| Each year, 5 million Americans will suffer from heart | | | | intensity levels, while an IV-injected tracer moves |
| failure, a condition in which the heart can't pump blood | | | | through the blood, indicating possible obstructions or |
| to other organs in the body. The root cause is not | | | | strain. |
| simply a matter of "blocked pipes" or genetics. | | | | Another test, the EKG, simply monitors your heart |
| Culprits behind this include narrowed arteries, scar | | | | rhythms through electrical wires with adhesive ends |
| tissue, high blood pressure, heart valve disease, | | | | stuck to your chest, arms and legs. An |
| cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle itself), | | | | "Echocardiogram" is simply an ultrasound image taken |
| congenital heart defects, infection of the valves | | | | of your chest, which is as painless as a photograph. |
| (endocarditis), infection of the heart (myocarditis), or a | | | | Most people are familiar with the usual hypertension |
| combination of factors. | | | | blood pressure test done with a cuff around your |
| Coronary Artery Disease is the leading cause of heart | | | | bicep. The most invasive test, which is recommended |
| failure today. CAD is a manifestation of | | | | for people with a genetic predisposition, is the |
| atherosclerosis, which results from smoking, high | | | | "Catheriterization," which is a small tube inserted into |
| cholesterol, hypertension (high blood pressure) and | | | | the artery, which may open an obstruction or insert |
| diabetes. | | | | dye to see where the problem spots are. |
| Sometimes a viral infection, exposure to toxins like lead | | | | If you've been diagnosed with heart failure, then you'll |
| or alcohol, or genetics can cause a disease in the | | | | need to adjust your diet considerably. An |
| actual heart muscle, also known as cardiomyopathy. | | | | overwhelming amount of evidence suggests the |
| Diabetes, high salt intake, sustained rapid heart rhythms, | | | | importance of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in |
| alcoholism and marked obesity can all be contributors | | | | fish oil supplements. Dr. James O'Keefe of the Mid |
| to chronic failure of the heart. | | | | America Heart Institute in Kansas recommends at |
| To check if you may have heart health problems, your | | | | least 1 gram of fish oil per day and as much as 4 |
| general practitioner can run several tests to be sure. | | | | grams for people with high triglyceride levels. |
| Many people avoid getting tested in advance because | | | | "Research shows that this dosage lowers triglyceride |
| they fear invasive pokes and prods, but most of these | | | | levels by 20 to 50 percent," he explains. In addition, |
| screening tests are very non-invasive. For instance, | | | | you'll be trading in eggs for oatmeal, red meat for fish |
| one test, which is a "stress test," has you walking on a | | | | and hummus instead of chip dip. |
| treadmill for a specific interval of time through several | | | | |