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CRP (C-Reactive Protein) and Inflammation
Inflammation Thought to Play Role in Blocked Arteries
If you've ever peered into a clogged pipe in your home, you have an idea of what happens when an artery supplying your heart or brain becomes blocked. However, blockages in your arteries develop in a more complicated fashion - one that involves inflammation in the blood vessel.
Atherosclerosis is the buildup of plaque - containing fat, cholesterol, and other substances - within the walls of your arteries. As plaque makes arteries narrower and stiffer, blood has a harder time flowing through the artery. If this happens in an artery feeding your heart or brain, the atherosclerosis could set the stage for a heart attack or stroke.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), inflammation plays many roles in the growth of plaque. Inflammation is the process by which your body deals with injuries or infection through the use of certain chemicals and cells. A blockage begins as a cluster of material called a "fatty streak" under the lining within the artery. This contains a lot of immune-system cells. As the plaque grows, more immune-system cells enter the area, many of them producing inflammatory chemicals.
In most cases when the artery becomes totally blocked, the problem is due to a blood clot that's formed on the surface of the plaque. This often occurs after the plaque ruptures, exposing the contents inside the plaque to the blood flowing through the artery. Immune-system cells and inflammatory chemicals may play a role in these ruptures.
According to the AHA, many of the risk factors that are linked to atherosclerosis - such as smoking, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar - can set the stage for inflammation. In addition, infections from several kinds of bacteria and viruses have been associated with atherosclerosis.
Experts now think that statin drugs - which are popular medications that lower cholesterol - may also be helpful by reducing inflammation. Another reason why knowing about inflammation could be important for your health is that measuring your C-reactive protein - which increases when you have inflammation in your body - may help show if you have increased risk of heart disease. It is a simple blood test.
So many of my friends have never heard of the CRP test. It's probably because many health insurance policies don't cover it as a preventive test like cholesterol tests are. So, doctors aren't ordering it as part of the overall evaluation of our heart health. You have to take your health care into your own hands and not put ALL your faith into the doctors' recommendations. They are so swamped with patients (average time with doctor today is 20 mins), not to mention that there is a shortage of family practitioners, because there's much more money in being a "specialist". Health care crisis>>>>>>>hellllloooooooo........So, if you're concerned with your heart health, and have high cholesterol, request a CRP blood test to see how your arteries are doing. That may be the information you need to decide if medicine is right for you.
If you've ever peered into a clogged pipe in your home, you have an idea of what happens when an artery supplying your heart or brain becomes blocked. However, blockages in your arteries develop in a more complicated fashion - one that involves inflammation in the blood vessel.
Atherosclerosis is the buildup of plaque - containing fat, cholesterol, and other substances - within the walls of your arteries. As plaque makes arteries narrower and stiffer, blood has a harder time flowing through the artery. If this happens in an artery feeding your heart or brain, the atherosclerosis could set the stage for a heart attack or stroke.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), inflammation plays many roles in the growth of plaque. Inflammation is the process by which your body deals with injuries or infection through the use of certain chemicals and cells. A blockage begins as a cluster of material called a "fatty streak" under the lining within the artery. This contains a lot of immune-system cells. As the plaque grows, more immune-system cells enter the area, many of them producing inflammatory chemicals.
In most cases when the artery becomes totally blocked, the problem is due to a blood clot that's formed on the surface of the plaque. This often occurs after the plaque ruptures, exposing the contents inside the plaque to the blood flowing through the artery. Immune-system cells and inflammatory chemicals may play a role in these ruptures.
According to the AHA, many of the risk factors that are linked to atherosclerosis - such as smoking, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar - can set the stage for inflammation. In addition, infections from several kinds of bacteria and viruses have been associated with atherosclerosis.
Experts now think that statin drugs - which are popular medications that lower cholesterol - may also be helpful by reducing inflammation. Another reason why knowing about inflammation could be important for your health is that measuring your C-reactive protein - which increases when you have inflammation in your body - may help show if you have increased risk of heart disease. It is a simple blood test.
So many of my friends have never heard of the CRP test. It's probably because many health insurance policies don't cover it as a preventive test like cholesterol tests are. So, doctors aren't ordering it as part of the overall evaluation of our heart health. You have to take your health care into your own hands and not put ALL your faith into the doctors' recommendations. They are so swamped with patients (average time with doctor today is 20 mins), not to mention that there is a shortage of family practitioners, because there's much more money in being a "specialist". Health care crisis>>>>>>>hellllloooooooo........So, if you're concerned with your heart health, and have high cholesterol, request a CRP blood test to see how your arteries are doing. That may be the information you need to decide if medicine is right for you.
"Menopot".....by Pam Peeke, MD
Alright, raise your hand if you're a woman trying to navigate the treacherous waters of the perimenopausal (40-52) or menopause years (cessation of all menses, usually by age 52-54)? Yep, just as I thought. There are about 78 million baby boomers and over half of them are women, so you're in good company. Can you relate to this post I received on my weight management board?
"I am 57 years old and am postmenopausel. I work out at least one hour 5 days per week. I eat less than 1000 calories every day, and I CAN'T LOSE ANY WEIGHT! My current weight is 165 pounds. I have had my thyroid checked, and blood drawn, everything is normal. help!"
OK, for every woman who feels her pain, here are some tips and tools. I spent many years in my laboratory at the National Institutes of Health, as well as clinical years working with women over 40, studying what the heck was going on with their ever expanding tummies. Lo and behold, I published Fight Fat after Forty which described why we start having such girth control problems, and I named the extra fat collecting around the middle the "Menopot". All women get this fat accumulation. On average it can be in the range of 3-6 pounds. It should not be double digits. And, you can't completely get rid of it. Your goal is to minimize it.
Where does the Menopot come from? As a woman enters her perimenopause, she is slowly withdrawing from powerful sex hormones. Pre-40's, estrogen usually directed any fat storage to the hip, thigh and buttocks. Post-40, estrogen begins to wax and wane, and any extra fat heads for the abdomen, resulting in the mission impossible of zipping up those jeans. In Body for Life for Women, I wrote that what's important during this critical time in a woman's life is that she pay attention to her body composition, not just her weight – the amount of muscle, fat and bone. Every woman should march into her gym or buy a body fat scale and know what her numbers are. Body fat should be in the 20's, preferably around 25%. Fewer fat cells mean a reduced risk of breast cancer. Her girth should measure less than 35" to decrease her risk for diabetes and heart disease.
I would advise women who want to drop their over 40 weight to:
Please take a patience pill. For crying out loud, you're over 40 and you need to give your body a chance to adapt and adjust as you shed excess weight. Practice a little self love and don't starve yourself or live in a physical boot camp for weeks on end. Gradually and patiently, you can minimize your Menopot.
"I am 57 years old and am postmenopausel. I work out at least one hour 5 days per week. I eat less than 1000 calories every day, and I CAN'T LOSE ANY WEIGHT! My current weight is 165 pounds. I have had my thyroid checked, and blood drawn, everything is normal. help!"
OK, for every woman who feels her pain, here are some tips and tools. I spent many years in my laboratory at the National Institutes of Health, as well as clinical years working with women over 40, studying what the heck was going on with their ever expanding tummies. Lo and behold, I published Fight Fat after Forty which described why we start having such girth control problems, and I named the extra fat collecting around the middle the "Menopot". All women get this fat accumulation. On average it can be in the range of 3-6 pounds. It should not be double digits. And, you can't completely get rid of it. Your goal is to minimize it.
Where does the Menopot come from? As a woman enters her perimenopause, she is slowly withdrawing from powerful sex hormones. Pre-40's, estrogen usually directed any fat storage to the hip, thigh and buttocks. Post-40, estrogen begins to wax and wane, and any extra fat heads for the abdomen, resulting in the mission impossible of zipping up those jeans. In Body for Life for Women, I wrote that what's important during this critical time in a woman's life is that she pay attention to her body composition, not just her weight – the amount of muscle, fat and bone. Every woman should march into her gym or buy a body fat scale and know what her numbers are. Body fat should be in the 20's, preferably around 25%. Fewer fat cells mean a reduced risk of breast cancer. Her girth should measure less than 35" to decrease her risk for diabetes and heart disease.
I would advise women who want to drop their over 40 weight to:
- Get your body composition and waist measurement done.
- Know your thyroid and cholesterol profiles, as well as your fasting blood sugar and blood pressure.
- Keep a journal of your eating for one week to observe your patterns--- it may be quite an eye opener.
- Never eat less than 1200 cals per day or you'll effectively shut down your metabolic drive, and thus your calorie burning potential. Aim for 1400-1600 calories per day based on activity level.
- Eat smaller, balanced feedings every 3-4 hours starting with breakfast and ending with dinner.
- Eat lean protein at every meal and the mid afternoon snack. Protein is your appetite, carb crave killing friend.
- Avoid alcohol except once or twice on weekends. Too much packs on the belly weight.
- Cross train your cardio (don't do the same thing all of the time--- mix it up). Burn 400 calories of cardio 5 days per week. Increase your activities of daily living. Get up and move more.
- Add intensity intervals. Too many women look like night of the living dead on their treadmill or elliptical. Ramp it up and shake up those post-40 fat cells. Sweat!
- Lift weights 2 x week, paying attention to your upper body especially, since your legs are getting their cardio workout. Don't forget your core and stretches at the end of each session.
Please take a patience pill. For crying out loud, you're over 40 and you need to give your body a chance to adapt and adjust as you shed excess weight. Practice a little self love and don't starve yourself or live in a physical boot camp for weeks on end. Gradually and patiently, you can minimize your Menopot.
Try This Buttery Treat for Your Pancreas By RealAge
Creamy, luscious, buttery-smooth -- and it may be good for your pancreas, too. We're talking about the avocado.
Why? Because it's got plant fats. And recent research shows that getting more of your dietary fat from plants instead of animals could offer a protective edge against pancreatic cancer.
Don't Give Up the Fat
In a 6-year study of more than half a million people, those with the highest intake of saturated fat -- particularly if it was from red meat and dairy sources -- had the greatest risk of pancreatic cancer. But here's the good news: People who got most of their fats from plant sources had no increased risk. Start your meal off right with the plant fats in these appealing appetizers.
Fabulous Fat Substitutes
So how can avocados help you cut back on animal fat? Try a few slices on your bagel -- instead of cream cheese -- when you crave something fatty. Or make guacamole instead of ranch dip for your baked chips. Or, instead of cubes of cheese, fold chunks of avocado into pasta salad. Don't like avocado? You can still get off the cow with one of these tasty meatless meals from EatingWell:
- Fill tacos with this spicy recipe: Black Bean & Olive Filling.
- Make burgers healthier with this approach: Curried Cashew Burgers.
- Skip the beef in your stir-fry and make this: Chinese Braised Mushrooms & Tofu.