commonly and we assume that we all understand what it really means.  Fitness means health, vigor, strength, energy, suitability, capability, capability, qualifications, and aptness to name a few. Inactivity leads to loss of muscle, obesity and reduced functional ability. Low physical fitness makes menopausal symptoms worse, and increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some types of cancer. Individuals who are physically fit can do more things, have better endurance for activities and tasks, and are healthier than persons who have low fitness. Dr. Dalal Akoury recommends incorporating small changes into your daily activities is a form of Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments that leads to better health.
Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments

Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments

The five components of physical fitness include cardiorespiratory (heart and lungs) endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition and flexibility.

By definition, cardio/aerobic exercise is brisk physical activity that requires the heart and lungs to work harder to meet the body’s increased oxygen demand. Aerobic exercise promotes the circulation of oxygen through the blood. Proper exercise with optimal Bio-identical Hormone Replacement serves as Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments. Symptoms of  low testosterone during menopause are:

•Muscle wasting
•Weight gain
•Fatigue
•Low self-esteem
•Decreased HDL
•Dry, thin skin, with poor elasticity
•Thinning and dry hair
•Droopy eyelids
•Sagging cheeks
•Thin lips
•Anxiety

Dr. Akoury states that proper testosterone replacement in women will accomplish the following:

  • Improve heart and lung function
  • Lower heart rate and blood pressure
  • Increase blood supply to muscles and  improved ability to use oxygen
  • Increase HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol)
  • Reduced body fat and improved weight control
  • Improve  glucose tolerance and reduced insulin resistance
  • Enhance immune function, which means
    • Increased resistance to viral and bacterial infection
    • Increased resistance to cancer
  • Lower blood sugar levels and reduced risk of diabetes
  • Increase life expectancy

Healthy Nutrition and proper Bio-identical hormone replacement is the mainstay of Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments

Dr. Dalal Akoury recommend stress relief and meditation to her patients as a Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments. Dr. Dalal Akoury recommends meditation, stress relief along with natural progesterone Bio-identical hormone replacement in order to achieve the following symptoms:

•Helps balance estrogen
•Leaves the body quickly
•Improves sleep
•Natural calming effect
•Lowers high blood pressure
•Helps the body use and eliminate fats
•Lowers cholesterol
•May protect against breast cancer
•Increases scalp hair
•Helps balance fluids in the cells
•Increases the beneficial effects of estrogen on BV
•Increases metabolic rate
•Natural diuretic
•Natural antidepressant
Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments

Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments

 

Dr. Dalal Akoury explains to women that Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments can only be achieved if a careful evaluation of their hormone level is done followed by proper optimization of all hormonal imbalances.

The functions of Estrogen are the following states Dr. Dalal Akoury:

•Stimulates the production of choline acetyltransferase, an enzyme which prevents Alzheimer’s disease
•Increases metabolic rate
•Improves insulin sensitivity
•Regulates body temperature
•Helps prevent muscle damage
•Helps maintain muscle
•Improves sleep
•Reduces risk of cataracts
•Helps maintain the elasticity of arteries
•Dilates small arteries
•Increases blood flow
•Inhibits platelet stickiness
•Decreases the accumulation of plaque on  arteries
•Enhances magnesium uptake and utilization
•Maintains the amount of collagen in the skin
•Decreases blood pressure
•Decreases LDL and prevents its oxidation
•Helps maintain memory
•Increases reasoning and new ideas
•Helps with fine motor skills
•Increases the water content of skin and is responsible for its thickness and softness
•Enhances the production of nerve-growth factor
•Increases HDL by 10 to 15%
•Reduces the overall risk of heart disease by 40 to 50%
•Acts as a natural calcium channel blocker to keep arteries open
•Enhances energy
•Improves  mood
•Increases concentration
•Maintains bone density

Dr. Dalal Akoury recommends to Women to incorporate proper breathing techniques along with Bio-identical hormone replacement with estrogen if indicated as a natural Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments.

Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments

Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments

However Dr. Dalal Akoury warns that improper hormone replacement even if bio-identical hormones are used could be very dangerous. As an example excess Estrogen can cause:

•Cervical cancer
•Depression with anxiety or agitation
•Increased risk of uterine cancer
•Weight gain (abdomen, hips, thighs)
•Water retention
•Headaches
•Poor sleep
•Panic attacks
•Swollen breasts
•Heavy periods
•Increased risk of breast cancer
•Increased risk of auto-immune diseases
•Hypothyroidism
•Fatigue
•Irritability/mood swings
•Uterine fibroids
•Bloating
Dr. Dalal Akoury also warns that prolonged use of progesterone without adequate estrogen can cause the following:
•Increases weight gain
•Increases total cholesterol
•Decreases HDL
•Increases LDL
•Increase triglycerides
•Causes depression
•Causes fatigue
•Decreases libido
•Increases insulin resistance

AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center and its founder Dr. Dalal Akoury conclude the following:

•All of the hormones in the body are designed to work together.
•If one is altered, or deficient, it will affect the actions of all of the other hormones.
•Consequently, bio-identical, compounded, customized hormone replacement is the only way to achieve this balance.
•One size does not fit all.

Exercise is as important to good health as proper nutrition, proper hormonal optimization, sleep, and stress relief.  The one area that you gain nutritionally is natural detoxification. Exercise is its own form of detoxification. It removes waste from the lymph. It stimulates peristalsis to remove waste from the colon. And it accelerates the removal of waste through sweat and urine. Learn how to:

•Improve your energy level
•Improve your mood
•Increase your concentration
•Increase your sexual interest
•Reduce your wrinkles
•Prevent your teeth loss
•Decreases your depression, irritability, anxiety, and pain by calling 843-213-1480 AWAREmed Health and Wellness Center and make an appointment to see Dr. Dalal Akoury, You deserve it

Menopause Symptoms Natural Treatments, Women Become Rejuvenated!

 

Facebooktwitterpinterestlinkedin

  • Recent Posts

  • Blog Categories