Reversing Heart Disease

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Don, which tractor are you wanting to outlast? If it's the little Farmall, you better get your cholesterol down another 80%

My doc was going to prescribe some chol. lowering meds and I asked if there was anything else he could recommend as I don't like prescriptions. He started me on 1 baby aspirin, 1 niacin, and 1 or 2 fish oil per day. Over a few months he bumped up the niacins to 3- 100mg per day. I can't remember how much my levels changed but they did drop and so did my blood pressure. I saw something about using niacin in consumer reports and saving money vs. cholesterol lowering statins.

I might as well jump off a cliff if someone told me all I could eat was plant material. I've never been much of a vegetarian and would consider myself a starchaholic (meat and potatoes). It shows on my frame. My sister is a total vegetarian (although I think she might eat cheese) and she has weight issues too.

 

[txdon]

Kyle, niacin has also helped me. The mayo clinic reports it increases HDL (good cholesterol). HDL should be above 40, mine is 61. I have been taking 1 timed released 500mg daily. There has been lots of positive research on niacin.

According to the Engine Two book to be heart attack proof the LDL (bad cholesterol) should be below 80 and total cholesterol below 150. I'm hoping diet will lower my LDL.

To figure total Cholesterol = HDL+LDL+1/5 triglyceride level.

This is strange for me, it seems like you should subtract the HDL, oh, well..

The Framingham Study, which compiled data on almost all residents of Framingham Mssachsetts, showed 35% of documented heart attacks occurred when cholesterol was between 151 and 200. There were no heart attacks for people with cholesterol less than 150 (without the use of cholesterol lowering drugs).

This just out - Eating Fish Does Not Protect Against Heart Attacks
(from www.pcrm.org/.)
In a study out this month, researchers found that consuming fish does not reduce the risk of heart failure. After 11 years of follow-up of 5,000 men and women, almost 670 had heart attacks. Those who consumed the most fish had no protective effect, compared with others. This research was part of the Rotterdam Study in the Netherlands where, like all Western nations, heart failure is common.

Dijkstra SC, Brouwer IA, van Rooij FJA, Hofman A, Witteman JCM, Geleijnse JM. Intake of very long chain n-3 fatty acids from fish and the incidence of heart failure: the Rotterdam Study. Eur J Heart Fail. 2009;11:922-928.

 

[Cat_Driver]

Here's some reading for you. Check out Chelation therapy. Several possible mechanisms have been proposed, though none have been scientifically validated. The procedure might leach calcium directly from the fatty plaques that block the arteries; stimulate the release of a hormone that removes deposited calcium or lowers cholesterol levels; or reduce oxidative stress on the blood vessel walls.[


Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease

heart disease, heart attack, coronary, atherosclerosis, artery, arteries, natural healing, natural cure, longevity, living long, life, cholesterol, age, old, elderly, geriatric, gerontology, lifespan

Chelation therapy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

EDTA Chelation: A Misunderstood Therapy for Atherosclerosis and other Chronic Diseases

 

[Cat_Driver]

Another option - Go out and buy a cheap Chinese tractor then you won't have to worry about out living your tractor

Thank you ladies and gentlemen I'll be here all week don't forget to yip the waitress.

 

[txdon]

Oh my, it looks like you might upset some tractor owners.

The first two links were written by the father of the author of the Engine 2 Diet book. Good info.

The Chelation therapy seems interesting, I'll do some more reading on that.

Thanks for the links!

 

[LostInTheWoods]

This just out - Eating Fish Does Not Protect Against Heart Attacks
(from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) - Neal Barnard, M.D., president.)
In a study out this month, researchers found that consuming fish does not reduce the risk of heart failure. After 11 years of follow-up of 5,000 men and women, almost 670 had heart attacks. Those who consumed the most fish had no protective effect, compared with others. This research was part of the Rotterdam Study in the Netherlands where, like all Western nations, heart failure is common.

Dijkstra SC, Brouwer IA, van Rooij FJA, Hofman A, Witteman JCM, Geleijnse JM. Intake of very long chain n-3 fatty acids from fish and the incidence of heart failure: the Rotterdam Study. Eur J Heart Fail. 2009;11:922-928.

Reading the "Criticism" section at Wikipedia doesn't leave me with a warm and fuzzy feeling about PCRM. Seems they're tied into PETA, and "physicians" make up less than 5% of their group... Doesn't sound like they're inclined to be impartial.

 

[LostInTheWoods]

The first two links were written by the father of the author of the Engine 2 Diet book. Good info.

And guess who he works for....

PCRM >> Events >> Nutrition in Clinical Practice Continuing Medical Education Seminar

I'm not saying he's right or wrong, I just always like to know more about the source...

 

[radman1]

Biggest risk factors for atherosclerotic disease are age, smoking, hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes. The goal is to control these 5. Tough to control age so that one is mute. Smoking is number 1 offender that is purely self-inflicted (not to mention the large number of cancer related deaths and emphysema). Genetics plays a big role in the other 3. Diet and excercise are beneficial but can't necessarily control the other 3. Most of the population can only lower cholesterol by 5-10% with diet alone. Sure there are exceptions but most people can't/won't maintain a strict diet. Because of this, most drs will just start patient's on statins rather than relying on diet. Biggest side effects of statins causing drs to stopt statins are muscle weakness/aches and increase in liver functions tests.

Reversing heart disease is extremely difficult and may not be possible. Some reports of very high dose statins and acheiving very low LDL levels may actually reverse plaque build up but hard data still preliminary.

Low dose asprin is the simplest, most widely available and cheapest medication to prevent heart attacks and strokes from atherosclerotic disease. Most cardiologists I know start taking low dose asprin at age 40-50 unless contraindicated.

 

[Egon]

Aw heck, just chew some willow branches!

 

[Marlowe]

Come on guys, the medical bunch worked for years to come up with all those good drugs we have today to help us stay healthy. I struggled for years to stay healthy without any little pills but some day you just need to admit we have some drugs to help. Due to diet and exercise I am in great shape able to do almost anything I want to do. But due to a pill or two my pulse rate is the envy of most and my cholesterol numbers are almost off the chart on the good side. My ambition is to do everything I can to help in the longevity process, including taking whatever drugs are proven to help. By the way, I don't smoke and never have. I'm under two hundred pounds and work on that every day. I pay attention to what I eat but I'm not fanatical about it. What's the use in living if we don't enjoy it?