The CDC states that about half of people in the United States, about 47%, have at least one risk factor for heart disease. The primary risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking. Over $200 billion is spent annually on the management of heart disease, and this is expected to increase 2 to 3 fold in the following decades. Heart disease is an inclusive term referring to various heart conditions, including coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, and cardiomyopathy. Since many risk factors associated with heart disease are lifestyle-related, lifestyle modifications utilizing practices such as yoga and meditation along with medical treatments can help manage heart disease risk. Identifying individuals at risk for heart disease early on is essential in reducing the serious complications of heart disease, such as heart attacks or strokes. This article will discuss the details of heart disease, including screening, and how yoga and meditation can help improve heart health and manage the risks associated with heart disease.

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What is Heart Disease?

Heart disease is a range of several heart conditions affecting the heart. The conditions include coronary artery disease (CAD), irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), congenital heart defects (born with heart issues), disease of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy), and heart valve disease. CAD is considered the most common type of heart disease in the USA and is considered a blood vessel disease in which blood flow is restricted to the heart.

Risk factors for heart disease encompass high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, unhealthy diet, inactivity, excessive alcohol use, and smoking. Symptoms of heart disease can depend on the condition. For instance, with CAD, some symptoms are associated with reduced blood flow to the heart. Some signs of CAD are chest pain, chest discomfort (angina), or shortness of breath. Pain, weakness, numbness, or coldness in the legs or arms are also symptoms of CAD. The symptoms of arrhythmias involve heartbeats that beat too quickly, slowly, or irregularly. Arrhythmias may also produce symptoms of chest pain or discomfort, dizziness, fainting, or lightheadedness. Other symptoms of heart disease include easily tiring, shortness of breath during exercise or activity, shortness of breath when trying to sleep at night, fatigue, and swollen feet or ankles. Many symptoms of heart disease can overlap with the associated conditions.

According to the CDC, heart disease can be "silent," meaning it won't be diagnosed until after an individual experiences any sign of a heart attack, heart failure, or arrhythmia. Chest pain, neck pain, indigestion, heartburn, upper body discomfort, and shortness of breath are all heart attack symptoms. While swelling of the feet, ankles, legs, abdomen, or neck veins are all symptoms of heart failure.

If you experience concerning symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, or fainting, you should visit the emergency room immediately. If you experience symptoms of arrhythmia or suspect you may have heart disease due to one of the risk factors, ensure you consult with your healthcare provider for an evaluation.

What is Yoga?

Yoga, an age-old practice that originated in India, involves various poses and exercises to promote balance and unite the mind, body, and spirit. The term "yoga" means "to unite," highlighting the importance of aligning the different aspects of ourselves. In the United States, yoga typically involves physical postures (asanas), different types of breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation (dhyana).

The mind-body benefits of yoga may be attributed to its ability to increase vagal tone, which stimulates the vagus nerve, the largest component of the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS). Yoga has been shown to support stress management, reduce inflammation, improve digestive and metabolic health, and boost immunity. Practicing yoga can also enhance interoceptive awareness and feelings of connection. Additionally, yoga has been shown to improve mental/emotional health, sleep, balance, relieve pain, help people lose weight or quit smoking, and manage anxiety or depressive symptoms. Overall, yoga can help improve people's quality of life.

There are many types of yoga practices ranging from gentle exercises focused on breath work and meditation to more physically demanding practices focused on different physical postures. Therefore, research and study results on the health benefits of yoga may be affected by these different types of yoga practices and should reflect those differences.

What is Meditation?

The term "meditation" refers to various practices that aim to integrate the mind and body while promoting overall well-being and calmness. The practice of meditation dates far back thousands of years ago, and many of its techniques stem from Eastern traditions. Meditation is a practice that involves focused awareness of various activities, such as our breath, a mantra (repeated word or phrase), our environment, or anything that engages our senses, such as sound or visual imagery. A significant aspect of meditation is mindfulness which involves paying attention to (with great focus) the present moment and observing the moment without judgment. This approach, often described as "paying attention on purpose," has enhanced self-regulation and improved functioning across various brain circuits that influence overall brain health.

The nervous and endocrine systems play an essential role in regulating the effects of meditation. Meditation practices aim to improve the function of the brain's default mode network (DMN). The DMN comprises interconnected brain structures that work synergistically to impact our thoughts. Meditation can enhance the DMN, thus reducing excessive stress responses and rumination. Additionally, meditation activates specific brain regions associated with regulating negative emotions, promoting mindfulness, and increasing self-compassion. Meditation also triggers neurophysiological mechanisms that can lead to altered states of consciousness.

Recent studies and investigations have shown various health benefits of meditation and mindfulness. These benefits include helping people manage anxiety, stress, depression, pain, or withdrawal symptoms from nicotine, alcohol, and other drugs such as opioids. Meditation has also been shown to improve weight and sleep along with improving heart health, which we'll discuss in further detail in the next section. Similar to studies involved in yoga, studies on the health benefits of meditation can be difficult to analyze as many forms of meditation can affect the results. Therefore, further studies need to be conducted that consider these differences.

How Do Yoga and Meditation Help With Heart Health?

Heart disease such as atherosclerosis leading to CAD remains a leading cause of death. Recent studies suggest that incorporating the practices of yoga and meditation into a healthy lifestyle can have benefits for heart health. These practices have been utilized for centuries to promote physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Meditation and yoga both show research to promote relaxation and reduce stress through physical movement, breathing techniques, and mindfulness. Incorporating these practices regularly can lead to lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation, thus improving overall heart health.

A 2020 review completed by the American Heart Association that included more than 1100 participants showed that practicing meditation, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction, significantly decreased blood pressure in people with health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or cancer. Some of the studies involve the effects of meditation on cardiovascular risk, including response to stress, smoking cessation, blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, insulin sensitivity, and prevention of cardiovascular disease. The comprehensive review of the studies suggests that meditation benefits cardiovascular disease risk. Dr. Benson, director emeritus of the Harvard-affiliated Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine, found that a meditation technique involving both transcendental and mindfulness meditation evoked a relaxation response that helped with high blood pressure (hypertension) and other disorders caused or made worse by stress. The method consists in sitting in a quiet place with your eyes closed, relaxing your muscles, and silently repeating a word, sound, phrase, or short prayer over and over for 10 to 20 minutes twice a day. According to Dr. Benson, the benefit of this technique is mediated by nitric oxide, a molecule made in the body that helps relax and dilate blood vessels, keeping blood pressure under control. Due to the wide accessibility of meditation, this practice can be an inexpensive adjunct to traditional medical therapies for heart health.

In regards to yoga, the application of therapeutic yoga regularly can enhance muscle strength, improve sleep, reduce pain, increase body flexibility, and promote respiratory and cardiovascular function while reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. Therapeutic yoga is the specific application of yoga postures and practices to treat health conditions. Yoga can help shift your nervous system from a fight-or-flight response to a relaxation response. This relaxation response can lower the heart rate, decrease blood pressure, lower cortisol levels and increase blood flow to vital organs. Another area in which yoga can improve heart health is through the autonomic regulatory reflex mechanism associated with stress. Practicing yoga inhibits the sympathetic area of the hypothalamus, which optimizes the sympathetic responses to stresses and restores the autonomic regulatory reflex mechanism. This inhibition lowers anxiety, heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiac output. In addition, yoga has been shown to thin the blood, decreasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes often caused by blood clots. Other benefits of yoga include increased cardiovascular efficiency, aiding in the reduction of coronary lesions, and improving perfusion rates in patients with CAD. While some yoga practices are aerobic, even yoga exercises that don't increase the heart rate into the aerobic range can improve the heart's function.  

With achieving well-being and improved efficiency as the main goals of yoga and meditation, along with the low-cost and easy application, these practices should be highly considered in enhancing heart health.

Functional Medicine Labs to Test To Monitor Heart Health

Functional medicine labs can be valuable tools for identifying and managing heart disease risk factors. However, when dealing with heart disease, a healthcare provider must complete a thorough workup to minimize serious risks involved with heart disease, such as a heart attack or stroke. The qualified healthcare provider will conduct a detailed medical history and physical exam, including cardiovascular assessments and blood pressure measurements. Further diagnostics may be recommended if heart disease is a concern, including an EKG, chest x-ray, heart ultrasound, cardiovascular stress test, a Holter monitor, or an angiogram. Here are some functional labs to consider in monitoring heart disease:  

Inflammatory Markers

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) can provide information about the amount of inflammation within the body, which can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis, a significant risk factor for CAD.

Heart Health Panels

Assessing multiple indicators of heart health can be accomplished using a few panels from BostonHeart Diagnostics. A Basic Lipid Panel is helpful to assess cardiovascular risk. There are also two unique tests, the HDL Map and the Cholesterol Balance. With the information obtained from these panels, healthcare providers can determine a patient's heart disease risk and gain insight into appropriate treatment regimens.

Diabetes Panel

Diabetes is a condition that is considered a significant risk factor for heart disease. People with diabetes have an increased risk. This diabetes panel offers various tests to assess for diabetes. This panel evaluates glucose metabolism, fasting insulin, fasting glucose, and hemoglobin A1c.

Omega Panel

Higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids are linked with improved heart health and lower heart disease risk. The red blood cell omega-3 & 6 blood test is a valuable tool to determine levels and provide personalized advice about increasing omega-3 intake through diet or supplementation.

TMAO

TMAO is a byproduct generated by gut bacteria when consuming certain animal foods. It's linked to a higher risk of heart disease. TMAO levels can be determined with a blood test, and individualized dietary advice can be provided.

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP)

For individuals at risk of arrhythmia or experiencing palpitations or unusual heart rhythms, evaluating electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and calcium is important, and a CMP will provide that information.

Thyroid Panel

Thyroid dysfunction can also be associated with heart conditions, including arrhythmias. A comprehensive thyroid panel can provide a comprehensive overview of how the thyroid is functioning, allowing for appropriate intervention if necessary.

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Summary

Heart disease is a cluster of heart conditions that affect the heart's function and is one of the top contributors to death in the USA and worldwide. Recent studies show that incorporating stress-reducing techniques such as yoga and meditation can benefit heart health. Heart disease and the risks associated with heart disease can be managed by adopting healthy lifestyle approaches such as yoga and meditation regularly. It is crucial for individuals who have any of the risk factors discussed above for heart disease to work closely with a qualified healthcare provider for evaluation. Providers like functional medicine doctors can develop personalized treatment and management plans to meet individual needs. By taking steps to manage heart disease risk, people can reduce their risk of more severe complications and improve their quality of life.