Summary

Original source:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50875-2005Jan5.html

Details

• Damping down inflammation in the body appears to be just as important for fighting heart disease as lowering cholesterol, according to a pair of new studies that provide the first direct evidence that curbing inflammation can independently protect the heart.
• Patients who reduced inflammation were significantly less likely to have their heart disease get worse or to die from a heart attack, even if their cholesterol levels were already low, the studies found.
• The results suggest that doctors should consider routinely monitoring inflammation in the same way they test cholesterol and take steps to reduce inflammation in patients with high levels, especially in those already at high risk, the researchers said.
• The same steps that lower cholesterol -- a healthful diet, exercise, weight loss, quitting smoking, and cholesterol-lowering statin drugs -- can help reduce inflammation.
• For years, doctors have thought coronary artery disease occurs primarily when high cholesterol causes fatty buildups called plaques inside the arteries that supply blood to the heart, like clogging a drain.
• No one knows exactly how many Americans suffer from excess inflammation, which often produces no symptoms, but doctors can detect it by testing blood levels of a protein called C-reactive protein (CRP), which goes up and down as inflammation rises and falls.
• In the first study, Ridker and his colleagues gave 3,745 patients who had already suffered a heart attack or severe chest pain either normal doses of the statin Pravachol or high doses of another statin called Lipitor, and measured their CRP levels.
• Those whose CRP levels dropped the lowest were the least likely to suffer or die from another heart attack, the researchers found.
• In fact, cutting CRP was just as important as cutting levels of LDL cholesterol, the so-called bad cholesterol, and those with low CRP levels did better regardless of whether their LDL was high or low.

Related Articles

Popular Topics: Inflammation, Heart disease, CRP, Diabetes, Breast cancer, Prostate cancer, Heart disease, Depression, High cholesterol, Osteoporosis, Vaccines, Autism, ADHD, Infertility, Weight loss, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Trans fats, Acrylamides, Fluoride, Mercury	Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com Email this article to a friend Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us Permalink to this article: http://www.NaturalNews.com/003388.html Reprinting this article: Non-commercial OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link. <a href = "http://www.NaturalNews.com/003388.html">Inflammation contributes to heart disease, new studies say</a>
Receive our Natural Health Newsletter for FREE Subscribe now (it's free!) to win. We randomly choose a subscriber each month to send $100 in eco-home products or a RealGoods.com gift certificate (our choice). Plus, you'll receive FREE news, articles and action alerts from NaturalNews.com editors and join over 800,000 monthly readers who report extraordinary health improvements after becoming a subscriber! Receive breaking news alerts on natural health solutions, renewable energy, the environment, global warming and more. Receive a free instant download of our $29 Secret Sources guide that reveals top sources for little-known health and diet solutions.	Your Email Address: Free Subscription Code: Enter the numbers you see: 100% free of charge. Unsubscribe anytime. Absolutely no spam. We respect your email privacy.
Recommended Special Report: Seven Words that can Change the World by Joseph R. Simonetta Read this special report now... "Seven Words That Can Change the World reveals the astonishing, simple truths that have the power to forever transform our world for the better while freeing our minds from the enslavement of limiting beliefs. This is not a text for the simple-minded; it is a guiding philosophy for the mindful, intelligent few who are wise enough to seek out -- and recognize -- the higher simplicities of truly purposeful living." - Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, editor of NaturalNews.com	More on NaturalNews.com: • Streaming Health Ranger Videos • CounterThink Cartoons • FREE Special Reports • Podcasts