“The world’s biggest killer is ischaemic heart disease, responsible for 13% of the world’s total deaths. Since 2000, the largest increase in deaths has been for this disease, rising by 2.7 million to 9.1 million deaths in 2021.  The world’s biggest killer is ischaemic heart disease, responsible for 13% of the world’s total deaths. Since 2000, the largest increase in deaths has been for this disease, rising by 2.7 million to 9.1 million deaths in 2021.  Keep in mind COVID 19 had a factor in 2021 but still the leading 1 killer.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/data-research/facts-stats/index.html)

1-Heart Disease

It is still the number one killer even greater than cancer in both men and women today. This disease should be rare do to a lot of cardiac disease is inflicted upon humans through being overweight through just bad healthy habits practiced. Obesity can cause diabetes II, heart disease, high blood pressure, and more. High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because it often has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people don’t realize they have it. That’s why it’s important to get your blood pressure checked regularly. The good news is that you can take steps to prevent high blood pressure, or to treat it if it is already high.

What we can do is make some changes in our living. We westerners create an increase in diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. AMERICA WE NEED TO WAKE UP AND MAKE A CHANGE. TO THE MAIN CULPRITES we are talking about sugars and fat (OUR DIET). GLUCOSE and LIPIDS!. The typical American diet is consisted and loaded with sugar and fats. Lack of exercise and stress doesn’t help the situation. Get peace of mind through again making changes in your life if you are striving to become healthier. Let’s look at cholesterol = 2 types HDL and LDL. LDL is the bad cholesterol. Know if your LDL is type A or type B. If you have a high HDL level and a low LDL that is good but ask your doctor to see if you can get a blood test checking both type A and type B of your cholesterol that will give you the knowledge if you need to take an action. Go to CDC.org to see the different number ranges of both men and women on their levels and more. Just knowing your cholesterol level isn’t enough but does give the doctor some direction. Knowing if your type A or type B LDL helps even more with knowing your risk of heart disease.

Cholesterol only becomes a problem if the LDL gets too high with high pattern type B which is worse with stress and smoking and processed foods in high amounts eaten. Particles called lipoproteins carry cholesterol in the blood. There are two kinds of lipoproteins you need to know about: LDL and HDL. The plasma lipoprotein particles classified under high-density (HDL) and low-density (LDL) lipoproteins enable fats to be carried in the blood stream.

-Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol make up the majority of the body’s cholesterol. LDL is known as “bad” cholesterol because having high levels can lead to a buildup in the arteries and result in heart disease.

-High-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol absorb cholesterol and carry it back to the liver, which flushes it from the body. High levels of HDL, or “good” cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) is the major protein of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and apoB is among the major proteins of very low-, low- (LDL), and intermediate-density lipoproteins. Because of their associations with the respective lipoproteins, apoA1 is inversely and apoB is positively associated with cardiovascular risk (2). In fact, evidence suggests that apoA1 and apoB are better predictors of heart disease risk than are HDL and LDL cholesterol levels (3-5). Apolipoproteins may also offer advantages over lipoprotein cholesterol measurements because they are direct measurements, whereas LDL, for example, is calculated from other lipoproteins from a fasting blood sample.

You can take several steps to maintain a normal cholesterol level.

• Get a blood test.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Exercise regularly.
• Don’t smoke.
• Treat high cholesterol.

Heart disease what is it? Your arteries can get stretched in high blood pressure and it puts the arteries at risk for an auto immune response which allows LDL particles to go in these stretched out areas causing build up of bad cholesterol in the arteries and imbeds fat causing the placque build up = narrowing of the arteries.

We need to reduce inflammation in the arteries. To prevent, reduce, and treat heart

Heart disease what is it? Your arteries can get stretched in high blood pressure and it puts the arteries at risk for an auto immune response which allows LDL particles to go in these stretched out areas causing build up of bad cholesterol in the arteries and imbeds fat causing the placque build up = narrowing of the arteries.

We need to reduce inflammation in the arteries. To prevent, reduce, and treat heart disease if already diagnosed with. Reduce all sugars, cut back on fatty foods, exercise daily, increase of your whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables. We need to use all 4 food groups but eat the healthy ones in the right portions. Which I can provide to you later how to go about this.

disease if already diagnosed with. Reduce all sugars, cut back on fatty foods, exercise daily, increase of your whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables. We need to use all 4 food groups but eat the healthy ones in the right portions. Which I can provide to you later how to go about this.

In the United States, the most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease (CAD), which leads many to heart attacks. You can greatly reduce your risk for CAD through lifestyle changes and, in some cases, medication. CAD consists of cholesterol and placque build up, even tar if a smoker, that can be deadly in time with blocking the arteries called atherosclerosis. This in time left untreated can lead to a heart attack or even silent heart attack. CAD also is the brittling of the arteries causing narrowing of the arteries called arteriosclerosis. Here it is the ending result is the blood supply is affected in not getting enough oxygen throughout our body to our tissues.

Coronary artery disease can cause a heart attack. If you have a heart attack, you are more likely to survive if you know the signs and symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately, and get to a hospital quickly. People who have had a heart attack can also reduce the risk of future heart attacks or strokes by making lifestyle changes and taking medication. Don’t put off the chest pain or discomfort in the chest or pain down the L arm for if your right you want to prevent the heart attack before it occurs and if you already had an attack the sooner treated the better. Reperfusion of blood to the heart is the KEY in treatment. Chest pain to the heart is lack of oxygen getting to the heart tissue=ischemia. We alone can’t treat it but we can prevent it before CAD even sets in through good health practices daily, healthy dieting daily and balancing rest with exercise daily.

Look at our diet alone in America: Take the elements that are in our food=Sugars or Carbohydrates or Fats. Simple CHO likes bread, rice, pasta along with fats and complex sugars all convert to simple sugars in the stomach and when it goes through digestion and the simple sugar reaches the blood stream filling it up with sugar which first does get utilized to our tissues and cells but if still extra sugar in the blood stream that sugar has to go somewhere which is by filling up the liver with it. In the liver the glucose gets converted from active sugar=glucose to glycogen=inactive sugar that stores in this organ. This is so if and when the body needs extra sugar for energy in our body and we don’t eat the inactive glucose glycogen will get released back into the blood stream and change to glucose and be used. Since we eat so much in America it usually isn’t the case. Obesity is so large in our country and this is why. When it reaches full and can’t store anymore still this glucose extra glucose in the blood stream has to go somewhere. So now the glucose gets stored in our fatty tissue=weight gain. This is what you see with eating through on a regular basis day in & day out too much food compared to the activity or exercise you get for the day. If no daily exercise then your fat storage build up is high=weight gain.

How do we go about preventing CAD and getting healther. Well see if this makes sense to you, it did to me. First, genetic abnormalities contribute to the risk for certain types of heart disease, which in turn may lead to heart failure. However, in most instances, a specific genetic link to heart failure has not been identified.

SO THE KEY TO PREVENTION OF CAD IS TO LIVE AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE IN YOUR ROUTINE HABITS, YOUR DIETING OF THE 4 FOOD GROUPS, MAINTAINING YOUR WEIGHT IN A THEREPEUTIC RANGE (look as calculating BMI online for free to find out what your weight range for your height is), and BALANCING REST WITH EXERCISE TO HELP DECREASE THE CHANCE OF GETTING HEART FAILURE.

“If you have Graves’ disease and eye symptoms, it could be Thyroid Eye Disease (TED)

TED is an autoimmune disease in which the eye muscles and fatty tissue behind the eye become inflamed. This inflammation can push the eyes forward (“staring” or “bulging”) or cause the eyes and eyelids to become red and swollen. In some individuals, the inflammation may involve the eye muscles, causing the eyes to become out of line, leading to double vision. In rare cases, TED can cause blindness from pressure on the nerve in the back of the eye or ulcers that form on the front of the eye (cornea).

TED is an autoimmune disease, meaning that the inflammation and scarring are caused by an attack from the body’s immune system. TED is primarily associated with an over-active thyroid gland due to Graves’ disease, although it can rarely occur in patients with an under-active or normally functioning thyroid gland. About a quarter of patients with Graves’ disease develop TED before, during or after the diagnosis of a thyroid disorder. TED is also known as Graves’ orbitopathy (GO) or Graves’ eye disease (GED).

Smokers are two to eight times more likely to develop TED.  Smoking causes vasoconstriction of the vessels.

The most common symptoms of TED include:

• Bags under the eyes
• Blurred/double vision
• Change of the eyes’ appearance (usually staring/bulging)
• Difficulty moving the eyes
• Dry or watery eyes
• Gritty feeling in the eyes
• Low tolerance of bright lights
• Pain in or behind the eye — especially when looking up, down, or sideways
• Redness of the lids and eyes
• Swelling or fullness in one or both upper eyelids
• Signs that your condition may be more due to TED include:
  • Symptoms occur in the wrong season for hay-fever.
  • Symptoms include eye ache/pain, especially with eye movement.
  • You develop double vision. This is serious and is likely from TED.

Treatment of TED:

When symptoms of TED develop, they can be progressive for the first six to twelve months. So, early diagnosis and treatment is important to prevent the condition from worsening. For mild TED, artificial tear drops will help with dry eye relief. Selenium supplements can also be beneficial. For severe TED, steroids and/or orbital radiotherapy may be considered. Some patients with TED are left with permanent double vision or a change in the appearance of their eyes, for which surgery may be recommended. Surgery is typically performed as a part of rehabilitative therapy once the inflammation has resolved and may involve:

• Decompression surgery, which removes bone and soft tissue from behind the eye to create more space.
• Eye muscle surgery, which corrects severe double vision.
• Eyelid surgery, which improves the appearance and function of the eyelids.

Other recommendations for TED patients can include:

• Prism glasses for double vision
• High-dose steroid medications and/or radiation to improve inflammation and double vision
• Support groups/counseling to address the social and psychological effects of the appearance of the eyes

Patients can control the severity of TED symptoms by:

• Quitting smoking. TED treatments are less effective for current smokers.
• Taking selenium supplements, which are available over the counter.
• Maintaining normal levels of thyroid hormones. Test your blood regularly and follow your doctor’s instructions, including taking prescribed medications.

“Alagille syndrome is a genetic disorder that can affect the liver, heart, and other parts of the body.

One of the major features of Alagille syndrome is liver damage caused by abnormalities in the bile ducts. These ducts carry bile (which helps to digest fats) from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine. In Alagille syndrome, the bile ducts may be narrow, malformed, and reduced in number (bile duct paucity). As a result, bile builds up in the liver and causes scarring that prevents the liver from working properly to eliminate wastes from the bloodstream. Signs and symptoms arising from liver damage in Alagille syndrome may include a yellowish tinge in the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice), itchy skin, and deposits of cholesterol in the skin (xanthomas).

Alagille syndrome is also associated with several heart problems, including impaired blood flow from the heart into the lungs (pulmonic stenosis). Pulmonic stenosis may occur along with a hole between the two lower chambers of the heart (ventricular septal defect and other heart abnormalities. This combination of heart defects is called tetralogy of Fallot.”

MedicinePlus (https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/alagille-syndrome/)

Alagille syndrome is a rare, life-threatening multisystem disease that often presents in childhood. With Alagille syndrome, bile ducts are abnormally narrow, malformed, and reduced in number, which leads to toxic accumulation of bile acids in the liver and, ultimately, progressive liver disease.

Alagille syndrome is an inherited condition in which bile builds up in the liver because there are too few bile ducts to drain the bile. This results in liver damage. Your liver makes bile to help remove waste from your body. It also helps digest fats and the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Alagille syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations/deletions:

Disruptions in these genes cause defective bile duct morphogenesis and impaired angiogenesis, and abnormalities in skeletal, ocular, cardiovascular, and kidney development. Although 30% to 50% of individuals have an inherited pathogenic variant, the mutation occurs de novo in 50% to 70% of cases.

It is imperative to help out with early diagnosis.

Signs and symptoms vary:

They could be from liver damage in Alagille syndrome may include a yellowish tinge in the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice), itchy skin, and deposits of cholesterol in the skin (xanthomas).

“Breastfeeding has many benefits for you and your baby. It helps build your baby’s immune system and offers the perfect nutrition. Some of the health benefits to you include a lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Breast milk contains everything your baby needs to grow and develop. It provides a unique and specific formula of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Breast milk supports your baby’s health because it:

• Is easy for their immature tummy and intestines to digest.
• Contains antibodies that protect against infection and boost immunity.
• Has the right amount of fat, sugar, water, protein and vitamins for your baby’s development.
• Promotes healthy weight gain.
• Changes in composition to meet your baby’s nutritional needs over time.
• Contains substances that naturally soothe your baby.”

Cleveland Clinic (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15274-benefits-of-breastfeeding)

EYES and how our health is vital in keeping the eyes working EFFECTIVELY.

Like all organs if your diet is not healthy you’ll effect their functioning, including your eyes. Take for example the ingredients you include in the foods & fluids you eat. Just like how some drink from one up to three thousand cc’s of water a day to help prevent dehydration in their tissues if they work out daily from a gym to running miles outside OR take someone who simply includes calcium in their diet for their bones. Well what is good for the eyes and what can you do to help both your eyes?

Get an annual comprehensive dilated eye exam, know your families eye history since many eye diseases are through heredity, eat an eye healthy & well-balanced diet rich in salmon, tuna, dark leafy greens, colored vegetables and fruits, wear sunglasses with UV protection and avoid smoking (which effects the body everywhere, including the eyes).

What ingredients do we need in our dieting that is so vital for the eyes to stay at their healthiest level?

Well Lutein and Zeaxanthin (Pronounced loo’teen and Zee’-a-zan-thin)-Powerful antioxidants naturally present in the macula (the part of the retina that is responsible for central vision). Remember damage to the retina causes some degree of lack of vision to 100% blind. Lutein and Zeaxanthin are critical for helping to filter out harmful blue light, which can damage the macula. These vital antioxidants cannot be produced by our bodies on their own, so they must be obtained through diet and/or supplements (ex. Ocuvite Supplements in the store).

Another ingredient we need in our diet is Omega 3 Fatty Acids which is a family of fatty acids that help protect our eyes by keeping them healthy. Omega 3 is an important structural lipid in the retina and helps support proper function; and is vital for the health of your eyes as you age. Lastly it helps promote healthy tear production necessary for healthy and comfortable eyes.

Other Nutrients Antioxidants Vitamins C and E, Zinc and beta carotene. They help protect eyes from oxidative stress (Oxidative stress reflects an imbalance between the systemic manifestation of reactive oxygen species and a biological system’s ability to readily detoxify the reactive intermediates or to repair the resulting damage and oxidative stress can cause disruptions in normal mechanisms of cellular signaling. It is thought to be involved in the development of many diseases.)

What Your Diet or Daily Health Habits May Be Missing:

–Many dark leafy greens and brightly colored vegetables (including orange foods) are rich in Lutein and Zeaxanthin. We all heard about carrots (to get Beta-carotene)

–Oil-rich fish such as tuna and salmon along with nuts and fortified eggs are an excellent source of omega-3s. Omega-3s: A family of fatty acids that help protect the eye to keep it healthy, another important nutrient for your eyes

Unfortunately, many of us do not consume enough of these eye-healthy foods in our daily diets. What should you have in your diet to eat per day to equal the amount of Lutein and Zeaxanthin you should have daily:   5 cups of broccoli, 6 cups of corn, 1 ounce of salmon or 4 ounces of tuna. A lot of vegetables in cups but if you mix your foods in the 4 food groups that are healthy for the eye or just simply take supplements that your doctor recommends for eye health you won’t be eating cups and cups of vegetables if you don’t like the taste.

*Other foods high in omega 3 are halibut, spinach, collard and kale.

VITAL NUTRIENTS FOR GETTING THE EYES HEALTHY.

Many eye diseases can’t be avoided (like born blind) but there are many diseases that could have been avoided through prevention tactics in what you eat and in what you practice as your daily habits. For example some that could be prevented if not slowed down or suppressed in the intensity of the disease can be Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Cataracts, Dry Eye Syndrome and more.                                                                                                                

Factors that also influence how our eyes turn out are:

–Being overweight or obese is a factor that increases your risk of developing diabetes and other systemic conditions which can lead to vision loss, such as diabetic eye disease (macular degeneration) or even glaucoma. If you’re having trouble maintaining a healthy weight, talk to your doctor or go to my website with Dr. Anderson available to help you understand how the body works with calories/sugars, carbohydrates, starches, fats, and sugars; with understanding how portions of meals work with digestion and how it can put weight on the body.

–If you do a lot of work daily on a computer or on any one thing, your eyes may forget to blink or get very fatigued, so attempt to do every 20 minutes looking away from the computer or one thing your focused on for hours (like at work) for 20 seconds. This helps your eyes in reducing eyestrain (it is an actually an exercise for the eye).

–Clean your hands and your contact lenses properly. This is to avoid local infection in the eye. Always wash your hands before putting in and taking out the contact lenses. Follow your doctors and contact lenses website in keeping your eyes healthy and safe with using their service for your lenses.

–Practice workplace eye safety as their organization policy and procedure states but also use common sense with wearing eye goggles when doing work around the house that puts you at risk for eye damage (like weed whacking, painting, using saws etc…)

Our health care system is in a disaster but gradually improving and lets add to improving it for us now and ten years from now and for future generations to decrease the amount of disease and illness in our country with giving our government a reason to decrease the price in our health care system (including insurances). Please if you have any diseases or illnesses on your mind with questions that you have let me know in my comment section and I will personally try to make it the next article if not sometime that week. Thank you for reading my post.

References: 1.)http://www.ocuvite.com