There are a variety of medications that a person can be prescribed for heart disease. One of these is known as angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. These are a group of medications that serve to dilate (or widen) the blood vessels in order to improve the quantity of blood that is pumped through the heart and they also serve to lower blood pressure. Also sometimes referred to as ACE inhibitors, they serve to increase the amount of blood flow and by doing so, this cuts down on how much work the heart must do.
ACE inhibitors are prescribed to patients for a variety of heart conditions with the most common being heart failure. Patients with high blood pressure are often prescribed ACE inhibitors, as are those with diabetes. For those suffering from Type 2 diabetes, this medication has been proven to slow down the process that causes damage to the kidneys. If administered to a patient shortly after suffering a heart attack, ACE inhibitors can prevent further damage and can also increase the survival rate of patients. Paramedics arriving at the scene of a heart attack are often trained to administer ACE inhibitors to patients. ACE inhibitors act as prevention for heart attacks and strokes for those people classified as high-risk.
ACE inhibitors are sold under a variety of different brand names. Examples of these include Capoten (captopril), Vasotec (enalapril), Prinivil and Zestril (lisinopril), and Lotensin (benazepril). Other types of ACE inhibitors include Monopril (fosinopril), Altace (ramipril), Accupril (quinapril), Aceon (perindopril), Mavik (trandolapril), and Univasc (moexipril).
It is best to take ACE inhibitors on an empty stomach, approximately one hour before you eat a meal. It is so important to always carefully follow the directions on the prescription label. Never take too many pills at once or too few pills at once. It is the kind of heart condition you have as well as the type of ACE inhibitor you have been prescribed that will determine the duration of the medication, the number of doses you are required to take as well as the time span that must elapse between doses.
While you are on an ACE inhibitor it is important to have your kidneys as well as your blood pressure checked on a regular basis as problems can arise if these two things are not monitored. It is never smart to suddenly just stop taking your medication if you do not like how it makes you feel or you question whether or not it is actually working at all. Be aware that if you have been prescribed an ACE inhibitor for heart failure, you may need to take the medication for a while before you begin to see results. You should still keep taking it regardless. When it comes to heart failure, ACE inhibitors decrease the chance that your health condition will become chronic and will get worse as time progresses.
If you have questions about ACE inhibitors speak to your doctor or healthcare professional about your concerns. The more knowledgeable you are about the medications you are prescribed, the better equipped you will be to cope with your heart condition. Always stay informed about new advances in heart research as well.
Heart Disease And Nutrition
When you suffer from some type of heart disease, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be very difficult. We all need to eat healthy, maintain a good regular exercise routine and have regular checkups from our health care provider. When heart disease is not managed well the effects on our kidneys can be catastrophic.
The kidneys job is to filter the blood to remove carcinogens that we take in daily through the ingesting of out highly refined and processed foods. In addition it also removes excess fluid from the blood stream. The kidneys filter the waist products from the blood stream by using the natural pressure of the blood supply.
When this excess fluid is not being remove then the heart will have to work harder to pump the blood throughout our bodies by increasing our blood pressure. Higher blood pressure will cause more damage to our kidneys causing less fluid and toxins being removed from the blood stream.
As you can see the cycle of the heart damaging the kidneys which in turn cause more damage to the heart is a leading cause of death for patients suffering from heart disease. This viscous cycle must be control as soon as possible before permanent damage is done to the effected organs.
The leading causes of kidney disease are as follows:
Decreased blood flow to the kidney is usually caused by clogged arteries. Arteriosclerosis, congestive heart disease, plaques or fatty deposits containing large quantities of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood stream can all cause a decreased blood flow to the kidneys.
Acute Tubular Necrosis (ATN) is the death of tissue do to a loss of oxygen to the kidney. Long term decreased of oxygen to the kidney can be caused by congestive heart disease, clogged arteries, anemia, iron deficiency, cycles cell anemia and infections such as acute septicemia. Short term loss of oxygen to the kidney can be caused a heart attack or by direct kidney injury.
Damage to the kidneys can be the result of over exposure to metals, solvents, drugs and other pollutants.
Excessive amounts of alcohol will cause death of muscle and organ tissue. When tissue dies myoglobin is released into the blood supply. Myoglobin is very toxic to the renal tubular epithelium and may cause kidney failure. One of the blood test done after a heart attack is the testing for the amount of myoglobin in the blood stream. The larger amount of myoglobin found has a direct correlation to the amount of damage caused to the heart muscle by a heart attack.
High blood pressure will also cause damage to the filtering process of the kidneys.
Prevention is always better than a cure and knowing you are at risk for heart or kidney disease should go a long way in your ability to prevent long term damage to these vital organs. Take steps today to maintain a health life style and to improve the quality of life.
Common vitamins and and minerals can help with preventing disease such as vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin E, Cranberry Juice, Natural diuretics and Garlic.
Vitamin A is a known antioxidant and can assist the human body in the healing process. Vitamin A is stored in the liver and fat cells of the human body and can reach toxic levels. DO NOT take more than the recommended dosage of Vitamin A.
Vitamin B taken together as a team perform vital biological processes including aiding in the healing process for congestive heart failure and reduces fluid retention. It is required for the development of red blood cells.
Vitamin C has been shown to combat the development of cholesterol deposits in the arteries. Within a few hours after receiving vitamin C patients showed a sharp decline in the cholesterol levels of the blood. Take 1,000 to 5,000 mg daily.
Vitamin E is known to help the red blood cells to live longer and keep them from breaking down too soon.
Cranberry Juice may also help prevent kidney and bladder infections. If you are taking COUMADIN then check with your doctor before using cranberry.
Natural diuretics are contained in cranberries, anything that has caffeine and apple cider vinegar. Fruits and vegetables such as watermelon and cucumbers contain a lot of water and will help increase urination.
Garlic counteract the usual result of high fats in the diet and to help reduce high blood pressure.
This report is nutritional in nature and not to be construed as medical advice.
Always consult your doctor before using this information.
Both Verlyn Ross & David Cowley are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Verlyn Ross has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Golf Guide and Other Conditions. Verlyn Ross owns and operates a website specifically dedicated to providing health and fitness information. It includes a wealth of free articles in which you may have an interest. I invite you to. Verlyn Ross's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.
David Cowley has sinced written about articles on various topics from Fitness, Aging Supplement and Heart Conditions. David Cowley has created numerous articles on heart disease. He has also created a Web Site dedicated to heart disease and how to treat them. Visit . David Cowley's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.
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