Heart Health

Heart disease, or cardiovascular disease, refers to a collection of health conditions that involve narrow or blocked blood vessels and can lead to heart attack, chest pain or angina, stroke, arrhythmia, coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, congenital heart disease, and heart failure.

Tracking your health matters and our lab specials help you to understand what is going on under the surface!

–CBC with Differential-measures the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in your blood.  This panel can uncover infection, disease, and blood cell cancers (Leukemia)

–Comprehensive Metabolic Panel-a deep dive into your metabolic health looking at your glucose (sugar) level, calcium, electrolyte and fluid balance, liver and kidney function, and more.  Your liver is your major detox organ so it is important to monitor these levels

–Homocysteine-is a amino acid, higher levels show that you may have a vitamin deficiency and increased risk for blood clots, dementia, stroke, and heart disease

–C-Reactive Protein-this protein is produced in your liver and helps the body fight injury or infection.  C-RP is a key inflammatory marker.  High levels of C-RP tell us that you are facing chronic inflammation, potentially Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, and have an increased risk of heart disease

-Lipid Panel-measures fats and fatty substances that your body uses as a source of energy.  This panel tells us your total cholesterol, LDL-bad cholesterol”, HDL-“good cholesterol”, and triglycerides-most common type of fat in your body.  High lipids tells us you are at risk for arterial blockages as fat is building up in your blood vessels

–Ferritin-an intercellular protein that stores and releases iron.  Low levels of ferritin tell us you could have an iron deficiency and could be anemic.  Ferritin is a crucial marker for acute and chronic inflammation

A few facts about heart health:

• Your Heart Beats 115,000 times a day!
• The first open-heart surgery was performed in 1893 and the first pacemaker used in 1958
• Women’s heartbeats are slightly faster than men
• Erectile Dysfunction can be a sign of a heart problem
• 1 in 4 American deaths can be attributed to heart disease
• Stress, hormonal imbalances, obesity, poor diet, lack of sleep, and other underlying medical conditions may lead to heart disease
• Eating a whole foods, nutrient-dense diet support heart health, hormone balance, and overall health and wellness.  Foods that support heart health include: berries, leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collard greens, avocados,  coconut oil, chia seeds, almonds, walnuts, and salmon.
• Foods for hormone balancing include, coconut, coconut oil, healthy fats like avocado and butter, pumpkin seeds, spinach, and wild-caught seafoods.

Pay attention to these early warning signs of heart disease: chest pain and tightness, shortness of breath, pain, numbing and/or weakness in your legs or arms, pain in the jaw, neck, throat, or upper abdomen and back, abnormal heart rate or fluttering, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, extreme fatigue, and exhaustion,  or erectile dysfunction.

Treatment and Prevention!  A healthy lifestyle can help to prevent heart disease!  Understanding your heart health combined with diet and exercise helps you to prevent heart disease, heart attack, stroke, heart failure and more.  A few helpful hints: understand and control your blood pressure and cholesterol, quit smoking and limit alcohol, detox your body, exercise regularly, reduce your salt and fat intake, manage stress, get a good nights sleep, maintain a healthy weight and body composition, take appropriate vitamins and supplements!