Pumping Marvellous

Numerous studies have found that walking offers tremendous cardiac benefits. It helps people improve their fitness levels and endurance capacity, and it burns calories to aid in weight loss. Walking can lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol levels and your body’s ability to handle glucose or sugar, and reduce your risk of diabetes.

Aim to do 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise at least five days a week, or 20 minutes of vigorous activity three times a week. Moderate-intensity exercise is seen as the equivalent of a brisk walk, as if you have someplace to go, while vigorous exercise is even faster walking. If you’re starting an exercise program, just avoid doing vigorous activity until you’ve been exercising for a few months. The same goes for people with existing heart problems: Unless you have your doctor’s  or nurses okay, stick with moderate-intensity regimes.

If 30 minutes sounds too daunting at first, you can get the same benefits by doing three 10-minute bouts each day. For instance, maybe you walk your dog for 10 minutes in the morning, take a 10-minute stroll at lunch, and walk for another 10 minutes after dinner.

Strength Training for Heart Health

Strength training will not replace aerobic exercise but compliments and  boosts muscular strength and endurance; helps your body handle blood sugars; reduces blood pressure; and increases lean body mass, which can help prevent weight gain. Because you’re losing lean body mass, which burns more calories than fat, you gain weight. However, when you do strength training, you maintain lean body mass and prevent weight gain.

Do strength training for your entire body twice a week, completing one set of eight to 12 repetitions for each muscle group. As you progress, increase to two or three sets. If you’re not sure where to start, work with a certified personal trainer for one or two sessions,  or buy an instructional DVD or book. If the Gym is a local council run gym they are certified to help you make decisions, even better apply to join a Healthy Lifetsyle Team monitored event.

Pair your strength training and aerobic activities with a heart-friendly diet and you’ll be well on your way to building a stronger, healthier heart.

Always consult your Doctor or Heart Failure Nurse if you are doing strength training and if you have been sedentary for awhile, check with your Doctor or Heart Failure Nurse before starting any exercise regime.

The lucky winners of the Pumping Marvellous “Healthy Christmas Dinner” raffle.

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You are not alone – Elizabeth Taylor admitted to Hospital with CHF

Elizabeth Taylor, 78, was hospitalized on Friday for congestive heart failure, a condition she has been suffering with since at least 2004.

Congestive heart failure, commonly abbreviated as CHF, occurs when the heart keeps contracting, but can’t efficiently pump oxygenated blood throughout the body, starving the muscles of oxygen and nutrients. Typically, the heart has an ejection fraction of about 65%: that means, each time it contracts, about 65% of the blood in the ventricles is forced out into the circulatory system. For a patient with CHF, the ejection fraction will be substantially lower, often 35% or lower, meaning the heart must work much harder to keep the body supplied with blood.

Symptoms include shortness of breath after any type of activity, including walking up a flight of steps; swelling of feet and ankles (oedema); weight gain; rapid or irregular pulse; difficulty sleeping; fatigue, weakness or faintness; loss of appetite or indigestion. Fluids may build up around internal organs, including the heart, impairing their ability to function.

CHF has a variety of causes. Among them are high blood pressure; narrowed arteries that bring blood to the heart muscle; a past heart attack; heart valve disease due to past rheumatic fever or other problems; or congenital heart disease.

Treatment typically includes rest and a modified diet to reduce consumption of salt. Drugs are typically prescribed to lower blood pressure, to relax arteries to allow blood to flow more freely, and to eliminate excessive fluids.

We do of course wish Elizabeth Taylor a speedy recovery

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• use small cups instead of mugs
• try to spread your daily allowance over the whole day
• try drinking very cold or very hot fluids – it takes longer
• if it is very hot or you have a fever or diarrhoea, you should drink an extra 100-300ml

Now for tips when you are thirsty

• suck on a ice cube
• limit caffeinated drinks (including coffee, tea and some fizzy drinks)
• limit alcoholic drinks
• use lemon and glycerine mouthswab sticks
• chewing gum or sugar free sweets
• eat frozen fruits
• add lemon juice to your tea or mineral water
• carry around a little spray bottle of water and when you feel thirsty spray into your mouth, small enough for pocket or handbag. For the ladies and for the guys!

That clever little fish!

If you are interested this is the science behind our new friend the Zebra Fish

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYsX1MvIM7o&feature=related

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Don’t get depressed with Heart Failure

Having Heart Failure myself I fully understand why people get depressed – for me the reasons for this are long and complicated however it is not all doom and gloom and if ou follow this website then it will benefit you as you will see your life in a different. I am not saying it is a substitute for clinical and professional support service guidnace but it is a realistic bolt on. Anyway here is the article.

A recent study has reported that people who have suffered heart failure and are provided treatment for depression are more likely to die, when compared to people, who don’t develop the psychological problem. It has been reported that almost 50% people, who develop the condition after heart failure and are treated for it die within a span of one-and-a-half-years.

The findings were reported after a study was carried out by a team of scientists from Denmark. The total numbers of people involved in the study were around 3,300, who had suffered heart failure. It was also reported by the researchers that people, who were the most likely to suffer a heart failure were prescribed a lower quantity of beta blockers.

Meanwhile, another research that was carried out in the UK has reported that people who suffer a heart failure and are admitted to a general ward hospital are two times more likely to die, when compared to those who receive treatment in a cardiology wards.

The study has already appeared in the journal, Heart and was carried out by a team of researchers from universities and colleges across the country.

Heart Failure Support Groups

I keep getting asked what Pumping Marvellous is so I have written a concise purpose and understanding of what we do.

Pumping Marvellous is a patient led support group for Heart Failure Patients currently in the East Lancs area. It currently delivers its support through a website called “pumpingmarvellous.com” and has started a programme of patient forums around the targeted area. Next year we will see the launch of the Pumping Marvellous Webinar and it’s formation to charity status.

What will it achieve?

A need for Pumping Marvellous was identified by a heart failure patient in February 2010 that quickly needed to address support and care of a non clinical nature after initial diagnosis for heart failure patients in the east lancs area. As of yet we have not found any support function of Pumping Marvellous’s kind outside the clinical element of treatment for Heart Failure. There seems to be support functions for cardio care in general and MI but not for the broad range of clinical conditions that sit under the umbrella of heart failure.

As you are aware there are various levels of “heart failure” but what every patient needs who has a life long chronic condition is support and a friendly arm. However it’s effectiveness goes deeper than this as pumping marvellous is designed to create expert patients and if the patient is either too unwell or in denial then it will create expert carers. It will achieve this though it’s website, forums and webinars. Pumping Marvellous will be a staple part of every heart failure patients extra curricula care.

Already Pumping Marvellous since it’s birth in July 2010 has over 150 articles on the website that are designed to inform and help both patients and carers. This number is being added to everyday therefore it is up to date, relevant and pertinent to the patients condition. It is a wealth of resource for heart failure patients to challenge their current situation creating positive situational outcomes and wellbeing. It has allowed the author to manage his condition by the level of research that needed to be put in.

The other angle which seems to be cropping up when you talk to patients is diagnosis by GP’s. We are not suggesting that the GP’s don’t know what the tell tale signs of heart failure are, we just want to raise the awareness and for approx £7 the BNP test will clear up any confusion surrounding diagnosis with results back into the GP surgery within 24hrs. Pumping Marvellous will raise awareness through the GP surgeries to the Patients with your help. The quicker it is identified the better the potential prognosis.

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Dark Chocolate and Blood Pressure

Want to keep your blood pressure under control? Start eating dark chocolate, scientists say.

It is already known that dark chocolate contains high levels of antioxidants that are thought to be beneficial to health.

Now, a team of researchers in Sweden have revealed that dark chocolate works on the body in the same way as blood pressure pills.

They discovered that dark chocolate, which contains large amounts of cocoa, inhibits an enzyme that raises blood pressure.

Study`s lead author Ingrid Persson said that it contains high levels of compounds called catechins and procyanidines, both of which have been shown to affect blood pressure.

She added that with other factors such as a balanced diet and not smoking, dark chocolate could be a good way to lower risk of heart disease and stroke.

In the study, 10 men and six women had blood samples taken before and after eating 75 grams of dark chocolate – a large piece. Within three hours, the team saw that a blood pressure enzyme known as ACE had been inhibited by up to 18 per cent.

This is as effective as ACE inhibitor drugs currently given to the millions of patients with high blood pressure.

`We have previously shown that green tea inhibits the enzyme ACE, which is involved in the body`s fluid balance and blood pressure regulation,` the Daily Express quoted Perrson as saying.

And no we haven’t got shares in a chocolate company but I just fancy a bit of Green and Blacks Dark Chocolate.

Signs of Heart Failure

By themselves, any one sign of heart failure may not be cause for alarm. But if you have more than one of these symptoms, even if you haven’t been diagnosed with any heart problems, report them to your GP and ask for an evaluation of your heart. If you are still unsure demand a BNP test.

If you have been diagnosed with heart failure, it’s important for you to keep track of symptoms and report any sudden changes to your GP or Heart Failure Nurse.

This table lists the most common signs and symptoms, explains why they occur and describes how to recognise them.

Shortness of breath (also called dyspnea)

Breathlessness during activity (most commonly), at rest, or while sleeping, which may come on suddenly and wake you up. You often have difficulty breathing while lying flat and may need to prop up the upper body and head on two pillows. You often complain of waking up tired or feeling anxious and restless.

Blood “backs up” in the pulmonary veins (the vessels that return blood from the lungs to the heart) because the heart can’t keep up with the supply. This causes fluid to leak into the lungs.

Persistent coughing or wheezing

People who have Heart Failure may experience
Coughing that produces white or pink blood-tinged mucus.

Why it happens
Fluid builds up in the lungs

Buildup of excess fluid in body tissues (Oedema)

People who have Heart Failure may experience
Swelling in the feet, ankles, legs or abdomen or weight gain. You may find that your shoes feel tight.

Why it happens
As blood flow out of the heart slows, blood returning to the heart through the veins backs up, causing fluid to build up in the tissues. The kidneys are less able to dispose of sodium and water, also causing fluid retention in the tissues.

Tiredness, fatigue

People who have Heart Failure may experience
A tired feeling all the time and difficulty with everyday activities, such as shopping, climbing stairs, carrying groceries or walking.

Why it happens
The heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the needs of body tissues. The body diverts blood away from less vital organs, particularly muscles in the limbs, and sends it to the heart and brain.

Lack of appetite, nausea

People who have Heart Failure may experience
Feeling of being full or sick to your stomach.

Why it happens
The digestive system receives less blood, causing problems with digestion.

Confusion, impaired thinking

People who have Heart Failure may experience
Memory loss and feelings of disorientation. A carer or relative may notice this first.

Why it happens
Changing levels of certain substances in the blood, such as sodium, can cause confusion.

Increased heart rate

People who have Heart Failure may experience
Heart palpitations, which feel like your heart is racing or throbbing.

Why it happens
To “make up for” the loss in pumping capacity, the heart beats faster.

Amias for Chronic Heart Failure

Good news for Heart Failure patients who can’t tolerate ACE inhibitors.

Takeda has highlighted a new ruling by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) which will affect Amias, its candesartan cilexetil-based treatment for chronic heart failure patients.

The healthcare regulator has chosen to recommend angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) licensed for heart failure – a class of drugs which includes Amias – as an alternative first-line therapy in patients who are unable to tolerate an ACE inhibitor.

Among the factors behind this new ruling was data from clinical trials of Takeda’s drug, demonstrating its efficacy and safety among heart failure patients when compared to a placebo.

It will help to provide a new treatment option for those who are intolerant to ACE inhibitor-based treatments, which can cause coughing among many patients.

Professor John Cleland, professor of cardiology at Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, said: “Candesartan is one of the best studied ARBs and has been shown to improve symptoms, exercise capacity and morbidity.”