Statins aid in controlling cholesterol levels in heart patients

A healthy heart has become a major concern among people around the world these days. There is now more information available about various research projects and clinical trials than ever before. People are becoming more conscious about their heart's health, and are better able to control risk factors influencing their heart; thus reducing frequency of heart related ailments experienced by the general population.

Recent research into heart health factors led to the discovery of 'statins.' Statins have been identified in contributing to controlling cholesterol levels in people suffering from heart disease. Statins act by effectively lowering the LDL (levels of bad cholesterol); though, they do slightly affect raising HDL (the levels of good cholesterol).

In the latest research, it has been found that those who have had a heart attack or some other cardiac problem receive substantial benefit by beginning statin drug treatment therapy.

The main advantages of statin therapy are as follows:

• Statins act to reduce risk factors associated with heart disease that lead to death, heart attack, or cardiac surgical procedures.
• Statin therapy proves beneficial for people with high levels of C - reactive protein (a substance in the liver, produced by the inflammation of arteries). It must be noted here that one can have low cholesterol but still s/he might be at a high risk of a heart problem; if s/he has high levels of C-reactive protein.
• It has been found that statin therapy is not only safe but also has few, or low impact, side effects in the majority of patients using it.

In another research study conducted in mice, it has been found that leafy greens can prove beneficial in reducing the chances of heart attack or stroke.

This healing quality is due to the fact that nutrients in the veggies protect the heart from damage by improving oxygen retention and blood flow, among numerous other benefits to the cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary systems. To reach this conclusion, some mice were provided with drinking water that contained nitrites or nitrates while others were given a placebo of plain drinking water.

After a week's time, the mice were given an induced heart attack to study their heart after the mice had been revived or stabilized. It was found that the mice who drank nitrite or nitrate contained water had less heart attack damage compared to those mice that were drinking plain water. Diets comprising of cauliflower, spinach, collard greens, meat and broccoli are ideal because these vegetables are high in nitrogen content.

In the ayurvedic approach to have good heart health, it has been pointed out that practicing transcendental meditation for 20 minutes twice in a day has a positive and considerable effect reducing the accumulation of fatty deposits in arteries by lowering stress levels, and thus lowering blood pressure. Meditation can also play a vital role in reducing pain in a number of patients. However, the experts agree that meditation is used only as a supplement to traditional cardiac medical care and many of the benefits of meditation may be strictly psychological. No alternative medicine has yet proven to be a substitute for the existing heart disease remediation therapies provided through many years of rigorous study, research, debate, and clinical trials and regulatory approvals.