More Than Meets the Eye: Lessons from Tim Russert’s Death

Life is complex.  Often times it is mysterious.  Sometimes things look fine on the outside but deeper troubles lurk beneath the surface.  The unexpected death of Tim Russert is a good example of how something can be “more than meets the eye.” 

On the outside Tim’s health seemed OK.  According to his physician, he had heart disease but was in no danger.  He wasn’t experiencing any symptoms of heart disease.  No chest pain plagued him.  He wasn’t limited by shortness of breath.  Recently, he had walked on a stress test and passed without difficulty. 

 

(http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/russert-dies-of-apparent-heart-attack/?hp)

 

And then disaster struck.  A cholesterol plaque in one of the major arteries of his heart ruptured.  Blood flow to his heart was compromised, and he went into a life threatening heart arrhythmia.  Even though CPR was started immediately, it was sometime before the paramedics could arrive to shock his heart back into a normal rhythm. Sadly, Tim passed away.

 

We’ve all been shocked by the loss of this magnificent human being.  

 

The outpouring of dismay has been overwhelming.

 

“How could this happen?”  “His stress test was normal!”   “Shouldn’t he have seen a Cardiac Surgeon?”  

 

The trouble is that stress tests don’t tell everything.  Even the best stress test can’t pick up a heart blockage if the blood vessel is  less than a 50% blocked.   And unfortunately, nearly half of all heart attacks are caused by blockages that are 25-50%.  

 

Heart blood vessels are living tissue, and cholesterol blockages can grow suddenly.  Like a pimple they can swell with liquid cholesterol, and then because of stress or an unexplained insult, they can suddenly rupture.   Bleeding occurs within the blood vessel and a clot can form shutting of the flow of blood.  Dangerous heart rhythms may follow.  

 

It is well known that inflammation within the heart arteries is a cause of heart disease.  Many things lead to this inflammation:  high saturated fat in the diet, diabetes, high LDL cholesterol levels, and even our emotions.  

Most people don’t know it but a negative emotional state can create heart disease.  Anger, fear, sadness, depression, and many other troublesome feelings have been shown to cause heart illness.   Stress in particular can be devastating.

 

People who are overworks, or feel overwhelmed are particularly at risk of increased inflammation and heart attacks.

 

According to NBC’s Tom Brokaw, Mr. Russert’s life was very hectic.  He stated that Tim was “burning it at both ends.”(http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/russert-dies-of-apparent-heart-attack/?hp)

 

So if things can seem fine and yet beneath the surface trouble is lurking- what can be done to keep us from suffering an unexpected heart attack?

 

 

Lessons For Preventing An Unexpected Heart Attack

 

•  Don’t Think:  “It will never happen to me”  

As Tim Russert’s death shows us even if we think we’re fine we need to be on the alert for heart disease.  If you’re someone who has significant risk factors for heart disease begin taking an active role in your health management.  

 

• Know your cardiac risk factors

The people who are more likely to suffer an unexpected heart attack are those people with risk factors.  Examine your life and see if you possess 2 or more risk factors for heart disease  If you do then you could be at risk.  Heart disease traditional risk factors include:  smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, low HDL cholesterol, males over the age of 45, females over the age of 65, sedentary lifestyle, or a family history of premature heart disease.  

 

• Make sure you aren’t at risk for excessive blood vessel inflammation

 

Most people don’t know it but there is a simple blood test for determining if you have heightened inflammation that could be ravaging your body.  The test is called:  A High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein- hs-CRP for short.  This is a simple blood test that your doctor can perform that can help tell you if you are at risk.  People with excessive hs-CRP are more likely to get heart disease.

 

If you have an elevated hs-CRP  diet and exercise has been shown to reduce your risk.

 

• Control your weight

 

Obesity is a major problem in America.  It is estimated that over 30% of the population is obese.  Obesity can lead to major health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.  Being overweight is also a component of the Metabolic Syndrome (http://www.metabolic-syndrome-institute.org/).  People who have the Metabolic Syndrome have altered insulin metabolism and are at risk for premature heart disease.

 

If you have a problem with your weight seek professional help.    

 

 

• Exercise Frequently

 

Regular aerobic exercise (the kind that gets your heart pumping) has been shown to prevent heart disease.  It’s also useful for reducing the inflammation of your heart arteries.  Exercising can reduce your chances of getting diabetes.  It can lower your chances of developing the metabolic syndrome.  Plus it can be great fun!

 

You should strive to do some form of aerobic exercise 45 minutes 4-5 times a week.  

 

Check out the recommendations at the American College of Sports Medicine:

 

(http://www.acsm.org/Content/ContentFolders/TopicsintheField/Fitness/ACSM_PUBLIC_INFORMATION___generating_interest__awareness__knowledge.htm)

 

 

• Adopt the Mediterranean Diet

 

The Mediterranean Diet is an eating plan that has been shown to prevent heart disease.  And you don’t have to move to a foreign country to follow the diet- (although it might be fun!).  Amazingly, 75% of the people who follow this plan will not get heart disease.  Even if you already have heart disease the diet can help prevent a second heart attack.

 

The key feature of the diet is limiting the intake of saturated fat in your diet.  You should avoid eating animal products, particularly red meat.  Switch to olive oil for all of your cooking and oil use.  Increase your consumption of fish and other omega-3 fatty acids.  Eat only whole grains with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.  

 

Many books are available on this topic.  A trip to the local library will prove fruitful.  If you want to get a quick start look to the left on this website!  You’ll see my simple pamphlet on  Improving Your Heart Health with the Mediterranean Diet.  Just click on the button to download a copy.

 

 

• Explore your emotional heart health- make sure you don’t have a Broken Heart

 

Is your heart broken?  Most people don’t know it but our emotions can affect our physical body!  If your heart is Broken you could be at risk for having a major heart event.  When most people hear the words, A Broken Heart, they instantly think of a heart that has been traumatized because of a romantic relationship that has fallen apart.  But this isn’t always the case. 

 

Other things can lead to a Broken Heart.  Stress, worry, anxiety, depression, or major heartache can break the heart and lead to heart disease.

 

If you’re suffering from severe emotional stress you could be at risk.  Check out my other blog posting to find out more about developing heart trouble from a Broken Heart:  http://blog.drkirklaman.com/2008/03/22/can-a-broken-heart-kill-you/

 

 

Although this list isn’t complete, if you follow these recommendation and suggestions you’ll be well on your way towards becoming more heart healthy.  

 

We’ve all felt a great loss from Tim’s passing, but perhaps it can remind us to cherish life.  

 

We may even be prompted to take a more active role in staying well.

 

 

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June 20th, 2008 - Posted in Heart Health, Philosophical | | 0 Comments

Check Out Occasionally

I’ve been gone from this blog for a few weeks.  When you want to work to get your message out to the public, guilt can sometimes crop up when your duties suffer because of a busy schedule.  

 

Yet, I have to believe that it’s OK to check out occasionally. Sometimes the tugs and pulls of our responsibilities can seem overwhelming.  We just have to pull back.  

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been working hard on a new website, E Book, with audio downloads.  The title is:  A Broken Heart Can Kill You.  

I’ve been wanting to help people who haven’t yet warmed to the idea that their emotions can lead to heart injury.  It’s  the missing link in heart disease and one that (in my view) is sorely needed.

Cardiologists are quick and rightly so to treat the physical aspects of heart disease, but often the “softer”  emotional/psychological influences are overlooked.

So in the process of getting a number of things together, working on updating my workshop, Creating a Heart Centered Life, I’ve had to put blog posts on the back burner. 

Life is a process.  One writer has said that, Life is flesh and blood, not stone.  

We have to be willing to acknowledge when we are pushed past out limits and just accept where we are in the moment.  

Trusting our heart in this way allows us to check out occasionally and not be paralyzed by guilt.      

 

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May 19th, 2008 - Posted in Self Help, Emotional/Psychological | | 0 Comments

Ups and downs of Life

Life moves in cycles.  The leaves fall. Winter’s chill descends, and just when it seems the cold oppression will never end- spring begins to come.

 

Dealing with these cycles is part of the rhythms of life.  And its not always easy.  It’s not easy to roll when you might feel like falling.

 

Do you know what I’m talking about?  I’m sure you do.  Most people have experienced the cycles of life.  

 

Recently, I’ve found myself in the midst of a particularly bothersome cycle.  I sometimes felt like a Bruce Springsteen song:  going down, down, down. It made me almost wonder if I had stepped into a hole that was too big to scale.

 

My saving grace and what always brings me back to balance is to journey deep into my heart.  I have to get quiet, and use a skill called “Practicing Remembrance.”  Its an ancient skill for opening and healing the heart.  But I”m always surprised at how easy it is to find peace if we’re willing to do what it takes.

 

Our hearts are truly wondrous.  They contain a wisdom that defies logical explanation.  But we have to find the time, make the time to to tap into this wisdom.  

 

You may have a skill that takes you back to center.   If you do then take the time to use it.  

 

Life carries us around and around- up, down, in, and out.  Like on a magical merry-go-round,  we travel though life.

 

Take the time to find your own heart.  Explore it.  Move with it.  You won’t be disappointed.

 

 

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May 1st, 2008 - Posted in Self Help, Emotional/Psychological | | 0 Comments

Dark Nights of the Soul

Our hearts can be disfigured. 

They can be troubled and tormented.  Our hearts can be squeezed and distressed emotionally and psychologically to such a degree that finally they begin to whither under the strain. 

They crack or even break. The experience of having a “Broken Heart” is real.

 Losing a loved one, struggling with job woes, or having our lives shattered with a horrible divorce are just some of the catalysts that can create severe trauma to our hearts. 

 The psychotherapist and author, Thomas Moore writes that “at one time or another, most people go through a period of sadness, trial, loss, frustration, or failure that is so disturbing and long-lasting that it can be called a dark night of the soul.”  

 Unfortunately, hearts living through darkness and turmoil, hearts that are “broken” don’t just suffer emotionally.  Medical research has clearly shown that deep grief, sadness, and other painful experiences can cause actual heart disease. 

 In the 1970’s medical researchers from the Mayo Clinic discovered that what we think and feel has a direct bearing on having a healthy heart.  In a research study of over 170 people they demonstrated that people suffering with severe grief or overwhelming anger can literally “drop dead” from something called Sudden Cardiac Death.  You can indeed die from a “broken heart.”

 Yet, just as emotional pain and trauma can wind us tighter and tighter and ultimately create heart disease- the troublesome cords that bind us can also be loosened.  We can learn to unravel the emotional heartache that is creating illness.  We can learn to heal our broken hearts.

One important first step for heart healing is to recognize that our “dark nights” of broken heartedness can be a path to deeper meaning, perhaps even spiritual awakening.  If we tune into this idea that our misfortunes may in fact teach us something about ourselves, something vital to our overall growth as a human being, then some of the painful “sting” of our heart’s aching can be lifted.

 Not long ago a patient of mine suffered a major heart attack.  John worked at home as a computer programmer.  He was loner, who hadn’t made the effort to establish a new relationship after a messy divorce.  Suffering a heart attack was a wake up call.  Facing death, he became acutely aware of the fragility of life. 

 Having a heart attack provided the motivation for him to begin dating again.  Soon he was married and actually started a family. 

 Another key for healing one’s broken heart is to find a treatment that right for you.  Support groups, meditation, psychotherapy, and many other modalities are available that can get you moving down the road towards heart healing.  What’s vital is that you begin searching diligently for a method you feel comfortable with and then begin working on yourself.

 Just as you can’t get into shape while sitting on a couch, you can’t release the pain and anguish of a broken heart by ignoring the problem.  You’ll need to get busy doing the psychological work that it takes to become well. 

 Having a “broken heart” isn’t the end of the world.  Rather we should consider it as a natural part of life.  As long as we’re living, we’re going to rub up against people and situations that stretch and challenge us.

 We just need to have hope.  Your broken heart can be healed. You become well.

 

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April 14th, 2008 - Posted in Philosophical, Emotional/Psychological | | 0 Comments

Tapping Into Your Hearts Intelligence

Your heart knows.  It knows what you need to be healthy, wealthy, and wise.  The trouble is most of us rarely listen to our hearts.  We’re too busy.  We go here.  We run there.  We look everywhere for the answers, but we ignore our real intelligence.

 

Did you know that your heart has an intelligence that is separate from your brain?

 

It’s true.  Research has shown that the human heart has an intelligence does not rely on the brains input.  40.000 nerve cells are found in your heart’s sphere. Some centers in the brain, particularly the sub-cortical areas (the area that is emotionally driven) have less neurons than the heart.  The human heart also has it’s own independent nervous system.  It independently influences the body, and even the brain. 

 

Our hearts intelligence is different from the intelligence of the brain.  Your heart wisdom comes on a more feeling level.  It doesn’t rely on logic, but seems to integrate feelings in making its decisions.   

 

Why am I concerned about the heart’s intelligence? 

 

I’m concerned because the intelligence of our heart may actually be more important than our cerebral intelligence.  In 1996 Daniel Goleman published an exciting new book called:  Emotional Intelligence: http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Intelligence-Matter-More-Than/dp/0553375067   

 

 What was revolutionary about Goleman’s writing was that he concluded that success in life had more to do with what happens on an emotional/social level than on a thinking level.  So even though thoughts are important,  how we control our emotions plays a bigger part in success in life. 

 

You know what I mean right?  I’m sure you’ve seen this in your business and personal life.  The people who advance, who get the best raises, and positions aren’t always the most capable intellectually.  It’s often the people who excel socially, who have the ability to bond with others who seem to make the most advances.

 

Here’s where your heart intelligence comes into play.  You heart’s wisdom is global.   It’s holistic.  Your heart integrates what is happening on an emotional, psychological, and spiritual level.  If we can gain the ability to tap into our heart’s intelligence it can have a profound impact on our lives.  

 

Indeed researchers at the Heart Math Institute (http://www.heartmath.org/)  have shown that tapping into the hearts wisdom is something that can influence our overall health and well being.  Their research has demonstrated that it can reduce anxiety and eliminate worry.  Both of these negative emotions have been shown to create heart disease.  Tapping into the hearts wisdom is also something that can be done easily and practically.  

 

The HeartMath Institute has invented a technique called Freeze Frame (r)  Freeze Frame is a method for instantly stopping stress. If you’ve never heard of it you might want to get the book:  The HeartMath Solution by D