Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, remains as the foremost cause of death in the United States despite progress in prevention, detection, and treatment. CVD is a killer of people in the prime of life, with more than half of all deaths occurring among women.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-third of those suffering heart attacks do not survive, with about 340,000 of them dying in the emergency room. Even more troubling worrying, another 250,000 people with heart attacks will succumb before they ever reach the hospital. Most of these are sudden deaths caused by cardiac arrest. CVD includes dysfunctional conditions of the heart, arteries, and veins that supply oxygen to vital life-sustaining areas of the body like the brain, the heart itself, and other vital organs. A lack of oxygen causes the tissue or organ to die.
There are several risk factors for heart disease; some are controllable through changes in diet, exercise, and behavior.
Other risk factors are uncontrollable. These include: male sex, old age, family history of heart disease, post menopausal women, and race (African or Latin descent are more likely to have heart disease than are Caucasians).
There are still many risk factors that can be controlled. By making changes in your lifestyle, you can actually reduce your risk for heart disease. Controllable risk factors include:
Quitting Smoking
The use of tobacco is the most avoidable major risk factor for CVD. Smokers have more than twice the risk for heart attack as nonsmokers, and are much more likely to die if they suffer a heart attack.
Improving Cholesterol Levels
The risk for heart disease increases as your total amount of cholesterol increases. A total cholesterol level over 200, an HDL (‘good’) cholesterol level under 40, or an LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol level over 160 indicates an increased risk for heart disease.
A diet high in fiber and low in saturated and trans-fats will lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk for heart disease.
Taking goji everyday
Hypertension or high blood pressure is the most common heart disease risk factors. And according to the National Center for Health Statistics, more then 50 million people in the U.S. alone have these.
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Goji contains cyperone, a sesquiterpene that can benefit the heart and blood pressure; its anthocyanins may help to maintain the strength and integrity of coronary arteries.
The effects of goji’s master molecule polysaccharides on endothelial function were observed by Jia YX et al. (1998) in China. Their end results illustrates that the increase of blood pressure in the hypertensive rats could be averted significantly by the treatment with goji polysaccharides.
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure and/or kidney failure. This explains why high blood pressure is often called the “silent killer.” Some of the current study of Goji involves how its master molecule polysaccharides may contribute in treatments designed to normalize symptoms of increased blood pressure.
People who don’t exercise have higher rates of death and heart disease when compared to those who engage in even gentle activities like walking or gardening.
An animal study showed that goji’s polysaccharides induced a remarkable increase in exercise tolerance and stamina, and helped to eliminate fatigue. Goji enhances glycogen storage (glycogen is the body’s primary energy fuel).
