Treat Inflammation, not Cholesterol

Treat Inflammation, Not Cholesterol,
For A Healthy Heart
Health Alert #240

Every year, conventional doctors write more than 50 million prescriptions for cholesterol-lowering medications. That number will triple in the next few years in response to the stricter guidelines.¹ This is a huge mistake.

These drugs will not improve your health. It’s unfortunate what people are going through with statin drugs. Severe fatigue, depression, kidney failure, muscle pain, and risks for cancer, suicide, weight gain, impotency and death.² They are long-term toxic burdens and they sidetrack doctors and patients from the real cause of our epidemic of heart disease.

Cholesterol is NOT the cause of heart disease. Instead of reducing cholesterol, you need to reduce inflammation in the arteries.

Every injury to your body – whether it’s a cut on the skin or irritation to the lining of the arteries, triggers your immune system to launch an inflammatory response. But chronic arterial injuries result in large patches of plaque build-up, as well as smaller vulnerable plaques filled with inflammatory compounds. At some point, these plaque deposits can dislodge. This can cause a heart attack or a stroke.

* Three Simple Ways to Reduce Inflammation *

1. Reduce Homocysteine. When you have too much homocysteine in your blood, your blood vessels cannot dilate properly. Inadequate blood flow to the heart can cause heart attacks; inadequate blood flow to the brain can cause strokes.

You can easily reduce homocysteine by taking B vitamins. They help the body breakdown this amino acid. All patients at the Center for Health and Wellness lowered their elevated homocysteine levels with nothing more than a vitamin supplement.

2. Lower C-Reactive Protien. Elevated CRP levels indicate that there is inflammation in the body. Using this measure, we can detect hidden heart disease better than with cholesterol levels.

What can you do to keep your levels of CRP low? The best way is with exercise. We recently discovered that even moderate physical activity lowers CRP levels. People who went from not exercising at all to exercising a small amount five times a week cut their CRP levels by as much as 30 percent.³

3. Take Care of Your Teeth. Studies show that people with gum disease suffer heart attacks more often than those with healthy gums and teeth.⁴

That’s because bacteria in your mouth can sneak through diseased gums and enter the bloodstream, where it causes inflammation. The chronic infection activates white blood cells, which create arterial lesions and encourage plaque build-up on the walls of your arteries.

Fortunately, you can easily prevent or reverse gum disease. Start by brushing your teeth for three to four minutes at least twice a day. Floss once a day, and schedule regular cleanings with your dentist. Maintaining healthy gums and teeth will not only save your smile; it may help to save your life.

Look in my book, The Doctor’s Heart Cure, for dozens more simple, natural ways to prevent or reverse heart disease and enjoy a longer, fuller life.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears MD

Sources:

1. New Cholesterol Guidelines Issued; The Journal of the American Medical Association May 16 2001;285:2486-2497

2. Sergey A. Dzugan, Ph.D & R. Arnold Smith, M.D.; Treating High Cholesterol by Replacing Hormones Lost to Aging; LifeExtension Magazine, September 2003

3. Church T, Barlow CE, Earnest CP, et al. Association between cardiorespiratory fitness and C-reactive protein in men. Arteriosclerosis and Thrombosis: Journal of Vascular Biology. 2002 Nov 1; 22(11):1869-1879.

4. Genco R. Periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease: epidemiology and possible mechanisms. Journal of American Dental Association. 2002 Jun; 133 Supple: 14S-22S.