Getting rid of acne scars is the next challenge we must face after acne. Some scars left by acne after it heals can be superficial scars; other scars left by acne can be deep scars. If an acne is not treated early with medication or any advance procedures that stops acne it can lead to scarring, these scars can sometimes be deep. If the scars left by acne are on the face, it can affect a person’s self-esteem, it can affect his or her social life, so it is very important to avoid acne scars, you can do this by treating your acne if it is juts starting to develop at an early stage, this way you can stop it from spreading and after it heal you can avoid acne scars.

Use a medication that can remove acne scars, you may want to purchase a medication that has elements that can remove and get rid of acne and acne scars, this kind of medication is a great powerful medication to stop acne and remove acne scars, whether you have no more acne and is just left with acne scars you need this kind of medication because even if you are just using a medication that can only get rid of acne scars but can’t get rid of acne you are only doing the same thing over again, because the medication you have doesn’t have the power to stop acne but can only remove or erase acne scars.

It is very important that whenever you purchase any medication that can remove acne scars it must also contain the power to stop acne, because if it doesn’t have this kind of capability to stop an acne you will just be moving in circles, you can’t focus alone on how to get rid of acne scars, you need to also focus on how you can stop your acne, because if you stop your acne while erasing acne scars using any medication that has this kind of capability, you will be able to get rid of your acne and acne scars fast.

Purchasing such medication that has no power to stop an acne is risky because there is a big tendency that your acne may develop again, giving you more acne scars. You can’t just rely on medications that can only remove acne scars, because the more acne you will have the more scars you will have.

You need to focus on the source that produces acne scars and the source is acne. It is advisable to have this kind of medication that has double action effect it not only stop acne but will also remove all the scars left by acne.

An example of these elements that stops acne while erasing acne scars are the benzoyl peroxide and aloe Vera.

Benzoyl peroxide plays a vital role when it comes to stop acne, this element go deep inside the skin and kills all the bacteria to prevent it from developing, benzoyl peroxide can eliminate acne fast it can eliminate any kinds of can, prevent future breakouts and can stop redness on the acne affected skin, benzoyl peroxide is an outstanding substance when it comes to fight acne, it beats acne from the inside-out and it really works because it penetrates the skin deep.

Aloe Vera is known to remove, minimize acne scars or any scars on the skin. Aloe Vera has enzymes that regenerate skin tissues, it moisturizes the skin and it has an anti-inflammatory agents and anti-bacterial properties that fight infection. It is use to heal cut, psoriasis, pimples and many skin disorders.

These are very important elements that you can use to get rid of acne and acne scars, if you follow this simple tips and advice, you will be able to free yourself from acne and the scars left by acne, and the best move you can do now, is to start treating you acne now.

There are numerous holistic sources that claim to be healing cancer with varying degrees of success. A few of these report success greater than 90 percent of the time. I have spent years researching and finding the best information available, and have compiled a list of the most important considerations relevant to cancer. I present here a distillation of these factors, as well as a brief exploration of some approaches that would be more likely to fail so these can be avoided.

This article will cover four basic areas:

• How and Why the FDA has Failed Us.
• Holistic Options that Fall Short.
• Comprehensive Holistic Treatments.
• A Note on Allopathic Cancer Treatments.

How and Why the FDA has Failed Us:

If cancer can be treated so effectively using holistic means, then why isn’t the allopathic medical establishment using such methods and showing greater success?

As many of us know, the EPA and the FDA have failed us when it comes to cancer. It’s no wonder that one out of three people are expected to get cancer some time in their lifetimes. Such an outrageous statistic is only possibly due to gross levels of corruption in our government.

It is now common practice for pharmaceutical industry executives to gain top posts in the FDA where they are then able to make critical decisions affecting the industry that they are charged with regulating. Then, a couple years down the road, they are offered high-paying positions back in the same industry that they just helped through their post at FDA. The implications of this blatant conflict of interest are obvious. One example of many is that of Michael Taylor who had been a Monsanto attorney before going to work for the FDA. During his time at FDA, he contributed to creating a new FDA policy that deemed genetically modified foods as “generally regarded as safe”, or GRAS. He also wrote the policy exempting biotech foods from labeling. Following his time at FDA, he went back to work for Monsanto – no doubt in a very lucrative position. Searching Google on “FDA revolving door” (without the quotes) turns up 28,900 results.

Consider: We know that money corrupts and that people will do outrageous things for money and power. These things go without saying. With all their science and research:

• Why don’t doctors tell their patients about how cancer loves an acid environment and cannot survive in an alkaline environment? Why don’t doctors tell patients to stay away from acid-producing foods and focus on alkali-producing foods? Why not give people lists of these foods?

• With all of the science and research, why don’t they tell people that cancer loves sugar?

• Why don’t they tell people that cancer thrives in oxygen-deprived cells? Why don’t their protocols work more with oxygenating the cells and blood?

• Why don’t they tell you which vitamins and supplements inhibit cancerous growth?

Just imagine, for a moment, if a cure was found. Imagine the possibility that there are currently very effective holistic treatments. If they came into wide usage, imagine:

• All the research grants that would go out the window.

• Think about all the expensive diagnostic and treatment equipment in doctor’s offices and hospitals that would be rendered useless.

• The loss of revenue to doctors and researchers who use such equipment, and the manufacturers and sales people who sell them.

• The many expensive surgeries that would end.

• The sales of many life-long prescription pharmaceutical drugs would end.

How much money are we talking about? Treatment for one person will typically cost between $80,000 to $160,000. The medical industry represents one-seventh of the total United States Gross National Product at one trillion dollars per year with revenues associated with cancer reaching $400 billion annually. Is it any wonder that holistic options are off the table? The cancer industry cannot make a dime off of broccoli and carrots and vitamins and healthy people. A healthy person is lost profit.

”But nobody today can say that one does not know what cancer and its prime cause be. On the contrary, there is no disease whose prime cause is better known, so that today ignorance is no longer an excuse that one cannot do more about prevention.”

- Nobel Prize Winner Otto Warburg in a meeting of Nobel Laureates, June 30, 1966

Holistic Options That Fall Short:

There have been a number of books that suggest that the cure for cancer is one key factor, such as using specific nutritional supplements effective against cancer or an herbal cure for cancer. Using only herbs to cure cancer may not be the right answer for the same reason that I would not limit my own treatment to a single homeopathic option. The reason is simple. Alternative cancer remedies typically only give you part of the picture and fail to address the underlying causes of cancer.

Regardless of whether one is talking about stage three breast cancer, lung cancer, or prostate cancer, an herbal remedy or a homeopathic cure for cancer may do precious little to shift the pH (i.e. the alkalinity) of the body, and precious little to eliminate the toxins accumulated in the body that gave rise to the cancer in the first place. Further, if you kill the cancer cells, but you are still eating a diet consisting primarily of acid-producing foods, and you do not cleanse the body of accumulated toxins, then your cancer is likely to come back again.

Comprehensive Holistic Treatments:

To be most successful, any cancer remedy must address the underlying causes of cancer. Holistic Cancer Cures can be highly successful – given that one follows a protocol with a proven track record of success.

There are a wide array of factors that support or promote cancer that should be avoided. Nothing here should be ignored. A few are obvious, but several are unknown by most people. Knowledge is indeed power. So read this with an open mind and get ready to reclaim your health.

The best holistic cancer treatments should include three primary and essential considerations:

1) Cancer thrives in an acid environment in the body and for the most part cannot survive in an alkalized body. So an alternative treatment for cancer must inform you fully on acid-producing foods and alkaline producing foods so the pH of the body can be shifted away from acid and toward a healthy alkaline state. And this is easy to do because there are many lists of acid versus alkaline producing foods to be found on the internet.

But again, that’s only part of the story. Consider – if the body is full of toxins – many of which are acid-based, then it may not be possible to alkalize the body sufficiently without also addressing the next two steps:

2) Any holistic cancer treatment worth its salt will inform you of the many sources of toxins in our food and water, and how to best avoid them. And this brings us to the third element of your journey to healing cancer.

3) Treating cancer must address how to cleanse the body through use of a variety of detoxification products to eliminate accumulated toxins.

So again, natural cures for cancer are incomplete without these three elements. But with them, it can truly be said that healing cancer with a holistic approach is typically successful. This includes even advanced cancers, depending on, for instance, the degree of damage to vital organs and the person’s age.

On my website, I offer a document that provides details on the above three factors, as well as:

• A link to the best cancer diet to follow, which will, for example, discuss foods that are high in fungus and molds, foods that are genetically modified, which cooking oils to use, and much more.

• A list of supplements that are effective against cancer.

• A link to the best alternative cancer treatment website where you’ll find well more than 200 specific alternative cancer protocols that have a proven track record against many, many forms of cancer. This website will give you detailed information on things like contraindications, other relevant safety information, and much more.

• Details on approximately twenty of the most common and impactful sources of toxins in our society, as well as specific research and links for each to help you understand why you need to stay clear of them. Toxins can come from unexpected sources. Examples include non-stick cookware such as Teflon; plastics in touch with foods and drinks; microwave ovens, which transform foods in dangerous ways; municipal water which typically contains chlorine and fluorosilic acid – a highly toxic industrial waste product passed off as fluoride to help children’s teeth; genetically modified foods; common artificial sweeteners that turn into formaldehyde in the body; MSG, which is now in abundant supply in fast foods and hidden by using more than 15 different names; and even plastic shower curtains which outgas a huge amount of toxins.

• Information on the best products and means that I’ve been able to find over the years to help you limit your exposure to these dangers.

A Note on Allopathic Cancer Treatments:

People would do well to remember what the cancer establishment refers to as ‘terminal’. In my opinion it typically means that in their paradigm, they have no good answers for you. This document, with its sources, has much better answers – ones that won’t bankrupt you.

The FDA likes to restrict the use of the words “cure” and “heal”. Now, if what is happening is that people’s cancers are going away and these patients are finding health and vitality – then perhaps to call it anything other than a healing would be inaccurate. Cancer patients are using holistic approaches and finding health. That’s a reality. The sources sighted in the document available for download on my website speak for themselves.

I speak to you as one person to another. It’s up to you to look at the evidence here and on my website as well as that presented by your doctor to make up your own mind for what is right for you. This is your opportunity to take responsibility for your own health.

I am convinced that the holistic approach is much more effective than the toxins of chemotherapy, radiation, pharmaceuticals, and toxic and acidic food being promoted by the mainstream allopathic path. It is my understanding that the holistic path, using specific protocols, achieves healings above 90 percent where the allopathic world knows something closer to 30 percent. That’s a guess, for now. So if you want one-third the chance of healing and a path that bankrupts you and leaves you sicker by the month – go allopathic. If you want three times those odds and a path that strengthens you each step of the way, then go with this document. One other important consideration – the allopathic path does nothing to address the underlying causes of cancer in the first place. As a result – if you continue eating the same foods and exposing yourself to the same toxins, your cancer is likely to come back again a few years down the road.

DISCLAIMER – The information in this article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The author is not a doctor and is not attempting to recommend, prescribe, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent any disease and in no way is the information contained in this document intended to be a substitute for a health care provider’s consultation. The content is based upon research by the author. The reader is encouraged to make their own health care decisions that can be based upon their own research and then partnering with their own health care professional. If you are ill please consult a qualified physician or appropriate health care provider.

Millions of Americans suffer from it, but what really are the causes of heart disease? There is almost as many myths and misinformation about the causes of heart disease as there are actual causes. Everything from fatty foods, to high cholesterol, to lack of exercise is included in the list of causes of heart disease, but what truly belongs there? A Realistic Look At The Causes Of Heart DiseaseThe first thing to understand is the coronary heart disease is not one singular disease, but rather a combination of factors that results in a possibly deadly condition that can result in cardiac arrest. While diet and exercise do play a huge role in the disease, this role may not be nearly as prominent as doctors and scientists over the last 30 years or so have lead us to believe.One of the leading and most dangerous causes of heart disease is damage to the heart muscle or a congenital defect. Damage can be caused by a viral, bacterial, fungal, rickettsial or parasitic disease. These dangerous disease can cause a serious weakening of the heart muscle which eventually leads to heart disease.

Each of these high risk factors for heart disease are caused by situations not related to exercise or diet. That is not to say that diet and exercise are not important to cardiac health, but blaming all causes of heart disease on those factors alone is grossly incorrect.

There are literally dozens of risk factors for heart disease. The most commonly cited ones are high blood cholesterol, smoking, lack of exercise, stress, and being overweight. Of these the strongest link between to a direct cause is smoking. The other causes of heart disease do have significant bearing, but none as strong as smoking. While many may say that most smokers will exhibit the other qualities in addition to smoking, if you look at the raw data and factor out the additional causes smoking still carries the strongest correlation to heart disease. Another huge factor in heart disease is stress. Doctors have noted that heart attacks strike in the months after severe emotion trauma. Highlighted condition include death, bankruptcy, layoff, and relationship failure. In each of these situations the risk of cardiac arrest is significantly increased.While diet is important there are other factors that will effect the likelihood of developing heart disease. It is best to try eliminate or mitigate as many of the factors as you can to avoid being a high risk candidate for a heart attack.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) – One Form Of Heart Disease

Coronary Artery Disease is the most common example of what heart disease is. It is the leading cause of heart attacks. This is caused by hardened and narrowed arteries, which makes the heart have to work much harder to move the blood around the body.

Coronary Artery Disease can also lead to other things, like angina. Angina is the chest pain or squeezing feeling that many people experience as a sign of heart attack. Usually it is in the chest, but it can also be in the shoulders, neck, jaw, back, or arms. It can mimic indigestion. Those who are at risk for heart attack need to be extra careful if they believe they are suffering from indigestion or an upset stomach. These symptoms of angina are classic examples of what heart disease is and how it can feel. Those who have angina are more likely to have a heart attack.

Heart attacks are another byproduct of coronary artery disease. They happen when an artery is entirely or almost completely blocked and the heart is lacking sufficient blood for more than twenty minutes.

Heart Failure – Another Form Of What Heart Disease Is

If the heart can’t pump the blood around the body as well as it needs to, there can be heart failure. It isn’t that the heart has totally quit working – a common misconception – but it is that because the blood isn’t being transferred as it should be, other organs don’t get enough blood. Some symptoms include swelling in feet, legs, and ankles, shortness of breath, and extreme fatigue. If you have these symptoms, check with your doctor right away.

Breast cancer type

Breast cancer type is categorized by whether it begins in the ducts or lobules, the organs responsible for breast milk production. Medullary carcinoma accounts for 15% of all breast cancer types. This breast cancer type represents 5% of all diagnosis. IPR015525 Breast cancer type 2 susceptibility protein Header EBIDatabasesInterPro Search Open in usermanual InterPro: ” /> Jump to: InterProScan Databases Documentation FTP site Help Click on the icon for context sensitive help from the user manual. The breast cancer type 2 susceptibility protein (BRCA2) is a breast tumour suppressor with a potential function in the cellular response to DNA damage. Some breast cancer types express one or more of these proteins on their cell surface, while others express none. Media Relations Contacts Online Press Kit Rumors, Myths, and Truths Glossary About the American Cancer Society Breastfeeding, Other Factors May Affect Risk of Breast Cancer TypeAtlanta 2008/08/25 -Factors such as age at menopause as well as a woman?s breastfeeding practices can influence her risk of developing certain types of breast cancer.

The investigators found that reproductive risk factors varied considerably by breast cancer subtype. Their analysis included 1,023 women with breast cancer whose cells express the estrogen and progesterone receptors (called luminal cancers), 39 women with HER2-overexpressing breast cancer, and 78 triple-negative cases (no expression of estrogen, progesterone, or HER2 receptors). The study also included 1,476 women without breast cancer. ? They added that additional studies on the causes of breast cancer subtypes are needed to better understand the biology of the disease. Learn more about our commitment to providing complete, accurate, and private breast cancer information. The study?s results suggest that there are distinct and separate hormonal risk factors associated with different subtypes of breast cancer. Women with what is referred to as “triple-negative” breast cancer are more likely than other women with breast cancer to experience a relapse, a new study by Canadian researchers shows. Despite having a high risk of early recurrence, the study indicates that triple-negative breast cancer patients who remain disease-free for eight years are unlikely to die of breast cancer and may be “cured” of their disease.

Breast Feeding Will Lowers Risk Of Breast Cancer

Breastfeeding for 6 months or longer was associated with a lower risk of luminal cancer as well as triple-negative cancer, a type that can be particularly aggressive and difficult to treat. Understanding the specific type of breast cancer can help you ask better questions and work with your physicians to get the best breast cancer treatments. For more information on the types and stages of breast cancer, watch Beyond the Shock®. Medullary carcinoma accounts for 15% of all breast cancer types. Infiltrating lobular carcinoma is a type of breast cancer that usually appears as a subtle thickening in the upper-outer quadrant of the breast. Making up about 2% of all breast cancer diagnosis, tubular carcinoma cells have a distinctive tubular structure when viewed under a microscope. Typically this type of breast cancer is found in women aged 50 and above. Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare and very aggressive type of breast cancer that causes the lymph vessels in the skin of the breast to become blocked.

Breast Cancer Risk

The study’s results suggest that there are distinct and separate hormonal risk factors associated with different subtypes of breast cancer. Amanda Phipps, a predoctoral research associate at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, and her colleagues conducted a study to better understand the specific risk factors for the subtypes of breast cancer, which are classified by expression of the estrogen receptor, the progesterone receptor, and the HER2 receptor. The investigators found that reproductive risk factors varied considerably by breast cancer subtype. Breastfeeding for 6 months or longer was associated with a lower risk of luminal cancer as well as triple-negative cancer, a type that can be particularly aggressive and difficult to treat. Both late age at menopause and use of estrogen plus progestin hormone therapy were associated with an increased risk of luminal disease. Finally, no differences in risks associated with number of children or the age when a woman first gave birth were observed by subtype. The study authors concluded that their results indicate that “certain reproductive factors may have a greater impact on risk of certain molecular subtypes of disease compared to others. Despite having a high risk of early recurrence, the study indicates that triple-negative breast cancer patients who remain disease-free for eight years are unlikely to die of breast cancer and may be “cured” of their disease. Insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and changes in the signaling of growth hormones and steroid hormones associated with diabetes may affect the risk of breast cancer. Despite many proposed potential pathways, the mechanisms underlying an association between diabetes and breast cancer risk remain unclear, particularly because the 2 diseases share several risk factors, including obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and possibly intake of saturated fat and refined carbohydrates, that may confound this association. Although the metabolic syndrome is closely related to diabetes and embraces additional components that might influence breast cancer risk, the role of the metabolic syndrome in breast carcinogenesis has not been studied and thus remains unknown.

For more info related to this subject and others please visit Breast Cancer Info

The conflict between mankind and diseases experiences the ages when people have drawn a far-flung and hard conflict against the infection. And the conflict against the germs and parasites has already obtained tremendous victory. However, with the improvement of living standards, such diseases as heart trouble?hypertension, cerebral arteriosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, malignant tumors have already become new epidemics.The trend mentioned above can’t be drawn little attention to even in developing countries. In 1992, The World Health Organization (WHO) gave the alarm bell to people all over the world: every year the heart-brain blood vessel diseases will deprive 12 million people of their lives, which is about one quarter of the total of deaths in the world. It has been the first killer which is threatening people’s health with the morbidity and death rate– ranking the first among all kinds of diseases. In May 1997, a research report submitted by the World Bank (WB) and the WHO declared that the heart trouble is the first cause of people’s death throughout the world and the second is cerebral apoplexy. Among the developed countries such as British, the Unite States and some countries in North European, the coronary heart disease is situated the first-rank, while in other countries such as Japan, Russia and China the incidence of heart-brain blood vessel diseases stands first on the list.

The heart-brain blood vessel disease is called one of the difficult problems in the medicine field in the 21st century. In order to resolve the problem, the medical field has been sparing no pains to research into it but attain little achievement. In the era of prevention and health protection medicine, people often maintain health and prevent diseases by improving the rhythm and regulation of life, ingesting balanced and appropriate nutrition, participating in moderate P.E. exercise and cultivating good habits. It is necessary for the patients who can’t bear more burdens of their bodies and economy conditions to select one feasible means to reduce or eliminate the diseases suffering as possible as they can. In these aspects, ZMC has already gone ahead in the world medicine fields and pioneers a new era of the medicine history.

ZMC is an exercise means, which is simple, convenient, secure, reliable, economical, efficient and scientific. It can be concluded from the ten times more of large scale experiments and the much feedback from trainees’ daily exercise that ZMC has a remarkable adjustment function to the heart-brain blood vessel diseases, such as headache, migraine, dizziness, cerebral hemorrhage, hypotension, anemia, hypertension, arrhythmia and tachycardia. ZMC brings numerous patients health and happiness.More details in the website http://www.okzm.net/en/index.htm

ZMC is the perfect combination of the Chinese cultural heritage and P.E. sport. She makes people dominate their own bodies, excludes danger by clearing away the interior waste, and adjusts the body to a topgallant state. “Life’s continuity lies in exercise. The process of exercise is the process of adjustment and the result of adjustment is adaptation to the environment. None but doing exercise in the light of scientific principles, you can live longer.” As far as the appearances of the exercisers are concerned, they have ruddy complexions at large. The young girls are beautiful and the young boys are handsome without any cosmetic. They all have sooty hairs and natural and beautiful figures. They are making a happy life and owning a health body. These exercisers clearly exhibit natural beauty of human bodies.

At present, low or high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis are the popular heart-brain blood vessel diseases. Due to a broad source of the exercisers, coming from all fields of the society, there are many cases about blood pressures were controlled by ZMC quickly and remarkably.

After doing exercise of ZMC, Ms Liao’s blood pressure had dropped from 140/90mmHg to 105/85mmHg; Ms Li’s blood pressure from 140/95mmHg to 110/70mmHg. Among the old people including a few middle-aged persons, many of them suffer from hypertension. The statistical results of exercise in a seminar of ZMC show that the effect of ZMC’s adjustment to blood pressures was very remarkable. For instance, Mr. Xu’s, 73 years old, the systolic pressure decreased from 195mmHg to 154mmHg through the exercise; Ms Zhang’s 56 years old, her blood pressure lowered from 150/110mmHg to 110/90mmHg. Moreover, many of them have gotten the good effects just after one or two time exercise.

The high blood pressure can be lowered, while the low blood pressure can also be raised. For example, Mr. Yang, a student of Shanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, had been in the lower blood pressure of 60/40 mmHg before he practiced ZMC. He was pale and usually felt dizzy and fatigued. Several years ago, a spleen-cut operation was carried out on him and the doctor told him not to participate in strong movement. However, after learning ZMC, he has a florid complexion and his blood pressure has risen to 100/70mmHg. In the endurance experiment of high temperature, he arrived at the first grade of national amateur standard for track and field. Ms Wen a student of Xianyang Weave Industry School, suffered from anemia and hypotension (60/40mmHg) and usually felt dizzy?fatigued? and breathed hard. After she practiced ZMC for 45 minutes, her blood pressure rose to 106/64mmHg and all the above-mentioned syndromes disappeared. Mr. Li 22 years old, after a two-day exercise, his blood pressure rose from 90/70mmHg to110/90mmHg. Ms Yang’s blood pressure heightened from 85/60mmHg to 108/70mmHg through two-day exercise. Ms Wang, is a student of Sichuan University, whose blood pressure rose from 90/50mmHg to 110/70mmHg in a one-day exercise. Ms Wan blood pressure heightened from 80/60 mmHg to 110/80mmHg after a two-day exercise.

In the short period of exercising ZMC, the maximum of decrease in systolic pressure was 41 mmHg(Mr. Xu), the maximum of increase in systolic pressure was 46mmHg(Ms Wen). The hypertension and hypotension, called the lifelong disease by medicine fields, can be cured and restored to normal after ZMC exercise. The effect is so fast that beyond the understanding by Western medicine. So ZMC is a special form of P.E. exercise with comprehensive functions.

In pathology, inchoate hypertension appears intercurrent angiospasm of the systemic micro-arterial and the fluctuant blood pressure. The blood pressure will arise When the angiospasm happens and will be restored to normal level, when it is alleviated. Long-term micro-arterial angiospasm and the rise of blood pressure will lead to the increase of the ceroidlike material of basement membran, which is syncretized by endodermis and lubricative muscles. The ceroidlike material mixes with the plasma protein that penetrates in endodermis. With the development of disease, micro-arterial wall’s burden decreases and its antrum are diminished, which leads to the increase in peripheral resistance, the rise of blood pressure and the lipid turbulence. Subsequently the level of cholesterol in blood increases periodically, vessel endothelium is injured and the dense cholesterol deposits on the injured vessel endothelium, which produces atherosclerosis at last. Long-term brainwork and being nervous would cause neuroendocrine system malfunction and the level of catecholamine and cortisone in blood to rise. If people don’t participate in the physical work, their blood-flow will be slowed and the blood vessels’ wall will be of incrassation and stiff losing flexibility. The dwindling of blood vessel wall would also cause atherosclerosis or thrombus.

The cause and pathogenesis of hypertension haven’t been understood fully so far. The Western medicine generally believes the following factors probably relative to it: genetic factor, social psychology hyperirritability in vocation, lopsided diet, neuroendocrine effect and smoking. How does ZMC adjust?

The whole adjustment to the social psychology hyperirritability in vocations

Practitioners such as driver, telegrapher, and accountant who need high concentrative attention in a long term without enough exercise are apt to suffer from hypertension. Long-term angst, melancholy and horror could cause hypertension, too. According to investigation, social psychology hyperirritability has tied up with the hypertension, and the persons who suffer unexpected frustration from life have higher morbidity of hypertension than those in the control group. The hyperirritable matters of life include parents’ early death, being lovelorn, bereaving one of one’s spouse, families dying in traffic accidents, disease or injury, parents’ divorce and economic and politic impact etc. ZMC strengthens people’s willpower, cleanses people’s soul and ameliorates people’s characters. Many exercisers who were originally eccentric, depressive, and dumpish become optimistic, communicative and risible, full gladness and less agonizing after their practicing ZMC. Others who were originally hotheaded and apt to lose one’s temper become non-blinkered, magnanimous and gentle and don’t haggle over every ounce any more. So the exercisers enhance their tolerance, firm their will, widen their breadth of mind and adjust their nervous mood (neuroendocrine malfunction for tension and the high level of catecholamine and cortisone in blood are restrained or even restored to a well-balanced state.), which solves the problem that the interior hormone unbalance caused by the occupational factor and social psychology hyperirritability and affect all the metabolizing processes, accordingly, forms the root of hypertension. The factors mentioned above are all that the body suffers the ill stimuli from the outer or interior and brings about long-term, intense and iterative mental stress and small emotional fluctuation such as impatience?anxiety and fidgets etc, which causes the neural system malfunction and make the process of cerebral cortex control and excitation disorder. The cerebral cortex loses its control and adjustment to the centers below the cerebral cortex; such the vasomotor center (autonomic center) below the cerebral cortex will lose its natural function. When the vasomotor center produces long-term excitation of which the pressor part is preponderant, it may cause the spasm of the systemic micro-arterial and increase the peripheral resistance, and then lead to the blood pressure to rise. Human’s essence of inclining to comfort and avoiding the danger makes the algesthesia center lie in the repressive state in a long term. Once people feel the ache, they try to get rid of it and keep away from the source of ache. ZMC designs ache, which has the subjectivity and can excite the algesthesia center fully. It is the character of the cerebral cortex that the more incitant certain part is, the more restrained other parts are. As a result, the vasomotor center weakens its control on the vasoconstriction so that the angiotelectasis happens and the blood pressure falls.

ZMC’s adjustment to the lopsided diet

At present the medicine fields classify the effect on hypertension by diet into two types. On one hand, with the improvement of people’s living standards, people take in so overmuch high protein and superfatted food, and the cholesterol content in blood increases. On the other hand, it is shown in some research that the people who take high content salt have a higher blood pressure or a higher morbidity of hypertension than those people who take less salt in daily life. It can be known in the feedback from the exercisers that ZMC has a remarkable adjustment to the digestive system. The enhancement of the digestive system function can rectify illness of unbalance diet. The equilibrium between taking food and imbibing nourishment would cut off the way to the hypertension for the high protein and superfatted food. Meanwhile, rectifying the illness of unbalance die will guarantee the amount of taking in vegetables, which would ameliorate the absorption of the microelement, such as calcium and potassium. Since the superfluous amount of salt can make the blood pressure arise and potassium in human body can accelerate the absorption of sodium, so the more amount of potassium is absorbed, the less ill effect on the artery vessels by sodium. Calcium can waken the effect caused by salt on blood pressure. The research into the effect on blood pressure by enhancing the amount of taking in calcium in meals shows that increasing the calcium content of diet probably decreases the patient’s blood pressure. In a word, the adjustment to the digestive system by ZMC rectifies the ill habit of diet, and, to some extent, changes the effect of diet on the hypertension.

The influence of ZMC to the endocrine system

It is generally believed that the enhancement of irritability of arteriole sympathetic fibers is the most important nerval factor resulting in hypertension. The unbalance of function of arteriole sympathetic fibers will induce the neuroendocrine disturbance,which gets rise to the hypertension. When exercising, thanks to pain exercisers only concentrate on their legs so as to relax the control on the heart and brain’s sympathetic fibers. So the irritability of arteriole sympathetic nerve fibers are reduced in short term, as subsequently affects the neuroendocrine system. It can be concluded from the phenomenon of the expelled poisons from kidney meridian, bladder meridian and other parts that ZMC can efficaciously adjust kidney. The adjustment can reduce the exudation of the renin, refrain the running of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and reduce the forming of angiotensin-?. Under such conditions, the work of the system can reduce the amount of urine and can excite cardiac muscle so that the cardiac muscle and the small blood vessels contract powerfully. The powerful contraction of the small blood vessels, especially the cardiac small blood vessels, improves the blood circulation of the viscera and adjusts the blood pressure.

It has been proved statistically that the hypertension morbidity in smokers is higher than that in no-smokers. The poisonous chemical substance such as nicotine etc. will cause the increase in the content of cholesterol and the brittleness of blood vessel walls. The ZMC students all have a sense of repulsion for smoking, even some of whom were originally smoke addicts. Of course the unconscious abstinence from cigarettes is also a kind of adjustment to the hypertension.

ZMC also has remarkable adjustment function to the cerebrovascular system

Although the weight of encephala only occupies 2% of the body weight, the oxygen consumption of it accounts for 20% of that of the whole body and the blood demand of it accounts for 15% of cardiac output. In addition, the brain tissue can’t reserve power and carry out the non-oxygen fermentation of sugar, so brains need the especially high provision of oxygen and blood. Once brains lack nutrition, the nerve cells will be injured. ZMC has its unique means to adjust the lack of oxygen and blood needed by brains. ZMC adopts special low-location sitting posture, which blocks the blood circulation of crura and reduces the provision of blood to crura. So during the course of exercise, sufficient blood can be provided to the brain and consequently the cerebrovascular function can be adjusted. Through exercising ZMC, the functions of various organs of human body and the hematopoiesis are enhanced. The amount of total blood are increased, so is the provision of blood to brains; brains have adequate nutrition and the good function of a brain can affects other parts of human body, which leads to the formation of a healthy circle.

The above-mentioned mainly discuss the adjustment function of ZMC to the heart- cerebrovascular system as a whole. So, how does ZMC adjust the heart- cerebrovascular system concretely?

Firstly, ZMC is one kind of P.E. exercise. Exercise can produce caloric, which can intenerate blood-vessels walls and make them pliable and flexible. When people combine the intense movements with gentle parts in the exercise of ZMC, the heat produced in the exercise melts their superfluous fat, the fat is transformed into caloric and consequently the exercisers’ weight is adjusted and the blood vessel wall is intenerated, this is the reason why the blood pressure is quickly restored to the normal level.

Secondly, ZMC adopt special low-location sitting posture. So, femoral arteries’ blood circulation is limited so greatly that the crura will be in a state of lacking blood provision and subsequently it will extremely lack oxygen, which forces the human body to adapt itself to this abnormal condition. Under a normal condition, the percentage of capillary, which are in use, is less than 20% in human body. It is obvious that there is a broad spare base provided for human body. When exercising, femoral arteries are pressed and human body begins to adjust the microcirculation of crura to provide the local with nutrition by opening the spare blood vessels that are closed formerly. In this way, the crura are provided with blood and oxygen only by the microcirculation, which largely decreases the burden of the heart. As a result, the heart has enough contraction together with the blood of crura flowing upwards could provides the heart and brain with plenteous blood, and the function of the heart itself is enhanced. SuWen?WuZangShengChengPian has said, “All kinds of blood are connected with the brain”. If the function of the heart is good, the throb will be in rhythm and the pulse conditions will be harmonious and powerful. Due to the adequate provision of blood for the upper part of human body and the powerful throb of the heart, the blood constantly bounces against not only the open blood vessels but the originally closed capillary, which forces the formerly open vessels to be relaxed and the upper microcirculation to be opened washing off the abnormal deposit on the blood vessel walls. All these aspects benefit both the augmentation of the blood vessel antrum and the drop of blood pressure. For the hypotension suffers, when excising, their hearts similarly contract powerfully, blood vessel walls are intenerated and adequate blood bounces against the blood vessel walls too, which makes the elasticity of blood vessel walls better than before. Taking one with another, the effect on the hypotension suffers is making blood pressure rise. So we can draw a conclusion that ZMC could adjust the blood pressure bi-directionally.

Diaphoresis, emsis, diarrhea are three kinds of excretion ways in the therapeutics of TCM. ZMC has its unique way to excrete “sweat”. As a scientific form of gymnastic sport, ZMC makes human body produce a great deal of caloric and sweet by accelerating the blood flow and the metabolism of tissues of human body. Through much research into the sweat expelled from the exercisers, it has been found that initially the sweat has various kinds of odor and even some sweat has viscosity. With the further exercise, the odor of sweat gradually disappears and the sweat becomes clear. At the same time, the body obviously feels refreshed. Is the excretion only the sweat? A lot of waste is expelled from bodies with the sweat, as is an advanced blood dialysis. In other words, the deleterious matters in blood are expelled from the body, which decreases the inducement of the hemal diseases. Meanwhile, the blood becomes relatively more viscous because the water in blood is evaporated. Under the impelling of heart, the viscous blood has a larger impact against the blood vessel walls and forces them to dilate and contract more powerfully. Through such-and-such repeating impact, dilation and contraction, the blood vessel antrum become capacious and the blood vessel walls become more flexible. As a result, hemal diseases, including cardiovascular disease such as hypertension, arteriosclerosis, arteriostegenesis, ateritis, coronary atherosclerotic heart disease and myocarditis and brovascular disease such as cerebral apoplexy, can be adjusted thoroughly.

ZMC can adjust the heart-cerebrovascular system by means of the special manner–combining the intense movements with gentle parts. The blood vessel walls contract and relax by turns along with the special manner and by the same token the blood quality also becomes fine. While the blood vessel wall and blood have been adjusted, in return, the heart also has been done and in fact the whole circulation system has been adjusted. As far as the diseases are concerned, such as mitral valve prolaps sydrome and atrial spetal defect, the Western medicine believe such suffers must undergo operations if they want to get well. However, ZMC exerts its tremendous advantage of adjustment to change the under-Conner and restore the injured parenchyma only by combining the intense movements with gentle parts. For instance, Ms Du, 50 years old, was a worker of ShanXi towel factory. In 1971, she suffered from cardiopathy belonging to mitral valve prolaps sydrome. After she learned ZMC, she participated in an endurance test of high temperature in July, 1998. Under the condition of 36~39?, she had run 20,000m easily. Would you believe she still suffered from cardiopathy?

TCM theory says: “Qi serves as the commander of the blood and blood is the mother of Qi, Qi in motion renders blood circulating normally, stagnation of Qi and blood stasis.” The blood can’t successfully flow when adopting special sitting posture in the course of exercise for ZMC, which brings about a contradiction between blood and Qi in terms of the theory. In order to solve the contradiction, the body should accelerate the circulation of Qi and make Qi break through the obstacle. In this condition, you will feel like pins and needles in your crura. At the same time, some people who have trouble in their hearts may feel panic and dizzy. The reason for this is that when Qi breaks through the obstacle, the power of Qi is so strong that these people cannot bear it. According to the TCM theory, “Qi can help the brain to circulate blood”, increasing the load of heart is helpful to enhancing the endurance ability of the heart and is also the adjustment to the function of the heart. The symptom appearing in the exercise such as panic and dizziness is common. The reasons for this are following: the inner Qi in the body is used and “Qi pressure” is enough to some extent accordingly. However it isn’t still strong enough to break through the blood circulation of the pressed crura and has to rush upwards to the head. Qi’s running upwards, which TCM theory calls “abnormal rising of Qi”, is prone to cause panic and dizzy. If the “Qi pressure” becomes strong enough to breaks through the Zang and Fu and the minute venation of brain, the blood will produce “diffluence” and “blood flow in the vessel”. As a result, both the blood circulation of Zang and Fu and that of encephalon have been reinforced. Consequently, the heart- cerebrovascular system has been adjusted. 

Heart-cerebrovascular diseases are called as modern lifestyle diseases, in some measure, it points out that this kind of diseases are expensive in therapy. Not all the people can bear the expenditure of medication. Heart-cerebrovascular diseases are lifetime diseases and the patients must depend on the medicine for a long time. However, the therapy cannot resolve the problem from the headstream. So as medicine does it has side effect, which would affect the patients’ life quality badly. What’s more, some patients prefer taking a sudden death risk in taking medicine and bearing the side effect of therapy. It is indicated from the data that the third-fourth of hypertension patients give up the therapy for it, meanwhile lots of patients also give up the therapy because of the expensive fee-for-service (medical expenditure). Large amount of feedback information have proved that exercising ZMC can rapidly adjust the function of body, enhance constitution and relieve the pain of patients, which not only reduce the medical expenditure but also boost the life quality of the patients. In a word, ZMC has a tremendous social value.

Because the time I have learned and exercised ZMC is not long, I know little about the universal and profound meaning of ZMC, and I know little about the heart-cerebrovascular system as a pharmacy college student, the opinions mentioned above are only my personal views. Among the opinions, there are inevitably some warps, oversights or even errors and I sincerely hope every friend to criticize and point out mistakes so that they can be corrected.

The weight loss battle is one that many have fought, and it often seems, only the lucky win. This isn’t entirely true. No matter what kind of fight, or journey, you’re facing, the key to finding and enjoying success is ensuring you have the right tools. For weight loss, those tools include:
- The right mind-set
- An interest in making important changes in your lifestyle
- A plan
- An appropriate diet program or aid that’s suitable to your needs

Which program or diet product is right for you? That’s a personal decision, and one you should likely discuss with your doctor. It needs to fit your health, goals and lifestyle. Not all products are created the same.

One popular approach for weight loss is the use of diet pills and/or supplements. They can be an ideal jumping-off point to help you get started, or, can help you navigate weight loss plateaus or finish off those last few pounds to meet your goal. They come in all shapes, sizes, ingredients lists, promises and guarantees and of course price.

Hydrox-Slim is one diet aid worth your consideration. It mirrors the national brand, but sells for a fraction of the cost. That’s money you can keep right in your pocket- and possibly pay for a gym membership, healthier food, or even new clothes when you reach your goal weight.

Hydrox-Slim is ephedrine-free, an herbal supplement that was commonly found in diet pills, but now banned by the FDA because of the health risks. And unlike a lot of its competitors, you’ll recognize almost all of the ingredients found in Hydrox-Slim. Vitamin B6, Guarana extract, white willow bark and green tea make up this effective diet pill formula. Taking Hydrox-Slim, it promises to:
- Increase your metabolism and burn body fat through thermogenesis
- Suppresses the appetite, leaving you feeling full and not giving in to cravings
- May help to reduce instances of high blood pressure
- Clinical support for its ability to regulate insulin
- Reduces your body’s retention of water

Best of all, these promises are similar to that of the national brand, and you’re not paying for the fancy name.

Some of the biggest take-aways are that Hydrox-Slim supports thermogenesis, reduction of water retention and regulating blood sugar, or insulin. Thermogenesis is the increase of your metabolism, your body generating more heat, and there by burning unhealthy fat. By reducing water retention, you won’t hold on to unnecessary water, and you won’t see a number on the scale skewed by water weight. One of the ingredients in Hydrox-Slim is called Gymnema Sylvestre, an herb from India, that has the nickname “sugar killer.” This herb naturally contorls blood sugar by blocking the body’s absorption of sugar- helping you reduce cravings and lose unwanted weight.

It all comes down to your personal preference, choice and deciding which tools you want in your fight to lose weight. Hydrox-Slim is a diet pill that can aid your efforts with its natural abilities to burn fat, control blood sugar and reduce appetite.

This article is written to take some of the mystery (and hopefully, some of the fear) from the words, “heart disease.”

Although there are many different types of heart disease when someone mentions the words “heart disease” most people think of coronary heart disease first. Coronary heart disease is a “narrowing of the arteries that lead to the heart” however it is important to stress that coronary heart disease is only one form of heart disease.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the most common types of heart disease. In fact, it is the number one cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Heart disease affects both the structure of the heart and the functioning of it or sometimes both. A number of conditions fall under the category of heart disease and these include coronary heart disease (which takes into account heart attacks), heart failure, heart valve disease, abnormal heart rhythms (or arrhythmias), congenital heart disease, pericardial disease, aorta disease and Marfan syndrome, heart muscle disease (or cardiomyopathy), and vascular disease (blood vessel disease).

Coronary artery disease (or abbreviated to CAD) is another name for atherosclerosis or simply hardening of the arteries. It is the arteries that make it possible for nutrients and oxygen to make it to the heart. This is also one of the more common types of heart disease.

The average heart beats 60 to 100 times per minute in a steady even manner. This works out to be approximately 100,000 each and every day. However for reasons unknown to the medical community, sometimes the heart falls out of rhythm. This leads to an abnormal heartbeat or an irregular heartbeat, which is known as arrhythmia. Also known as a dysrhythmia, in this cause a change takes place to the rhythm of the heart, which can lead to a heartbeat that is too fast, too slow or uneven in how it beats. This is one of the more unusual types of heart disease.

The term “heart failure” is somewhat misleading. Heart failure does not mean that the heart has failed or that it has ceased to work properly. Instead it means that the pumping action of the heart is not as good as it should be. Heart failure affects an average of five million Americans every year and is the number one cause of hospitalization for individuals over the age of 65.

The heart has four chambers and heart valves lie at the exit of each one and allow one-way blood flow to make its way through the heart. Heart valve disease takes place when there is a problem with any one of these heart valves. Some examples of heart valve disease include aortic stenosis, mitral valve insufficiency and mitral valve prolapse.

Congenital heart disease is a problem that occurs before a baby is born and is a defect in the way the heart is structured or else in the structure of the blood vessels. Congenital heart disease sometimes does not show itself until a person is a child and in some cases, until they become an adult. Congenital heart defects affect an average of 8 out of every 1,000 babies born on an annual basis.

Cardiomyopathies are diseases that occur to affect the muscle of the heart. Generally this includes heart muscles that are enlarged or else have become stiff or thickened over a period of time. Heart muscle disease makes it difficult for the heart to adequately pump blood. If it is left untreated, a cardiomyopathy will get worse as time progresses and can very often lead to both heart failure as well as abnormal heart rhythms.

Pericarditis is a condition that involves the lining of the heart becoming inflamed. This is one of the more unusual types of heart disease. This condition is actually rather rare and is most often caused by one type of infection or another.

The aorta is the biggest artery in the heart and a number of conditions can cause it to either tear or to widen (or dilate). Thee include the genetic condition known as Marfan Syndrome, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, connective tissue disorders and injury. This is one of the types of heart disease that is somewhat rare.

Before dealing with the topic of the heart in Quran versus Bible versus sciences, it is essential to remember that the total words in the Bible are 788,280 while total words in the Quran are 77,473. It follows that, the Bible is more than 10 times the Quran word-wise. In other words, the Bible has the potential of more than 10 times than the Quran to exhibit its topics.

Back to the heart, it is mentioned 884 times in the Bible and 115 times in the Quran.

It needs a big textbook to interpret all the verses that talk about the heart in both books. The verses shown here are those related to sciences.

The Heart in the Bible:

The verses are given without interpretation. The smart reader can interpret these Biblical verses according to his knowledge to see himself if they agree or contradict with the sciences.

Joshua 7:5

And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

1 Samuel 25:37

But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

Job 41:24

His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.

Psalm 55:21

The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

Proverbs 7:3

Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.

Proverbs 13:12

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

Proverbs 14:13

Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.

Proverbs 14:30

A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.

Proverbs 15:30

The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.

Proverbs 17:22

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Proverbs 27:9

Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.

Ecclesiastes 10:2

A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.

Lamentations 2:19

Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the LORD: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.

Ezekiel 11:19

And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

Ezekiel 16:30

How weak is thine heart, saith the LORD GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman;

Ezekiel 36:26

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Zechariah 7:12

Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.

Matthew 12:34

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Acts 14:17

Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

The heart in the Quran:

[Surah 33:4]

“Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his (one) body:”

This verse is certainly a scientific miracle. We have never ever heard that any man has two hearts in his body.

This verse is never found in the Bible.

[Surah 22:46]

“Do they not travel through the land, so that their hearts (and minds) may thus learn wisdom and their ears may thus learn to hear? Truly it is not their eyes that are blind, but their hearts which are in their breasts.”

This verse is an invitation for traveling to learn the wisdom.

Everyone knows the importance of traveling and exchange the knowledge between people and nations.

This verse is never found in the Bible.

Now, one may realize the big difference between the Bible and the Quran.

Herein, we have an invitation to read carefully the Quran and to understand it.

[Surah 47:24]

“Do they not then earnestly seek to understand the Quran, or are their hearts locked up by them?”

It is unfair that the intellectual smart people pre-judge the Quran and depend on what the biased media say about it. It is shameful for anyone to lock up his heart.

With all the love and respect, the Quran invites the mankind to:

[Surah 18:29]

“Say, “The Truth is from your Lord”: Let him who will, believe, and let him who will, reject (it): for the wrong-doers We have prepared a Fire whose (smoke and flames), like the wall and roof of a tent, will hem them in: if they implore relief they will be granted water like melted brass, that will scald their faces: How dreadful the drink! How uncomfortable a couch to recline on!”

The Day of Judgment is true, but what about the hearts in that day?

Surah79 (6-12) gives us an idea about that:

[6] One day everything that can be in commotion will be in violent commotion.

[7] Followed by oft-repeated (commotions):

[8] Hearts that Day will be in agitation;

[9] Cast down will be (their owners’) eyes.

[10] They say (now): “What! Shall we indeed be returned to (our) former state?

[11] “What! When we shall Have become rotten bones?”

[12] They say: “It would, in that case, be a return with loss!”

Back to our main issue; one may ask this: Is the Quran quoted from the Bible? And which book precedes the sciences? The Bible which talks about the melted heart, the stony heart, the war inside the heart, the table of the heart, the wise right heart, the fool left heart, the food (not blood) inside the heart etc…. or the Quran which gives us a miraculous scientific statement about the heart?

Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women in the United States.  In 2008, approximately 184,450 patients were estimated to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and an estimated 40,930 were estimated to die of this disease.   Furthermore, over 50,000 female carcinoma in situ breast cases would have been diagnosed.  The etiology of breast cancer is poorly understood with multiple genetic and environmental factors involved in the initiation and progression of cancer. 

Scandinavian Twin Study:  For years, there has been a hot debate as to whether the cause of breast cancer is genetic or environmental.  Then in 2000, Lichtenstein and his colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden published their study of 44,788 pairs of twins from the Swedish, Danish, and Finnish twin registries.  In this study, they looked at cancer risk with 28 different types of cancers and did statistical modeling of genetic and hereditary contributions in eleven different cancer types.  For breast cancer, they clearly showed that only 27% of breast cancers were due to genetic factors.  This was an even lower hereditary component than other common cancers such as prostate and colorectal.  This study and others have confirmed the fact that over 70% of breast cancers are influenced by environmental factors.

BRCA genes:  Although much attention has been made about hereditary breast cancer, only two genes are commonly tested for breast cancer risk assessment.  These two genes are tumor suppressor genes named “BRCA1″ and “BRCA2″ that are involved with DNA repair.  These two genes only account for about 5% of all breast cancers.  Because of the Scandinavian twin study, most experts believed that there are other yet to be discovered genes involved with breast cancer.  Because the chance of having a BRCA mutation in the general population is so low, genetic testing is not indicated in most patients.  However, if a patient has a family history of breast cancer, then a mathematical model can be used to determine if BRCA testing is indicated.  The likelihood of being a BRCA carrier increases with the number of relatives who had cancer and if the cancers occurred earlier in life.  For example, in families with four or more cases of breast or ovarian cancer under the age of 60, over 80% are found to have a damaged version of BRCA1 or BRCA2.  If a patient is a carrier of one or both of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, her risk of breast cancer dramatically increases.  According to estimates of lifetime risk, about 13.2% (132 out of 1,000 individuals) of women in the general population will develop breast cancer, compared with estimates of 36-85% (360-850 out of 1,000) of women with an altered BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.  In other words, women with an altered BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 gene are up to eight times more likely to develop breast cancer than women without alterations in those genes.  The BRCA1 mutation confers a higher risk than a BRCA2 mutation.  Women who inherit a damaged BRCA1 gene have a 60-85% chance of developing breast cancer at some stage in their lives and a 20-40% chance of developing ovarian cancer.  For BRCA2, the risks are 40-60% and 10-20%, respectively.  

Family History and Breast Cancer:  Although the spotlight in hereditary breast cancer has been directed on the BRCA genes, the majority of patients with a family history of breast cancer are BRCA1 and BRCA2 negative.  Even in these BRCA negative patients, however, there is an increased risk of developing cancer with a family history of breast cancer.   Six factors (unrelated to BRCA genes) have been studied in patients with a family history of breast cancer.  They are as follows:

1.  Degree of relationship:  If the family member with a history of cancer is a first degree relative, the increased risk is much greater than for second degree relatives. 

2.  Number of relatives who have had breast cancer:  People with two or more family members who have had breast cancer are at higher risk than those with only one affected relative.

3.  Age of onset of cancer:  If the relative developed breast cancer at an early age (pre-menopausal), the risk is higher than if the relative developed post menopausal breast cancer.

4.  Bilateral breast cancer:  If the relative has a history of bilateral breast cancer, the risk is greater than having a relative with unilateral breast cancer.

5.  Gender of the relative:  If the family member with breast cancer is a man, the risk is higher.

6.  Other related early onset tumors:  If there is a family history of early onset ovarian cancer, this incurs an increased risk for a person.

How to decide whether you need the BRCA gene test

The following is an excerpt from the American Society of Breast Surgeons:

1.  Early onset breast cancer (diagnosed before age 50)

2.  Two primary breast cancers, either bilateral or ipsilateral
3.  A family history of early onset breast cancer
4.  Male breast cancer
5.  A personal or family history of ovarian cancer
6.  Ashkenazi (Eastern European) Jewish heritage
7.  A previously identified BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation in the family

Any one of these features alone indicates a risk for harboring a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.  The presence of more than one of these features raises that risk to greater than 10%, the traditional cutoff for recommending a BRCA test. Such patients should have access to BRCA testing.  A simple risk-calculation model based on the prevalence of mutations seen among women tested for BRCA mutations is available at http://www.brcacalculator.com.

Congestive heart disease is a physical disorder in which the heart no longer pumps hard enough. Since the heart pumps weakly, blood can back up into the lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and extremities.

Congestive heart disease is also called congestive heart failure (CHF), cardiac failure, or heart failure. These names can be misleading, since they seem to indicate that the heart has totally failed and that death is imminent. This is not the case. Congestive heart disease is nearly always a chronic, long-term condition, although it does sometimes develop suddenly.

How Common Is Congestive Heart Disease?

Of 100 people between the ages of 27 and 74, approximately 2 have congestive heart disease. That means about 6 million people in the U.S. are affected by the disease. After age 74, congestive heart disease becomes more common. It is said to be the leading cause of hospitalization among senior citizens.

Causes of Congestive Heart Disease

Congestive heart disease has many causes. They include, but are not limited to, the following causes:

* Weakening of the heart muscle due to viral infections. The weakness may also be caused by toxins such as alcohol abuse.
* Weakening of the heart muscle by coronary artery disease that has led to heart attacks.
* Weakening of the heart muscle by heart valve disease that involves large amounts of blood leakage.
* Heart muscle stiffness caused by a blocked heart valve.
* Uncontrolled high blood pressure, also called hypertension.
* High levels of the thyroid hormone.
* Excessive use of amphetamines (“speed”).

Symptoms of Congestive Heart Disease

Either side of the heart muscle may weaken and cause congestive heart disease. The symptoms of congestive heart disease depend on the side of the heart that is affected. They can include these:

* asthma that can be attributed to the heart
* blood pooling in the body’s overall circulation
* blood pooling in the liver’s circulation
* enlargement of the heart
* shortness of breath
* skin color that appears bluish or dusky
* swelling of the body, especially the extremities

Congestive Heart Disease Risk Factors

As is true with most heart disease, family history is a major risk factor for congestive heart disease. Genetics cannot easily be altered. Age is a second risk factor that cannot be changed. Congestive heart disease is particularly prevalent among older people.

Aside from those two, however, risk factors can and should be addressed. Here are 7 risk factors for congestive heart disease that you may want to discuss with your health care provider.

1. High blood pressure: This is the highest risk factor for congestive heart disease! Men with uncontrolled high blood pressure are twice as likely as those with normal blood pressure to suffer congestive heart disease. If a woman has uncontrolled high blood pressure, she is three times as likely as women with normal blood pressure to develop congestive heart disease.

2. Heart Attacks: This is the second highest risk factor for congestive heart disease. Those who have had heart attacks that resulted in damage to the heart muscle, and scarring of the muscle tissue, have increased risks of experiencing congestive heart disease.

3. High Cholesterol: Showing high levels of cholesterol, particularly when levels of HDL are low, is listed as another risk factor for congestive heart disease.

4. Diabetes: Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are risk factors for developing congestive heart disease.

5. Obesity: Men and women who are overweight unnecessarily increase their risks of experiencing congestive heart disease. The heart must work harder when the body is not at a healthy weight, and can begin to lose its ability to deliver blood efficiently.

6. Prolonged Physical Inactivity: A sedentary lifestyle, with little exercise, puts people at risk for congestive heart disease, especially as they increase in age. The heart needs cardiovascular exercise to remain strong and able to function well.

7. Smoking: Smoking increases the heart’s workload. It also affects the lungs. This is a risk for congestive heart disease that anyone can eliminate.

CAUTION: Please see your doctor if you have reason to think you may have one or more of the risk factors or symptoms of congestive heart disease. The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only.