Heart disease affects the lives of many Americans. That’s the conclusion reached in countless highly credible studies, including one published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It revealed that nearly 83 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with some form of the disease, making it a leading cause of death for both men and women. In 2022 alone, around 702,880 Americans lost their lives to heart disease. It is worth noting that heart disease is not a singular disease but rather an umbrella term for a series of diseases that can adversely affect someone’s cardiovascular and overall health.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical center based in Cleveland, Ohio, some of these include coronary artery disease (CAD), a condition characterized by hardening and narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart, and myocardial infarction, which occurs when a blocked artery impedes blood flow to the heart muscle. But it does not end there. Heart failure, the heart’s inability to pump blood effectively throughout the body, is yet another form of heart disease. Arrhythmias, a condition characterized by irregular or abnormal heart rhythms, and valvular heart disease, which occurs when heart valves fail to regulate blood flow, also fall under the umbrella of heart disease. Just as there are many forms of heart disease, there are many things that put people at risk of developing it.
Risk Factors for Heart Disease: What More People Should Know
For some people, genetics can play a role in the development of specific forms of heart disease, some of which include arrhythmias, congenital heart valve diseases, and coronary artery disease (CAD). Genetics can also heighten the risk of developing inherited conditions that eventually lead to heart disease, according to the Heart Foundation. Some of these inherited conditions include the following:
- Being diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or restrictive cardiomyopathy, all of which are heart muscle diseases that negatively affect the structure and function of the heart
- Life-threatening arrhythmias, such as pulseless electrical activity (PEA), ventricular tachycardia (VT), and ventricular fibrillation (VF)
- Extremely high cholesterol levels
Along with genetics, some people develop heart disease as a result of poor lifestyle habits. That is especially the case when it comes to coronary artery disease, the most commonly diagnosed form of heart disease in the U.S. One of the most significant contributors to coronary artery disease is a poor diet. According to the Mayo Clinic, consuming a diet high in sodium, trans fats, and cholesterol can cause inflammation and atherosclerosis. Both of these can lead to CAD if left untreated. Other contributors to CAD, not to mention other forms of heart disease, include the following:
- Chronic stress
- Diabetes
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Leading a sedentary lifestyle
- Obesity
- Smoking
Human Growth Hormone Deficiency and Heart Health
For those unaware, human growth hormones (HGH) are peptide hormones secreted by the pituitary and hypothalamus glands. And they play an enormous role in the human body. During childhood, HGH works in concert with insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), hormones secreted by the liver, to promote growth and development. During adulthood, HGH works with IGF-1 to regulate body fluids, body composition, glucose levels, and fat metabolism. The two hormones are also involved in regulating heart function, and that’s because IGF-1 mediates many effects of HGH.
According to the National Institutes of Health, insulin-like growth factor 1 regulates cardiac output, stroke volume, contractility, and ejection fraction of the heart, or the heart’s capacity to pump oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. Working collaboratively with human growth hormones, IGF-1 is also involved in stimulating contractility and tissue remodeling to improve heart function after someone has had a heart attack. HGH and IGF-1 also work together to improve the lipid profile, lower insulin levels, increase insulin sensitivity, and promote glucose metabolism, all of which can help lower the risk of a second heart attack.
These heart health benefits that are part and parcel of having adequate human growth hormones in our blood can quickly go away or become severely diminished if we develop a human growth hormone deficiency. Cardiovascular symptoms synonymous with such a deficiency include decreased exercise tolerance, impaired cardiac function, and reduced cardiac output. All of these are in addition to the many other symptoms associated with low blood growth hormone (GH) levels, such as weight gain, reduced muscle mass and strength, depression, anxiety, and low libido.
How To Boost Low HGH and Improve Heart Health
There are many things people can do to naturally boost low HGH levels in their blood, improve heart function, and, more importantly, reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Some of these include lifestyle changes, such as quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption, exercising regularly, staying hydrated, and getting plenty of sleep each night. Keeping stress to a minimum and consuming a well-balanced, nutrient-dense diet can also help. For individuals with extremely low HGH levels and related heart problems, a medicinal approach might be necessary.
Medications commonly prescribed to resolve heart problems or improve heart function include diuretics, beta-blockers, calcium blockers, and statins. These medications can help individuals struggling with hypertension or high cholesterol. Other commonly prescribed cardiovascular medications include anticoagulants, antiplatelets, heart failure medications, and angina medications. To combat low growth hormone levels in the blood, most physicians recommend hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Some of the HGH brands of drugs included in an HRT regimen include the following:
- Humatrope
- Nutropin AQ
- Norditropin
- Saizen
- Genotropin
- Humatrope
- Serostim
- Sogroya
- Zomacton
In summary, many things can make us susceptible to suffering from heart disease, including a growth hormone deficiency. Thankfully, there are just as many natural and medicinal ways to address both.
