Heart Disease Increase in the Young

It was reported in the news recently that strokes are increasing in the young. The percentage of young people between the age of 22 and 45 who had a stroke in 2005 is up 7.3% from 1993 to 1994 when it was only 4.5%. What really seems to be distressing about this,is that many of those who sought medical attention were misdiagnosed. One young

18-year-old who was experiencing numbness in his arm was diagnosed as being intoxicated. The truth of the matter, he was having a stroke. Unfortunately strokes in the young are not as uncommon as once thought.

Heart Disease Begins in Child Hood

We now know that heart disease begins in childhood and unfortunately in many Americans it is well advanced by the age of 30. Many aggressive kinds of heart disease occur in individuals who have a total Cholesterol under 200. Autopsy's done on soldiers killed in the Korean war revealed that 3 quarters of them had significant atherosclerosis in the arteries of

their heart. A Study done on Vietnam casualties revealed much the same but the atherosclerosis was not as severe. You would hope that this study was showing that people were taking better care of themselves. However another study was done in the 1990's on young people killed by homicide our accident. The findings were depressing. 80 percent of the young people who were of the average age 26 had significant atherosclerotic lesions in their coronary arteries. Recent studies showed that 10 to 30 percent of boys and girls already have coronary arteries that are covered in foam cells. Foam cells are the cells that began the formation of plaque. By age thirty-five 20 to 50% of the surface area of the artery is covered with these foam cells. So what are the risk factors we need to be aware of? What is behind the increase in strokes among the young? Some of the possible reasons for the increase in strokes among young adults are risk factors such as diabetes, obesity, and coronary heart disease. This would suggest that the younger population is not taking care of themselves with regard to their eating habits and lifestyles. An increase in obesity correlates with the higher chances of developing diabetes and heart disease. Of course, diabetes and heart disease are major risk factors for strokes.

What are the risk factors associated with strokes?

According to the American stroke Association high blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke and the most important controllable risk factor for stroke. Cigarette smoking is also an important risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke damage the cardiovascular system, especially the arterial lining. Diabetes is in itself an independent risk factor for a stroke. Many people who have diabetes also have high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and are overweight. This increases your chances of having a stroke even more. Poor diet is also another risk factor for heart disease. Diets high in sodium make for an increase in blood pressure. Diets with excessive calories can contribute to obesity and provide no real nutritional benefits. Did anyone say Fast-food? On the other end of the spectrum, it is suggested that a diet containing five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day may

reduce the risk factor. Physical inactivity is also a risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. Being inactive, obese or both can increase the risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol diabetes heart disease and stroke.

Education is the Cure to Heart Disease?

Unfortunately heart disease and it's related problems will end the lives of more people than all other diseases combined. The reason for this is that the majority of people are still unaware of how to avoid it. Most of the public recognizes that the risk for heart disease increases with bad cholesterol or LDL cholesterol. Other factors include diabetes, obesity and a poor diet increase the risk factors for heart disease. Another important fact with regard to heart disease is that the earlier the intervention that one takes with regard to heart disease the better chance an individual has of overcoming it. The Framingham study, the largest study to date on heart disease tells us that the average LDL cholesterol of all people

who have a heart attack is only 150. What is important to recognize with regard to this is that LDL cholesterol is made up of many particles and it is those particles that carry the most risk for heart disease. The real threat comes from when cholesterol oxidizes. Oxidize cholesterol magnifies its ability to maim and destroy. The key to prevention of heart disease is educating oneself with regard to the risk factors personally involved, knowing the right diet for the individual, knowing the right exercise and what supplements if any to take. I use a supplement called Cardio Cocktail to keep my cardiovascular system in top shape. The supplements are in a liquid form so it has an optimal delivery system to the body and the ingredients support my body in stopping oxidation and lowering cholesterol. It supports the Nitric Oxide pathway which has been proven to provide optimal cardiovascular health