Hyla Cass, M.D.
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 If your blood pressure is above 140 systolic (that's the top number) or 90 diastolic (the bot-
Homocysteine and Heart Disease Risk
If you read Chapter 3, you already know that high levels of an amino acid called homocysteine are linked to heart disease risk. A natural product of protein metabolism in the body, homocysteine can accumulate when there aren't enough B vitamins to break it down into harmless byproducts. Controlling homocysteine levels in the body is an important part of heart health.
Homocysteine affects the walls of arteries in at least four ways:
1. |
| If your blood pressure is above 140 systolic (that's the top number) or 90 diastolic (the bot-
Homocysteine and Heart Disease Risk
If you read Chapter 3, you already know that high levels of an amino acid called homocysteine are linked to heart disease risk. A natural product of protein metabolism in the body, homocysteine can accumulate when there aren't enough B vitamins to break it down into harmless byproducts. Controlling homocysteine levels in the body is an important part of heart health.
Homocysteine affects the walls of arteries in at least four ways:
1. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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 In determining the best plan of action, it is important that each woman is individually assessed for her heart disease risk. Utilizing a comprehensive medical history, physical examination, and selected laboratory and heart function testing, it is possible to assess a woman's risk for coronary artery disease and the risk of heart attacks. Based on this assessment, a strategy can be put in place utilizing lifestyle changes, nutritional and botanical supplements, and in some cases prescriprion medications to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
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| DRUGS FOR heart disease risk FACTORS AND THE NUTRIENTS THEY DEPLETE attack.
CLASSES OF CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING DRUGS
BILE ACID SEQUESTRANTS: cholestyramine (Questran), colesevelan (Welchol), and colestipol (Colestid)
Bile acid sequestrants are sometimes used in combination with statins, and may be used alone in women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Actions: Bile acid sequestrants work by preventing cholesterol from being absorbed, and increasing the amount that's flushed out of the body. |
| Since this discovery, many of the older NSAIDS have been implicated in raising heart disease risk as well. This means tough choices for people who need help with arthritis pain or other kinds of muscle or joint pain.
WHAT IS ARTHRITIS?
The word arthritis means "inflammation of the joints" and can include several types. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common—the kind of arthritis that often afflicts people in the knees, fingers, hips, or back as they age or because of wear and tear. |
| High cholesterol counts are indicative of increased heart disease risk, but it appears that we've been looking at the equation backwards: high blood fats are an effect, not a cause, of elevated cardiovascular risk. And the evidence strongly suggests that high cholesterol is a result of excess inflammation in the body. That excess inflammation seems to be a more likely root cause of dangerous changes in the cardiovascular system. |
| There is no relationship between blood cholesterol and heart disease risk in women over fifty or in men over seventy. Statins given to these individuals are not only wasted, but expose them to risk of side effects that isn't outweighed by benefit to their hearts.
• A survey of South Carolina adults found no correlation of blood cholesterol levels with "bad" dietary habits, such as use of red meat, animal fats, fried foods, butter, eggs, whole milk, bacon, sausage, and cheese. Does that sound like heresy, or what? |
| Actually, research shows that the antioxidant, blood-thinning effect of CoQ10 in supplement form plus a statin reduce heart disease risk better than the drug alone. Starting both the CoQ10 supplement and the statin together can prevent depletion entirely.
Supplementing CoQ10 is easy and safe. It's non-toxic even at high doses. Possible, but uncommon, side effects may include mild inability to sleep, elevated liver enzyme levels, rashes, nausea, and upper abdominal pain.
Dose: If you take statins, take 100-300 mg per day of this nutrient. |
Jack Challem
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 Her C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation and heart disease risk, was almost three times higher than normal. Her prediabetes was progressing toward true diabetes.
Liz's sister, brother, and grandfather had already been diagnosed with diabetes, and they suffered from some of the disease's complications: nerve damage, hypertension, heart failure, and stroke. Many of these complications stem from chronic low-grade inflammation, and Liz's elevated CRP level confirmed the link. |
Andreas Moritz
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 A major new study on heart disease risk published by The Lancet had this message for those concerned about their hearts: "Wake up and get heart healthy. You don't need medicine for that."
When President Clinton left office in 2001, he was still on the cholesterol-lowering statin drug Zocor. But once his excessive weight came off and his cholesterol levels dropped, he discontinued taking the statin drug. So when mainstream doctors heard about Clinton's heart condition, they immediately pointed the finger at the lack of statins as being the culprit. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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| No beneficial effects of estrogen on heart disease risk were observed in either the estrogen in the prevention of reinfarction trail (ESPRIT)19 or in the women in the Papworth HRT atherosclerosis study (PHASE).20
Mosr recently, studies show that HRT might in fact be beneficial if taken during peri-menopause or very early menopause,21' 22 offering a window of cardioprotection if started in the early menopausal years. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 Increasing fruit and vegetable intake by as little as one serving per day can have a real impact on heart disease risk. In the two Harvard studies, for every extra serving of fruits and vegetables that participants added to their diets, their risk of heart disease dropped by 4 percent.
Juicing Adds Healthy Enzymes to the Mix
Are you sold yet? I hope so. So now let's talk about a fabulous way to get most of the benefits of fruits and vegetables, plus the benefits of live enzymes contained in raw food. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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| The results suggested that eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains or obtaining these vitamins through supplementation may be as important as quitting smoking, lowering cholesterol, or controlling high blood pressure in lowering heart disease risk. Folic acid and the lowering of homocysteine has recently been less impressive as a heart disease prevention strategy.
Folic Acid
400 mcg-2.5 mg per day
Vitamin B6
10-25 mg per day
Vitamin B12
400-1,000 meg per day
Essential Fatty Acids. |
| Estriol and heart disease risk. Estriol has not been studied as extensively as conventional HRT in terms of its affect on the risk for heart disease; however, a few studies indicate positive effects of estriol, while others have found estriol to have no effect on blood cholesterol levels, a precursor of heart disease.150 There is no clear risk or benefit related to estriol and heart disease.
Estriol and Bone Density. Estriol also has been minimally studied regarding its effects on bone density and loss; therefore, I do not use estriol to slow or prevent bone loss or to treat low bone density. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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 Tzonou A, Lagiou P, Trichopoulou A et al: Dietary iron and coronary heart disease risk: a study from Greece. Am J Epidemiol; 147(2):161-166. 1998
Ullen H, Augustsson K, Gustavsson C et al: Supplementary iron intake and risk of cancer: reversed causality? Cancer Lett; 114(1-2):215-216. 1997 van Asperen IA, Feskens EJ, Bowles CH et al: Body iron stores and mortality due to cancer and ischaemic heart disease: a 17-year follow-up study of elderly men and women. Int J Epidemiol; 24(4):665-670. |
| A randomized trial of the effects of Garlic oil upon coronary heart disease risk factors in trained male runners. Blood Coagul Fibrinolysis; ll(8):67-74. 2000
Zhang XH, Lowe D, Giles P et al. Gender may affect the action of Garlic oil on plasma cholesterol and glucose levels of normal subjects. J Nutr, 131(5): 1471-1478. 2001
Ziaei S, Hantoshzadeh S, Rezasoltani P et al. The effect of Garlic tablet on plasma lipids and platelet aggregation in nulliparous pregnants at high risk of preeclampsia. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol; 99(2):201-206. 2001
Ziyyat A, Legssyer A, Mekhfi H et al. |
Andreas Moritz
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| According to the editors of The Lancet, the new study titled INTERHEART is one of the most robust studies ever done on heart disease risk factors. The 260 researchers closely observed and rigorously tested 15,000 heart attack patients for about a decade, matching them with the same number of subjects who had not experienced any heart problems. The worldwide study included male and female subjects with a wide range of ages, cultural backgrounds and dietary habits. |
| Blueberry's reported medicinal benefits include preventing urinary tract infections, stimulating anti-cancer activity, reducing heart disease risk, strengthening collagen, regulating blood sugar, improving night vision, reducing replication of the HIV virus, and treating diarrhea.
Cranberries are rich in bioflavonoids and natural vitamin C which stimulate the immune system and ward off infection. Just eating cranberries during the wintertime can prevent colds and the flu. In addition, cranberries can reduce the occurrence of kidney stones. |
Jack Challem
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| Normal triglycerides: 150 mg/dl or less
Best triglycerides: 100 mg/dl or less
Borderline elevated triglycerides: 150-199 mg/dl
High triglycerides: 200-499 mg/dl
Very high triglycerides: 500 mg/dl or above
A combination of elevated triglycerides and high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (above 150 mg/dl) is an especially strong indicator of developing diabetes and heart disease risk. |
Bottom Line Health
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| You can improve your heart disease risk profile even without normalizing your body weight.
Christian Roberts, PhD
The men lost approximately two to three pounds during each week of the study, but they still remained overweight or obese at the end of the three-week period.
The researchers measured blood levels of cholesterol, insulin and markers of inflammation both before and after the study. Although 48% of the men had metabolic syndrome at the start of the study, just 19% still did after three weeks. At the start of the study, 42% of the men had diabetes, but only 23% did at the end. |
Byron J. Richards, CCN
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 The current milk and egg studies do not support the idea that a low saturated fat or low cholesterol diet is essential or even important for reducing heart disease risk. Conversely a high saturated fat diet is very problematic towards increasing heart disease risk, especially when eaten as part of a general pattern of calorie excess. It is an issue of moderate intake, of balance. Some saturated fat intake in the context of a balanced diet and good eating patterns is completely fine for the great majority of individuals. |
Connie Bennett, C.H.H.C. with Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D.
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 High Carbohydrate Diets, Triglycerides-Rich Lipoproteins, and Coronary heart disease risk." American Journal of Cardiology 85 (2000): 45-48.
ABC Seven News. "Army of Navajo Families Fights Diabetes," June 17, 2004. http://www.wjla.com/ news/stories/0604/153760.html.
American Diabetes Association. "Complications Associated to Type 2 Diabetes." http://www.diabetes .org/type-2-diabetes/complications.jsp.
-. "Diabetes Statistics." http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-statistics.jsp.
--. "Direct and Indirect Costs of Diabetes in the United States." http://www.diabetes. |
| Effects of a Low-Glycemic Load Diet on Resting Energy Expenditure and heart disease risk Factors During Weight Loss." JAMA 292 (2004): 2482-90.
Port, Sidney C, Noel G. Boyle, Willa A. Hsueh, Manuel J. Quinones, Robert I. Jennrich, and Mark O. Goodarzi. "The Predictive Role of Blood Glucose for Mortality in Subjects with Cardiovascular Disease. "American journal of Epidemiology 163, no. 4 (2006): 342-51; doi:10.1093/aje/kwj027.
PR Web. "Light Bulbs and Low-Carb Diets." http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/ll/prweb 311399.htm.
Prentice, R. L., et al. |
| Ludwig's team also confirmed other research by finding that the low-glycemic-load group had significantly greater improvements in insulin resistance (a risk factor for diabetes), as well as levels of serum triglyceride and C-reactive protein (both heart disease risk factors).
Curbing Quickie Carbs Can Ward Off the Chronic
Big Killers
Given space constraints, I've mentioned only a few of the many cutting-edge studies that illustrate just how debilitating and potentially deadly overeating processed carbs could be. |
| Effects of a Low-Glycemic Load Diet on Resting Energy Expenditure and heart disease risk Factors during Weight Loss."Journal of the American Medical Association 292(2004): 2482-90.
Pescatore, Fred. The Hamptons Diet. Hoboken: John Wiley, 2004.
PR Web Press Release Newswire. "Low-Fat vs. Low-Carb Study Results Mis-Reported: Study Revealed the Real Enemy Is Junk Food," November 24, 2004. http://ca.prweb.com/releases /2004/ll/prwebl81683.php.
Quaid, Libby. "Popular Diets Tout 'Good Carb' Advice." Associated Press, February 25, 2005.
Reinberg, Steven. |
Bottom Line Health
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| Everyone knows that smoking increases heart disease risk, but did you know that smoking is actually more likely to cause a stroke than a heart attack? Not only does smoking promote the development of fatty deposits that narrow arteries (atherosclerosis), but the nicotine in tobacco causes blood vessels in the brain to constrict.
Result: Smokers have up to a four times greater risk of stroke than nonsmokers.
What you can do: Quit smoking. If you've tried but can't kick the habit, consider using nicotine-replacement patches or gum...or the prescription drug bupropion (Zyban).
•Blood pressure. |
| The new study differs from others that focused on links between childhood growth and adult heart disease risk. These studies have shown that low birth weight increases coronary risk later in life. Others have shown a link between youthful obesity and adult coronary disease. But this study suggests that youngsters who are not obese may still be at an increased risk.
"The group of children at risk is identified by their current stage [of growth] in comparison to where they were earlier," says Barker. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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| The cautious wording should not distract you from the hard fact that there's a ton of research showing that almonds reduce heart disease risk. In a meta-analysis of seven almond studies, the results showed a 5.3 to 7.2 percent decrease in total cholesterol and—more important—a 6.8 to 10 percent reduction in LDL ("bad") cholesterol in subjects who had high cholesterol to begin with. |
Bottom Line Health
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| In less than one month, people can reverse serious heart disease risk factors by making significant lifestyle changes, according to researchers.
THE STUDY
The study looked at 31 overweight or obese men between the ages of 46 and 76. Of these, 15 (48%) were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome —a collection of health risk factors including excess fat, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and insulin resistance. All of the 31 volunteers had at least one of these risk factors. In addition, 13 (42%) of the men had type 2 diabetes. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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| In the famous Lyon Diet Heart Study, people following the Mediterranean diet, with its high level of monounsaturated fat (the same kind that's in cashews) experienced 70 percent less heart disease risk than is achieved by taking statin drugs. Monounsaturated fat is really good for you!
Hazelnuts Help with High Cholesterol and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Hazelnuts—like pecans—contain beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol that has been found to have two very important properties: One, it lowers cholesterol,
And here's some really interesting trivia for you: "Raw" cashews aren't really raw. |
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