How Does Stress Affect My Cardiovascular System?

Your heart is central to how your body is wired to respond to stress and is, therefore, vulnerable to stress and an elevated Allostatix Load™. Because stress puts a strain on the heart, intense or ongoing stress may cause cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks or atherosclerosis ("hardening of the arteries"), a risk factor for heart attacks and stroke.

Studies have shown that inflammation is linked to chronic stress and a high Allostatix Load™. That inflammation also plays a role in heart disease. Atrial fibrillation (an abnormal heart beat) is frequently caused by inflammation of the heart wall. Arteries also respond to cholesterol with an inflammatory reaction, so your body calls in immune cells. They eat the cholesterol that forms the plaque and blow up like marshmallows. The resulting foam cells hinder the blood supply to the plaque (causing high blood pressure) and increasing inflammation; so it cracks – and results in an arterial explosion.

What Blood/Biometric Tests Were Included in the Cardiovascular System Results?

P1 Level Cardiovascular Tests

Blood Pressure - Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of your arteries. An elevated blood pressure indicates that your heart is working too hard, putting a strain on your heart muscle and arteries. The extra workload can lead to serious health problems.

Resting Heart Rate - The number of times a person’s heart beats per minute while at complete rest. Resting heart rate will decrease as the person’s heart becomes larger and stronger with training. A low resting heart rate is an indicator of fitness.

P2 Level Cardiovascular Tests
 
Homocysteine - Homocysteine is an amino acid in the blood. Epidemiological studies have shown that too much Homocysteine in the blood (plasma) is related to a higher risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. Other evidence suggests that Homocysteine may have an effect on atherosclerosis by damaging the inner lining of arteries and promoting blood clots.

How Do I Improve My Cardiovascular System?

  • Reduce your consumption of fat and sweets. It decreases your total cholesterol and triglycerides.
  • If you are on a statin, you need to be careful of what you take with it because the anti-inflammatory effect of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs can be inhibited by taking more than 200 milligrams of Vitamin C or more than 100 IU of vitamin E a day in supplement form.
  • Add whole grains, fruits and vegetables to you diet to raise your HDL (good) cholesterol and maintain a good cholesterol balance. Many fruits and vegetables – specifically red grapes, cranberries, tomatoes, onions and tomato juice contain powerful antioxidants called flavanoids and carotenoids. These foods seem to decrease inflammation by stimulating your body to take them out of your system through urine.
  • Take 400 miligrams of garlic every (a clove a day). It can help thin your blood and lower your blood pressure. If you don’t like the taste you can take garlic in pill form, called allicin.
  • Use extra virgin olive oil in your cooking. It contains lots of healthy phytonutrients as well as monosaturated fats, which help raise your HDL cholesterol. Aim for 25% of your diet to come from healthy fats like those found in olive oil.
  • Aim for three portions of fish per week. Omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish or the plants that fish eat) are the handyman of your arterial system. They reduce triglyceride levels in your blood. In addition they decrease blood pressure and also make platelets less sticky, thereby reducing clots.
  • Aim for 400 miligrams of magnesium in you diet every day. Foods with magnesium, like 100 percent whole-grain breads and cereals, soybeans, lima beans, avocado, beets and raisins help lower blood pressure and reduce arrhythmias by expanding the arteries.
  • Eat 25 grams a day of soy protein in foods like tofu and other soybean products, They have been shown to decrease your bad LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
  • Eat dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate. Recent studies show that eating dark chocolate may lower blood pressure as effectively as the most common antihypertensive medications and may increase HDL cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol.
  • Lower your sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day. It decreases blood pressure. High blood pressure contributes to cardiovascular disease and stroke.
  • Exercise regularly. Exercise increases blood circulation, lowers your standing heart rate, builds heart strength, and increases lung function and capacity. The way to improve heart function is to sweat more! In addition to thirty minutes of daily walking, aim for a minimum of sixty minutes a week of cardiovascular or sweating activity – ideally in three twenty-minute sessions.
  • Take half of a regular aspirin or two baby aspirins (162 milligrams total) every day. Many studies of primary prevention show that two baby aspirins decrease the risk of heart attack by 36 percent; but you should still check with your physician before beginning any aspirin regimen.
  • Floss every day - it's crucial for your heart health! Flossing gets rid of inflammation-causing bacteria, which helps prevent heart disease.
  • Consistently sleep 7-8 hours each night. Sleep deprivation increases resting blood pressure and heart rate, and decreases muscle nerve activity. Continued lack of sleep has been connected with hypertension and disturbed heart rhythms. Studies have shown that people who get less than 6 hours a night of sleep have a 50 percent increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
  • Adopt simple stress management techniques, such as relaxing breathing exercises or playing outside with children, can reduce your resting heart rate and blood pressure.