It's February, take care of your heart!

Heart disease is now accepted to be an inflammatory condition and not necessarily due to excess cholesterol. The cause of the lack of oxygen to the heart that causes a heart attack can be blamed on many things.  In the past, the most common concern was that too much “bad” cholesterol would cause the hardening of the arteries, thus blocking the blood flow to the heart.  But with 50% of heart attack victims having normal cholesterol levels and 25% of pre-mature heart attacks happening to people who show no “classic” risk factors, the medical community is taking another look. [3] Newer research has lead many scientists to believe that the main culprit is inflammation, with cholesterol being a lesser secondary.  [4]    

More research is showing that the majority of the population produces too much pro-inflammatory eicosanoids causing silent inflammation, undetectable through traditional means, like an angiogram.  Often when there are lesions found within smooth muscle cells along with eicosanoids, they create thin, unstable, vulnerable plaque.  This plaque combined with inflammation can rupture, releasing cellular debris and other deadly contents into the blood stream.  The rupture signals platelets to come in to repair the “wound” and form a clot which may block blood flow through the artery completely, causing a heart attack.  Eicosanoids are also to blame when it comes to the second major cause of heart attacks, vasospasms.  Eicosanoids act as very powerful artery constrictors, thus causing vasospasms. [3,4] 

So what now?  There is much correlation between inflammation and high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) found in the blood, and heart disease.  Newer blood tests highlight CRP.  More and more researchers are identifying the connection between inflammations negative effects and how it relates to the way we eat and exercise.  [1]   

A Harvard Medical School study looked at the correlation between inflammation and heart attacks.  After examining the CRP levels in 543 men who experienced heart attacks or stroke with 543 who didn’t and found “Those who started out with high levels of inflammation had three times the risk of heart attack, and two times the risk of stroke, of those who started out with low levels of inflammation.”   [2] 

While these issues remains controversial, emerging evidence is clearly showing the role of inflammation in heart disease.  For many years, research has shown that Cholesterol lowering drugs, like Statins, are not shown to successfully prevent heart attacks.  Balancing inflammatory markers like CRP can also make a significant difference in reducing risk factors for heart disease.

Get your CRP levels measured today, and I can recommend natural approaches for lowering CRP, and help manage your risk factors for heart disease.

As most of us know, eating right is key to staying healthy and keeping inflammation down.  Actually the Zone diet was originally introduced to lower the pro-inflammatory hormone, eicosanoids. [1] But also targeted supplementation has been proven effective.  Taking a high quality Omega-3 Oil, such as Cod Liver Oil is probably one of the most powerful natural weapons we have.  "It makes the blood platelets less sticky, heals with abnormal heart rhythms, reduces blood fats, and lowers C-reactive protein.  Best of all, it naturally enters vulnerable plaque lesions and helps stabilize them." [4]  Vitamins C and E, are also known to be natural anti-inflammatory.  For some, it may be as simple as taking a high quality multivitamin.  A 6 month study giving either a placebo or a multivitamin showed the multi group having significantly lowered CRP levels.  [1]

 My References:

1. Aubertin, Amy M.S., R.D.. "Inflammation May be the Key Cause of Heart Disease and More; Diet's Role." Environmental Nutrition 27July 2004 1,4. 22 Jan 2009
2. "Curbing inflammation may cut the risk of heart disease." New England Journal of Medicine 1997 22 Jan 2009
3. Sears, Brian, Ph.D. "Why Cholesterol Has Very Little to Do with Heart Attacks." The American Chiropractor July 2006 54-55. 22 Jan 2009
4. Sinatra, Stephen, MD, FACC, FACN. "The Flaming Heart." Alive: Canadian Journal of Health & Nutrition August 2004 40-42. 22 Jan 2009

 

 Be Well,

Dr. M