Coronary Heart Disease: Can Complementary Medicine Improve Your Heart Health?

Many people turn to complementary or traditional therapies as an addition to their conventional therapy for the treatment of heart disease. While some complementary therapies have been shown to provide benefit for heart disease, others either show no benefit or have not been studied extensively. Furthermore, some can even have negative effects on your body.

Can meditation help you manage heart disease?

Meditation has been used to manage a broad spectrum of ailments for centuries. Different types of meditation include guided meditation, mantra meditation, mindfulness meditation, qigong, tai chi and yoga. Studies have shown that doing any of these types of meditation every day can help lower stress as well as blood pressure (which are both risk factors for the development of coronary heart disease and heart attacks).

Despite the fact that there are several different types of meditation, you don’t need to worry about picking the right one. All of these can be beneficial but the most important steps you need to remember are:

1. Sit comfortably
2. Close your eyes
3. Repeat either a word or a phrase for approximately 20 minutes

The whole idea of meditation is to quiet your mind and for your body and mind to connect, which promotes relaxation.

Coenzyme Q10 for coronary heart disease?

Coenzyme Q10, also known as ubiquinone, is a nutritional supplement that has been shown to play an important role in your body’s ability to extract energy from food. Since your heart is a muscle that works very hard, you need a consistent supply of Coenzyme Q10 so that your body (and your heart) has the energy that it needs to do the work. Levels of Coenzyme Q10 naturally lower with age. Additionally, cholesterol levels can also cause it to be depleted. Thus, taking supplements of Coenzyme Q10 can help restore normal levels of the chemical in the body. Studies have shown that Coenzyme Q10 supplements can have several beneficial effects and are safe. Findings include:

• Reduction in oxidative stress and increase in antioxidant activity
• Relieves symptoms of cardiovascular disease
• Is safe and well-tolerated

Studies have shown that patients who take statins have lower levels of Coenzyme Q10 and thus, they should consider taking Coenzyme Q10 supplements after discussing it with their doctor.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in certain foods, such as fatty fish, and are found to have a number of beneficial effects, including:

• Reduction of inflammation that is caused by atherosclerosis
• Reduction of levels of triglycerides, which are fats that block your blood vessels and cause heart disease and diabetes.
• Reduction in levels of blood pressure
• Better lipid (fat) levels in the blood
• Lowered risk of death due to heart disease

You can take Omega-3 fatty acids as a supplement, but discuss it with your doctor first.

Green tea

Green tea has been used around the world for its perceived health benefits, which are attributed to one of its main components — an antioxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) that has been shown to protect the heart. Consuming five to six cups of green tea a day has been shown to have significant benefits. Some people also take green tea extract, which comes as a capsule.

Pomegranate

Pomegranate has also been used for a very long time as it is thought to help promote heart health. Studies have shown that there are powerful antioxidants in pomegranate that can reverse atherosclerosis and reduce blood pressure.

Magnesium and potassium

Magnesium supplements may lower blood pressure, and therefore could be good for heart function. Potassium intake through diet has been shown to lead to an improvement in heart function and can reduce high blood pressure.

Questions for your doctor

Before you choose to turn to complementary therapies to treat your heart disease, these are some of the questions that you should be asking your doctor:

• Which complementary therapies have been studied and are commonly used for heart disease?
• What side effects are associated with use of this therapy?
• Will using this therapy have any adverse effects when combined with my heart medication?
• Can you provide me with research surrounding use of this complementary therapy for heart disease?
• Where can I find more information about this therapy and its use in patients with heart disease?