Did you know that the when using a birth control, it must be tailored to a woman’s specific type of heart problem? Women should discuss the best form of birth control to use with their primary care physician, gynecologist or cardiologist. Women with many forms of heart disease can use most of the effective methods safely. However, some women with complex heart disease, cyanosis, or pulmonary hypertension, should not use oral contraceptive agents. The reason is that they increase the risk of blood clots. Depo-provera or low-dose estrogen can be used in some cases. Intrauterine devices (IUDs) may predispose patients to endocarditis, an infection of the heart’s inner lining or the heart valves. These devices generally aren’t recommended for women at risk.  

During pregnancy, the mother’s good health affects the infant’s overall well-being. It can influence such things as premature delivery and the size of the baby. But birth defects of the heart may occur despite good health and a normal pregnancy. Mothers often may feel guilty that they caused the child’s defect. Usually this isn’t the case. However, maternal illnesses such as diabetes have been linked to a slightly increased incidence of birth defects, including heart defects. Defects such as coarctation of the aorta or aortic valve stenosis have the greatest risk of occurring in the child. Each time another close family member is also affected, the risk increases even more.

According to research, they have found evidence that small size at birth and unnecessary weight gain during the teenage years up to adulthood can be in charge of low grade swelling, which they say is connected with an increased risk of developing heart disease. A protein called C-reactive is now used as a marker for general inflammation. This in then concealed from the liver, is present in the blood, and to some extent elevated that can indicate a chronic inflammatory state. It is still best to promote a healthier lifestyle during childhood and adolescence stages to establish low cardiovascular risk.

LOWFAT OR NONFAT YOGURT: In studies, people who ate enough of these two minerals and kept their sodium intake low experienced drops in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The reduction is larger in people with hypertension, but yogurt also lowers blood pressure a little in people with normal levels.

GARLIC: This tasty bulb has a mild cholesterol-lowering effect and also keeps LDL from building up in the arteries and contributing to plaque. You need to consume several cloves a day to get the protective benefits. To fit it into your meals, use garlic as often as you can in cooking.

EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL: Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, which can lower LDL when they replace saturated fat in your diet. Try replacing saturated fat–rich foods with olive oil, as well as with avocado, nuts, and other sources of monos. Extra-virgin olive oil has an advantage over other types: It packs extra polyphenols, compounds that keep LDL cholesterol from sticking to artery walls.  

SWISS CHARD: A potassium powerhouse, this vegetable supplies nearly 1,000 milligrams (mg) of the mineral per cup, cooked. Studies show you need about 4,000 mg of potassium (found in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and yogurt) a day to keep blood pressure low.

 FRESH HERBS: They’re a healthy substitute for salt, which has almost 2,400 mg of sodium per teaspoon—more than what you should get in an entire day if you want to control your blood pressure. Instead, try sprinkling dishes you’d usually salt with chopped fresh herbs, which are typically more flavorful than dried ones. Chives and rosemary complement potatoes, parsley perks up eggs, sage goes well with poultry, and thyme can add zip to air-popped popcorn. As an added bonus, herbs are rich in antioxidants that protect your cells against the kind of damage that can lead to heart disease.

Blood pressure is the force in the arteries when the heart beats (systolic pressure) and when the heart is at rest (diastolic pressure). It’s measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). High blood pressure (or

hypertension) is defined in an adult as a blood pressure greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg systolic pressure or greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg diastolic pressure. This is why knowing your blood pressure numbers is important, even when you’re feeling fine. If your blood pressure is normal, you can work with your health care team to keep it that way. If your blood pressure is too high, you need treatment to prevent damage to your body’s organs.

The heart’s rhythm is coordinated by its own electrical system. With each heartbeat, the electrical impulse begins at the sinus (or sinoatrial, SA) node, also called the heart’s natural pacemaker. An irregular heartbeat is an arrhythmia (also called dysrhythmia). Heart rates can also be irregular. A normal heart rate is 50 to 100 beats per minute. Arrhythmias and abnormal heart rates don’t necessarily occur together. Arrhythmias can occur with a normal heart rate, or with heart rates that are slow (called bradyarrhythmias — less than 60 beats per minute). arrhythmias can also occur with rapid heart rates (called tachyarrhythmias — faster than 100 beats per minute).