Vitamins & Exercise (cont.)
How about exercise for heart attack prevention?Studies of the effects of
exercise in preventing heart attacks have yielded
conflicting results. This is likely due to the fact that people who exercise
regularly generally have healthier lifestyles and that many risk factors for
heart disease can be influenced by exercise. Therefore, the specific role of
exercise itself in heart attack prevention is difficult to isolate. For example,
regular exercise has direct effects on weight control, blood pressure, diabetes,
blood cholesterol, and smoking.
What about smoking cessation for heart attack prevention?
Smoking cessation, by whatever means, has been clearly demonstrated to reduce
future heart attacks and death in patients with known coronary artery disease or
who have other risk factors for the development of coronary artery disease.
While many methods, both chemical and behavioral, have been used to aid smoking
cessation, the initial success rate is often low, and the relapse rate is high.
Certain medications that affect neurotransmitters in the brain, which are
similar to agents often used to treat depression
[for example, bupropion
(Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin XL, Zyban)], have recently been
demonstrated to be helpful in many patients trying to stop smoking. While
effective, these agents may produce significant side effects and should only be
used under the close supervision of a doctor.
Recommendations to prevent heart attacks
- Eat whole, natural, and fresh foods.
- Eat five to ten servings of fruits and vegetables
daily and eat more peas, beans, and nuts.
- Increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids by eating more
fish, walnuts, flaxseed oil, and green leafy vegetables. An example of meeting
the recommended intake of omega-3 fats is to eat 2 salmon portions a week or 1
gram of omega-3-fatty acid supplement daily.
- Drink water, tea, non-fat dairy and red wine (two
drinks or less daily for men, one drink or less daily for women).
- Eat lean protein such as skinless poultry, fish, and
lean cuts of red meat.
- Avoid trans-fats and limit intake of saturated fats.
This means avoiding fried foods, hard margarine, commercial baked goods, and
most packaged and processed snack foods, high fat dairy and processed meats
such as bacon, sausage, and deli meats.
- Limit
glycemic foods. Glycemic foods are those made with sugar and white flour, which
increase blood sugar levels. Increased blood sugar levels stimulate the pancreas
to release insulin. Chronically high insulin
levels are believed to cause weight gain as well as atherosclerosis of the
arteries.
- Exercise daily.
Reference:
The HOPE and HOPE-TOO Trial Investigators. Effects of Long-term vitamin E supplementation on cardiovascular events and cancer: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA 293:1138-1347, 2005.
Last Editorial Review: 4/1/2009
- vitamin B12/folic acid/vitamin B6-oral, Folgard, Folgard RX 2.2, Foltx, Homocysteine Formula - Consumer information about the medication VITAMIN B12/FOLIC ACID/VITAMIN B6 - ORAL (Folgard, Folgard RX 2.2, Foltx, Homocysteine Formula), includes side effects, drug interactions, recommended dosages, and storage information. Read more about the prescription drug VITAMIN B12/FOLIC ACID/VITAMIN B6 - ORAL.
- Homocysteine - Read about the test for homocysteine levels in the blood. High levesl of homocysteine include increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, blood clots, and Alzheimer's disease.
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