Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)

More women are dying from Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) than breast cancer. In fact a women is five times more likely to die from a heart attack or stroke (22% chance) than from breast cancer (3% chance) (Leening, 2014).

For both men and women, statistics from the Australian Heart Foundation show that one Australian dies every 12 minutes as a result of CVD, and it is the leading cause of death in the western world” (WHO, 2012).

Following evidence-based medicine and using Chinese medicine diagnosis, our team provides assessment of CVD risk and advises on supplements, lifestyle changes, and acupuncture treatments. We address the underlying causes of CVD, as well as the symptoms. We offer discussion on best evidence medical research and an individualised treatment plan.

CVD is a term that encompasses a wide variety of diseases but primarily includes heart attacks, angina, and strokes. Heart attacks occur more often in men, while women tend to be more likely to suffer from a stroke.

Research suggests that a CVD episode in men is more often triggered by a highly stressful incident whereas episodes in women are more often the result of high levels of chronic ongoing stress (Leening, 2014). Two out of three people will experience CVD at some point in their life and our Chinese medicine team recognises the gender differences in assessing risk of CVD and adjust our assessment and treatment strategies accordingly.

The medical treatment of CVD for the last few decades has focused purely on elevated cholesterol and blood pressure as the main causes of CVD. Unfortunately, this approach has not significantly reduced CVD incidence or deaths.

Scientific research now suggests that, while high cholesterol and blood pressure contribute to CVD, there are a range of other factors that also significantly contribute to the condition.

These other factors include: systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, infections, immune dysfunction, nutritional deficiencies, and gut dysbiosis. Evidence suggests that prevention and treatment of CVD is best approached in an holistic way, encompassing and addressing causative factors and their effects.

These blood pressure medications do not address the inflammation in the walls of the arteries that can be the key drivers of the blood pressure rising in the first place.

There is significant research to indicate that an holistic approach to CVD can provide powerful reductions in CVD risk markers as well as CVD outcomes. Some of the best outcomes for patients can be achieved when conventional medical treatments are combined with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine treatments.

References

  1. J.G.Leening et all (2014) Sex Differences in lifetime risk and first manifestation of Cardiovascular Disease: prospective population based cohort study. The British Medical Journal: 2014; 349: g5992.
  2. The top 10 causes of death
  3. Chowdhury, R. et al (2014) Association of dietary, circulating, and supplemental fatty acids with coronary risk: a systematic review and meta analysis. Internal Medicine 160(6): 398-406.
  4. Fuller, NR et al (2015) The effect of a high egg diet on cardiovascular risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes: a three month randomised controlled trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 101(4): 705-13.
  5. Group S R, Wright J T Jr., Williamson J D, et al; for the SPRINT Research Group. (2015) A randomized trial of intensive vs standard blood-pressure control. New England Journal of Medicine. 2015; 373: 2103-2116. doi: 10.1056/ NEJMoa1511939.
  6. McEvoy J W, Chen Y, Rawlings A, et al. (2016) Diastolic blood pressure, subclinical myocardial damage, and cardiac events. Implications for blood pressure control. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2016. doi: 10.1016/ j.jacc.2016.07.754.
  7. Tachjian et al, Use of herbal products and potential interactions in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Journal of the American college of cardiology. 2010; 55 (6): 515-525

 

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