High Blood Pressure and Metabolic Syndrome

Hypertension- a canary in the coal mine

Hypertension, otherwise known as high blood pressure, is a very common problem. About a
third of the US adult population has hypertension. It is not a problem that most of the time can be felt at all. Only when it rises suddenly might a person actually feel it. High blood pressure is associated with heart attacks and other forms of coronary artery disease and strokes. That is one reason it is important to recognize high blood pressure and take steps to bring it down.

Without checking it, high blood pressure can be present for many many years while organ
damage silently and slowly accrues. Usually elevated pressure does not exist in isolation. It
usually travels with one or several other signs of chronic disease. Together this five pack of risks is called The Metabolic Syndrome , a widely recognized condition that signals poor metabolic health and future diabetes, heart problems, strokes and cancer. (The five are: Blood pressure >130 over 85, Low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, above normal fasting blood sugar, and a big waistline. (National Cholesterol Education Program, ATP III 2005)

The quick fix for most blood cases of high blood pressure is medications. Blood pressure
medications do work simply and usually without detectable side effects. Observational studies suggest having lower blood pressure correlates with fewer cardiovascular events and longer life. This, however, is different from saying that drug therapy used to achieve lower levels is universally beneficial. Instead, it shows that having naturally low blood pressure from genuine good health is beneficial. That can be achieved through healthy lifestyles. Unfortunately the pills do not do anything to address the other elements of metabolic syndrome.

A critically important step to address all of the Metabolic Syndrome is to make meaningful diet changes. For years, that was thought to mean cutting down on sodium and there still is some truth to that. Extreme salt reduction does result in a small blood pressure reduction although it does so by raising heart rate and increased work on the kidneys. Another dietary change also reduces blood pressure and it does so much more than salt restriction.That diet change is sugar and carbohydrate restriction. Carbohydrates which are found in starchy foods induce the pancreas to secrete insulin. While insulin is essential for many metabolic functions, too much of it is a very bad thing. Chronically elevated insulin causes high blood pressure in several ways.

It causes the kidneys to retain sodium & water in the blood. It also thickens & stiffens the walls of arteries. Eating foods that are low in carbohydrate and sugars is frequently a quick way to lower fasting insulin and thus, also blood pressure without resorting to pills. Carbohydrate reduction simultaneously addresses the entire metabolic syndrome. Nice, huh?

Reducing sugars and starch also controls diabetes and shrinks dangerous abdominal fat, both associated with more severe COVID-19 disease. In summation, a quality diet can improve blood pressure, weight, blood sugar and keeps immunity in fighting shape. Now is the best time ever to eat right.

Eric J. Sodicoff, MD

PMA Medical Specialists’ Educating Individuals on the Importance of Heart Healthy Living

Did you know that people who have close relationships at home, work, or in their community tend to be healthier and live longer? One reason, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), is that we’re more successful meeting our health goals when we join forces with others.

Here are some facts, how-to tips, and resources to inspire you to join with others to improve your heart health. 

Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. Most middle aged people (90 to 95 percent) and young adults (75 to 80 percent) have one or more risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or high blood cholesterol, or being a smoker or overweight. Having more than one risk factor increases your risk for heart disease much more than having just one.

Why Reaching Out Is Good

Having positive, close relationships and feeling connected with others benefits our overall health, including our blood pressure and weight. Having people in our lives who will motivate and care for us helps, but having feelings of closeness and companionship helps our health too.

Making the following heart healthy lifestyle changes will be easier and more successful if you work with other motivated people:

·        Get physically active

·        Achieve a healthy weight and maintain it

·        Eat heart healthy foods

·        Quit smoking

Remember, you don’t have to make big changes all at once. Small steps will get you where you want to go. Here are some tips to get you going.

Move More

Invite family, friends, colleagues, or members of your community to join you in your efforts to be more physically active:

·        Ask a colleague to walk with you on a regular basis, put the date on both your calendars, and text or call to make sure you both show up.

·        Join an exercise class at your local community center and bring a neighbor along. Carpool to make it a regular date.

·        Grab your kids, put on some music, and do jumping jacks, skip rope, or just dance.

·        Make your social time active and encourage everyone—family and friends alike— to think of fun things that get you off the couch and moving.

If you have a health condition, including heart disease or high blood pressure, talk with your doctor before increasing your activity.

How much is enough? Aim for at least 2½ hours of physical activity each week—that’s just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. In addition, do muscle strengthening exercises 2 days a week. Can’t carve out a lot of time in your day? Don’t chuck your goal, chunk it! Try 10 or 15 minutes a few times a day. NHLBI’s Move More fact sheet provides ideas to get and keep you moving.

Aim for a Healthy Weight

If you’re overweight, find someone in your friend group, at work, or in your family who also wants to lose weight. (Every little bit can help!) Check in with them regularly to stay motivated or join a weight loss program together. Do healthy activities together, like walking or playing on a neighborhood sports team, and share low-calorie, low-sodium meals or recipes. (Pregnant women should not try to lose weight, but they can exercise.)

Eating Heart Healthy

We tend to eat like our friends and family, so ask others close to you to join you in your effort to eat healthier.

Quit Smoking

To help you quit, ask others for support or join a support group. Research has shown that people are much more likely to quit if their spouse, friend, or sibling does. Social support online can also help you quit. All states have quit lines with trained counselors—call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669). You’ll find many free resources to help you quit, such as apps, a motivational text service, and a chat line at the websites BeTobaccoFree.hhs.gov and Smokefree.gov.

If you need extra motivation to quit, consider the health of your friends and family: Being around other people’s smoke, called secondhand smoke, is dangerous. Thousands of adult nonsmokers die of stroke, heart disease, and lung cancer caused by secondhand smoke.

While heart disease risk begins to rise in middle age, heart disease develops over time and can start at a young age, even in the teen years. It's never too early, or too late, to take action to prevent and control the risk factors for heart disease. 

PMA Medical Specialists Welcomes New Cardiologist to their Growing Cardiology Team

K. M. Anwar Hussain, MD

PMA Medical Specialists is proud to announce that K. M. AnwarHussain, MD, PhD, FASNC, FACP, FACC has joined the growing multi-specialty medical group.

Dr. Hussain brings an impressive resume to the already remarkable Cardiology Team. He earned his medical degree from P. L. University, Moscow, Russia. He completed his residency at New York Methodist Hospital, Cardiology Research Ctr. and the Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow, Russia.  Dr. Hussain accomplished his Cardiovascular Fellowship at Adult Cardiovascular Medicine: University of Illinois at Chicago, Cardiology Research Center, Academy of Medical Sciences, Moscow, Russia. Dr. Hussain is also a Clinical Professor at Temple University and is fluent in three languages including, English, Bengali and Russian.

“As a general cardiologist, I have been practicing for over 20 years and have also been actively involved in teaching the next generation of physicians. My affiliation as Clinical Professor at Temple University, as well as LECOM enhances my clinical practice,” Dr. Hussain noted. “I am passionate about delivering high-quality and safe patient care, with attention to the most current evidence-based guidelines for heart conditions. My focus is on delivering patient-centered and patient-matters-always care.”

K.M. Anwar Hussain, MD is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine and the Board of Nuclear Cardiology. He is currently accepting new patients at PMA Pottstown located at 13 Armand Hammer Blvd., Suite 100, Pottstown, and the PMA Cardiology Center located at 410 Linfield –Trappe Rd., Suite 100, Limerick, PA.  To schedule an appointment: Pottstown 610-323-3100 Limerick: 610-495-2300