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TwitThisMore Healthy-Heart Tips
- Check your ACE in the hole. You can choose from an array of drugs that fight high blood pressure, but one class of medications appears to have special benefits to people with diabetes. Called ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors, they
work by blocking a process in which one hormone turns into another that constricts blood vessels. ACE inhibitors are popular for bringing down blood pressure because, compared with other blood-pressure medications, they have few side effects other
than causing a persistent dry cough in a few patients. (Newer drugs called angiotensin II receptor blockers eliminate that problem). The bonus: Research shows that ACE inhibitors lower the risk of cardiovascular problems in people with diabetes even if they don't have high blood pressure. What's more, a study
published in 2000 found that people taking the ACE inhibitor ramipril were 30 percent less likely to develop diabetes, suggesting that the drug improves insulin sensitivity.
- Seek help from statins. People with diabetes often have high cholesterol, a risk factor for heart attacks. But many of them aren't reaping the benefit of cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins. If you thought you weren't a candidate for statins, think again. The National Cholesterol Education Program recently
revised its cholesterol guidelines, so talk to your doctor.
- Turn to tea. Certain foods appear to have an especially powerful protective effect against cardiovascular damage. One of these is tea, which numerous studies have linked with better
heart health. In one of the most recent studies, heavy tea drinkers (who averaged two or more cups a day) had a 44 percent lower death rate after a heart attack than people who didn't drink tea; moderate tea drinkers had a 28 percent lower death rate. Tea's protective effect is thought to come from its bounty of flavonoids, antioxidant compounds found in both black
and green tea that appear to prevent cholesterol from clogging arteries, discourage blood from clotting, and
keep blood vessels supple.
- Get your fill of fish. Another food with potent heart-protecting power is fish -- or, more specifically,
oils they contain known as omega-3 fatty acids. These oils can make blood less prone to clotting, lower triglyceride levels, and reduce blood-vessel inflammation, which can promote plaque buildup. In one
study published in 2002, women who ate five or more servings of fish per week reduced their risk of
coronary artery disease by more than a third, and their risk of having a heart attack by half over a
16-year period. Another study published at the same time found that men without heart disease who ate several servings of fish per week were 81 percent less likely to die suddenly. Fish that are particularly rich in omega-3s include cold-water varieties like salmon, trout, mackerel, and tuna.
- Aim for antioxidants. Antioxidant nutrients like vitamins C and E counteract a process called oxidation, in which unstable molecules produced by the body's use of oxygen damage healthy tissue. Among their benefits, antioxidants make cholesterol less likely to stick to artery walls. Vitamin C is found in
such foods as citrus fruits, red and green bell peppers, broccoli, and tomatoes. You can get vitamin E in peanuts, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, and vegetable oils.
- Supplement with folic acid. This B vitamin has been shown to lower levels of homocysteine, a substance linked to cardiovascular disease risk. A multivitamin should do the trick.
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