Take a Load off Your Heart:

109 Things You Can Actually Do to Prevent, Halt and Reverse Heart Disease (Paperback)

Piscatella (Fat-Proof Your Child), a motivational speaker who had coronary bypass surgery in 1977 at the age of 32, and Franklin (Making Healthy Tomorrows), director of a Cardiac Rehabilitation Laboratory, collaborated on this clearly written guide to preventing heart disease.

Like other consumer health books on this subject, the authors recommend, in detail, nutritional strategies that will lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, exercises designed to promote cardiovascular health and, of course, an absolute prohibition against smoking. However, what is different about their plan is the emphasis on reducing stress.

According to the authors, recent research into cardiac health indicates that chronic stress not only has a direct negative impact on the heart by, for example, promoting arterial inflammation, but can also play an indirect role. Enduring daily stress frequently prevents people from finding the energy and motivation to make healthy lifestyle changes such as (more…) Symptoms of Heart Attacks

The leading cause of death for both men and women around the world is a heart attack. Heart attacks, also known as myocardial infarctions, are caused by several different factors and can be detected and prevented with the right medical products. A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to a certain part of the heart is interrupted. The blood is unable to circulate normally due to blockage of a coronary artery. If a person is undergoing an acute heart attack, they will experience sudden chest pain, which may radiate to the neck and the left arm, shortness of breath, nausea, anxiety, and vomiting, among other symptoms. Not all heart attacks are acute, however, and it is possible to suffer a heart attack without noticing it at first.  However, a heart attack is a medical emergency, so if you feel as though anything seems unusual or painful, go see a doctor!

The most common factors that put someone at risk for a heart attack are old age, obesity, tobacco smoking, high blood pressure, and stress. If you have had a heart attack in the past, indulge in excessive alcoholic consumption, abuse certain drugs, for instance cocaine, or have chronic kidney disease, your odds of having a heart attack are disproportionately higher than the rest of the population.

When you go to the emergency rooms, the most effective piece of used medical equipment a doctor will use to tell whether or not you have had a heart attack is an electrocardiogram machine (EKG machine). When you are tested for a heart attack, you are told to lie down on the examination table. A nurse will attach electrodes on various points of your body so that the EKG can map the heart’s activity. The resulting graph is created by measuring the strength and timing of the electric signals emitted by the heart. These electric signals are what tell the heart muscle the rate at which to pump blood throughout the body. The attending doctor then reads the resulting graph and is able to determine whether a heart attack occurred and the resulting damage.

If you feel you are at risk for a heart attack, do not leave it to the EKG machines to discover the damage after the fact! See your doctor on how you can lead a healthier lifestyle so that you avoid suffering a heart attack in the future!

A recent study proved that Vioxx may lead to blood clots, heart attack and strokes.

Vioxx is a medicine that may be associated to other serious side effects such as stomach problems, allergic reactions, serious kidney problems or liver problems. About these serious, life threatening problems we are about to talk in the following paragraphs.

As we said before, serious stomach problems might be associated with Vioxx usage. These problems refer at stomach and intestinal bleeding that may occur without developing any warning symptoms. If these problems are severe they might lead to long time hospitalization or even death. Even if it is well known that these problems occur rarely it is strongly recommended to watch for signs and let your doctor know right away.

The second major problems that might be the cause of Vioxx usage are the allergic reactions that consist of swelling of face, lips, tongue or throat. These problems will lead to a difficult breathing or swallowing. Even if these side effects occur rarely they require an immediate treatment.

Kidney problems might also be one of the side-effects caused by Vioxx. Just like the other problems mentioned earlier, kidney problems also occur rarely but when they occur it may lead to acute kidney failure and worsening of chronic kidney failure.

Liver problems generally occur in patients that take NSAIDs. If symptoms of liver problems occur the patients must quickly see a specialist. These liver problems include nausea, tiredness, itching, tenderness in the right upper abdomen and flu-like symptoms.

As we mentioned before, these severe problems occur rarely. More common than the problems mentioned earlier are other side effects caused by Vioxx usage such as upper and/or lower respiratory infection and/or inflammation, headache, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea and/or vomiting, heartburn, stomach pain and upset, swelling of the legs or feet, high blood pressure, back pain, tiredness or urinary tract infections. These non life threatening side effects caused by Vioxx usage are not severe as the first mentioned side effects but they do require treatment or even hospitalization.

It is known that Vioxx represents a generation of arthritis drugs. Vioxx and other drugs of its generation are called COX 2 inhibitors.

It was proved that the risk of developing heart attack, stroke or blood clots is two times higher for people that use Vioxx than in people that chose as their treatment other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The study on which result is based the affirmation done earlier involved 8000 patients.

After other studies, specialists noticed that the rate of heart attack in patients that take Vioxx is higher than for others. 0.52 % of the patients taking an inactive placebo pill had a heart attack each year, while for Vioxx users the annual rate of heart attack was about 0.74 %.

The studies concluded that Vioxx should be prescribed carefully.

If you want to find out more resources about heart attack or about bextra heart attack please review this page http://www.heart-attack-guide.com

According to U.S. General Surgeon, heart attacks and strokes are highly preventable. Thus, if more people die from heart disease than from any other illness, we need to give a serious consideration to what we are doing wrong. In this article you will find the 7 main reasons why we may end up being part of the American Heart Association’s statistics. 1. We smoke. The risk of dying of a heart attack is about four times higher in people who smoke than in those who don’t smoke.Many of us are under the impression that the major danger from smoking is cancer but that is not quite true; smoking is the major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. In fact, about 40% of deaths caused by cardiovascular disease are due to smoking. Smoking contributes to heart disease in the following manner:• Increases blood pressure, a risk for heart attacks and strokes.• The carcinogen components in tobacco damage the walls of the arteries.• The carbon monoxide from the burning of the tobacco interferes with the blood capacity to carry oxygen to our heart.• Smoking causes the narrowing of the blood vessels that carry blood to our legs and arms.I know that to stop smoking is not a piece of cake but you have to make an effort. If you try, I am confident you’ll succeed. Be strong! Look for professional help to assist you in this task. And don’t get discourage if you have already tried and didn’t make it. Try as many times as you can.2. We don’t walk. Over the past 50 years, health professionals have examined the association between physical activity and the risk for heart disease. The findings consistently reveal that people who are physically active have half the risk for heart attacks than people who are not active. Those studies show also that at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking, on most days of the week, is sufficient to reduce the risk of heart attack. ?Keep in mind that the heart is a muscle, and like any other muscle in the body, it becomes stronger the more you exercise it. Without exercise, it loses muscle fibers and becomes weak until it is unable to do its job. And the last thing you need is a heart that can’t do its job. The direct effects of physical activity on heart disease are:• Makes the heart stronger so it can pump more blood with fewer beats• Lowers blood pressure by increasing the diameter of the coronary arteries.• Lowers “LDL”, the bad cholesterol• Increases “HDL”, the “good” cholesterol• Decreases triglycerides• Decreases the risk of diabetes, which is a risk for heart attacks3. We eat too much saturated fatThere is a reason why health authorities advice us to limit the consumption of saturated fat:• Saturated fat is the most rigid of all fats and is solid at room temperature. Solid fats are hard to dissolve and can easily get stuck in your arteries.• Saturated fat causes the liver to overproduce cholesterol. The liver makes about 75 percent of the cholesterol your body needs from internal sources, while the remaining 25 percent comes from food. But when you eat too much saturated fat, your liver keeps producing cholesterol and you end up with much more cholesterol than you need.Limit saturated fat consumption to less than 10 percent of the total calories ingested per day.4. We ingest too many foods containing hydrogenated oils or trans fatsHealth authorities are concerned that the consumption of trans fats might have contributed to the 20th century epidemic of coronary heart disease.Hydrogenated oils or trans fats as they are usually called, are produced artificially by inserting molecules of hydrogen in vegetable oils, a process called hydrogenation. Through this process, the oil, which is liquid at room temperature, changes its original form and becomes solid. In other words, it becomes saturated fat. In addition, the unnatural shapes of trans fats cause our cells to become malformed and to malfunction. And that includes the cells of the heart and the arteries.Read the food label and avoid products which contain trans fats or hydrogenated fats. Example of foods that contain these harmful fats are:• Industrial bakery such as cookies, donuts, croissants, cakes, and the like• Solid margarine• Fried fast food5. We don’t eat enough fruits and vegetablesWe know that people who consume plant foods regularly have a lower incidence of heart disease than those who do not include them in their diet.Fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals, nonnutritive chemicals found in plant foods that protect their host plants from infections and microbial invasions. Recently, however, we have learned that phytochemicals are also crucial in protecting humans against many diseases, including heart disease.Among the functions phytochemicals perform in our bodies are:• They act as antioxidants• They keep the walls of small blood vessels healthy• They make our small blood vessels stronger• They prevent platelets from becoming sticky and piling up• They block specific enzymes that raise blood pressure.Include about 9 portions of fruits and vegetables a day as part of a healthy diet.6. We have too much stressHave you ever felt strong headaches, muscle pain, anxiety, insomnia, and tiredness? If you identify yourself with some of these symptoms, you body may be going through an excess of tension. Nowadays, 80 percent of the population suffers from some kind of symptoms caused by stress which many times end up in illnesses such as high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart attacks. Trying to cover on a daily basis more tasks than you physically can handle may be one of the major contributors to your stress. It is probably that one of the reasons why you succumb to disease easily is the level of stress in your life since tension reduces your capacity of adaptation to your environment.You need to learn how to surround yourself with peace and serenity. Here are a few steps you can take to achieve your goal:• Walk as much as you can.• Add vitamin B to your diet. These vitamins have a calming and relaxing effect on the nervous system and are an excellent help to combat anxiety, irritability, tension and insomnia. Food sources of vitamin B are whole grains, green peas, fish, eggs and brewer’s yeast. Take a glass of orange juice in the morning and add the brewer’s yeast. Vitamin C is also necessary in this process. You can also add a supplement that includes vitamin B complex.• Make nuts part of your diet. Nuts are high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and chrome, minerals that favor muscle relaxation. You may want to include a supplement that includes these minerals.• Have a session of osteopathy. Stress affects your body equilibrium. An osteopath can give you a massage that will help you reestablish the equilibrium you have lost. • Give yourself 10 minutes every day to call a friend and chat. • Take at least 4 free days a month where you can wake up in the morning without having planned anything to do. That way you can take the time to think what you would like to do that day. And if what appeals to you is doing nothing, then, by all means, do nothing!7. We drink too much alcoholAvoid high alcohol consumption. 5 to 7 percent of the hypertension we see in people is due to high alcohol intake. The Health World Organization estimates that almost 2/3 of strokes and 50 percent of heart attacks are caused by high blood pressure.Limit your alcohol intake to two small glasses of wine a day if you are a male and one small glass a day if you are a female.Final thoughtsIf you make an effort to implement these seven guidelines in your life, you will be well ahead with the fight against heart disease. And the beauty of it is that you won’t be part of the yearly statistics issued by the American Heart Association regarding the amount of deaths occurred by heart attacks.References1. Thompson P. Preventing coronary heart disease. The role of physical activity. The Physician and Sportsmedicine. 2001 Feb;29(2).

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Heart attacks kill about 460,000 Americans every year. People usually die within one hour of when symptoms start, but before they get to the hospital. If more people recognized the signs of heart attacks and acted sooner, more people would survive them.
One reason that people do not always recognize the warning signs of heart attacks is that they act differently. Even people who have had a heart attack before might not recognize another one because it could be completely different. The main thing to remember is that if you are not sure, have it checked out. It is better to have a false alarm than to not respond to the real thing. Quick response greatly increases your chances for surviving heart attacks.
Most heart attacks start out with some sort of discomfort to the chest.
It may not be the searing pain that you might expect from a heart attack, but there will probably be something. Some people have described before a squeezing sensation, or simply a pain or fullness. The pain may last for a few minutes, or it may come and go away and come back again.
Many people also experience some sort of pain in the upper area of the body during heart attacks. It may show up in the arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach. If you have pain or even a mild discomfort in any of these areas you should have it checked out, especially if there is a history of heart disease in your family or if you have been diagnosed with heart problems. Many people try to wait this type of pain out, but it only gets worse. If you wait, you may be too late. Heart attacks are not something to wait around on. Make sure that you get help immediately.
There are many other symptoms of heart attacks that you can identify. Some people experience a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness. Most people also experience shortness of breath. There are many different symptoms that you can identify as warning signals of heart attacks. The most important thing is that you react quickly to these symptoms. Even if you do not like doctors or hospitals, a short stay in one is better than leaving immediately.
On top of learning warning signs of heart attacks, you can take preventative measures to keep yourself safe. Exercise properly, eat right, and see your doctor for regular checkups. Remember that heart disease does not mean your life will be cut short, undiagnosed and untreated heart disease will put you on the fast track for heart attacks.

Heart attacks are something that can be inherited from others in your family or you can create a world where you are eating and leading the lifestyle that is going to lead to a heart attach. No matter if your parents have had heart attacks, or if you are leading a sedentary lifestyle, it is important to understand and learn about what is going to be the signs of a heart attack. Heart attack symptoms are something that should not be ignored, and that you should seek medical attention for if you feel or think that you are having a heart attack. A heart attack can lead to death, and a severe heart attack can sometimes be prevented or treated if you know what some of the heart attack symptoms are.
Heart attack symptoms in every day life
No matter what you age, there can be underlying problems that are going to lead to a heart attack if you are not careful. The first line of defense for anyone, is to get regular checkups. For the doctor to see you when you are healthy and feeling good, and then when you are sick, the doctor can determine easier what may be ‘out of line’ or ‘out of whack’ making you feel ill. Getting a regular physical is going to be a good defense preventing medical problems in the long run.
Heart attack symptoms can be very sudden and for other people they can be long-term problems, pains and even just discomforts. A heart attack is one that can come on and not last very long, or for other people it can be sudden and the pain can last for hours.
If you feel a heavy feeling in your chest, like someone is standing on your chest and you just can’t catch your breath, this is a sign of a heart attack. If you have been feeling a pain that comes and goes, that is uncomfortable, that is a squeezing feeling or a sharp shooting pain, this could be signs of a heart attack.
Another sign of a heart attack can be a shortness of breath. If you are a very active person, you know what it will feel like when you are unable to catch your breath or take in a deep breath. The signs of a heart attack include not being able to take a breath, or a deep breath which can in turn leave you feeling dizzy and feeling as if you need to sit down for a while. A heart attack symptom is not one that you should ignore. If you are feeling combinations of symptoms it can be vital to get to your doctor as soon as possible.
If you feel pains or discomfort in your arms, legs or in the chest, and you feel as if your neck or jaw are hurting uncontrollably, these could be additional signs of a heart attack. Heart attack symptoms will vary from person to person, but pain that is not normal, that you don’t usually feel, in combination with shortness of breath and or a tightness in your chest could be a huge sign that you are heading towards a heart attack.

Coronary heart disease, in its various forms, is the number one killer in the United States. One way that it kills is heart attack. Most of us have seen a movie or television show in which someone has a dramatic heart attack. The actor clasps the chest, and falls to the floor in pain. The message is clear: he or she had a heart attack. Such a theatrical show of heart attack is not always present in real life, however. According to the American Heart Association, most heart attacks start slowly. If you know the signs, you can get help before they reach the dramatic point.What Are 3 Signs of a Heart Attack That You Should Know?
Not everyone who has a heart attack will experience the same symptoms. It has been learned that men and women can have very different signs. There is enough similarity, however, that anyone, male or female, who has one of the basic three signs of a heart attack, should seek medical help immediately.
What are the three signs of a heart attack that should make you call for help?
1. Chest Discomfort: In most cases, a heart attack involves pain or some form of discomfort in the center of your chest. The feeling of distress usually lasts more than 2 or 3 minutes. It may stop temporarily, and then return as before. Heart attack discomfort can be experienced in various ways. It may be pressure that makes you uncomfortable. You may feel as though someone is squeezing your chest inside. Some patients say that it feels like the chest is too full, while others simply say it is pain.
2. Other Discomfort: In some heart attacks, the chest discomfort is accompanied by similar feelings in one or both arms. There may be pain in the back or stomach. Pain may also extend to the neck or jaw. The discomfort of heart attack is usually limited to the upper body.
3. Breathing Trouble: A heart attack victim is likely to have trouble breathing. This sign may be present whether or not there is chest discomfort.
Any of those three signs of heart attack should send you to a doctor. It may not be heart attack, but you should have it checked immediately.
Additional signs of heart attack might include lightheadedness, nausea, or a cold sweat. First 5 Minutes of a Heart Attack
Time is of the essence in a heart attack! It is important to take action quickly if you are to save the person’s life. If that person is you, seek medical help immediately.
Some people decide unwisely to wait until they are sure they are having a heart attack. Often, they wait too long before getting help.
Call 911, or your country’s emergency number, within the first 5 minutes of heart attack symptoms! Do not wait longer than 5 minutes! If you cannot get emergency services within 5 minutes, have someone drive you to the hospital’s emergency room as quickly as possible.
It is important to get medical help quickly. Normally, 911 is the best way to get rapid life-saving care. Ambulance staff can take action the moment they arrive. They can take action to keep your heart beating – and can often revive you if your heart has stopped. Finally, those who arrive at the hospital by ambulance usually receive faster treatment for heart attack than those who arrive by car – as much as an hour faster!No Embarrassment
What are 3 signs of a heart attack? Those given above.
What is 1 sign that you may be acting unwisely? Waiting.
Doctors stress that there is no embarrassment in seeking medical help for a heart attack and learning that it was not that at all. Doctors and nurses would much rather you acted quickly on a false alarm than that you waited when the heart attack was real.
Learn the three signs of a heart attack – especially if you have any heart disease or risks for such. If you experience any of them, seek help.Disclaimer: The author is not a physician, and shares this research for educational purposes only. Please ask your physician for more information on heart attack.

CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and it saves many lives everyday.  When a person experiences cardiac arrest or respiratory arrest this emergency medical procedure is often used to maintain the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain and heart, and slow tissue death.  Chest compressions, the rhythmic pressing of the patient’s chest, help to manually pump blood through the heart while artificial respiration inflates the long and passes oxygen into the lungs.  The technique for CPR is a skill that can be learned by anyone who is willing to put the time and effort into completing a CPR training course.  CPR works along with advanced life support systems and defibrillation to help restore the patient’s heart to certain normal rhythms.  You can learn all about this life-saving technique through an online CPR training certification course.  Receiving your training through an online CPR program is usually much less time consuming than learning the technique in person.  If you participate in online CPR training you also will receive a certification that is nationally recognized.  Once you have completed a certification program your training will be valid for two years, at which point you can take the course again in order to refresh yourself and familiarize yourself with any changes that may have been made to the CPR training techniques.  Being certified to perform CPR opens up a lot of new possibilities as far as jobs are concerned which is definitely a plus in a very tight economy.  For example, an online CPR program can provide you with the training you need to get a job as a lifeguard.  CPR certification is absolutely necessary to become a lifeguard and an online CPR course can provide you with the training that you need along with the ability to cover your coursework at a time convenient to you.  Online CPR training is also ideal for group settings, whether in the office or a community group.  In most offices all employees have ready access to a computer with Internet capabilities, which means the perfect environment for completing an online CPR course is already available.  Most community centers also have an area with computers and usually these computers have access to the Internet; it would be an excellent idea to start a community initiative that encouraged people in the neighborhood to come out and take an online CPR training course.  It would be an excellent way to take a step toward improving the safety of your community.  The Internet has allowed us to have important information always at our fingertips and with regard to online CPR training it is no exception.  This important skill set is available to anybody who desires it with the mere click of a mouse.  The skills that you learn in your online CPR course will give you the confidence you need to face emergency medical situations in a calm and knowledgeable way.  The skills you learn may even save a life one day.  Seriously consider setting aside a few hours for an online CPR course in the very near future.

Dilaudid

Dilaudid is the brand name of a strong analgesic prescribed for relief from pain and sometimes from cough. The generic name is Hydromorphone, which belongs to the family of narcotic pain relievers.  Also known as opioids, this narcotic pain reliever has effects similar to morphine. Dilaudid is available as an injection, in tablet, rectal suppository, as well as liquid forms. Taken in any of the mentioned forms, Dilaudid needs to be administered with caution, as overdoses may prove hazardous.

The dosage of opioid analgesics is individualized for each patient, as complete relief may not take place when adverse events occur. After comprehensive assessment of the nature of the pain -its severity, etiology, frequency, and pathophysiology- the doctor decides on a dosage in concurrence to the medical status of the patient.

Usually prescribed for immediate relief from continuous pain, the drug is injected into the buttock, hip or any large muscle, into an intravenous fluid that will enter the vein dripping through a needle or through a catheter placed under your skin or in the vein.  The oral form of Dilaudid contains hydromorphone hydrochloride, plus other ingredients such as purified water, propylparaben, methylparaben, glycerin, and sucrose.

Oral dosage of Dilaudid for adults ranges from 2.5 ml to two teaspoonfuls every 3 to 6 hours. However, higher dosages may be prescribed by the doctor depending on the patient’s clinical condition. In the tablet form, Dilaudid 2 mg, 4 mg and 8 mg. The usual starting dose is 2 mg to 4 mg tablet taken orally once every 4 to 6 hours. Caution and careful clinical evaluation is required when 8 mg tablets are prescribed. If the analgesia proves to be inadequate, the doctor may suggest a gradual increase in dosage. Inadequacy of analgesia can occur due to increase in the severity of pain or as tolerance develops.

For patients who are non-opioid-tolerant, hydromorphone therapy is typically initiated with 2-4 mg tablet, every four hours with an exception to elderly patients who require lower doses. Patients receiving opioids need varied doses of analgesia and the duration also varies according to the patient’s opioid tolerance. Since hydromorphone affects patients with hepatic and renal impairment, a very low dose should be started on and increased, depending on the severity of the problem.

Frequently observed side effects in patients taking Dilaudid include light-headedness, sedation, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sweating, flushing, dry mouth, dysphoria, euphoria, and pruritus. Other side effects seen are respiratory depression, apnea, shock, circulatory depression, respiratory arrest, and sometimes cardiac arrest. There have also been reports of CNS such as agitation, weakness, headache, uncoordinated muscle movements, tremor, mood swings; cardiovascular effects such as bradycardia, palpitation, chills, tachycardia, faintness, hypertension, syncope and hypotension; gastrointestinal adverse effects like diarrhea, constipation, biliary tract spasm, cramps, ileus, anorexia, and taste alteration. Respiratory depression is a common side effect among the elderly, the incapacitated, and those suffering from conditions linked with hypoxia and hypercapnia.

Before taking Dilaudid, patients must inform the doctor about any present or planned pregnancy or surgery. Even in the case of a dental surgery or sterilization, the patient must inform the doctor about his use of Dilaudid. The patient’s nature of job should be known to the doctor, as the drowsiness caused by the drug could prove risky for car drivers and operators of large and heavy machinery. Also inform the doctor about:

Patients receiving Dilaudid need to look out and inform the doctor, for the following symptoms of catheter-related infection:

Dilaudid belongs to the family of opioid analgesics and can cause psychological and physical dependence. In patients who abruptly discontinue the drug, withdrawal symptoms are common.  Similar to other opioid agonists, Dilaudid can also be abused or misused. This morphine-type drug is sought by people with addiction disorders, drug abusers and those subject to criminal diversion. Prescribers of Dilaudid should monitor patients for signs of abuse, addiction and misuse. Though administration of Dilaudid is allowed in people with a personal or family history of alchohol or drug abuse and mental illness, intensive monitoring is required to detect signs of misuse or abuse.

There are many studies which have shown that acute cardiac and vascular events, including sudden cardiac death, heart attack, and stroke manifest a clear surge in the early morning hours around the time of waking, so that their peak onset is between 6 AM and 11AM.

 The mechanisms for this morning increase in acute cardiovascular events are not fully understood. The suggested factors are bad dreams, arousal from sleep, increased blood pressure upon waking, increased sympathetic tone, increased vasosoconstrictor sensitivity and impaired function of blood vessel linings from decreased blood levels of nitric oxide (NO). Nitric oxide  is an important messenger molecule involved in many physiological and pathological processes within the body. Appropriate levels of NO production are important in protecting organs from damage due to lack of blood. Nitric oxide  was proclaimed “Molecule of the Year” in 1992.

 One of the precursors of nitric oxide, or one of the substances used to produce  nitric oxide is L arginine. Studies have found that L-arginine may help with conditions that improve when blood vessels are relaxed (called vasodilation), such as in atherosclerostic disease of the coronary and cerebral arteries, the cause of heart attack and stroke. Preliminary clinical studies show the occurrence of early morning abnormality of the endothelium (lining of blood vessels) , with blunted flow-mediated arterial dilatation in the early hours after waking. Early data suggest that this early morning endothelial dysfunction is likely due to an increased plasma levels of L-arginine inhibitor,  and reduced plasma L-arginine levels, with consequent reduced availability of NO. The early morning fall in nitric oxide levels can be potentiated by fasting and improved  by a  protein rich breakfast. Because the production of NO depends in part on the availability of L-arginine, it is suggested that methods to maintain an adequate level of plasma L-arginine in the early morning are needed.

 Additional studies are needed to confirm the beneficial effects of arginine supplementation at night to decrease or prevent the early morning abnormality in blood vessels, especially those which supply the heart and brain, and thus prevent the incidence of early morning heart attack or stroke .