Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/474241
sufferers had more than twice the rate of sudden cardiac death (SCD), abrupt loss of heart function. What's more, a study of male twins found that depression is just as dangerous as obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. And another study, involving 50,000 men, reported that those suffering from anxiety (diagnosed by a psychiatrist during the initial medical exam) had more than double the risk of developing heart disease or a heart attack over the next 37 years compared to men without anxiety. Yet both depression and anxiety often go untreated because people don't recognize symptoms or they try to tough it out on their own. Sufferers may overindulge in comfort foods, leading to weight gain and even greater heart disease risk – another reason to get treatment is misery becomes chronic. Medication and/or therapy helps 80 percent of people with depression feel better, often within weeks. Sleep Apnea Frequent loud snoring may trumpet obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a dangerous disorder that can trigger a stroke or heart attack. Bouts of interrupted or irregular breathing during sleep cause blood pressure to spike, damaging arteries over time. Since some people with OSA don't snore, other warning signs to watch for include often waking in the night for no apparent reason and unexplained daytime drowsiness. Women with a neck diameter of 16 inches or more, or men with a diameter of 17 inches or greater are at increased risk for having it. If you fit this profile, your doctor may order a sleep study, which involves spending the night in a lab, hooked up to monitors. There are also home sleep-study systems that can effectively diagnose OSA. Because OSA mainly strikes the obese, treatment typically includes weight loss. You may also need continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a device that gently blows moist, heated air into your nose and mouth while you sleep. Vitamin D Deficiency Having low levels of the sunshine vitamin doubles the risk of heart attack and stroke, several studies show. Skimping on vitamin D may also boost the risk of developing high blood pressure and blood vessel inflammation, which may explain the link to CVD. A 2011 study of more than 10,000 patients found that those with low blood levels of D were twice as likely to have diabetes, 40 percent more likely to have high blood pressure, and about 30 percent more likely to suffer from cardiomyopathy (a diseased heart muscle) than those with normal levels. Deficiency is extremely common, affecting up to half of seemingly healthy Americans. Compounding the problem, vitamin D is found in relatively few foods, such as sardines, salmon, egg yolks, and fortified milk and cereal. If a blood test shows that you are deficient in the sunshine vitamin, it can easily be treated with supplements, reducing your risk for both CVD and type 2 diabetes. Psoriasis Here's the real heartbreak of psoriasis: It hikes your risk for heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral artery disease (clogged vessels in the legs) as much as smoking does. Marked by red, sore, flaky, and often itchy patches, and in some cases, painfully swollen joints, psoriasis has also been linked to increased risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. A recent study also reported that 40 percent of psoriasis sufferers meet criteria for metabolic syndrome – a dangerous cluster of heart attack risk factors. Although most people have never heard of it, metabolic syndrome affects 50 million Americans, many of whom are unaware of their risk. Abby's Magazine - March/April 2015 | Page 35