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Cardiovascular (Heart) Disease
The circulatory system, which consists of the heart, arteries, veins, capillaries, and blood, is responsible for delivering oxygen and other nutrients to cells throughout the body. The heart’s pumping action forces oxygenated blood from the lungs to reach millions of cells throughout the body via arteries and capillaries. After the cells have been nourished, blood returns to the heart through the venous system and is then re-oxygenated in the lungs.

A muscle-vein system, often referred to as the “second heart”, is a system of muscles, veins, and valves in the calf and foot that work together to push deoxygenated blood back up to the heart and lungs. The second heart vein valves act as trapdoors that open and close with each muscle contraction to prevent the backflow of blood.

The major types of vascular disease that affect the circulatory system are cardiovascular disease, which affects the heart (and, is sometimes referred to as heart disease); cerebrovascular disease, which affects the brain; and, peripheral vascular disease, which affects the legs. If blood flow is blocked in one of these areas, it may cause a heart attack, a stroke, or a cramping pain in the leg muscles on exertion (intermittent claudication). When second heart vein valves in the legs become defective or weak, blood can pool in veins causing varicose veins, spider veins, and swelling.

A heart attack (or myocardial infarction) occurs when a blockage develops in one of the arteries supplying blood to the heart. A stroke occurs when the blockage develops in one of the arteries supplying blood to the brain. A leg cramping occurs when the leg muscles are not being supplied with enough blood for the physical effort demanded. In the case of a heart attack or a stroke, a lack of blood stops the heart or brain from working so it shuts down and the body collapses. In the case of leg cramping, a condition called normal inadequate leg circulation (NIC) can develop when leg valves do not close completely, resulting in feelings of heaviness, a sensation of tension (chiefly located in the calves), restless legs, and edema (swelling). The ropy, swollen knots known as varicose veins occur when the incompetent valves cause blood to pool in the larger leg veins, forcing them to bulge against the skin surface. This slowing of the blood transit time triggers the clotting response causing pockets to form, trapping blood and resulting in minor clots and inflammation. This condition, called phlebitis, can become life threatening if the clot breaks free and travels to the heart, brain, or lungs.

Heart disease is the number one killer disease in most countries including the United States, where over a million people die each year, one death every 33 seconds. More than 60 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease, 50 million have high blood pressure, 12.6 million have coronary heart disease, 1.2 million have heart attacks, and 4.6 million have suffered a stroke. Coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis are the two major degenerative forms of heart disease that account for most of the deaths.

For most people who don’t have diabetes, heart disease speaks loud and clear. Inadequate blood flow to the heart muscle causes a variety of signs and symptoms, such as chest pain or pressure, pounding heartbeat, shortness of breath, jaw or arm pain, and sweating. They know something’s wrong and are more likely to seek help. In people with diabetes, heart disease often doesn’t offer such clues. That type of heart disease is called silent ischemia. The lack of symptoms may give you a false sense of good health. And that may prevent you from seeking medical care or treatment until noticeable and more serious complications have occurred. You may have had a heart attack and not even know it.

Unfortunately, most people with diabetes believe that amputation and blindness are their biggest threats. They aren’t aware that they are at an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. In fact, two out of every three diabetics die from a heart attack or a stroke. According to a recent study conducted by the Yale University School of Medicine, more than one fifth of patients with Type 2 diabetes have decreased blood flow to the heart, but no symptoms to suggest there is a problem. Known as myocardial ischemia, this serious condition occurs when the heart does not receive enough blood to meet its metabolic needs, usually due to inflammation and plaque build-up in the coronary arteries. When no symptoms are present, this is usually due to “silent” inflammation. As a result, the risk of sudden death from a heart attack, even though there is no history of heart disease, is as high as the risk in people without diabetes who have had a heart attack. That’s why diabetes is called a heart disease equivalent: Having diabetes is like having survived a heart attack.

Symptoms of Cardiovascular (Heart) Disease
Symptoms of cardiovascular (heart) disease vary according to the type of heart disease, and they vary from person to person. The following is a list of some of the early signs or symptoms of heart disease/stroke: shortness of breath; shortness of breath after exercise; pain or tightness in the chest (angina); swelling (edema) in the legs and feet; pain in one of the legs, usually in the lower leg, with swelling and discoloration; pain in the legs with walking (claudication); heart palpitation, arrhythmia; cold feet and/or cold hands; high C-reactive protein level; high homocysteine level; slurred speech, memory loss, muscle weakness, numbness. But, you may not exhibit any of these signs. If you do exhibit any of these signs, you should contact your doctor for a physical or check up – to avoid one of the major symptoms of heart disease: sudden death from high stress.

Note: The 64-slice CT scanner can provide detailed images of the heart and arteries for an easier, non-invasive diagnosis.

According to the Mayo Clinic: “Diabetes damages your cardiovascular system, putting you at increased risk of a sudden heart attack or stroke.” Your risks are higher because of the damage that diabetes can cause to your major arteries, including the blood vessels that supply blood to your heart and brain. Another grave complication is gangrene, due to poor circulation, which usually leads to nerve damage and amputation.

WARNING: If you believe that you are having a heart attack, sit down, call 911, chew an aspirin tablet (if you’re not allergic), take deep breaths to inhale extra oxygen, and cough every few seconds to keep your heart beating at a reasonable rate.

When the circulatory system is working properly, it delivers blood throughout the body, utilizing and providing specific nutrients to all the organs, tissues, and cells of the body. These key nutrients include CoQ10, l-carnitine, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Omega-3 EFAs, magnesium, folate, and arginine. But, when there is a chronic deficiency of these or other nutrients, the circulatory system starts to struggle and does not work as effectively. Over time, components of the circulatory system such as the blood vessels may become inflamed and damaged. This puts additional stress on other components of the circulatory system such as the heart, which can lead to a sudden stroke or heart attack. However, a consistent exercise program and a well-designed nutritional program that addresses these specific nutritional deficiencies can be very beneficial in preventing and reversing heart disease and other circulatory issues without the need for drugs. Refer to the wellness protocol section in this chapter for more details.

WARNING: If you are having a severe drop in blood pressure and/or dizzy spells (or light-headedness, contact your doctor immediately.

A drop in blood pressure can cause dizziness and fainting when the brain fails to receive an adequate supply of blood. And big drops in blood pressure, especially those caused by uncontrolled bleeding, severe infections or allergic reactions can, be life-threatening.
 
The drop in blood pressure could be due to one or more of the following:

Medications. Many drugs can cause low blood pressure, including diuretics and other drugs that treat high blood pressure; heart medications such as beta blockers; drugs for Parkinson's disease; tricyclic antidepressants; sildenafil (Viagra), particularly in combination with nitroglycerine; narcotics; and alcohol. Some over-the-counter medications can cause low blood pressure when taken in combination with medications used to treat high blood pressure.

Heart problems. Some heart conditions that can lead to low blood pressure include extremely low heart rate (bradycardia), heart valve problems, heart attack and heart failure. These conditions may cause low blood pressure because they prevent your body from being able to circulate enough blood.

Endocrine problems. An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) or overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can cause low blood pressure. In addition, other conditions, such as adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease), low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), and in some cases, diabetes, can trigger low blood pressure.

Dehydration. When you become dehydrated, your body loses more water than it takes in. Even mild dehydration can cause weakness, dizziness and fatigue. Fever, vomiting, severe diarrhea, overuse of diuretics and strenuous exercise can all lead to dehydration. Far more serious is hypovolemic shock, a life-threatening complication of dehydration. It occurs when low blood volume causes a sudden drop in blood pressure and a corresponding reduction in the amount of oxygen reaching your tissues. If untreated, severe hypovolemic shock can cause death within a few minutes or hours.

Blood loss. Losing a lot of blood from major injury or severe internal bleeding reduces the amount of blood in your body, leading to a severe drop in blood pressure.

Severe infection (septicemia). Septicemia can happen when an infection in the body enters the bloodstream. Lung, abdomen or urinary tract infections are usually the cause of septicemia. These conditions can lead to a life-threatening drop in blood pressure called septic shock.

Allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).Anaphylaxis is a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. Common triggers of anaphylaxis include foods, certain medications, insect venoms and latex. Anaphylaxis can cause breathing problems, hives, itching, a swollen throat and a drop in blood pressure.

Nutritional deficiencies. A lack of the vitamins B-12 and folate can cause anemia, a condition in which your body doesn't produce enough red blood cells. In addition to making you feel tired because you're not getting enough oxygen, anemia can lead to low blood pressure.

Types of Low Blood Pressure
Low blood pressure on standing up (postural or orthostatic hypotension). This is a sudden drop in blood pressure when you stand up from a sitting position or if you stand up after lying down. Ordinarily, blood pools in your legs whenever you stand, but your body compensates for this by increasing your heart rate and constricting blood vessels, thereby ensuring that enough blood returns to your brain. But in people with postural hypotension, this compensating mechanism fails and blood pressure falls, leading to dizziness, lightheadedness, blurred vision and even fainting.

Postural hypotension can occur for a variety of reasons including dehydration, prolonged bed rest, pregnancy, diabetes, heart problems, burns, excessive heat, large varicose veins and certain neurological disorders. A number of medications can also cause postural hypotension, particularly drugs used to treat high blood pressure - diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors - as well as antidepressants and drugs used to treat Parkinson's disease and erectile dysfunction.

Postural hypotension is especially common in older adults, with as many as 20 percent of those over age 65 experiencing postural hypotension. But postural hypotension can also affect young, otherwise healthy people who stand up suddenly after sitting with their legs crossed for long periods or after working for a time in a squatting position.

Low blood pressure after eating (postprandial hypotension). A problem that almost exclusively affects older adults, postprandial hypotension is a sudden drop in blood pressure after eating. Just as gravity pulls blood to your feet when you stand, a large amount of blood flows to your digestive tract after you eat. Ordinarily, your body counteracts this by increasing your heart rate and constricting certain blood vessels to help maintain normal blood pressure. But in some people these mechanisms fail, leading to dizziness, faintness and falls. Postprandial hypotension is more likely to affect people with high blood pressure or autonomic nervous system disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Lowering the dose of blood pressure drugs and eating small, low-carbohydrate meals may help reduce symptoms.

Low blood pressure from faulty brain signals (neurally mediated hypotension).Unlike orthostatic hypotension - which occurs when you stand up from a sitting or lying position - this disorder causes blood pressure to drop after standing for long periods, leading to symptoms such as dizziness, nausea and fainting. Although the end result is similar, neurally mediated hypotension differs from orthostatic hypotension in other important respects: It primarily affects young people, for instance, and rather than resulting from failed blood pressure regulation, it seems to occur because of a miscommunication between the heart and the brain. When you stand for extended periods, your blood pressure falls as blood pools in your legs. Normally, your body then makes adjustments to normalize your blood pressure. But in people with neurally mediated hypotension, nerves in the heart's left ventricle actually signal the brain that blood pressure is too high, rather than too low, and so the brain lessens the heart rate, decreasing blood pressure even further. This causes more blood to pool in the legs and less blood to reach the brain, leading to lightheadedness and fainting.

In addition, the fact that you are tired indicates that your cells are not producing enough energy, and your circulatory system is probably sluggish -- leading to fatigue.

It is imperative that you find out from your doctor what is causing your light-head. I'm not a doctor, but I suspect your problem may have something to do with the side effects of your medications. Unfortunately, your doctor is not going to admit it's the drugs -- he'll say it's your age and your diabetes.

Note: You may want to consider getting a portable blood pressure monitor so you check your blood pressure at home to see how much your blood pressure is dropping.

Prescription Drugs -- The Answer?
Prescription drugs help to lower your blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol -- but, are they really the answer to you improving your health? Go to the following web pages for more information about the danger of prescription drugs:

• Drugs for high blood pressure
• Drugs for high cholesterol
• Drugs for high blood sugar (diabetes)
• Drug companies
• Drugs (general information)