Women & Cardiovascular Health Your Microcirculation in Focus
Your Everyday Health Matters
I feel that when people consider heart attacks, they usually go straight to the image of a male +50yrs heart attack, and/or the stressed male individual who ends up having a heart attack or coronary incident.
Did you know that unfortunately cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death among Australian women, and a leading contributor to the burden of disease.
Prevalence of heart, stroke, and vascular diseases among Australian women, 2017-18, 510,000 (4.8%)
(source: Australian Institute of Health & Welfare)
I aim to bring this to your attention and awareness not as a scare tactic, but to reinforce the importance of general good health, and the need to take care of yourself, so that we can live long to enjoy the fruits of life, and to be mobile so that you can garden, do yoga, travel the world, whatever it is that you want to do. That is why I am a strong supporter of what you do everyday matters, your everyday health matters and sets you up for ageing well.
Cardiovascular Disease encompasses a number of different conditions - blood pressure, dyslipidaemia (cholesterol), atherosclerosis, angina, and more. What I would like to focus on here is what you can do to support your health, and for you to understand the importance of your microcirculation system.
A healthy microvascular system is essential to the health of the entire body. It functions to supply blood, oxygen and nutrients to all of the body’s cells, tissues and organs. As such, poor microcirculation can lead to the initiation and gradual worsening of many chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetic complications and osteoarthritis.
Biology 101 - Lesson on Cardiovascular System: It's Important
Blood must circulate to sustain life and the health of all cells and tissues. The circulatory system or cardiovascular system is an organ system that transports nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and hormones through the blood to all the tissues and cells of the body to provide nourishment and to support their function. It also carries waste away from the cells and tissues for removal from the body to maintain their health.
On the macrovascular level, the heart pumps blood around the body through a network of veins and arteries, which rapidly transports oxygen-rich blood to, and oxygen-poor blood from, organs.
On the microvascular level, blood flows from the arteries, branching into smaller blood vessels that form an interconnected network of capillaries, which ensure nourishment of all cells. The movement of blood in and out of cells and tissues is orchestrated by constriction and dilation of blood vessels. A key molecule in this process is nitric oxide (NO), which is produced and regulated by a type of cell that lines the entire vascular system (endothelial cells).
Damage to these cells can lead to disease, this is because the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues, and the ability to carry waste products away, is reduced. As such, poorly functioning endothelial cells are associated with certain diseases including heart disease, erectile dysfunction, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and neurodegenerative conditions.
The Far Reaches of Microcirculation - An insight into how and where microcirculation can affect your health.
Brain Due to the complex structure of the brain, over time, certain regions of the brain may not receive enough blood, oxygen and nutrients to remain healthy, as seen in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Heart Poor microcirculation can lead to numerous cardiovascular issues including hypertension & angina
Liver Ageing is associated with changes in the microcirculation of the liver, which is thought to contribute to high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, liver degeneration and malfunction, and reduced ability to process drugs.
Pancreas/Kidneys The secondary complications of diabetes are directly caused by damage to the endothelial lining due to consistently raised blood sugar levels. This impairs microcirculation leading to retinopathy (eye damage), nephropathy (kidney damage) and neuropathy (nerve damage).
Musculoskeletal Impaired microcirculation has been shown to play a role in osteoarthritis due to a lack of oxygen and nutrients to joint tissues.
What can Affect Your Microcirculation
Processed foods high in fat, sugar and refined carbohydrates Frequent consumption of high fat foods in excess of our daily requirements and foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates leads to increased blood fats and sugar, which may damage the endothelial lining, compromising microcirculation.
Smoking Nicotine limits blood flow and impairs microcirculation. Over time, constant constriction decreases the amount of oxygen and nutrients delivered to tissues, contributing to chronic disease.
Being overweight/obese Extra fat tissue in the body requires more oxygen and nutrients, therefore your heart needs to work harder to pump blood around the extra fat tissue. The increase in circulating blood puts pressure and extra ‘wear and tear’ on the vascular vessels. Obesity can also cause excess inflammation in the body.
Poor blood sugar balance The presence of high amounts of sugar in the blood results in damage to the inner linings of macro and microvascular structures. As a protective mechanism, the body produces plaque, a cholesterol-type substance to repair the damage. This narrows and can eventually block the arteries, reducing blow flow, restricting oxygen and nutrients to the tissues.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Remember, what you do everyday really does matter. Managing your diet, exercise, stress in a positive way will influence the level of inflammation in your body, and influence microcirculation, and therefore every aspect of your health (as listed above).
Diet
One of the best ways to improve microcirculation is through diet. Many plant foods and herbs contain nitrate, which the body will convert to Nitric Oxide – a key molecule that supports healthy microcirculation. In addition, certain plant foods and herbs contain polyphenols (antioxidants) which not only help this process, but also protect the cells of the body . Certain foods (highlighted below) and medicinal herbs have been shown to improve microcirculation.
A note on the protective effect of antioxidants Antioxidants protect against reactive oxygen species – highly reactive molecules that can cause damage to the body and have been shown to negatively impact microcirculation. Dietary antioxidants not only protect the cells of the cardiovascular system, they also help to stop LDL cholesterol being turned into plaques on the artery walls, which can inhibit blood flow. Increasing your fruit and vegetable intake will ensure you get a wide variety of protective antioxidants and polyphenols.
Boost dietary nitrate: green leafy vegetables, but especially beetroot as juice or as a supplement
Increase cocoa intake: 85%-95% chocolate, 20 g/day or equivalent of high quality cocoa
Increase berry anthrocyanin intake: 50-100 g/day of blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries
Fresh crushed raw garlic: 1/2-1 clove/day
Increase herbs and spices: especially Green Tea (3-4 cups/day), Turmeric and Ginger
LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS TO IMPROVE MICROCIRCULATION
Increase physical exercise
Alongside diet, exercise is perhaps one of the most effective ways to improve microcirculation as the heart must pump harder to meet the increased oxygen demands of the muscles. Exercise also increases blood flow to facilitate effective exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Quitting smoking/vaping
Losing weight
Staying hydrated
Reducing stress
NATUROPATHIC CLINIC
Naturopathic clinic can support your cardiovascular health with tailored dietary and lifestyle guidelines, and specific herbal and nutritional medicine for your presentation. Reach out if you have any questions.
