Understanding Cardiovascular Disease: Causes and Solutions

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, affecting millions of lives each year. CVD encompasses a range of conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels, including hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart attack and stroke, and hypertension. While genetics play a role, lifestyle factors, environmental influences, and emotional health are critical contributors. In this blog we will take a look at the most common causes of CVD and explore how we can use lifestyle to minimise our risk factors.

Common causes of cardiovascular disease

Dietary Choices

One of the most significant risk factors for developing CVD is diet. Consuming highly processed foods, excess sugar, and unhealthy fats can trigger inflammation, obesity, and insulin resistance, all of which heighten the risk of heart disease. A diet that lacks essential nutrients - such as magnesium for maintaining normal heart rhythm and vascular tone, the amino acids arginine and citrulline for nitric oxide production in support of vascular tone and blood flow, methylation factors to regulate homocysteine levels, and omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) to combat inflammation - can impair cardiovascular function and contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries.

Sedentary Lifestyle

In today’s fast paced, technology driven world, many of us find ourselves leading increasingly sedentary lifestyles. A sedentary lifestyle is characterised by prolonged periods of sitting or inactivity, whether at work, home, or during leisure activities. Studies show that adults in the UK spend an average of 9 hours a day sitting. This trend is linked to a host of health issues, including obesity, diabetes, and, notably, CVD driven by underlying mechanisms associated with insulin resistance, altered lipid metabolism, impaired blood flow and poor oxygenation of tissues.

Chronic Inflammation.

Chronic inflammation is a prolonged inflammatory response that can last for months or years. Unlike acute inflammation, which is a short-term process occurring in response to injury or infection, chronic inflammation arises when the body continues to signal for an inflammatory response despite the absence of an obvious injury or infection. This ongoing inflammation can contribute to endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis with plague instability and coagulation disturbances increasing the risk of thrombosis and hypertension. It is important to also note that chronic inflammation and insulin resistance and other metabolic disturbances go hand in hand. Many factors can contribute to chronic inflammation including poor diet, leading a sedentary lifestyle, social isolation, a lack of nature, excessive emotional stress and environmental toxins.

Stress and Emotional Health

Emotional health plays a crucial role in overall wellbeing, significantly influencing physical health, including cardiovascular conditions. The intricate relationship between emotions and heart health is a growing area of research. The link between emotional health and CVD can be understood through several key mechanisms:

Emotional stress triggers the body's "fight or flight" response, leading to the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline which in turn causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. Over time such changes can lead to hypertension and blood vessel damage increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Chronic emotional stress is associated with increased levels of inflammation in the body.
Emotional distress often leads individuals to adopt unhealthy coping strategies, such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, overeating, or physical inactivity all of which are risk factors for CVD.
Emotional health directly influences sleep quality. Anxiety, depression, and stress can lead to insomnia or disturbed sleep patterns, which have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
Individuals who experience high levels of anxiety or depression may have altered heart rate variability, which can be a marker of poor cardiovascular health.
Emotional health is closely tied to social connections. Chronic feelings of loneliness or social isolation can lead to increased stress and depression, both of which are risk factors for CVD.

Sleep Disorders

Poor sleep quality or sleep disorders like sleep apnoea can significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular issues. Sleep is essential for recovery and maintaining a healthy balance of hormones that regulate appetite, stress, and heart function.

Toxic Exposure

In recent years, the link between environmental toxins and CVD has gathered increasing attention. Environmental toxins are harmful substances found in the air, water, soil, andvarious products we encounter daily – air pollution, biotoxins, herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals, plastics and other industrial chemicals. These toxins can trigger endothelial dysfunction, hormonal imbalanes, inflammation and oxidative stress thereby increasing the risk of CVD.

Lifestyle solutions

Nutritional Interventions

Adopting a whole food based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats can significantly improve cardiovascular health outcomes. Dietary patterns like the Mediterranean diet or DASH diet, are associated with reduced CVD risk.

Regular Physical Activity and sitting disruption

Incorporating regular exercise into your routine can help lower blood pressure, improve circulation, and reduce stress. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week, combined with strength training exercises. However, exercising regularly once a day or a few times per week cannot compensate for prolonged sitting time. Time spent sitting is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It is therefore critical to disrupt sitting time, and the good news is that as little as two minutes of moderate activity every hour has shown to decrease the risk of CVD dramatically.

Stress Management

Techniques Implementing stress reduction practices such as mindfulness, meditation, yoga, or deep breathing can have profound effects on heart health. Social interaction and spending time in nature are other ways to help manage stress, decrease inflammation and improve emotional wellness.

Quality Sleep

Prioritising sleep hygiene is essential for heart health. Establishing a regular sleep schedule, creating a restful environment, and limiting screen time before bed can enhance sleep quality.

Detoxification Strategies

Detoxification through dietary changes, hydration, (infrared) sauna, and lifestyle modifications to minimise toxic exposure are helpful strategies to reduce CVD risk. This might include avoiding processed foods, reducing plastic use, and supporting liver function with specific nutrients.

Personalised Supplementation

Some individuals may benefit from supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium and antioxidants, which can support cardiovascular health when tailored to individual needs and health status.

Addressing underlying mechanisms

Insulin resistance, leptin resistance, elevated uric acid, high triglycerides, oxidised cholesterol, elevated homocysteine, elevated Lp-PLA2 and nutrient deficiencies for example are important risk factors contributing to CVD. Identifying and addressing such metabolic markers through lifestyle changes and, when necessary, medication can help reduce overall risk.

In summary, CVD is a complex condition with multiple contributing factors. Identifying and addressing the root causes of CVD can lead to more effective prevention and treatment. Emphasising a holistic view of health allows for sustainable lifestyle changes that not only benefit heart health but also enhance overall wellbeing. Taking proactive steps today can pave the way for a healthier tomorrow.

Testing for cardiovascular risk with Colab Services

Carotid Ultra Sound Scan Colab Services are thrilled to announce that we can now offer the Carotid Ultra sound scan.

What it is:

A carotid ultrasound is a safe, painless imaging test using sound waves to produce detailed images of the anatomy of the carotid arteries in the neck, which carry blood from the heart to the brain. It provides an accurate assessment of blood flow and measurement of artery wall thickness and can detect plaque buildup, providing a detailed look at cardiovascular health.

Why you would do it:

Pathological changes in carotid arteries are a useful indicator for coronary artery disease and may be detected before physical symptoms become apparent. A carotid ultrasound is recommended if there are cardiovascular risk factors including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, or a family history of heart disease or stroke. This scan provides a useful screening tool even in asymptomatic individuals, to identify issues that may affect blood vessel health and to assess overall cardiovascular risk. In combination with biometrics and functional test results, the carotid ultrasound scan help identify risk factors to consider when personalising health management strategies to support heart and vascular health.

What the results show:

The scan results can reveal blockages, narrowing (stenosis), or plaque buildup in the carotid arteries, and can differentiate between stable and unstable plaque. These findings provide an indication an increased risk of stroke, to help guide preventive treatments and monitoring. If you are not medically qualified you will need to join our scientific working group with oversight by our medical advisor to be able to order this scan. For more information please contact us at [email protected]

Blood Panels:

CL007 MAP:METFLEX: Uric Acid, Leptin, IL1B,IL6, HsCRP , Triglycerides, HbA1c, Cholesterol (total, HDL,LDL), Fasting Glucose, Insulin, Insulin Resistance index

CL008 MAP:METFIT: METFLEX and FBC, kidney function, liver function, Ferritin, Adiponectin, OmegaCheck.

CL021 CARDIO-FIT: METFIT and ApoE, Homocysteine, Lipoprotein fractionation, Lp- PLA2, Myeloperoxidase, ADMA, OxLDL.

CL022 CLOT-FIT: D-Dimer, Clotting Panel

Q705 CHL Cardio Complete: Our Cardio CHL Complete tests includes all of our CHL panels in one full panel.

Q94220 Cardio IQ Advanced Lipid Panel: full lipid panel, Lipoprotein Fractionation, APOE status, Adiponectin, TMAO, Lp(a) and Lp-PLA2.

Q11345 Thrombotic Marker Panel: D-Dimer, Quantitative Fibrin Monomer, Prothrombin Fragment 1.2, Thrombin- Antithrombin (TAT) Complex.

Q37849 Lipoprotein Fractionation (NMR with Lipids): LDL-P, Small LDL-P, LDL size, HDL-P, Large HDL-P, HDL size, Large VLDL-P, VLDL size, TG/HDL-C ratio