Posts belonging to Category 'cardiology'

Donating Blood Can Have Several Health Benefits

December 28, 2011 | Posted by Edward White Hospital

There are a myriad of benefits to donating blood regularly. In addition to helping save lives, getting paid time off from work and enjoying free juice and snacks after donating, there are physical benefits to being a regular donor. If you donate blood several times a year, you are likely in better physical shape than those who do not, and you have a reduced risk for several severe diseases.

Get a Physical

Check up on your own health every time you donate blood. You’ll get a basic physical from a health care worker at the blood collection clinic, so you’ll be able to find out if your blood pressure, pulse, and other vital signs are healthy or not. The Mayo Clinic notes that healthy donors who meet donation requirements are eligible to give blood once every 56 days, so these people can potentially get a physical examination six times a year and completely free of charge.

Replenish Blood

Help your body function more efficiently by allowing it to replenish your blood supply regularly. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center reports that when you donate blood, your body replaces the blood volume within 48 hours of donation, and all of the red blood cells you lose during donation are completely replaced within four to eight weeks. This process of replenishment can help your body stay healthy and work more efficiently and productively.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/96891-health-benefits-donating-blood/#ixzz1hNUL2t8o

Reduce Heart Attack Risk

Improve your cardiovascular health overall by donating blood. Florida Blood Services reports that regular blood donors who donate regularly over years have an 88 percent lower risk of heart attacks and a 33 percent lower risk of any severe cardiovascular event, such as a stroke.

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Understanding Triglycerides

May 18, 2011 | Posted by Edward White Hospital

Triglycerides are a particular type of fat that your body uses for energy. While your body does need some triglycerides to be healthy, high triglycerides can increase your likelihood of developing heart disease and can also be a sign of metabolic syndrome. It’s important to understand the factors that can increase triglyceride levels and what you can do to manage them.

What Are Triglycerides?

Triglycerides in plasma come from fats in food or are made by your body from other sources of energy. Any calories that are consumed and not immediately used by your body’s tissue are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells. The triglycerides are then released as needed by the body for energy.

Normal triglyceride levels are less than 150. High levels are considered to be anything from 200 to 499, with 500 and higher being very high.

Diagnosing High Triglyceride Levels

Unfortunately there are no symptoms of high triglyceride levels. Your level would have to be determined through a test by your physician, although most cholesterol tests also test your triglycerides. Most adults should be tested once a year.

Treating High Triglycerides

Some ways you can manage triglycerides include:

· Decreasing your calorie intake if you are overweight to achieve your ideal body weight

· Maintain a healthy diet, reducing the intake of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, while increasing your intake of fruits, vegetables and low- or non-fat dairy products

· Being physically active for at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the week

· Reducing or eliminating your consumption of alcohol, as even small amounts can result in large changes in plasma triglyceride levels

· Substituting monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats for saturated fats

· Substituting fish with omega-3 fatty acids for meats that are high in saturated fat