Heart disease is the number one cause of death in both men and women. Coronary heart disease is the most common form of heart disease, killing nearly 380,000 people annually.
Last month was American Heart Month— but you should monitor your heart health every month. There is no time like the present to do all that you can to prevent and reverse heart disease. First, let me share with you some action steps that you can start doing today to help reduce your risk.
Ways to Help Prevent Heart Disease
- Eat a healthy diet of organic fruits and vegetables
- Exercise regularly
- Reduce stress
- Quit smoking
- Reduce or eliminate alcohol intake
- Restore and balance hormones
- Take heart-healthy vitamins
- Detox
Little Known Cause of Heart Disease: Hypothyroidism
There is one major risk factor for heart disease that you don’t hear much about: hypothyroidism, or low thyroid function. I am going to share vital information with you, detailing two ways that hypothyroidism can lead to heart disease.
- Mucin Build Up in Your Tissues
Mucin is a glue-like substance that is a normal part of your immune system and is present in your tissues. However, hypothyroidism, which slows down your metabolism, causes an abnormal accumulation of mucin in your connective tissues. The result is swelling that eventually spreads to all your tissues, including your heart.
Mucin also leads to injury of the arteries. As tissues become engorged with this glue-like substance, your heart function slows down, which leads to a weak heart that is unable to pump blood efficiently. This is also known as congestive heart failure.
Other complications caused by the accumulation of mucin include atrial fibrillation, palpitations, and an increase or decrease in heart rate. It has been documented that treatment of an enlarged heart using natural thyroid supplementation can help reduce the tissues to normal size.
- Inflammation
People with low thyroid function have increased occurrences of infection and inflammation. Research shows that coronary artery disease begins with an inflammatory process that damages the coronary arteries. Thyroid function is responsible for the body’s metabolism, and normal thyroid metabolism helps to prevent recurrent infection and chronic inflammation.
Your body’s natural defense against inflammation is to produce antioxidants to fend off dangerous free radicals that cause damage in your body. A slow metabolism not only affects the efficiency of the cardiovascular system, but also lowers the rate at which antioxidants are produced. This leaves your arteries and blood vessels open to further damage, leading to hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis).
Symptoms of Hypothyroidism
Are you wondering if you might have low thyroid function? Take a look at some of the most common symptoms of hypothyroidism:
- Loss of energy (malaise/fatigue)
- Difficulty losing weight
- Weight gain
- Fluid retention
- Enlarged tongue with teeth indentations
- Cold extremities and cold sensitivity
- Cold intolerance
- Difficulty concentrating and short term memory loss
- Muscle pain and cramps
- Joint pain
- Tiredness after a full night’s sleep
- Recurrent and chronic infections
- Decreased mental sharpness, “brain fog”
- Hair loss
- Dry skin
- Brittle fingernails with ridging
- Low basal body temperature
- Elevated cholesterol and triglycerides
- Depression or mood swings
- Constipation
- Menstrual irregularities
- Headaches
- Enlarged thyroid gland
Diagnosing Hypothyroidism
If you suspect that you might have hypothyroidism, your first step would be to go see your doctor. However, here is where another big risk factor lies – not getting the proper diagnosis for hypothyroidism. Most doctors rely on one single blood test to diagnose hypothyroidism, the TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) test. This is not the optimal way to determine if you have low thyroid function, because the lab range is so wide that it includes the majority of people who are hypothyroid, and this test often fails the patient. Unfortunately, it is all too common for people to be told “your blood work is normal.”
To find out if you have hypothyroidism, visit a doctor who will listen to your symptoms and evaluate your clinical history and basal body temperature, and not just rely on a single lab result. It is important that your doctor listens to you and take into consideration all of your symptoms.
Treating Hypothyroidism Can Save Lives
The association between damaged arteries and hypothyroidism dates back to 1877 when doctors discovered accelerated atherosclerosis in animals that had their thyroid glands removed. Research showed that administering thyroid hormones to the animals halted the progression of atherosclerosis.
In 1970, Dr. Broda Barnes had 1,569 patients on natural thyroid hormone who were observed for a total of 8,824 patient years. These patients were classified by age, sex, elevated cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Based on the statistics derived in the study, seventy-two of Dr. Barnes’s patients should have died from heart attacks; however, only four patients had done so. This represents a decreased heart attack death rate of 95% in patients who received natural thyroid hormone.
So as you can see, it is extremely important to keep your thyroid function optimal. Take our symptom checker to find out if you have symptoms of hypothyroidism or other hormone imbalances, all of which can affect your health.
Why a Heart Scan Can Save Your Life
How do you know if you have plaque buildup? A heart scan is the only non-invasive way to determine whether you have coronary artery disease. It’s best to catch it as early as possible so you can take action to help reverse it.
If you are over 40 years old, then you should have a heart scan performed. At Hotze Health & Wellness Center, we offer heart scans with an EBCT scanner. EBCT is non-invasive, open, and safe, and emits the lowest radiation in the CT industry. You can have peace of mind knowing that heart disease can be detected, safely and comfortably, in its earliest stages. Call us today at 281-579-3600 to schedule your heart scan.
To schedule a Free Wellness Consultation with the Hotze Health & Wellness Center—call us at 281-698-8698 or visit hotzehwc.com and learn about our new pricing! To learn more about heart-healthy supplements, call our Certified Holistic Nutritionists and Vitamin Consultants at Physicians Preference Vitamins at 281-646-1659.
