There's a lot of conflicting information out there about your heart health. Some say cholesterol is your biggest enemy. Others say it's your triglycerides or your homocysteine. And still other say it's your C-reactive protein levels.
While all of these play a part, I've long maintained that what's most important is how your body handles these things. For instance, someone with high cholesterol might be able to handle those high levels better (and, therefore, has less risk of a heart attack) than someone who has slightly lower cholesterol, but can't handle it as well.
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The good news is, there's a very easy way to tell how healthy your heart is and how well it can handle high cholesterol, etc. And you can do it right in your own home. The only equipment you need to do this test is a stopwatch.
That's right! No muss, no fuss, no needle jabs, and no cost!
All you have to do is count the number of times your heart beats in a minute at three different times. The first time is while you're at rest, perhaps right after you wake up in the morning or after you've had time to sit for a little while. The second time is at your peak exercise point, after jogging or walking briskly. And the third time is after you're done exercising.
The significance of your pulse rate at these various points is not new. But a research team has been able to quantify your heart-attack risk based on their evaluation of 5,713 men. These men were aged 42-53 and had no heart symptoms or clinically detectable signs of heart disease. They were evaluated from 1967 to 1972 and followed for 23 years! Of the group, there were 81 sudden deaths. Let's look at the data.
According to the researchers, a resting pulse rate over 75 beats per minute (bpm) increases your risk of sudden death almost four-fold. Less than 75 bpm is normal and healthy.
The second test is how fast your heart rate takes to drop after your exercise. Your heart rate should fall by 25 bpm PER MINUTE after you stop exercising. So if your heart rate was 125 bpm during exercise, it should drop to 75 bpm two minutes after you stop exercising.
In other words, if you exercise your heart up to 125 bpm, within two minutes, your rate should fall to at least 75 bpm. If not, your risk of sudden death increases by some 220% over the risk while you're at rest.
These simple tests are a great way to measure your heart's performance and bypass expensive physician conducted evaluations. If you fail either test, please see your integrative physician. There are many options that could help you return your heart to good health. These include chelation therapy and oxidation therapies. I also would expect your doctor to evaluate your diet and to help you start a regular exercise program. These changes could reverse the problem!
For more information on these treatments, simply search the Archives of my website for any of these therapies. This service is free to all subscribers. If you're not a subscriber, sign up on my website and I'll send you up to 17 free reports.
Ref: "Heart-Rate Profile during Exercise as a Predictor of Sudden Death," NEJM, 5-12 2005.