What Are The Common Conditions And Disorders That Affect The Cardiovascular System
Many of the problems with the components of the cardiovascular system have to do with slowdowns or blockages in the blood vessels. Since your blood vessels supply your entire body with oxygen, a blockage in any of the blood vessels makes it harder to deliver that oxygen.
Common cardiovascular problems include these heart problems:
- Staying at a healthy weight.
- Keeping your blood sugar at a normal level.
What Is The Circulatory Vs Cardiovascular System
They are different names for the same system.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Your cardiovascular system, which is made up of your heart and blood vessels, is a crucial part of your body. When your cardiovascular system is working right, the cells in your body get a continuous supply of oxygen and nutrients from your blood. Blood vessels also remove carbon dioxide and other waste. You have the power to keep your heart and blood vessels strong. Eating healthy foods, exercising, controlling your blood pressure and cholesterol and quitting smoking are all good for your cardiovascular system. Ask your provider to help you get heart healthy.
What Would Make Cortisol Levels High
Cortisol levels can become elevated in response to a variety of factors, including stress, lack of sleep, and certain medical conditions. When cortisol levels are high, it can lead to a number of negative health effects, such as weight gain, high blood pressure, and anxiety.
One of the glucocorticoids that occurs in the adrenal glands cortex is cortisol. It regulates a wide range of critical processes in the body, including metabolism and immune response, in addition to regulating a wide range of critical processes. It, like other cellular components, also plays an important role in helping to regulate body functions. Certain types of drugs, as well as a tumor that produces adrenocorticotropic hormone , may be to blame for Cushings syndrome. There are numerous symptoms, including fatigue, weight loss, muscle weakness, mood swings, and skin darkening. This condition could cause death if left untreated.
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Supplements For High Cortisol Levels
Many natural supplements help with cortisol management.
- Ashwagandha is an adaptogen and may help reduce cortisol levels, according to literature.
- Rhodiola is another adaptogen. It may help with stress and cortisol management while boosting your metabolism and energy levels.
- Chamomile may help reduce anxiety and thus help with cortisol management. Chamomile tea is another option.
- Lemon balm may help reduce feelings of anxiety and thus help improve cortisol levels.
- Phosphatidyl Serine helps to modulate cortisol levels and bring them down if very elevated. Beware of feeling tired when taking this as your body might be used to the high cortisol levels and bringing it down acutely can cause symptoms.
If considering the use of supplements, please first talk to your healthcare provider. They are best able to determine whether it is appropriate for your body’s needs. Note, if you have adrenal fatigue or other health conditions, your body can be especially prone to paradoxical reactions to supplements.
What Are The Symptoms Of Neuroendocrine Tumors
Neuroendocrine tumor symptoms vary based on the location of the cancerous cells. That being said, a condition called carcinoid syndrome is a symptom for neuroendocrine carcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract and NETs of the lung. Like many forms of cancer, not all symptoms mean you have cancer. Talk to your healthcare provider if you notice changes in your body that are similar to symptoms listed below.
What is carcinoid syndrome?
Carcinoid syndrome happens when NETs produce more hormones than you need. Fewer than 10% of people with NETs develop carcinoid syndrome. Uncomfortable flushing of the head and neck is the most common and earliest symptom of carcinoid syndrome. Other symptoms are:
- Abdominal cramping and diarrhea.
- Fatty poops that smell bad.
- Edema or swelling of your feet and legs. This can also be a symptom of heart failure.
- Wheezing and shortness of breath.
- Some people might lose interest in sex or have erectile dysfunction.
- Jaundice, which is when the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow.
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Risk Factors For Cushings Syndrome
A few inherited endocrine tumor syndromes increase a persons risk for pituitary and adrenal tumors, which can produce cortisol. The most common one is MEN1. Any patient with confirmed macronodular hyperplasia also should be tested. Genetic testing and counseling are recommended for people with more than one hormone-producing tumor. It should also be considered for patients who have multiple family members with these tumors.
What Does The Cardiovascular System Do
The function of the cardiovascular system is to make sure your body gets the oxygen, nutrients and other things it needs and gets rid of things it doesnt.
Day and night, even while youre asleep, your heart moves blood through your body. This is why your healthcare provider can hear your heartbeat. Its the sound of your heart doing its job. Your heart circulates about 2,000 gallons of blood every day.
Some blood vessels bring blood to your heart, while others carry blood away from your heart. Your blood vessels also take away waste from your cells.
Blood always follows the same route through your heart. Valves along the route make sure the blood is going the right way.
Two important circulation processes
Pulmonary circulation
Blood without oxygen comes into the right side of your heart and is sent to the lungs to get oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide. Then the oxygenated blood comes back through the left side of your heart.
Systemic circulation
Blood that has just gotten oxygen from the lungs and returned through your hearts left side is pushed out to the rest of your bodys cells so they can receive oxygen and nutrients. The cycle starts again when blood without oxygen goes to the right side of your heart.
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Managing Stress To Keep Cortisol Levels Under Control
Too much cortisol can cause brain and other organ damage if not controlled. As a result, it is critical that you learn how to manage stress effectively and keep cortisol levels under control. The following are some of the most effective methods. Mindfulness meditation or cognitive behavioral therapy are examples of mindfulness-based interventions. Yoga and Tai Chi, in addition to stress-relieving exercises, can be beneficial. You also have the option of speaking with your doctor about any other treatments that may be appropriate.
Fight Or Flight Response
Some physical effects of cortisol related to the fight or flight response include:
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Triggering a release of glucose to supply immediate energy to your large muscles.
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Inhibiting production and digestion so glucose will be available and not stored.
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Narrowing the arteries so blood pumps harder and faster to the heart and large muscles.
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Cortisol: The Hormone Of Dange
The body produces cortisol as a hormone, which helps to regulate the bodys responses to danger or stress. When cortisol levels are too high, they can cause weight gain, fatigue, and depression. Too much cortisol can occur as a result of adrenal gland disorders, but there is a treatment for this condition. In addition to ketoconazole, mitotane , and metyrapone , these medications are used to decrease excessive cortisol production in the adrenal glands. People with Cushing syndrome, as well as those with type 2 diabetes or glucose intolerance, can take Mifepristone .
Do High Cortisol Levels Indicate Adrenal Fatigue
High cortisol levels are a major symptom of early-stage adrenal fatigue. By addressing this issue, you may provide your adrenals with some much needed support. In later-stage adrenal fatigue, cortisol levels drop, however. It’s also important to identify why your cortisol levels are too high to make sure there’s not a tumor you’re leaving untreated.
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What Is The Cardiovascular System
Your heart and many blood vessels in your body make up your cardiovascular system or circulatory system. Your heart uses the far-reaching, intricate network of blood vessels to deliver oxygen and other necessary things to your whole body. This network also removes the things your body doesnt need and takes them to organs that can get rid of the waste. Your blood carries the oxygen, nutrients and waste through your entire body.
Cortisol And Sleep Cycles
Sleep isnt a steady state. Your body goes through various stages of sleep each night.
Non-REM sleep has 3 stages.
- Stage 1. This stage lasts a few minutes as you drift from being awake to being asleep.
- Stage 2. Your bodys systems relax further, your core temperature drops, and your brain waves are slower. You spend about 50 percent of your sleep cycle in this phase.
- Stage 3. This phase is also known as slow wave sleep. Its when your heart rate, breathing, and brainwaves are slowest.
REM sleep is the part of your sleep cycle when you have vivid dreams.
A sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes, and during that time you move through these four stages of sleep.
Most of your deeper slow wave sleep happens in the first half of the night, while REM sleep happens more during the second half of the night.
Researchers have found that when the HPA axis is overly active, it can disrupt your sleep cycles, causing:
- fragmented sleep
- shortened overall sleep time
Those sleep disturbances can wreak further havoc on your HPA axis, distorting your bodys production of cortisol.
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What Are The Different Types Of Neuroendocrine Tumors
Neuroendocrine tumors are classified as primary or secondary tumors. A primary tumor is cancer that hasnt spread to other areas of your body. A secondary tumor is a NET that has spread, usually to your lymph nodes in your lymphatic system, your liver or your bones.
NET types are based on their location. For example, a neuroendocrine tumor in your gut is a neuroendocrine tumor of the gastrointestinal tract. Here are the most common primary neuroendocrine tumor types:
- Gastrointestinal tract. NETs develop most commonly in the GI tract, specifically in the large intestine , small intestine , and appendix . The GI tract plays a central role in digesting foods and liquid and in processing waste. GI tract NETs used to be called carcinoid tumors.
- Lung. The lung is the second most common location of NETs. About 30% of NETs occur in the bronchial system, which carries air to the lungs. Lung NETs also used to be called carcinoid tumors.
- Pancreas. Approximately 7% of NETs can develop in the pancreas, a pear-shaped gland located in your abdomen between the stomach and the spine. Pancreas NETs , which used be called islet cell tumors, represent about 7% of all pancreatic cancers.
What Should I Watch For While Using This Medication
Visit your health care professional for regular checks on your progress. Tell your health care professional if your symptoms do not start to get better or if they get worse. Your condition will be monitored carefully while you are receiving this medicine.
Wear a medical ID bracelet or chain. Carry a card that describes your disease and details of your medicine and dosage times.
This medicine may increase your risk of getting an infection. Call your health care professional for advice if you get a fever, chills, or sore throat, or other symptoms of a cold or flu. Do not treat yourself. Try to avoid being around people who are sick. Call your health care professional if you are around anyone with measles, chickenpox, or if you develop sores or blisters that do not heal properly.
If you are going to need surgery or other procedures, tell your doctor or health care professional that you have taken this medicine within the last 12 months.
Ask your doctor or health care professional about your diet. You may need to lower the amount of salt you eat.
This medicine may increase blood sugar. Ask your healthcare provider if changes in diet or medicines are needed if you have diabetes.
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Health Conditions Related To High Cortisol Levels
Itâs common to have a high cortisol level due to stress. Stress often arises due to new, challenging life eventsâlike a new job, a big move, a changing relationshipâbut long-term or chronic stress can lead to negative health outcomes and trigger symptoms like headaches, sweating, dry mouth, gastrointestinal issues, and anxiety. And if you canât stay asleep at night, it may also be because of ongoing, chronic stress.
Too much cortisol can also lead to a rare condition called Cushingâs syndrome. Cushingâs syndrome can be caused by a variety of factors, like increased cortisol secretion brought on by a pituitary tumor . It can also be caused by certain cortisone-related drugs, like prednisone and prednisolone. High doses of steroids used for long periods of time may also result in higher cortisol levels and cause Cushingâs disease. This condition is most often found in men and women between the ages of 20 and 50 years.
How Too Much Stress Can Cause Weight Gain
The question of whether excess amounts of cortisol can lead to weight gain is essentially the same as asking if too much stress can cause you to put on unwanted pounds. The answer in both cases is yes.
Cortisol a natural stress hormone is responsible for regulating your metabolism, so its important to follow common wellness guidelines to lower it. From finding time for relaxation to improving your diet and exercise, you can ensure that you control your cortisol and not the other way around.
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Does Cortisol Increase During Periods
The level of cortisol usually increases during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Cortisol might not increase during periods, but an increase in cortisol could result in anovulation and longer cycles.
High cortisol levels over a prolonged time can also cause a lack of sex drive and, periods can become irregular, less frequent, or stop altogether.
How Does My Body Control Cortisol Levels
Your body has an elaborate system to regulate your cortisol levels.
Your hypothalamus, a small area of your brain involved in hormonal regulation, and your pituitary gland, a tiny gland located below your brain, regulate the production of cortisol in your adrenal glands. When the levels of cortisol in your blood fall, your hypothalamus releases corticotropin-releasing hormone , which directs your pituitary gland to produce adrenocorticotropic hormone . ACTH then stimulates your adrenal glands to produce and release cortisol.
In order to have optimal levels of cortisol in your body, your hypothalamus, pituitary gland and adrenal glands must all be functioning properly.
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How Are Neuroendocrine Tumors Treated
Surgery is the most common treatment for NET. If your tumors are large or have spread, other treatments might be:
- Somatostatin analogs: Somatostatin analogs are a type of treatment that may stop your body from making too many hormones. This may slow down the growth of the tumor when cancer cells have spread to other part of the body.
- Targeted therapy: Targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs that target certain genes or proteins to kill cancer cells.
- Chemotherapy: This treatment uses several types of drugs to kill cancer cells.
What are these treatments complications?
Treatments have different side effects or complications. Just as important, treatments can affect people in different ways. Ask your healthcare provider about treatment side effects. They’ll recommend steps you can take to manage side effects.
Why This Slow Down Can Be Harmful
Because your metabolism is responsible for converting food into energy, a change in how this system works can cause potential problems. As outlined by the American Psychological Association, these issues include:
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Health complications, such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes
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Reduced effectiveness of the immune system
Furthermore, the weight that people gain as a result from a spike in cortisol is often around the abdomen. Fat accumulated around the waist area is attributed to the development of cardiovascular disease, earning it the nickname of toxic fat.
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Difficulty Concentrating And Remembering
In the same way that cortisol can affect your mood, it can affect other functions in the brain as well. Mayo Clinic notes that these show up most prominently as short-term recall problems and trouble concentrating on tasks. If you feel distracted often and have a hard time focusing, that may be an indication of higher cortisol levels.
Keep in mind that even if these symptoms fit you to a T, the cause may not necessarily be high cortisol. In many patients with these symptoms, metabolic syndrome may be the true culprit, according to Caroline Messer, M.D., an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. This can be particularly true if youre seeing problems like weight gain, insulin resistance, elevated blood pressure, and high cholesterol, which can all be due to either high cortisol or metabolic syndrome, she says. Thats why its important to get the right tests to find the underlying cause.
Regular Excess Alcohol And High Caffeine Consumption
Drinking too much alcohol on a regular basis can cause cortisol levels to rise. One study involving over 3,600 men and women found that alcohol consumption increased cortisol secretion in the body. The increased cortisol levels happen because alcohol affects the HPA axis.
Caffeine also increases cortisol secretion in people at rest or people undergoing mental stress.
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