Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Krill Oil vs Fish Oil Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND One of the most confusing topic’s in the vitamin world is the difference between krill oil and fish oil. I get asked pretty much all the time what exactly is the difference between the 2. …
Nattokinase! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND What the heck is Nattokinase? Where does it come from? What exactly does it do? Is it just for heart health or does it do anything else for us? These are just some of the questions that people have about …
What is Angina?
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Angina or heart/chest pain is one of the first signs that many experience when they have heart disease. However there are other conditions that mimic angina. One of these is anxiety. Angina and anxiety share many symptoms including a feeling of chest pain, nausea, rapid heartbeat, breathlessness and a feeling that the heart is being squeezed. Because the two are so similar it is important to see a doctor to confirm what is causing the chest pain. As I always say it’s better to be safe than sorry. (1)
Now let’s do a quick review of symptoms. The general symptoms of angina include chest pain that may feel like its burning, squeezing or even just feels very full. There may be a feeling of pressure in the chest area. The pain may also radiate to the arms, neck, jaw, shoulder or back. There may be a feeling of dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, and even increased sweating. Now remember how when I wrote about heart attack I mentioned that in some cases women are more likely to have atypical symptoms? Well that is also true with angina. Some women may have the typical symptoms or may present with more severe stomach pain, nausea, shortness s of breath, stabbing pain or pain in the jaw, neck or back. (2)
Now I know I spoke about how Angina and Anxiety resemble each other and even went over some of the symptoms of angina but what exactly is angina? Angina is a condition where there is chest pain caused by a decrease in the blood flow to the heat. General signs of angina are as I said a feeling of pain, squeezing, pressure and tightness in the chest. Angina is broken down into 4 types. These are stable, unstable, variant and refractory. (2)
Let’s start with the most common form of angina, stable angina. Stable angina is caused by activity or emotional stress. When you have stable angina the symptoms are often predictable because the same amount of activity will trigger angina to occur. The symptoms will improve with rest or medications. (3)
Unstable angina causes unexpected chest pain and occurs while you are resting. Unlike stable angina it is considered to be an emergency situation. Additionally unstable angina unlike stable angina is not relieved by rest or medication. (4)
Variant Angina is also known as Prinzmetal or vasospastic angina. In this case the angina occurs usually while you are asleep and resting. Unlike other forms of angina where coronary artery disease is the common cause of the decreased blood flow in variant angina the decrease in blood flow is caused by spasms of the coronary arteries. These spasms can be caused by medications, recreational drug use, tobacco and stress. This type of angina is considered rare and according to the American Heart Association accounts for only 2 out of every 100 cases of angina. (5)
The last type of angina is refractory angina and is defined as “a chronic condition of angina caused by coronary artery disease which cannot be controlled by a combination of medical therapy, angioplasty or bypass and the damage caused by ischemia is the cause of the symptoms.” (6) Ok I bet you read that and said ok now what does it all mean? It basically means that the treatments no longer help the angina pain because the decreased blood flow has caused damage to the heart and this damage not just the decrease in blood flow is what is now causing the symptoms.
Now that I’ve gone over the types of angina lets go over the most common risk factors for developing angina. Now I just want to point out that angina is a symptom of an underling heart problem. Having one of these will trigger angina. One of the most common is coronary artery disease (CAD). Now I won’t go into too much detail here because I plan on doing a whole blog on CAD. What I will say is that in CAD the coronary arteries become blocked thus blood flow is reduced. Angina is also caused by coronary microvascular disease where the tiny arteries that branch from the larger arteries are damaged. Lastly, spasms of the coronary arteries can cause angina. Now I know these are underlying heart conditions that can lead to angina but what are the risk factors? Well the risk factors include age, family history of angina, exposure to pollution, alcohol use and a poor diet. Having a history of metabolic syndrome, heart failure, heart valve disease, high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy and even anemia can all increase the risk of angina. (7)
One of the most severe concerns when dealing with angina is that it may be sign you are having a heart attack. This is why if you are having chest pain that lasts longer than a few minutes or isn’t relieved with medications it is important to go to the hospital just to be safe. (2)
Now when it comes to angina it is important to concentrate on our circulation:
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Purples Hx and the Heart! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I wanted to take the time to talk about one of the most under rated products at Invite health. What product is this you ask? Why its Purples Hx! Purples Hx is an amazing combination …
Omega 3s and the Heart! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Omega 3s are something that everyone has heard of. In fact many nutritionists including myself consider them to be essential to a healthy daily vitamin regimen. But many people I talk to ask a few …
The Confusing World of Heart Arrhythmias
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Arrhythmia is a word that you may have heard of but may not know what it means. So what exactly is an arrhythmia? Basically an arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat. In general we can break down arrhythmias into 2 types, these are a fast heartrate (over 100 beats per minute) and is called tachycardia verses a slow heartbeat (under 60 beats per minute) which is known as bradycardia. Now in this bog I will be concentrating on tachycardia since it is what most people call with questions about. Now what are the most common types of tachycardia? These include atrial fibrillation (Afib), supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. (1)
What is atrial fibrillation (AFib)? AFib is an irregular and rapid heart rhythm. This means in laymen’s terms that the heartbeat is both irregular and very rapid. Do you remember the structures of the heart that we spoke about? Basically what is happening during an episode of AFib is that the atria or top chambers of the heat beat irregularly/ rapidly and out of sync with ventricles or bottom half of the heart. Now as you can guess this can have series consequences. One potential issue is that AFib can cause a blood clot to form. This increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and other series conditions. Now not everyone who has AFib will experience symptoms but there are some symptoms that are common to experience. These include palpitations, chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, dizziness and a rapid/ pounding heartbeat. What can cause us to develop AFib? Some risk factors for AFib can include age, alcohol use, caffeine as well as nicotine/drug use and even certain medications. Additionally having a family or personal history of AFib, congenital heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes and even obesity can all increase your risk of AFib. Having a history of sleep apnea, heat attack, lung disorders and even thyroid disorders also increase the risk of AFib. Lastly having abnormal concentrations of minerals can also increase the risk of AFib. (2)
Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is an episode of irregularly fast and erratic heartbeat where the heartrate can reach on average between 150 -220 beats a minute. During an episode of SVT there is a problem basically in the electrical system of the heart and it causes the heart rate to become fast and erratic. Because the heart beats so fast there is no time for the heart chambers to fill with blood which can lead to a feeling of being lightheaded or even dizzy. What are some of the symptoms you may expect if you have SVT? You may experience palpitations, a very fast heartbeat, pounding sensations in your chest, chest pain, and shortness of breath and even feel lightheaded or dizzy. There may be fainting and you may even start to sweat. Due to the fact that the chambers aren’t filing completely you may experience fatigue. Risk factors are very similar to AFIb with the addition of Wolfe Parkinson white syndrome as well as pregnancy. Complications of SVT can also include heart failure as repeated episodes can weaken the heart over time. (3)
Ventricular fibrillation (VFib) is a very dangerous condition that requires immediate medical attention. Basically during VFib the irregular heart rhythm results in the heat being unable to pump blood to the rest of the body. The most common symptoms are collapse and loss of consciousness preceded by chest pain as well as a fast heartbeat, dizziness, nausea and shortness of breath. If you have a past history of VFib, heart attack, congenital heat defect, heart muscle injury or use certain drugs and have a fast, pounding heat rate it is important to see a doctor. I can’t stress this enough because VFib can be fatal within minutes of an episode stating. (4)
Ventricular tachycardia (VTach) is similar to VFib however, in VTach the episodes may be brief and not cause series complications. However, sustained VTach can cause complications including fainting, loss of consciousness and cardiac arrest. Signs and risk factors for VTach are very similar to VFib. (5)
When it comes to arrhythmias it is important to take any and all medications that are recommended. Therefore, while the following are amazing for heart health and even arrhythmias, it is important to talk to an Invite nutritionist to make sure they complement your medications rather than conflict with them.
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