Month: October 2009

A heart patient’s guide to the three stages of chronic stress

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 8 Comments

gas gauge emptyby Carolyn Thomas  ♥  @HeartSisters

McGill University’s Centre for Studies on Human Stress at L’Hôpital Louis H. Lafontaine in Montréal is a remarkably helpful resource for those of you who are so chronically stressed day to day that you might be convincing yourself that this state of being is “normal”.

Anybody who has undergone ongoing chaos in the workplace, a family health crisis, a divorce, a death in the family, serious financial worries, too many deadlines, and many other realities can recognize the symptoms of chronic stress – but did you know that this low-grade stress is extremely damaging to our hearts?

In fact, the World Health Organization has predicted that stress-related disorders like heart disease and depression will soon be the top two leading causes of disability in adults. According to the Centre for Studies On Human Stress, there are three distinct stages of chronic stress.  See if any of these feel familiar:  Continue reading “A heart patient’s guide to the three stages of chronic stress” →

Warning: ‘herbal valium’ aconite is dangerous for your heart

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 7 Comments

woman field offscreen green

This is a classic case where natural does not mean safe. Aconite (also known as aconitum, monkshood or wolfbane) is popularly known as ‘herbal valium’ for its ability to slow down the heart rate. Although the effectiveness of this ancient herb to treat some ailments isn’t disputed, the effectiveness level is so close to fatal toxicity that last week, according to Medical News Today, a U.S. government watchdog agency warned consumers of the cardiovascular dangers of taking any herbal medicines containing aconite.  All 109 species and seven hybrids of aconitum contain the alkaloids aconitine, aconine, ephedrine, and sparteine that may be toxic to the heart. There is no antidote. Continue reading “Warning: ‘herbal valium’ aconite is dangerous for your heart” →

Women at greater risk for side effects when taking statin drugs for cholesterol

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 24 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas  ♥ @HeartSisters

Statins are the largest selling class of prescription drugs on earth, and account for over 40% of all heart  medications. Lipitor, for example, at over $26 billion in global sales, was the world’s biggest selling drug, manufactured by the world’s biggest drug company, Pfizer.

Because of their effectiveness in managing cholesterol levels, statins are often prescribed to lower total cholesterol in the belief that lower numbers will mean fewer heart attacks. Most people who are prescribed statins are healthy people who don’t have heart disease but who simply have high cholesterol. They will take these drugs for the rest of their lives, making statins a dream drug for the pharmaceutical companies that make them. Continue reading “Women at greater risk for side effects when taking statin drugs for cholesterol” →

In praise of slowness: how ‘la dolce vita’ can help our heart health

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 3 Comments

slowness coverby Carolyn Thomas  ♥ @HeartSisters

When I worked in corporate PR, I was on a plane at least two mornings most weeks, flying off to Very Important Meetings with Very Important People to discuss my Very Important Projects. At the airport book store one day, I picked up what I thought would be just the perfect thing for somebody as busy as I was:  one of those ‘Ten Best Business Books Condensed on Tape’. What a great idea! I could save time while cramming all this Important Business Savvy into my overstuffed brain while driving to the airport and back each week!  But something hit me, somewhere between Total Quality Management and Seven Habits:

“This is exactly what’s wrong with my life!” 

I realized that I was so busy that I no longer felt able to enjoy settling in with a good book anymore. Even reading – my great love – had turned into just another item on an overloaded To Do list.

I was a heart attack waiting to happen.  Continue reading “In praise of slowness: how ‘la dolce vita’ can help our heart health” →