Cupid's Conceit
Whether it be a broken heart of a wide-eyed adolescent, or the chest-crushing pain and anxiety of an attack on middle age, an organ the size of a human fist has no business causing so much grief. All of us are affected in some way by our pulsating companion beneath the rib cage, who we take for granted until faced with a record-breaking race to the emergency room, to the tune of flashing lights and screeching sirens. So, let us take a brief, “heartfelt” look at three issues of concern.
At the top of our list is the subject of depression, which can be triggered by the onset of heart disease. That finding may, indeed, account for the increase in depression afflicting those of us 45 years of age and older. High cholesterol and coronary artery disease have been linked to inflammation of the immune system, which, in turn, is related to the neurotransmitter serotonin. As brain serotonin levels are known to affect mood, it takes no stretch of imagination to deduce the logical connection between a sick heart and a sick mind.
The connection between heart disease and depression has led to new strategies to reverse the latter. Lowering cholesterol and losing weight may have a distinct impact on depression. Furthermore, supplements that contain natural anti-inflammatories - such as omega-3 fatty acids - may also help to stop the cascade of chemical events associated with the symptoms of a wounded psyche.
Let us now turn our attention to “Fat America,” and the 36 million of us who need drugs to control our cholesterol levels. Target cholesterol levels depend on age (men 45+, women 55+), sex and family history, and risk factors, such as smoking, abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, low HDL (“good” cholesterol), diabetes, and high triglycerides. It is all a simple matter of numbers. A person with only one heart-attack risk factor can live comfortably with an LDL (“bad” cholesterol) score of 160 (in milligrams per deciliter of blood). Those of us with two or more risk factors require a lower LDL level (130), and those already suffering from diabetes or heart disease even lower (100).
While drugs like Mevacor and Pravachol have few side effects and undeniably prevent heart attacks by lowering LDL, one has to question the wisdom and economics of creating 36 million “junkies” with $800-a-year drug-regimen habits. Certainly, an even simpler measure is preferable. Eating six small meals a day, instead of the usual two or three large ones, can, indeed, lower cholesterol count.
Finally, a study published last year in the January 9, 2003 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine determined that regular, moderate consumption of alcohol may lower men’s risk of heart attacks. Unfortunately, although women may receive some of those benefits, the risk of dying of breast cancer is 30 percent higher among those who drink alcohol at least once a day.
When the acne-spotted youth finally comes of age, there will be much more to worry about than an arrow through the heart or a missed valentine. Cupid will move on to other quarry, but, in our conceit and overindulgence, we may be left with the wounds of darts from a far more imperious quiver.
At the top of our list is the subject of depression, which can be triggered by the onset of heart disease. That finding may, indeed, account for the increase in depression afflicting those of us 45 years of age and older. High cholesterol and coronary artery disease have been linked to inflammation of the immune system, which, in turn, is related to the neurotransmitter serotonin. As brain serotonin levels are known to affect mood, it takes no stretch of imagination to deduce the logical connection between a sick heart and a sick mind.
The connection between heart disease and depression has led to new strategies to reverse the latter. Lowering cholesterol and losing weight may have a distinct impact on depression. Furthermore, supplements that contain natural anti-inflammatories - such as omega-3 fatty acids - may also help to stop the cascade of chemical events associated with the symptoms of a wounded psyche.
Let us now turn our attention to “Fat America,” and the 36 million of us who need drugs to control our cholesterol levels. Target cholesterol levels depend on age (men 45+, women 55+), sex and family history, and risk factors, such as smoking, abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, low HDL (“good” cholesterol), diabetes, and high triglycerides. It is all a simple matter of numbers. A person with only one heart-attack risk factor can live comfortably with an LDL (“bad” cholesterol) score of 160 (in milligrams per deciliter of blood). Those of us with two or more risk factors require a lower LDL level (130), and those already suffering from diabetes or heart disease even lower (100).
While drugs like Mevacor and Pravachol have few side effects and undeniably prevent heart attacks by lowering LDL, one has to question the wisdom and economics of creating 36 million “junkies” with $800-a-year drug-regimen habits. Certainly, an even simpler measure is preferable. Eating six small meals a day, instead of the usual two or three large ones, can, indeed, lower cholesterol count.
Finally, a study published last year in the January 9, 2003 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine determined that regular, moderate consumption of alcohol may lower men’s risk of heart attacks. Unfortunately, although women may receive some of those benefits, the risk of dying of breast cancer is 30 percent higher among those who drink alcohol at least once a day.
When the acne-spotted youth finally comes of age, there will be much more to worry about than an arrow through the heart or a missed valentine. Cupid will move on to other quarry, but, in our conceit and overindulgence, we may be left with the wounds of darts from a far more imperious quiver.
Copyright 2004, Albert M. Balesh, M.D. All rights reserved.
posted by Dr. Al at
7/15/2006 09:08:00 AM
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