JULY 31, 2010 YOU GOTTA HAVE HEART

"Change and growth take place when a person has risked himself and dares to become involved with experimenting with his own life." Herbert Otto

Here are two words most people do not want to hear: Change and Growth. As a child I grew out of the hand made clothes and toys. Did you grow out of your clothes and toys? That I can accept. But as an adult are you willing to grow out of things? Things like family, friends, jobs, love relationships, and even a home? It was not intentional that I grew out of some friends and family! It sounds absurd, but think about it carefully. Perhaps you moved forward in life- not in wealth, but in an emotional and spiritual way. Some things that meant so much earlier in life became trivial. I do not want to force fit an attitude that I have outgrown. It is a hard concept. We all need time to accept. I needed time to realize the truth.

What do you get out of certain family relationships? They will always be your family, but perhaps you are tired of being the one always calling. Perhaps you are tired of being the door mat, or just being there because you live in New York City! In regards to family this is very difficult, but I have seen it. What I haven't seen is the outgrowing of a parent- a mother or a father. In my opinion you would have to have a severe hurt to outgrow a parent. Difficult, but you must realize it does happen. A child abused psychologically and physically by a parent may outgrow their parent and perhaps never see them again. Can you understand that?

I have to realize I have grown, just in the same respect that my own children have grown. Perhaps they do not need dad as often as they did. They haven't outgrown me--it is just they are at different phases and periods in their life. Perhaps your growth is that you need time to realize the past, and finally say I have feelings also. This is growth occurring because of change. You can put the toys away and make room for new, but feelings are different. I do not put feelings away; I just look at them differently today. I want peace and serenity.

Wow -- I didn't think I was going to write the above, but the words flowed. I find it amazing that two words--growth and change can illicit such emotion. I will always remember the fondness of the old toys, friends, homes, et al. BUT, I have put some of them away to make room for the new things in life...

Back to " You Gotta have Heart"...
The major advances in the last twenty or thirty years in Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) have been the reduction in the number of heart attacks. This has been the result of the tremendous efforts in public education and awareness, new technology in the field, and the development of new medications. It is also true the "Grass Roots" movement of Integrative Medicine (herbs, supplements, yoga) has allowed people to think there is a different way. It is difficult for me to start discussing CVD. I do not know where to begin. I have so many thoughts that flow through my mind.

I think I should begin to define certain terminology. So, as Maria told those Von Trapp children, "Let's start at the very beginning...A very good place to start.."

What is angina pectoris? It is simply defined as squeezing or pressure int he chest. Some describe it as a burning in the chest. What causes angina? Was it what the Italians call..."ags-i-da" or "az-i-da"? I know the spelling is wrong but that is how it sounds. Angina pectoris is a result of an insufficient or reduced blood supply of oxygen to the heart tissue. This drains it of energy. The heart is starving for oxygen as its blood source, the coronary arteries, have decreased oxygen. In most cases it is due to the fact that plaque formation in these vessels restricts blood flow to the heart. These arteries are now partially blocked causing the heart to be vulnerable. Is it only plaque that causes this? Absolutely not! Other conditions such as intense cold, physical exertion and even (although forgotten) emotional stress may increase the need for oxygen and result in 'ags-i-da" or otherwise known as angina.

As a cardiologist, I can use certain medications to prevent this angina. I can use nitroglycerin, aspirin or even a beta blocker. Both aspirin and beta blockers have been shown in all studies to decrease the risk of stroke and heart attack. Are there other modalities that can do the same thing? Of course there are! Isn't this the reason you are reading this blog? What causes the formation of a plaque? That is the million dollar question. It has been debated for years. It is like what came first--the chicken or the egg. What comes first--the insult by a bacteria/virus/parasite to the inner lining of the vessel that causes plaque to build up or is it the actual cholesterol that sticks to the inner vessel? Is a combination of the two.

So that is the first definition--one per day or maybe two.

I want to leave you with this thought. Is there a vitamin or nutrient that has been shown in research studies to reduce mortality and morbidity? In 2003, the effect of using Coenzyme Q 10 (a supplement) for one year reduced the occurrence of total cardiac events including non fatal heart attacks, and even reduced the extent of damage from heart disease.

So you see--we have lots to discuss... I will try to share a heart song every day as we discuss Cardiovascular Disease.

The lyrics below are from the Broadway show stopper- Damn Yankees. The song of course is

"You Gotta Have Heart"

You gotta have heart
All you really need is heart
When the odds are sayin'
You'll never win
That's when a grin
Should start.
You gotta have hope
Mustn't sit around and mope
Nothin's half as better as it may appear
Wait'll next year
And hope.
When your luck is battin' zero
Get your chin up off the floor.
Mister you can be a hero
You can open any door,
There's nothin' to it,
But to do it
You've gotta have heart
Miles 'n' miles 'n' miles of heart,
Oh, it's fine to be a genius of course,
But keep that old horse before the cart,
First you've gotta have heart.

A great slugger, we haven't got
A great pitcher, we haven't got
A great ball club, we haven't got

What've we got?
We've got heart
All we really need is heart,
You gotta have heart
All you really need is heart
When the odds are sayin'
You'll never win
That's when the grin should start
We've got hope
We don't sit around and mope.
None is solitary sob do we heave,
Mister, cause we've got hope.

So who is Herbert Otto? He is not Herbert Otto Gille, the German General who died in 1966. He is a psychologist known for his predictions on the future of sex, relationships, and marriage. He has many quotes which are worth reading.
Until tomorrow...