A Heart Failure can be managed with the right Medication & a Healthy Lifestyle.

A Heart Failure can be managed with the right Medication & a Healthy Lifestyle.

In the year 2000, my father had suffered a major stroke.  A few years later, our mom developed dementia/ alzheimer’s, and thus, our family’s lives have been changed forever.

It was at that time that my sister, Rose, and I started learning about “Heart Failure” and were determined to be resourceful in gaining knowledge and understanding of the various kinds of diseases particularly the warning signs; the risk factors; the symptoms & diagnosis; the prevention & treatment; the right physician(s) & specialist; and the tools & resources available to us that we need to keep informed, make sound decisions, and become better caregivers.

 

Pertaining to my dad, the American Heart Association is the best resource to learn about the many signs, symptoms, prevention and treatment options of a “heart failure.”

 

One thing that I have learned all these years being a caregiver to my beloved parents is that you must be “pro-active” in making decisions about our own or our loved ones health; we must try to learn about the disease; we must have a greater understanding of this disease; we must be resourceful and be well-informed; we must not be afraid to ask questions to your doctors; or even better yet, we must not be afraid to offer suggestions of treatment plans to your doctor(s) of any findings or latest medical research available at your disposal……Armed with this knowledge, you will be able to assess & make decisions intelligently, and know that you and your doctors have done the best for yourself or your loved ones.

Only you know the full history of your health and what goes on with your physical well-being.  It is important for the doctors to know everything about the history of your health in order to eliminate errors and to provide a better treatment plan. It is this kind of teamwork with the physicians and medical staff that can make the difference in the longevity of your life or of your loved ones …….

Sadly, my father has both the “Congestive Heart Failure” (CHF) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in addition to his stroke and other ailments.  However, my sister and I strongly believe that by being “pro-active” armed with the knowledge of his disease and latest medical research and nutrition, we were able to work hand-in-hand with his doctors which is the key to my father’s quality and prolonged life span….

Thus, we feel very blessed that with our perseverance and determination to prolong our parents lives, we were guided in the right direction during the early stages of their life-threatening disease(s)….. 

If you or your loved ones have been diagnosed with a heart condition or heart failure, remember that

the American Heart Association is a great place to start.

*By themselves, any one sign of heart failure may not be cause for alarm. But if you have more than one of these symptoms, even if you haven’t been diagnosed with any heart problems, report them to a healthcare professional and ask for an evaluation of your heart.

If you have been diagnosed with heart failure, it’s important for you to keep track of symptoms and report any sudden changes to your healthcare team.

 

Read more at American Heart Association…..

• About Heart Failure

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San Diego State heart study shows stem cells can repair failing hearts

Diagram of stem cell division and differentiat...

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This hits home for me as my father is suffering from Congestive Heart Failure. Though it may be too soon to help him, news like this gives others hope for heart related problems.

An important development in cardiac health research was made, thanks to a study out of San Diego State.

SDSU post-doctoral scholar Sadia Mohsin’s study, conducted with SDSU biology ProfessorMark Sussman as part of the university’s Molecular Biology Laboratory Heart Institute, showed that genetically engineered human cardiac stem cells helped repair damaged heart tissue and improved function after heart attacks in mice.

“This study brings us one step closer to a clinical application for stem-cell therapy,” Mohsin said.

About the study

Researchers used cardiac stem cells derived from patients receiving mechanical assist device pumps to help their failing hearts. They then genetically engineered the cells to express Pim-1, a protein that naturally occurs in response to heart damage. Using molecular technology, the researchers attached Pim-1 to fluorescent green protein taken from jellyfish to make the Pim-1 expression clearly visible.

Read more about the heart study

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Work long hours? Stay in shape to lower risk of heart disease

heart attack anatomy
Image by gandhiji40 via Flickr

Working long hours increases the risk of dying from heart disease but staying in shape can eliminate that risk, according to a new study.

“Those working more than 45 hours a week had two times the risk of cardiovascular mortality compared to those working normal hours, less than 40 hours per week,” said lead study author Andreas Holtermann.  If you are in good shape and you work out, than working long hours does not change your risk level, he said.

5,000 white men, aged between 40 and 59 and tracked for more than 30 years, were the focus of the study,  published in Heart. READ MORE

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