Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure occurs when the muscle fibers of the heart become damaged from arteriosclerosis (and blockage), coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, inflammation, faulty vales (regurgitation), or heart infections. The ventricles of the heart become bloated with blood that can’t be properly expelled. The heart fails to pump blood through the 60,000 miles of arteries and veins. This causes increased pressure in the circulatory system. The increased pressure causes fluid to escape from the blood stream and to accumulate in the tissues and organs. The symptoms of congestive heart disease include fluid-retention, shortness of breath, chronic non-productive cough, exertion induced fatigue, and generalized lethargy.
There are two types of heart failure; right-sided and left-sided.
Right-sided heart failure occurs when the right atria and ventricle can’t keep pace with the left atria and ventricle. Left-sided heart failure occurs when the left atria and ventricle can’t keep up with the right side. Right-sided heart failure causes blood to accumulate in the vessels leading to the heart. Excess fluid (peripheral edema) and swelling occurs in the legs, ankles and feet.
In left-sided heart failure blood accumulates in the veins leading from the lungs and the lungs become filled with fluid (pulmonary edema). The person may experience shortness of breath on exertion or paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (shortness of breath that occurs after several hours of sleep). Salt intake should be restricted since sodium worsens the symptoms of CHF.
Conventional medical therapy for CHF includes diuretics, ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, and calcium channel blockers. These medications only treat the symptoms and actually accelerate the rate of CHF.
Diuretics are used to help reduce excess fluid and decrease the amount of blood the heart pumps with each beat. When taking these medications a person should at the very least increase their magnesium intake. Even netter is to add a good comprehensive multivitamin/mineral supplement with a minimum of 400-500mg of magnesium. If you’re taking diuretics , you’ll need to add additional 200-500mg of magnesium. Remember if you take to much magnesium you’ll have a lose bowel movement. If this does occur simply reduce the amount of magnesium you’re taking. Diuretics can cause a magnesium deficiency. As discussed earlier, magnesium is essential for proper heart function.
Nutritional therapies for managing CHF include the following nutrients:
Magnesium may prove to be the most important nutrient in facilitating optimal cardiovascular health. Studies have demonstrated that low magnesium levels decrease the survival rate in those with CHS, by almost 50 percent. Individuals with CHF should be taking a minimum of 500mg of magnesium citrate or chelate each day. I recommend all of my CHF patients start on my Healthy Heart Formula with 500mg of magnesium.
Hawthorne has been proven in double blind studies to help reduce the symptoms associated with CHF.
The recommended dose is 200 mg 3 times a day.
Numerous double-blind studies have demonstrated the importance of using the amino acid L-Carnitine in the management of CHF. L-Carnitine delivers long chain fatty acids to the heart. These fatty acids provide 70 percent of the energy needed by the heart. Studies involving carnitine replacement therapy have shown that it helps reduce cardiac arrhythmia, angina (chest pain), total cholesterol (by 20%), triglycerides (by 28%), while increasing HDL (by 12%). Recommended dose is 500mg 3 times a day on an empty stomach.
Arginine,
an amino acid, helps dilate (relax and open) blood vessels that have been unresponsive to drug therapy. Studies involving arginine have shown it acts like the drug nitroglycerine, which increases nitric oxide. Because of its vasodiolating abilities, arginine is recommended for the management of angina. It also helps boost blood flow to the extremities (legs) by up to 29 percent. Recommended dose is 1,000-12,000gm a day.CoQ10
has an impressive track record in regards CHF and should be recommended to those suffering from congestive heart failure.In one study patients were administered a modest 30mg of CoQ10 a day. All the participants in the study showed improvement and 53 percent were asymptomatic after 4 weeks.
The largest study to date on CoQ10 involved 2,664 patients with congestive heart failure and was conducted in Italy. The results showed that individuals who took an average of 100mg of CoQ10 a day for 3 months noticed a drastic improvement in their symptoms.
Percentage of those with improvement follows:
cyanosis- 78% improved
edema (fluid retention) – 78.6%
vertigo -73%
insomnia – 66%
sweating – 79.8%
shortness of breath – 52%
pulmonary edema (fluid on the lungs) – 77.8%
enlarged liver – 49%
heart palpitations – 75%
arrhythmia (abnormal heart beats) – 63%
venous congestion – 71.8%
CoQ10 reduces exercise induced angina (chest pain) by 53% percent.
I typically use the following combination for my CHF patients: Healthy Heart Formula, an extra 100mg of CoQ10, Hawthorne Extract, and L-Carnitine.
For more information on CHF and other cardiovascular illnesses: “Heart Disease What Your Doctor Won’t Tell You” is available at Barnes and Noble or online.