Download The 30-Day Heart Cure

ALMARK PUBLISHING
The 30-Day
Heart Cure
A Revolutionary Breakthrough
On Treating Heart Disease…
Learn How To Keep Your
Heart Healthy
For Years To Come!
Ron Blankstein, M.D.
Published by:
Almark Publishing
PO BOX 17108, Bridgeport, CT  06673
All right reserved. No part of this book may be republished in any form without the
permission of Almark Publishing.
 
© Copyright 2013
Warning-Disclaimer: Almark Publishing has written this book to provide information in
regard to the subject matter covered. It is offered with the understanding that the publisher
and the author are not liable for the misconception or misuse of the information provided.
Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and accurate as possible. The
purpose of this book is to educate. The author and Almark Products Inc. shall have neither
liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss, damage, or injury
caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this
book. The information presented herein is in no way intended as a substitute for medical
counseling. Pregnant or nursing women especially should consult their physician for proper
nutritional guidelines.
Meet The Author: Ron Blankstein, M.D.
For over 30 years, Dr. Ronald L. Blankstein,
M.D. has been practicing as a Board Certified
leading Cardiologist in both Internal Medicine and
Cardiovascular Disease. He received his Medical
Degree from the University of Miami School of
Medicine.
Dr. Blankstein has discovered various safe and
natural ways of healing. He knows the importance
of good medical care and is dedicated to bringing
the latest and best in health solutions to his patients.
Education
Medical School: University of Miami School of Medicine
Internship & Residency: Montefiore Hospital, Bronx, New York
Board Certification
Certified in Internal Medicine 1976
Certified in Cardiovascular Disease 1977
Fellowship: American College of Cardiology 1980
Professional Appointments
American College of Cardiology
American College of Physicians
American Society of Nuclear-Cardiology
Society of Internal Medicine
American Heart Association
Appointments
Chairman of Special Care, Miami Heart Institute
Member of Executive Committee, Miami Heart Institute
Medical Staff, Miami Heart Institute
Director of Nuclear Cardiology, Treasure Coast Medical
Medical Staff, Boca Raton Community Hospital
Table of Contents
Foreword ............................................................................................................. 1
Chapter 1: Are You Living With a Hidden Killer? ........................................... 4
How Did I Get Arterial Plaque? ........................................................ 5
The Critical Risk Factor..................................................................... 7
Lifestyle-Risks That Create Dangerous Plaques ............................. 11
Summary ......................................................................................... 14
Chapter 2: The 30-Day Heart Cure................................................................. 16
The All-Natural 30-Day Heart Cure ............................................... 17
What Is Oral Chelation? .................................................................. 18
Benefits of Oral Chelation................................................................ 20
How Is Oral Chelation Done? ........................................................ 23
How Successful Is Oral Chelation? ................................................ 25
What Has Research Shown About Oral Chelation?......................... 26
Natural Heart Helpers Lower Cholesterol,
Put Out The Flames of Inflammation.............................................. 29
Chapter 3: Don’t Get Heart Disease In The First Place! .............................. 36
Smoking – Don’t Send Your Heart Up In Smoke............................ 36
Helpful Hints To Quit Smoking....................................................... 38
Obesity – That Toxic Chemical Plant On Your Belly...................... 40
How To Prevent, Eliminate Obesity ............................................... 43
Lack of Exercise – Move It Or Lose Your Heart! .......................... 46
High-Fat Burning Zones Chart........................................................ 48
Diet – Are You Feeding A Killer? ................................................. 49
What Does a Heart Healthy Diet Look Like Anyway? .................. 51
Lifestyle – Is How You Live Your Life Killing Your Heart?........... 53
Appendix: .......................................................................................................... 57
Lab Tests For Heart Disease............................................................ 57
Glossary Of Terms............................................................................................ 65
References ..........................................................................................................69
FOREWORD
My name is Ron Blankstein MD and I’m currently a cardiologist in South
Florida. I decided to write this book “The 30-Day Heart Cure” because
it was necessary to give the thousands of folks who are faced with heart
complications an alternative to drugs and surgery. In my 30 years of
practice I’ve seen a lot of suffering that was a result of misdiagnoses,
surgical mistakes, and unexpected infections.
Sadly, many of these patients could have looked into alternative therapy
before subjecting themselves to more invasive treatments. In this book
you’ll discover some of the underlying risk factors associated with heart
health. You’ll also have the opportunity to learn about one of the most
significant natural cures for reversing heart disease.
I’m sure most of you are already aware of the common factors leading to
heart disease. Lots of information has been written in the past dealing with
normal lifestyle decisions (smoking, lack of exercise, alcohol), obesity,
genetics, medications, and nutritional deficiencies.
But what you must realize is that there’s always a cause and effect when
it comes to many of your medical issues. Many of the factors mentioned
above will definitely have an influence on your cholesterol levels,
triglycerides, and blood pressure. But in the end it’s really the lack of
blood flow being pumped through your arteries that counts. The strength
of your heart is your lifeline to years of longevity.
Once you accumulate arterial plaque buildup in your blood vessels and
arteries, you become in danger of blocking blood flow to your heart and
brain. As the years pass by this situation only gets worse. By the time you
reach 45-50 years old you may have already acquired the beginnings of
coronary artery disease.
Unfortunately, for most folks heart disease comes without any warning.
Even with frequent doctor visits the onset of heart attacks or strokes can
happen at anytime. When the shoe falls it doesn’t always send you a
memo.
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1
Here’s one story that drives home what can easily happen to you. I
remember the details of the story very well. I hope it makes a clear case
why you should never ignore the importance of good heart health.
The Retirement of Jack’s Running Shoes!
The story I’m sharing with you is about a great guy and family man who’s
only 56 years old. For the sake of the story I’ll call him Jack.
Jack was every doctor’s ideal patient, normal weight, good cholesterol
levels, and a picture of perfect health. Jack also was a dedicated long
distance runner. He would wake up every morning at 7 a.m. sharp, down
a glass of orange juice, take his vitamins, and lace up his sneakers. He
would then run for an hour, shower, eat a full breakfast and was off to
work by 9 a.m.
Then one Saturday morning, Jack was taking his normal trail run and it
happened! According to Jack it was like a heavy bowling ball pushing
down on his stomach and his shoulder was going numb. His body was
overheating and he was short of breath. Yes, Jack was suffering a heart
attack on the running trail.
Jack was able to pull out his cell phone and dial 911, which most likely
saved his life. Paramedics arrived within minutes and gave him a spray of
nitroglycerin in his mouth. The chest pains subsided and Jack thought he
was out of the woods.
Not quite yet!
Once he arrived at the hospital the doctors and nurses administered the
appropriate tests. Soon after they discovered that Jack had three main
arteries that were 60 to 70% blocked.
Yes…Jack had to have surgery but within weeks he was on his feet and
feeling better. Now Jack has taken up walking and his dream of running a
marathon had to be put on hold.
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
Jack’s Story Doesn’t Have To Be Your Story!
The reason I’ve told you this story about Jack is so his problems don’t
become yours. Every day, across America, people lose family members
due to a catastrophic heart attack. The heart attack that afflicted Jack easily
could have been avoided if he had taken one important diagnostic test and
had chosen some easy natural health alternatives.
That’s right. If Jack had been given one simple test even 6 months before
his heart attack, his doctor would have been able to predict with 96%
accuracy that he was at risk of a sudden heart attack.
In the coming chapters I will explain why some people who walk (or run)
around every day with great cholesterol levels and few risk factors still
become victims of heart disease. I will also tell you about one amazing
heart treatment that’s as easy as opening a bottle and consuming a simple
pill. With this natural miracle you won’t even need a prescription.
The natural solutions you are about to discover in my book “The 30-Day
Heart Cure” will hopefully keep you away from the doctor’s office and
with any luck far away from a nearby emergency room.
In good health,
Ron Blankstein, M.D. FACC.
The 30-Day Heart Cure
3
Chapter ONE
Are You Living With A Hidden Killer?
As a busy cardiologist, I see many patients every week with heart disease.
Yet, this represents just a small percentage of Americans who are seen
by doctors every day for their heart health. The 2012 Centers for Disease
Control reported that 27.1 million Americans suffer with heart disease and
that 2,200 deaths from cardiovascular disease occur every day!
I find these statistics overwhelming. What’s even more mind-boggling
is that people can walk around with potentially life-threatening heart
disease and not even know it! It can lay hidden until, like Jack, it strikes
unexpectedly.
People with heart disease usually have plaque buildup in their arteries
just like Jack. These plaques can narrow arteries and constrict blood flow
to the heart or brain, causing high blood pressure, heart attack or stroke.
However, this type of arterial plaque only accounts for about 3 out of 10
heart attacks.
There’s a second form of arterial plaque that heart researchers have
recently learned more about called vulnerable plaques. This type of plaque
doesn’t necessarily bulge out from the artery and may not narrow arteries
to be dangerous. In fact, vulnerable plaques may not always show up on
special cardiac tests – called angiograms – designed to look for plaque. In
short, they’re hidden and that’s what makes them so volatile.
Vulnerable plaques bury themselves within the artery wall and become
high risk for rupturing. When these plaques rupture, large chunks can
break off suddenly, completely or partially, and block blood flow to the
heart. This can result in a fatal heart attack or stroke.
If Jack had been given a special test, called a myeloperoxidase study,
or MPO, his doctor would have been able to determine Jack’s risk for a
sudden, perhaps fatal heart attack.
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
Although the MPO is not used everywhere, it is fast becoming more
commonly used by cardiologists around the country. Developed out of
the Cleveland Heart Clinic in Ohio, it is especially sensitive to measuring
one, critical factor for life-threatening cardiac disease and that is hidden,
vulnerable plaques.
There are a few more common tests like C-reactive protein (CRP) and
homocysteine levels that could also have alerted Jack and his doctor to
a serious heart problem. However, ironically, these tests can be within
normal range and still not show seriously elevated MPO levels.
The MPO test could have sounded the alarm that Jack needed to do
something fast to turn his heart health around. After reading this book,
you’ll have the advantage of knowing about this test so you can ask your
doctor if it might help identify this critical factor for you.
How Did I Get Arterial Plaque?
You might wonder whether everyone gets plaque. The answer is simply
yes, the majority of people have some degree of arterial plaque. Especially
as they age and may have at least 1, and sometimes 2 or 3 risk factors that
exist for developing plaque. Some of us have high levels of the critical
factor that determines if you’ll get dangerous, vulnerable plaque.
First of all, plaque forms mostly from fatty acids in your blood. This is
what we commonly call cholesterol. LDL – low density lipoproteins, or
“bad” cholesterol – in your blood is what turns into plaque.
Your blood also contains calcium and other minerals that flow normally
through it as well as traces of heavy metals and toxins from your
environment and diet. Microorganisms can also be present in your blood.
All these substances can be part of your arterial plaque.
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5
Secondly, in their natural, healthy state, your arterial walls are a lot
like Teflon pans – nothing is supposed to stick to them. Yet, under the
right circumstances, a critical factor (which I’ll tell you more about in a
moment) changes the pH of your blood and arterial walls start to become
damaged. Think of it as acid etching away at metal leaving little pock
marks in it as it breeches its normally smooth surface.
At this point, the mixture of cholesterol fatty acids, calcium, and toxins
in your blood will start sticking to these damaged arterial walls in a kind
of “Band-Aid” attempt to try and heal the damaged blood vessel. How
damaged, or porous, your arteries become is determined by what level
of that critical factor I mentioned is present in your blood. That factor
determines whether these “Band-Aids” of plaque will continue to build
and calcify, or harden, into stony brittleness.
When your blood becomes too acidic (see more in Risk Factors below)
it can damage arterial walls and cause plaque to build up. One way it can
become too acidic is from chronically elevated high blood sugar levels. In
his book The Biomagnetic Handbook, William Philpott, M.D., explains
how high levels of acid blood helps create deadly arterial plaque. The
cholesterol fatty acids normally have a negative bioelectric charge as do
your heart’s vascular walls. Normally, the two repel each other like two
negative poles of magnets put together.
A too-high acid imbalance in your blood, however, turns the normal
negative charge of the cholesterol fatty acids into a positive charge. The
positively charged fatty acids then develop a magnetic attraction to the
negatively charged vascular wall.
The fatty acids, in the form of fat droplets, now stick to the arterial wall
where they can build up into soft, vulnerable plaques that can get absorbed
deep into the arterial wall.
At that point, the arterial wall releases cytokines, which are proteins.
These proteins, in turn, help create more of the critical factor I referred
to earlier. However, before I delve further into the make-up of the critical
factor, let me tell you a few more things about developing plaque.
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
There is a small minority of people who have little to no plaque in their
arteries. It is very rare, especially in America, with our typical, high
animal fat, high-refined sugar, low fiber diet for anyone to escape plaque
buildup.
The trick is to have less plaque than what’s considered normal for your
age. The degree of plaque you will get depends largely on your LDL “bad”
cholesterol levels, how sticky that cholesterol is, and how healthy (smooth)
your vascular walls are. The healthier (smoother) your vascular walls are,
the less LDL cholesterol can stick to it and cause plaque accumulation.
Currently, it is advised to have LDL levels under 200.
Blood pH, as I said before, also plays a role in whether bad LDL
cholesterol will stick to your arterial walls, or just keep circulating through
your blood, eventually being cleared from your body through your liver.
However, if you make an effort to change your risk factors, as well as the
one critical factor that can worsen them, your body will work to clear these
arterial plaques and prevent them from becoming dangerous.
It’s important to know, though, that not everyone will develop dangerous
plaques. In fact, some people with high LDL cholesterol levels may not
even develop that much plaque or ever develop dangerous plaques. On
the other hand, some people with low LDL levels, higher “good” HDL
cholesterol levels, and less than 20% plaque, can form dangerous, lifethreatening plaque. How can that be so? This is where that critical risk
factor comes in.
The Critical Risk Factor
You’ve probably heard or read about the many things that can contribute
to developing heart disease like smoking, high animal fat diet, obesity,
lack of exercise, etc. - see Risk Factors below. All of these do contribute to
developing the arterial plaque that causes heart disease.
The 30-Day Heart Cure
7
Yet, they really are only what I like to call, “sub risks”. Let me explain
why.
Dangerous, calcified plaque that ruptured and broke off suddenly was only
one part of Jack’s surprise heart attack. Even though he had higher good
cholesterol levels, didn’t smoke, wasn’t considered obese, and exercised
frequently, he had high levels of the critical risk factor that he didn’t know
about.
The critical risk factor I’m talking about is called inflammation. It was
the other hidden factor in Jack’s seemingly healthy picture that took him,
and his doctor, by surprise that day on the jogging trail. The presence
of inflammation is what turns soft, vulnerable plaques into dangerous,
hardened, calcified plaques. These plaques can break off suddenly and
completely, or partially, block blood flow to the heart or brain, resulting in
a sudden heart attack or stroke.
When Jack entered the hospital, emergent life-saving measures of a
coronary artery bypass and placement of several stents were done. An
MPO test was also run which revealed that Jack had elevated levels of
myeloperoxidase – over twice what’s considered normal. This means that
Jack had very high levels of vascular inflammation going on within his
coronary arteries.
In his article, “Heart Surgeon Speaks out on What Really Causes Heart
Disease”, Dr. Dwight Lundell states, “Simply stated, without inflammation
being present in the body, there is no way that cholesterol would
accumulate in the wall of the blood vessel and cause heart disease and
strokes… It is inflammation that causes cholesterol to become trapped.”
Normally, inflammation is a natural reaction of your immune system’s
response to injuries, wounds, or infectious microbes like bacteria and
viruses in your blood and tissues. Inflammation occurs when your immune
system increases its production of white blood cells to go after unwanted
organisms to fight infection and heal wounds. When the infection has been
killed, wounds and tissues healed, the white blood cells go back to normal
and inflammation subsides.
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
Your immune system also reacts to other substances like environmental
or dietary toxins (see below), high acidic blood pH from too much
refined sugar or insulin resistance, the same way as it does to invading
microbes, wounds, and fractures. Again, the production of white blood
cells increases and inflammation occurs in an attempt to get rid of invading
substances to restore homeostasis – healthy balance – in your body. If
you’re constantly exposed to toxic substances or tissue damage, your
immune system never really shuts off. It behaves as if it’s under constant
attack and white blood cell production and inflammation then becomes
chronic.
When inflammation becomes chronic though, it creates the opposite
effect of what it’s supposed to do. It depresses the immune system and its
healing capacity. Rather than helping heal tissue, chronic inflammation
then starts to degrade, or break down, your body tissues. It’s like having
a fire smoldering constantly throughout your body, “charring” all of your
tissues. That’s when a number of diseases from chronic inflammation can
start developing. To name a few:
• Arthritis, from inflammation around your joints
• Nephritis, or inflammation of the kidneys
• Alzheimer’s
• Inflammatory bowel disease
Other people who have suffered sudden heart attacks may also have
had one or more other unknown risk factors that kept fueling their
inflammation. Thus, causing arterial plaques to keep growing.
Let me tell you about another similar case that happened to a 56-yearold woman who suffered a sudden heart attack that was caused by the
loss of blood flow to her heart. It was also found that she had high MPO
levels, but something else was found too. In this case, an undiagnosed
prediabetes/metabolic syndrome was discovered smoldering beneath
the surface. Yet she and her doctor were in the dark about this condition.
Here’s why.
The 30-Day Heart Cure
9
The patient’s hemoglobin A1c level – a blood test that averages blood
glucoses for the past 2-3 months – had been running slightly high for
the last few years. Yet, they were still thought to be well below what the
American Diabetes Association researchers considered to be diabetes.
The condition had slipped under the medical “radar” of testing as, for
years, the American Diabetic Association researchers advised testing labs
and doctors that A1c levels over 6.0 should raise suspicion for prediabetes
and type 2 diabetes. This patient’s levels had ranged from 5.7 to 5.9 for the
last few years so she was thought to be within safe range.
In 2011 the American Diabetic Association lowered the recommended
hemoglobin A1c levels to 5.6. Why? Many people in the United States,
especially those over 45, were found to be prediabetic/metabolic syndrome
at 6.0. People with metabolic syndrome/prediabetes become insulin
resistant. This means their body can’t use the hormone insulin efficiently
and their blood sugar level stays chronically elevated.
Chronically elevated blood sugars – even if only slightly – was just enough
to create chronic inflammation that damaged this patient’s arterial walls
and helped create dangerous, arterial plaques.
Another factor was this lady’s weight. Although she wasn’t really
characterized as obese, she probably had an extra 20 lbs she really didn’t
need. Like most women her age – postmenopausal and insulin resistant –
she carried a little stubborn reserve of belly fat that, no matter how much
she exercised, just didn’t budge. The insulin resistance contributed to this
condition demonstrating that her diet contained too many “fast carbs” like
juices and sweets, all of which went straight to her belly. This belly fat
was just enough to manufacture those inflammatory producing cytokine
proteins that I told you about earlier.
With these two sub-risk factors in action, the patient’s immune system was
chronically reacting with high levels of inflammation in her cardiovascular
system. As a result, she developed dangerous, calcified, unstable plaques.
Then one day, out of the blue, one of these plaques broke off suddenly and
partially blocked the blood supply to her heart.
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
Fortunately, this woman recovered from her sudden plaque rupture.
However, you or someone you love may not be so lucky. No one wants to
wind up having bypass surgery with several stents, out of commission for
several months, if it could be avoided.
That’s where the amazing, natural 2-step product process comes in. In
Chapter Two you’ll learn how you can clear away hidden life-threatening
plaque and how powerful natural products may help reduce critical
inflammation levels and lessen your risk of a fatal heart attack.
Before moving on it’s important to know more about those sub-risks I
mentioned earlier.
Lifestyle-Risks That Create Dangerous Plaques
As I stated earlier, there are several sub-risk factors (like smoking) that
create the critical risk factor of chronic inflammation. You might be
thinking, I don’t smoke, not obese, exercise pretty regularly, how could I
develop a sudden heart attack? Well, you could. Here’s why.
The surprising answer is that, like many people who have sudden heart
attacks, you can still have sub-risk factors that you may not be aware of.
Only 6% of Americans are free of all sub-risk factors. That’s a pretty small
percentage when you consider how many people are in the United States
alone. In contrast, 36% of Americans have at least 3 of those sub-risk
factors!
The majority of people have at least 1 lifestyle-risk factor for heart disease
that’s capable of fueling chronic inflammation. Make a note of which ones
may apply to you. Then in Chapter Three, I’ll give you some practical
ways you can decrease your risks.
1. Smoking
According to the American Heart and Lung Association, smoking is most
associated with sudden cardiac death than any other sub-risk.
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11
There are over 4,000 toxins in cigarette smoke that create high levels of
inflammation (see also Environmental toxins below) that damages your
arterial walls.
2. Obesity
Fat cells produce inflammatory proteins called cytokines. The more fat
cells you have, the more cytokines and inflammation you have. This equals
more risk for dangerous arterial plaques at risk for rupture and sudden
heart attack.
3. Lack of exercise
If you’re mostly sedentary, you may have high “bad” LDL cholesterol
and low “good” HDL cholesterol. Exercise tends to raise good cholesterol
levels and decrease bad cholesterol. It also decreases inflammation
throughout your body. If you don’t exercise, your heart muscle may be
weakened and unable to endure a sudden physical or emotional stressor.
4. Diet
High-saturated animal fat diets lead to high “bad” LDL cholesterol levels
that can form into plaque. High-heat, fried, or barbecued animal meats
create free radical carcinogenic chemicals called PCH’s (polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons) to form in your blood. Your immune system
creates inflammation as a way to fight off these carcinogenic toxins. High
refined sugar diets create highly acidic tissues and blood that causes fatty
deposits to stick to arterial walls as explained earlier.
5. Environment
You may be exposed to a long list of environmental toxins that pose health
hazards. For example you may:
• Unwittingly breathe in auto exhaust, manufacturing pollutants,
spray paints, or fumes
• Drink water containing metals in old plumbing, arsenic in
well water, bacteria, viruses, molds, fungi, yeasts, microbes,
prescription drug residue in drinking water
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
• Eat food containing pesticides or food preservatives, or other
harmful substances
• Absorb fertilizers, or chemical-cleaning solvents through your
skin
• Have traces of heavy metals in your body from old mercury dental
fillings, aluminum bits from canned foods, lead from structures/
paint or asbestos from building materials in older homes
These environmental toxins, like those in cigarette smoking, with constant
exposure, can all create chronic inflammation in your body and arteries.
In Chapter Two, I’ll share with you how you can clean out traces of heavy
metal in your arteries just by following the natural 2-Step product process.
6. Alcohol
Although a minimum amount of wine or beer, has been shown in research
to benefit heart health, too much alcohol has the same effect on your body
as too much refined sugar. It creates a high acid/pH imbalance and fuels
the chronic inflammation that traps and hardens cholesterol into arterial
plaques.
7. Stress
Stress creates biochemical responses in your body that create the perfect
environment for chronic, damaging inflammation to flourish. Research
has shown that psychological stress is associated most often with the top 3
diseases – heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
8. Genetics
The National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute (NHLBI) recommends that if a
family has a pattern of early heart attacks, or heart disease, (before age 55
for men and age 65 for women), a child in that family should have his or
her cholesterol checked between the ages of 2 and 8. In addition, the new
NHLBI/AAP guidelines recommend that all children be screened for high
cholesterol between ages 9 and 11.
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13
9. Medications/Supplements
Here are a few medications and supplements shown in research to possibly
contribute to dangerous arterial plaques.
Calcium: This has become a somewhat controversial issue. In research
findings out of Germany [EPIC study 2011], it was reported that calcium
supplements might possibly cause sudden heart attacks in postmenopausal
women. The study pointed to the likelihood that additional calcium
circulating in the blood might further harden fatty deposits into
dangerously calcified plaques.
On the other hand, a separate group of researchers refuted the EPIC
study’s claims in October 2012. This group said that calcium supplements
were not the cause of heavy plaque buildup and did not contribute to
sudden heart attack syndrome. However, too much calcium in the body is
not desirable either in your vascular system or your kidneys.
The natural product I’m going to tell you about in Chapter 2 also helps
dissolve calcium buildups – from whatever the source.
High blood pressure medications: These can cause deficiencies in
vitamins and minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, B
vitamins, and vitamin K2. These deficiencies, in turn, can contribute to
buildup of heavy fat deposits in arteries.
Statin medications: Used to reduce cholesterol, can cause deficiencies in
Co-Q10 which can adversely affect heart health. However, they may be
somewhat useful in decreasing inflammation.
Summary
Throughout Chapter One, you read about the types of life-threatening
plaques – those that create narrowing of arteries and constrict blood flow,
and those that are hidden within arterial walls. Both can be a serious threat
in their own way.
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
You’ve also learned how inflammation is the critical factor that can cause
cholesterol to “go bad” and develop into hardened, stone-like plaques at
high risk for rupture and sudden heart attack.
In addition, I explained how all the sub-risks work to create critical,
chronic inflammation that causes arterial plaques to harden and become at
high risk for breaking off and blocking blood flow.
Depending on how big the break-off piece is, and how much blood flow
is blocked, determines your survivability of such an event. If an artery
becomes completely blocked it can result in a fatal heart attack. If the
artery is only partially blocked, and emergency intervention occurs
immediately, the heart attack can be survivable.
If you have a few of the listed sub-risk factors, or maybe several of them,
don’t despair. Although I do recommend that you immediately start to
work on remedying your sub-risk factors, there is one significant thing you
can do right now to improve your heart and vascular health.
That one thing is using the 2-step natural product process that I’m about
to tell you about in Chapter Two. If Jack had known about this process, he
may not have been surprised by a sudden heart attack. He was very lucky
to have survived, as the odds were not in his favor. Don’t let it happen to
you. Read on to learn about the safe, all-natural 2-step process that will
help ensure your heart stays healthy for years to come.
The 30-Day Heart Cure
15
CHAPTER Two
The 30-Day Heart Cure
In the next few pages, I’m going to tell you about a miraculous and
completely natural process that could save your life. You’ll wonder why
everyone doesn’t know about it for turning off killer inflammation and
dissolving dangerous arterial plaque.
As a cardiologist, I’ve made use of prescription drugs, like statins, to
reduce my patient’s cholesterol levels. I’ve also used them to help reduce
inflammation. Although these drugs can be helpful, they can also have a
significant risk of side effects.
I can’t argue with the successes of alternative medicine practitioners
who’ve used all-natural substances to turn around inflammation and
arterial plaque buildup. It’s true that many of these natural remedies work
equally as well, maybe better, than prescription drugs without the side
effects!
Why not take advantage of the heart-saving properties that natural
substances offer before resorting to prescription drugs or dangerous bypass
surgery? I’d like to share an incredible breakthrough when it comes to the
health of your heart. I like to call it The 30-Day Heart Cure.
Here are some of the warning signs and symptoms that are an indication
that you may have heart disease or plaque-causing inflammation:
• Elevated LDL “bad” cholesterol levels
• High blood pressure
• Insulin resistance or diabetes
• Joint pain or arthritis
• Headaches
• GI distress, bloating, constipation/diarrhea
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
• Ulcer/heartburn
• Food and other allergies/sensitivities
• Chronic respiratory difficulties, asthma, or bronchitis
• Dry, itchy skin, rash, psoriasis or eczema
• Weight gain/obesity
• Fever or chronic infection
Many of these conditions can mean that you have damaged veins and
arteries or life-threatening plaque buildup. When a patient comes to me
with symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath, fluid retention in legs,
leg pain, etc., I order an entire series of tests to determine if they have
heart disease. These tests give me an accurate picture of the patient’s heart
health.
These tests can also tell me what level of risk they may have for
developing a sudden heart attack. If you’re interested in these specific lab
tests, and what their results indicate, you can learn more about them in
detail in the Appendix listed in the back of this book.
Now, let’s get to the real reason you’re reading this book…The 30-Day
Heart Cure!
The All-Natural 30 Day Heart Cure
What I’m going to share with you here is a simple, easy-to-do and
effective method that can help reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol, cool off
dangerous inflammation, and reduce any arterial plaque buildup you may
have.
It’s a method that can also prevent you from developing further heart
disease using completely natural substances. It’s called oral chelation.
The 30-Day Heart Cure
17
Oral chelation is a process that allows your blood to flow more freely,
removes unhealthy toxins and impurities from your blood, and improves
troublesome blocked blood flow symptoms.
People who have used EDTA chelation products report significant
improvement in most of their symptoms of plaque-blocked arterial blood
flow – leg pain, chest pain, shortness of breath, etc. Best of all, many of
them have avoided needing risky cardiac bypass surgery and stenting
procedures!
As a busy cardiologist dealing with heart disease on a daily basis, I’m very
impressed with what oral chelation can achieve. Before I get into the many
benefits of oral chelation, I’d first like to give you a little background on
oral chelation and its connection to heart disease.
What Is Oral Chelation?
The use of chelation in medicine has been around since 1948 when IV
EDTA (intravenous) chelation was first used to detox battery factory
workers who had been exposed to lead. Later, the U.S. Navy used IV
EDTA chelation to detox sailors who had been exposed to lead in the paint
they used to paint battle ships and Navy facilities.
IV chelation is done by hooking up a person to an intravenous medicine
delivery system – a medicine bag on a pole. Through this device, a person
would receive infusions of EDTA and whatever other ingredients each
individual practitioner deemed helpful.
Practitioners who used IV EDTA chelation found that, in addition to
detoxification from lead and other heavy metals, people who underwent
EDTA chelation found improvement in other conditions as well. These
included:
• Cardiovascular disease
• Diabetes
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
• Hypertension, stroke
• Alzheimer disease
• Cataracts
However, with all its benefits, IV chelation was found to be impractical,
and potentially dangerous, for the following reasons:
• Expensive – each treatment could cost hundreds of dollars,
depending on the location.
• Shortage of trained practitioners – typically IV chelation
practitioners were found in/near big cities. Rural people had to
travel great distances for their treatments.
• Time consuming – must either do as an outpatient procedure in a
hospital, or sit in a chair in a doctor’s office/clinic attached to an
IV pole dripping solution for hours at a time.
• Infection risk – any time you open veins for IV access, the risk
for developing life-threatening systemic infections like MRSA
(methicillin-resistant Staph aureus) increases.
• Death risk – there have been cases of deaths following IV
chelation. This was due, in 2 cases, to adding a drug intended
for lead removal. In a few other cases, cardiac arrest occurred
from the too strong/rapid depletion of calcium which lead to fatal
irregular heart rhythms.
Even though IV EDTA chelation had many benefits to offer, many
practitioners felt that IV chelation had too many drawbacks and risks for
general use. Anyone who’s ever walked into an IV chelation clinic can tell
you that it can be a frightening sight even for a doctor. Imagine this scene:
Rows of reclining chairs full of people hooked up to an IV bag hanging
on a stand next to them, dripping its ingredients into their veins. Sound
inviting? Not hardly.
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19
It was clear that a simpler, more practical way of getting the benefits of
IV chelation, without the drawbacks or risks, was needed. That’s how and
why pill form-oral chelation was created.
Benefits of Oral Chelation
Oral chelation products contain the same substance – EDTA – as the IV
chelation process. Oral chelation, though, is done in a much less intense,
safer method than IV chelation and does not carry the same side effects or
risks.
With IV chelation the ingredients are delivered through an intravenous
access. This means that the EDTA, and additional ingredients, are
absorbed immediately, 100%, into the bloodstream.
This high degree of absorption of ingredients all at once can cause spikes
in crucial heart minerals called electrolytes. This can result in dangerous,
or fatal, heart rhythm problems.
In contrast, as oral chelation agents are taken via a pill, their ingredients
are absorbed into the bloodstream much more slowly – 4%-18%
absorption at a time. For that reason, oral chelation gets released into the
bloodstream much more gradually.
There are several oral chelation products out on the market. In general
they contain the main chelating ingredient, EDTA (see more below).
In addition, they can contain other vitamins, minerals and/or herbs. These
added ingredients boost the actions of EDTA.
That is, they help reduce dangerous arterial plaques, remove toxic metals,
heavy fats, and other clot and plaque-creating impurities from your blood.
The best oral chelation products include the following ingredients:
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
1. EDTA
Short for ethylenediaminetetracetic acid, EDTA is an amino acid (protein).
In chelation, EDTA binds itself to metals like iron, lead, arsenic, and
mercury. EDTA can also bind to small amounts of excess minerals, like
calcium, magnesium, zinc and manganese. Yet, it does not strip, or leach,
these minerals from bones or teeth, or the rest of the body.
EDTA also binds to toxins, fibrin, and other clot forming, or arterial
blocking impurities. These bound substances and EDTA are then
processed through the colon and kidneys and exit the body through feces
and urine.
2. Trimethylglycine (TMG)
This is natural betaine/hydrochloric acid that is found most abundantly in
beets and other root vegetables. TMG helps break down and digest heavy,
saturated, “bad” LDL cholesterol blood fats in the liver.
TMG also decreases iron and dangerous homocysteine buildup in the
blood. After age 30, your natural hydrochloric acid supply decreases.
You are unable to break down heavy fats and iron and your risk of them
building up into dangerous inflammatory arterial plaques increases.
3. Malic acid
This beneficial acid is found naturally in apples, mostly green apples. It
also helps break down blood fats, particularly triglycerides, before they
can harden into plaques. It helps remove toxic metal and aluminum,
which causes dangerous inflammation in heart and brain vessels. You’re
constantly exposed to more aluminum daily than you may be aware of in
the use of products like antiperspirants, antacids, tap water, canned goods,
coffee creamers, etc.
4. Garlic
Garlic has been used for centuries in the ancient medicines of the world –
Greek, Egyptian, Ayurvedic, and Chinese. The active chemical ingredient
in garlic – allicin – is a potent antioxidant made up of the amino acids
L-methionine and L-cysteine.
The 30-Day Heart Cure
21
These proteins attract to, mobilize and extract the metals cadmium,
arsenic, lead, and mercury from the body.
The L-methionine of garlic also has a lipolytic, or fat destroying, function
that helps lower LDL cholesterol. It gets rid of heavy blood fats before
they can solidify into hardened arterial plaques. Garlic is also a potent
anti-inflammatory agent that helps cool inflammation in blood vessels.
Decreasing inflammation lowers the potential for cholesterol to become
attached to arterial vessels and harden into atherosclerotic plaques.
5. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC)
A sulfur-containing amino acid that acts as a master antioxidant. NAC also
is a heavy metal scavenger particularly of mercury, lead and cadmium in
house paint and cigarette smoke. NAC binds to them and safely removes
them from the body via natural elimination processes. NAC also scavenges
free radicals and repairs oxidative stress damage – thereby reducing arterydamaging inflammation.
NAC helps prevent LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and hardening into
dangerous plaques and aids in lowering homocysteine levels. NAC allows
the body to conserve reserves of another master antioxidant – glutathione.
Glutathione boosts the immune system’s T-cells and helps suppress the
production of pro-inflammatory agents – those cytokines mentioned
earlier.
6. Bromelain
A naturally occurring substance derived from pineapples, bromelain has
2 important actions. One, it acts as a digestive enzyme, helping to break
up food so that it can be absorbed better; another is that it decreases
inflammation throughout your entire body.
7. B-Vitamins
Notably, folic acid and Vitamin B12. These two B vitamins are significant
in heart health as they help normalize too much iron in the blood that can
lead to elevated homocysteine levels. Too high homocysteine can cause
blood to become thick and clot easily.
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
8. Selenium
A vital mineral and antioxidant. It acts as an amino acid chelate that helps
bind unwanted metals and other impurities to it.
9. Potassium
Potassium is a vital mineral necessary to regulate heart rhythm and keep
energy levels up. When you are on the 30-day chelation program, and your
body is cleansing itself of unwanted, blood vessel clogging impurities,
potassium will help keep your energy levels stable.
Now, I’m sure you must have a few questions about oral chelation, how
it’s done and how it works. Let’s take a closer look at how oral chelation
performs its important function of clearing plaque and inflammation from
your arteries.
How Is Oral Chelation Done?
Good oral chelation products work to bind heavy fats, metals, toxins, and
other impurities in your blood using EDTA and its supporting ingredients.
Each ingredient has a specific role in the chelation process.
They all form a chemical bond to heavy fats, metals, toxins, fibrin, and
other impurities that get removed through the body’s natural elimination
processes.
Several chelation ingredients are double-duty substances that also act as an
anti-inflammatory that puts out the damaging fire running in all the blood
vessels and tissues throughout your body.
In fact, many people who undergo oral chelation report that the symptoms
of their other inflammatory-type conditions, like arthritis and bursitis, as
well as their energy levels, greatly improve with the chelation process.
The 30-Day Heart Cure
23
In the words of Nathan B. states, a man who used oral chelation:
“Since taking my new heart supplement, I definitely feel more
energized. I notice that I am not sluggish first thing in the morning and I
feel alert throughout the entire day and evening hours. My blood pressure
improved significantly. I can’t wait until my next doctor’s appointment so
that he can see the difference.
The benefit of having more energy is that I was able to accomplish
more throughout the day. In fact, on a few occasions, I cut the front and
back grass and had enough energy to wash both of the family cars on the
same day. At the end of the evening, I slept soundly.
One thing that I was not expecting was that the product cleared
up a sebaceous cyst on my left wrist. A few years ago, I had one on my
forehead, which had to be surgically removed.
A sebaceous cyst is not as bad as it sounds. It is basically a small,
non-painful lump beneath the skin (glands clogged with oil). This time, I
did not have to see a surgeon. The cyst cleared up after a week or so of
using your oral chelation product. I’m usually skeptical about claims that
are made about supplements. However, this product really worked for me.”
An added benefit of oral chelation therapy is that it improves blood flow
to the entire body. In doing so, many symptoms associated with decreased
blood circulation (cramps, cold extremities, swelling) also improve.
You must also follow a few simple rules to allow the program to achieve
its most optimal results. These include:
• Drink lots of pure, filtered, or spring water – no tap water.
• Take a good multivitamin supplement to ensure against any
mineral deficiencies while the chelation process corrects mineral
imbalances in your body.
• If you have impaired kidney function, you should consult a
physician before using oral chelation products.
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
How Successful Is Oral Chelation?
Oral chelation has been used successfully for a few decades now. Since
oral chelation products were created, they have continued to be in demand.
Why? Oral chelation products are successful in improving symptoms and
are much safer, and easier to use, than the IV chelation process.
In my research as a cardiologist, I’ve found that oral chelation has the
following benefits:
• Reduces heavy metal toxicity
• Reduces calcification
• Lowers blood cholesterol
• Antioxidants (like those mentioned above) in chelation products
lessen lipid peroxidation (free-radical damage/transformation of
metabolized fats).
• Helps thin the blood thus preventing the formation of blood clots
(one of the causes of heart attacks).
• Binds to free radicals that surround arterial plaques. Free radicals
can cause plaques to destabilize by breaking off and sending
chunks into the blood stream that may obstruct and cause heart
attack.
• Removes a particular type of iron (homocysteine) that promotes
the formation of free radicals.
• Cleanses all the miles of blood vessels in your entire body,
thereby improving circulation throughout your body, which helps
lower blood pressure.
Here’s one example of how oral chelation has helped one individual.
“When I first started taking my new heart supplement, my blood
pressure was 144/85. Now it is 128/81. It was easy to digest and did not
upset my stomach. I would definitely recommend oral chelation.”
The 30-Day Heart Cure
25
My research has found that oral chelation also has these benefits…
• Helps reduce calcium and mineral buildups that aids vision,
hearing and muscle tone
• Clears and beautifies the skin
• Re-oxygenates tissues throughout the body
What Has Research Shown About Oral Chelation?
As a cardiologist, I stay up on all the latest news regarding drug and
product research aimed at treating heart disease and associated conditions.
I’m happy to share the following impressive research on oral chelation
with you:
1. Removes lead
Oral EDTA chelation has been shown to remove a significant amount of
lead (2-3 times more) from the human body via excreted feces and urine.
In fact, one study documented the removal of between 1,200-2,600 mg
of lead during the first 5 days of oral chelation. In contrast, IV chelation
removes about 5 times the amount of lead, so results between oral and IV
chelation in removing lead are fairly comparable.
You should know that even though lead toxicity does not directly cause
cardiovascular disease, it does create inflammation which leads to the
breakdown of arterial blood vessels. Remember, it’s the breakdown of
vessels that cause plaques to form, like a Band-Aid, in the first place.
Lead also binds to free, unbound iron that creates even more free radical
damage in blood vessels. Both lead and unbound iron bind to oral
chelation with EDTA and significantly helps this situation.
The Human Ecology Action League has published research concerning the
effects of lead on humans. Their studies cite that many Americans – age
45 and older – grew up with lead in house paint, leaded gasoline, leadsoldered plumbing and food cans, etc.
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
As such, many people of these age groups could have significant deposits
of lead stored in their bones. Lead and calcium compete for the same
receptor sites in the body. If lead takes up many of these receptor sites in
the bones, calcium cannot be absorbed properly making bones at high risk
for osteoporosis later in life.
Similarly, a Harvard study done back a few decades ago [Study Shows
Danger of Bone Lead, The Harvard Crimson, January 1995], revealed
that toxic lead is stored mostly in bones. The study showed that people
with osteoporosis are constantly regenerating bone tissue and as such may
release some of this stored lead into their blood stream.
I, as well as other physicians who support oral chelation, feel that it can be
helpful in releasing a great deal of this stored lead and removing it from
the body before it can do further damage. It can also help spur healthier
bone growth.
Chronic low lead levels are also thought to contribute to the development
of brain dysfunction/dementia, cancer, bone marrow disease, renal disease,
and much more. Oral chelation is believed to slow the progression of, or
reverse, kidney function impairment.
2. Fights free radicals
Many chelation practitioners believe that one of the reasons that oral
chelation works so well is that it fights free radicals in the blood stream
and neutralizes them.
3. “Resuscitates” mitochondria
Mitochondria are the microscopic “power plants” inside every cell in the
body. Decline of mitochondrial function has long been thought to be one
of the primary causes of the aging process.
4. Improves neurologic and multi-organ symptoms
Dr. Robert J. Rowen reports in his Second Opinion newsletter that
research published in a psychiatric journal revealed that oral chelation
patients showed improvement in a variety of neuro and multi-organ
symptoms. These patients were noted to have had a marked improvement
in their quality of life after oral chelation.
The 30-Day Heart Cure
27
Many physicians who support oral chelation report significant
improvement in the mental well-being of their oral chelation patients.
In the book [Toxic Metal Syndrome: How Metal Poisonings Can
Affect Your Brain], co-authors Dr. Morton Walker and Dr. Richard
Casdorph detail that when they gave oral chelation to patients to clear up
cardiovascular arterial plaques, their mental processes (memory, cognitive
ability, etc) also cleared and began to function appropriately.
Another oral chelation patient, Elma, noted:
“I was very restless at night and would always wake up tired. After
taking my new heart supplement, I sleep restful, wake up with energy that
last through the day and night. I feel healthier too. I would recommend
oral chelation to others.”
6. Assists absorption of Vitamin B12
Clinical research has shown better absorption of Vitamin B12 after oral
chelation. B12 can be very difficult for people over 40 to absorb and
deficiencies may start to occur.
7. Assists absorption of medications
Certain drugs, like heparin, which helps treat chronic blood clotting
disorders are absorbed better after oral chelation. In fact, you may need
less of some of your medications after doing oral chelation.
In summary, clinical literature review, from sources documenting over 50
years of oral chelation use, continually cite its safety and efficacy. To my
knowledge and research as a cardiologist, unlike IV chelation, no deaths
have been attributed to the use of oral chelation products.
Now, here are some additional, all natural herbal substances and vitamins
that help oral chelation products do their job better and improve heart
disease.
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
Natural Heart Helpers Lower Cholesterol, Put Out Fires
of Inflammation
Cholesterol and inflammation work hand in hand to create dangerous,
unstable arterial plaques building up in your arteries. In addition to
chelating out toxins, heavy fats and metals, these natural heart helpers
boost the effects of oral chelation as well.
Let’s look at them individually.
1. Red Rice Yeast
This substance has been used by American alternative medicine
practitioners to lower “bad” LDL cholesterol for many years. However,
it has been used in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) since the Tang
Dynasty of 800 A.D. for heart disease, digestive health, circulation, spleen,
and stomach health.
It is, literally, the red yeast (Monascus purpureus) that grows on rice. In
many Asian countries, it is a dietary staple and likely account for why
Asians have lower heart disease rates than Americans.
Red rice yeast contains several compounds known as monacolins. These
are substances which are research-proven to inhibit your body’s ability
to absorb cholesterol. This results in a cholesterol lowering effect –
especially of the LDL type.
You may be surprised to learn that one of the monacolins of red rice
yeast – monacolin K – is used to produce the prescription cholesterollowering drugs Mevacor and the generic drugs, mevinolin and lovastatin.
It’s important to note, though, the significant difference between natural
red rice yeast and the synthetic prescription version found in drugs like
lovastatin.
Natural red rice yeast may have some mild side effects like diarrhea,
headache or heartburn, if taken on an empty stomach. Yet, prescription
lovastatin can have much more severe side effects, regardless of how you
take it.
The 30-Day Heart Cure
29
For example, lovastatin can have the dangerous side effect of
rhabdomyolysis (causes severe all-over muscle pain and damage). In
addition, liver and kidney damage can result from taking prescription
lovastatin.
Yet the health benefits of red rice yeast are well-noted in research. Red rice
yeast also contains plant sterols, isoflavones, and monounsaturated fatty
acids, all naturally occurring substances, which have been found to be
beneficial in lowering cholesterol.
One research study showed that participants who took 2.4 grams of red
rice yeast daily had a 22% decrease in their LDL cholesterol and a 16%
reduction in total cholesterol over 12 weeks. A second study showed that
participants who took 1.2 grams red rice yeast per day decreased LDL
cholesterol by 26% in just 8 weeks.
Dosage: 1000 mg a day, is a common dosage found in most red rice yeast
supplements.
2. Beta sitosterol
This is another cholesterol-lowering substance found naturally in fruits,
vegetables, nuts and seeds. It is, chemically, a “plant sterol ester”. It is
used to make some medicines and is frequently added to margarine as a
cholesterol-fighting agent.
Like red rice yeast, it decreases your body’s ability to absorb cholesterol.
It also helps decrease inflammation throughout the body. Significantly, in
2000, according to WB Anon and Associates website, the FDA authorized
the labeling of heart-health claims of plant sterols (including beta
sitosterol) and plant stanol esters on margarines and certain other foods.
Beta sitosterol also has other health benefits that include boosting
immune function, fighting colon cancer, gallstones, viral infections,
prostate problems as well as menopausal symptoms. In addition, its antiinflammatory properties are relied on by marathon runners who use it in
a cream formula to reduce inflammation and swelling in their legs after
races. It also is noted to help wounds and burns heal faster.
Dosage: 200-400 mg a day is recommended by alternative health
practitioners.
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
3. Gugulipid
This has been used in Ayurvedic (India) medicine for many years to help
decrease cholesterol. Gugulipid consists of oleoresins (Commiphora
mukul) which, in clinical research trials 46 years ago [G.V. Satyavati,
1966], had been shown to have significant cholesterol improving
properties. It accomplished this by increasing the liver’s metabolism of
LDL cholesterol.
As a result, gugulipid reduced LDL cholesterol, raised HDL cholesterol,
reduced serum triglycerides, protected against hardening of the arteries
(atherosclerosis), decreased stickiness of platelets, increased fibrinolysis
(destruction of clot forming fibrin in blood), and decreased obesity in
people with elevated cholesterol levels. It also has demonstrated antiinflammatory properties, which has been especially effective in reducing
arthritis complaints.
In other studies, gugulipid was shown to be more effective than the
synthetic prescription drug clofibrate in double-blind studies. They
both lowered LDL cholesterol, but only the gugulipid increased HDL
cholesterol by a whopping 60%!
The 2 key cholesterol-lowering compounds in gugul are z-guggulsterone
and E-guggulsterone. In the original, natural version gugulipid, some
people had a few mild side effects like diarrhea, and stomach upset.
Today, gugulipid is isolated into a standardized extract which has none of
the side effects of its original, natural version.
Dosage: Alternative health practitioners recommend 300 mg per day.
4. Co-Q10:
This vitamin is a heart-healthy powerhouse. It helps convert food into
energy. It also improves the heart’s use of energy on the cellular level
through its mitochondria – the energy center of cells. In addition, it breaks
down fibrin in the blood thereby preventing blood clot formation. A
powerful antioxidant, it neutralizes free radicals before they can cause
dangerous inflammation that damages arterial walls.
The 30-Day Heart Cure
31
Several research studies have found Co-Q10 to be helpful to the heart in
the following ways:
• Helps lower cholesterol. Studies have shown that people
with high cholesterol often have low levels of Co-Q10. Recent
research [Caso G, Kelly P, McNurlan MA, Lawson WE. Effect of
coenzyme q10 on myopathyic symptoms in patients treated with
statins. Am J Cardiol. 2007; 99(10): 1409-12.] has shown that
statins can decrease Co-Q10 levels significantly. Supplementing
with Co-Q10 can bring levels back to normal and also alleviate
the muscle pain that often accompanies statin use.
• Increases chance of survival after a heart attack. Research has
shown that people who took Co-Q10 within 3 days of having a
heart attack greatly decreased their risk of subsequent heart attack
or chest pain. They were also less likely to die of a heart attack
than those not taking the supplement.
• Helps blood pump through heart. Co-Q10 has been shown
in research studies [Khatta M, Alexander BS, Krichten CM,
Fisher ML, Freudenberger R, Robinson SW et al. The effect of
coenzyme Q10 in patients with congestive heart failure. Ann Int
Med. 2000; 132(8): 636-640] to help blood pump through the
heart better. Some studies have shown it to improve congestive
heart failure conditions like swelling in the legs and feet, reduce
fluid in the lungs.
• Lower blood pressure. Several clinical studies cited by the
University of Maryland Medical Center’s website report that CoQ10 may help lower blood pressure.
• Helps with diabetes. Studies [Hodgson JM, Watts GF, Playford
DA, et al. Coenzyme Q (10) improves blood pressure and
glycaemic control: a controlled trial in subjects with type 2
diabetes. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2002; 56:1137-1142.] have shown that
Co-Q10 can help normalize blood sugar levels. Normal blood
sugar levels help prevent inflammation and heart disease from
developing.
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
Dosage: 30 to 200 mg in adults 19 years and older. Higher doses are
sometimes recommended by alternative medicine practitioners to help
treat specific conditions. The softgel form is better absorbed. Since CoQ10 is fat soluble, it should be taken with a meal containing fat to help
absorb it.
5. Omega-3’s Essential Fatty Acids
One of your heart’s best friends, they are called “essential fatty acids”
because your body needs them to survive and be healthy. Yet, unlike many
other nutrients, they are not made by your body. They must be obtained
through either foods or supplements.
Omega-3’s help your heart, and your general health, by fighting
inflammation and neutralizing free radicals. They also dissolve heavy
triglyceride fats in your blood and help treat/prevent atherosclerosis –
hardening of the arteries from calcified plaques.
Several research studies [Galli C, Risé P. Fish consumption, omega 3
fatty acids and cardiovascular disease. The science and the clinical trials.
Nutr Health. 2009; 20(1):11-20. Review.] show how Omega-3’s benefit
heart-health conditions:
• High cholesterol. People who eat high Omega-3 fat diets
(Mediterranean peoples, Inuit Eskimos, etc) have increased HDL
cholesterol and decreased LDL.
• High blood pressure. Studies showed that 3 or more grams of
fish oil a day may reduce hypertension.
• Cardiovascular disease. Omega-3’s decrease several risk
factors for CVD – high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high
triglycerides, prevent formation of dangerous arterial plaque
buildups. It can reduce the risk of stroke by 50% by taking 2
grams of fish oil a day.
Omega-3’s are found in flaxseed oil, walnut oil, fish or krill oil from either
fresh fish/krill or supplements. They are also found in algae and some
plants (Chapter Three for more complete sources).
The 30-Day Heart Cure
33
I’ll explain the best balance of Omega-3 to Omega-6 oils in Chapter
Three so that you can get the best heart health benefits of both. Too much
Omega-6 in your body can increase inflammation.
Dosage: 500-1,500 mg a day. Higher doses should be monitored by a
physician as Omega-3’s also thin the blood and may increase risk for
either internal/external hemorrhage.
6. Vitamin E
A powerhouse antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals and helps prevent
inflammation throughout your body. Clinical nutritionist, Byron Richards,
CCN, cites the results of a double-blind, placebo controlled cardiovascular
study evaluating a natural form of Vitamin E.
In his article, Natural Vitamin E Dramatically Reduces Heart Disease,
Newswithviews.com, August 2007, Richards states that natural, d-alpha
tocopheral acetate Vitamin E, 600 IU, was used to evaluate its efficiency in
reducing heart disease.
The d-alpha tocopheral acetate form is a very high quality form of natural
Vitamin E. The results showed that it reduced heart disease by 13%. It
also showed a 22% reduction in heart attacks – 31% when combined with
another antioxidant, Vitamin C, and 9% reduction in cardiovascular-related
death.
Dosage: At least 100 IU of d-alpha tocopheral acetate form of Vitamin
E should be taken daily as part of The 30-Day Heart Cure. However,
alternative health practitioners, to augment treatment of heart disease,
also prescribe up to 400 IU a day. Also be sure your brand says di alpha
tocopherol and not “dl” (small “L”) alpha which is synthetic Vitamin E.
I hope you now have a better understanding of what oral chelation is and
the advantages of using it to improve your heart, and general health.
Oral chelation is, what I like to term, a preventative cure. It can erase your
symptoms now by decreasing plaque-creating LDL cholesterol, dangerous
inflammation, and clot-forming metals, toxins and other impurities. It
can also prevent you from further progressing to heart disease and the
possibility of a sudden heart attack later.
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
You should be aware though – an oral chelation product will not help
in an emergency situation. If you begin to experience sudden chest
pain, shortness of breath, any of the symptoms of possible sudden heart
attack, you should call 9-1-1 immediately and/or get taken to the nearest
emergency room fast.
Now, let’s move on to Chapter Three where I’ll give you some helpful diet,
lifestyle, and exercise changes that will help The 30-Day Heart Cure
yield even better results.
The 30-Day Heart Cure
35
CHAPTER Three
Don’t Get Heart Disease In The First Place!
There are 5 factors that I consider critical in determining whether you
develop heart disease and whether you’ll suffer a sudden heart attack. The
good news is, as I tell my patients, these are all things you can definitely
become proactive about. By making changes in these factors, you can
significantly decrease your chance of getting heart disease and preventing
a sudden heart attack.
Let’s start with the single most important factor…
Smoking – Don’t Send Your Heart Up In Smoke
You already know that smoking is bad for your health and you should
quit. But did you also know that, according to the American Heart and
Lung Association, smoking is the #1 cause of coronary artery disease,
responsible for over 440,000 deaths each year? And, that it is also the
major cause of death from stroke in the United States with over 600,000
cases occurring per year. Here’s why.
Smoking creates a few dangerous situations that up your risk for a sudden
heart attack or stroke:
1. Raises dangerous levels of fibrin
Fibrin is a blood protein that can stick together and form deadly clots.
Now, The 30-Day Heart Cure can help breakdown clot-forming fibrin,
and other toxins, and help you avoid a dangerous heart attack. The
choice is yours, however, whether you want to continue smoking and reintroducing these problematic substances into your bloodstream over and
over.
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2. Decreases oxygen intake into your lungs
Your body needs adequate oxygen to help it detoxify. Without enough
oxygen, these toxins build up, inflammation increases, and it becomes a
chronic, never-ending cycle of tissue damage.
3. Narrows arteries by 25% for up to 30 minutes
Each puff you take from a cigarette causes your blood pressure to spike.
This puts you at greater risk of heart attack and stroke, says a McGill
University Montreal study from 2009.
4. Causes weakening and outpouching of arterial walls
Technically, this outpouching is called an aneurysm. Aneurysms most
often occur in the abdominal aorta – the major blood vessel of your body.
They can also occur in the brain. Aneurysms are kind of like an overinflated balloon that becomes too thin. We’ve all seen what happens when
a balloon gets blown up too much – they usually burst suddenly. With the
blood pressure spikes that occur with smoking a single cigarette, the risk
of a burst aneurysm increases greatly.
Sadly, aneurysms often go undetected until they burst. They have a high
(between 50%-70%) death rate as they are very difficult to repair. Burst
aneurysms can cause a life-threatening amount of internal bleeding before
the person even gets to an emergency room.
With all the heart-damaging risks from smoking, it should be a no-brainer
that quitting smoking is one of the most important ways to lengthen your
life. Although it’s a difficult thing to do, you may be inspired to know that
once you quit smoking, the good benefits start immediately. You instantly
start to decrease those dangerous inflammatory blood protein markers.
And, these markers continue to improve more and more with each passing
day after quitting.
According to a recent article published by the National Heart and Lung
Institute [What Are The Benefits of Quitting Smoking? December 2011],
it was the opinion of those researchers that your risk of sudden cardiac
death, first or second heart attack, starts to decline as soon as you quit
smoking.
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And, your risk of developing atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries)
decreases as well as your risk of developing sudden heart attack or strokecausing blood clots.
The take-away message of the “after quitting smoking studies” is that
heart attack risk factors have been proven to start to decrease very quickly
after quitting. Periodic testing for these markers are also a good indication
of how much your cardiac risk continues to decrease.
My recommendation regarding smoking is simply – Quit! Right now!
Your life depends on it. There are many quit-smoking prescription drugs,
products and processes, but many have significant drawbacks like side
effects or price. Below I’ve listed what I feel are some of the best, most
effective, quit-smoking products and processes that can help you get the
job done without side effect or exorbitant cost.
Helpful Hints to Quit Smoking
The following methods can help you quit smoking. You decide which one
may be the best fit for you.
1. Cold turkey
This is stopping smoking on your own without the use of any products.
You pick a day you want to quit and you just do it. You throw your
cigarettes away and don’t go back.
The upside of this method is that it’s completely cost-free. The downside
is that only about 3% of very-determined people succeed. The reason is
due to nicotine withdrawal symptoms and the level of discomfort they can
cause.
Symptoms include anxiety, hyperirritability, insomnia, inability to
concentrate and depression, which can last 3 months or more. This method
does work, but for most it can be a hard road.
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2. Hypnosis
In theory hypnosis works by placing suggestions in the hypnotized
person’s subconscious mind while they are in a state of light sleep.
Hypnosis has been proven to work well as a relaxation device. Since many
people smoke due to stress, becoming relaxed may be what many smokers
need to be able to quit. Some people are hypnosis resistant, meaning they
are unable to succumb to “going under” and are not candidates for this
type of treatment. For people who are open to the idea, hypnosis may be
helpful. It can also be used in conjunction with other therapies to reinforce
the benefits of quitting smoking.
3. Laser
This process works more like acupuncture, or acupressure, in helping
to quit smoking. Laser energy is applied to specific points on hands,
wrists, ears, or face that correspond to addiction in the human brain.
This pressure results in stimulating endorphin producing nerve pathways.
Endorphins are “feel good” hormones that decrease stress and help you
relax, therefore, decreasing the need for “stress smoking”. Laser therapy
promoters claim 85% to 90% success rate. A downside though is that they
can also be a little costly with no guarantees. On the other hand, cardiac
stent bypass is much more costly to more than just your pocket book.
4. Lobelia
Lobelia contains “lobeline”, a natural, herbal, nicotine-like substance that
is non-addicting and non-toxic. It reduces nicotine cravings and has a
tranquilizing effect. It can help soothe jangled nerves and irritability which
almost always accompanies quitting smoking. It does this by “tricking”
your nervous system into thinking that it’s getting nicotine but without the
toxic side effects.
As Lobelia is a natural, herbal product that can help you get over the first
few weeks of antismoking efforts, it gets a high mark from me. However,
use lobelia exactly as directed as too much can cause nausea/vomiting and/
or respiratory depression.
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5. Smoke Deter
This is a natural, anti-smoking product that uses several homeopathic
remedies together for a combined effect against withdrawal symptoms:
Abies nigra (black spruce), Aconitum Napellus (wolfbane), Avena (oates),
Nux Vomica (Poison nut). This product is used in a spray beneath the
tongue whenever cravings/symptoms arise. You may be happy to know
that independent reviews of Stop Smoking products rate this product very
high at 98%. As a natural homeopathic remedy, I believe it can be safely
used to quit smoking.
6. Anxiolytics – “anti-anxiety” medication
These generally are prescribed by your doctor to help you get through
the first week of no-smoking. There are also natural anxiolytics, such as
valerian which you can buy at a health food store, which are taken via
drops into a glass of water daily. The big plus of anxiolytics is that they
help reduce stress, which is usually the major trigger for smoking in most
people.
7. Exercise
Frequent, aerobic exercise can significantly decrease stress levels which
prompt you to smoke. It also helps intake more oxygen into your heart
and lungs causing both to work efficiently. Oxygen helps clear toxins out
of your tissues. 40 minutes a day, in divided workouts, 20 minutes in the
morning, 20 minutes in the late afternoon/early evening can help you quit
smoking naturally.
Now, let’s look at the next biggest risk factor…
Obesity – That Toxic Chemical Plant on Your Belly
After smoking, obesity is the next biggest contributing factor to a sudden
heart attack. Researchers now say that adult obesity starts all the way back
in infancy.
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Here’s why…
In just about every culture I know, a chubby baby equals good health. This
is especially true in American culture. When people see a baby that is less
than chubby, they may think the child is poorly fed or unhealthy. This
couldn’t be further from the truth. So should we put babies on diets? Of
course not!
However, the statistics of children with high LDL (bad) cholesterol and
obesity, as well as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure is a growing
concern in the United States today. The Hope Heart Organization reports
[Obesity and Heart Disease, 2010] that approximately 17% of children
ages 2 through 19 are overweight. This percentage has more than doubled
in the last 30 years! Diabetes – an obesity-induced condition – which used
to be rare in children, comprises up to 45% of childhood illnesses.
What these childhood obesity statistics indicate is that an obese child will
likely become an obese adult.
Once you become an obese adult, age 20 and older, you’ve already
become a statistic in today’s American obesity epidemic. According to
the American Heart Association’s 2012 statistics, 151.1 million American
adults - 78 million men and 73.1 million women – are overweight or
obese! Changing the image of what a healthy baby looks like might help
all of us become heart-healthier adults.
For men, obesity can have deadly consequences. You may know the
stories of comedians John Candy, or Chris Farley, who literally dropped
dead of sudden heart attacks. This is an all too common scenario for very
overweight men – even those who do not have any other risk factors for
heart disease like type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, or arteriosclerosis.
The truth is, obese men have a 60% greater risk of dropping dead from a
fatal heart attack than non-obese middle-aged men who may have other
risk factors.
This killer is not exclusive to men. Heart disease is also the #1 killer in
women! And it’s not just postmenopausal women either. Sudden heart
attack is now increasing in women in their 30s and 40s – much faster than
men of the same age!
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Comedienne Rosie O’Donnell just recently suffered one of those “out-ofthe-blue” heart attacks. Fortunately, unlike John Candy and Chris Farley,
Rosie lived to tell about her heart attack, warn other women about their
risk, and get a second chance at improving her heart health.
What do John Candy, Chris Farley and Rosie O’Donnell have in common
other than being comedians? Speaking strictly as a doctor and health
researcher, these three very different people had one bad thing in common:
too many fat cells.
Obesity can ramp up significant inflammation levels in your cardiovascular
system. The more fat cells you have, the more cytokines you have.
These cytokines circulate throughout your blood creating dangerous
inflammation and life-choking plaque in your cardiovascular system.
I explain to my patients that body fat is not just rolls of unwanted
pudge that sit on your belly, hips, thighs, and rear, making your clothes
uncomfortable. Fat cells, and their cytokines, actually make you
insulin resistant, further decreasing your body’s chance of burning fat
normally. Cytokines also produce certain other heart-critical cells called
macrophages which play a key role in the development of arterial plaque
throughout your heart’s blood vessels.
Macrophages are “pacman” type cells that are controlled by the immune
system. They get sent out to clean up debris in arterial walls. Researchers
have learned [New Culprit in Atherosclerosis, Science Daily, January
2012] that these macrophages can become clogged with a substance called
Netrin-1, which builds up into dangerous plaques. When this happens,
you become at high risk for one of the hardened plaques to break free and
cause a major blockage in blood flow. At that point your chances for a
sudden heart attack are at an all-time high.
A U.S. News and World Report [Too Fat? No More Excuses, 2007]
published data by researchers that showed fat cells to actually be
metabolically active, living tissue with just as strong hormone functions as
your thyroid and your pancreas.
Your fat cells control the amount of energy you burn by releasing certain
hormones.
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When fat cells become excessive, these hormones also become excessive
and their sheer number can throw off the brain’s normal response to them.
As a result, too much fat gets stored.
Obesity may outwardly look like just a harmless padding of fat around
your body but you really need to start thinking of it as a “toxic chemical
plant” whose sole purpose is destroying your health. Decreasing fat
cells by losing weight helps decrease the amount of cytokines, and
inflammation, as well as your heart disease risk. The following are some
helpful tips in how to prevent and/or get rid of obesity.
How To Prevent, Eliminate Obesity
1. Eat healthier
Notice I didn’t say eat less? That’s because research studies have shown
that people who eat less frequently actually have slower metabolisms that
can lead to weight gain. Eating healthier foods 5-6 times a day, in sensible
portions, can stoke your metabolic fires and keep you using/burning your
food for energy rather than storing it on your hips or around your belly.
2. Limit sugar
Eating too much refined sugar is a serious reason that obesity is rampant in
America today. Cut out refined sugar and limit natural sugars by sticking
to low-sugar fruits and vegetables. Limit alcohol as it is also metabolized
as sugar.
3. Optimal protein
Protein deficiency can contribute to obesity because the majority of
calories are coming from carbohydrates. In addition, protein fuels muscle
growth, size and strength. When muscles have optimal strength, they
keep your metabolism burning at a higher rate. When muscles shrink and
become weak, your metabolism plummets and you can start packing on fat
easily.
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Aim for a few servings of high quality protein a day – fish, grass-fed beef,
pork, or poultry. You can also get good levels of proteins in legumes like
lentils, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, etc.
4. Eat good fats
Reduicng the amount of Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats (corn oil, sunflower
seed oil, other vegetable oils) and increasing Omega-3 fats, in a better
balance between the two, can go a long way to help fight obesity. Too
much Omega-6 fats has been shown in research to fuel inflammation, the
very thing you want to avoid.
Other natural oils, like coconut, also help fight obesity as they add lauric
acid to your body. Lauric acid ups your metabolism and helps burn
more body fat. It is also an all-around immune system booster as it is
antibacterial and antiviral.
Red palm oil also contains valuable astazanthin and vitamin E, both
powerful antioxidants that help fight free radicals. Like coconut oil, red
palm oil is also used by the liver faster thereby keeping it from being
stored as body fat and contributing to plaques in your heart vessels. It is
also believed to thin out the blood thereby preventing buildup of fibrin and
blood clots.
5. Drink more water
Dehydration frequently manifests itself as hunger and fatigue. It’s your
body telling you it needs more water. Adequate water intake not only
keeps your skin and internal organs well-hydrated and working properly,
but keeps your blood from becoming too thick and at risk for blood clots.
Water also boosts your metabolism and helps you burn more calories.
Next time you’re feeling fatigued, try drinking 16 ounces of cold water
and see if it doesn’t perk you up.
6. Boost adiponectin
Adiponectin is a fat-burning, anti-inflammatory hormone that your body
manufacturers if given the correct building blocks. Higher levels of
adiponectin means lower body fat and lower insulin levels which helps
prevent type 2 diabetes. Natural ways to boost adiponectin is through:
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• Exercise
• Controlling calories
• Eating more fiber
• Adequate Omega-6’s
• Decreasing stress levels which turn on cortisol, a fat-storing/stress
hormone
• Drink a little coffee. Research shows moderate coffee drinkers
have higher adiponectin levels. Too much caffeine can raise
cortisol, though.
7. Add more fiber
Recent research shows that a type of fiber, IP-6, found in fibrous
vegetables can help keep weight lower and your heart healthier as it
latches onto heavier fats and “bad” LDL cholesterol. It then moves these
fats out of your body before they get absorbed and stored. Research shows
that Asian diets, that are full of IP-6 fiber, may be why obesity levels in
Asia are lower than Americans.
8. Exercise regularly
If you work 8 hours at a desk job, you’re metabolism has likely slowed
down. Boost metabolism by getting up every 2 hours to walk around, or
even run up stairs. After work, engage in at least 30 minutes of mixed
aerobic exercise and 10 minutes of interval training on one day, adding
weight training 3 times a week.
Now let’s move on to the third biggest risk factors for developing heart
disease…
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Lack of Exercise – Move It or Lose Your Heart!
If you’ve been mostly inactive, perhaps even overweight, you may have
high bad cholesterol and low good cholesterol. As a result, you probably
have inflammation and arterial plaque buildup in your blood vessels.
Those plaque buildups may be in danger of breaking off and causing
sudden blockage of blood flow to your heart or brain.
By the time you reach 45-50 years old your risk for developing heart
disease is fairly high. Lack of exercise is one of the reasons. As you get
older, your metabolism slows down.
If your food intake remains the same, you’re going to start gaining
undesirable fat. This fat will most commonly be belly fat – the worst kind
for your heart and other internal organs.
Unless you are involved in physical activity in your job, or get sufficient
exercise every day, the likelihood of you becoming obese is high. Yet, you
might be pleasantly surprised to learn that recent research has shown that
just 12 minutes of aerobic exercise done in intense intervals, 3-4 times a
week, can prevent/remedy obesity and dangerous belly fat.
The key, researchers say, is not how long you exercise but the intensity
of your exercise. Researchers out of McMaster University in Hamilton,
Ontario [Low-volume interval training improves muscle oxidative capacity
in sedentary adults, Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 Oct; 43(10): 1849-56],
have found that doing short bursts of interval exercise has these benefits:
• Helps you burn more fat as it raises your heart rate faster.
• Challenges your heart and teaches it how to respond to sudden
stressors.
• Improves blood sugar regulation throughout the day.
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Here’s how:
1. Interval training exercise
Interval-aerobic strengthens your heart and burns fat.
Interval training can be done using many different types of exercise – stair
climber, elliptical, treadmill, bicycle, running, jumping rope, rebounding,
sprints etc. Do 2 minute, fast, or high resistant level (set your machine at
8-10), sets, for a total of 6-10 minutes.
You also can use the fat-torching benefits of regular lower-intensity
aerobic exercise. This can be done first as a warm up for the more intense
interval exercise. Here’s how...
2. Regular aerobic exercise
Research has recently shown moderate level aerobic exercise to burn fat
at a higher rate than weight training. However, it must be done at the level
that keeps your heart rate in the “fat burning” zone which is slower/longer,
less intense aerobic exercise.
Figure your fat burning zone rate by subtracting your age from 220 (226
for women). Then, from either the warm up or fat burning training zone
tables below, take your heart rate number and multiply it by the zone
number. For example:
If you are a 50-year-old male, you would subtract 50 from 220 which
gives you 170.
Now, you want to know your zone number for fat burning. From the fat
burning zone table below, you find that 60%-70% of your maximum heart
rate is your aim. So, 170 x 60% is 102; 170 x 70% is 119. You can aim for
either the 60% number, 102, or the 70% number, 119, or do an average of
the two which would be 110.5 rounded to next highest number of 111.
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HIGH FAT BURNING TRAINING ZONES
Warm up: 50%-60% of maximum heart rate: Best zone for people just
beginning to exercise seriously. It can also be used as a warm up for
more advanced exercisers.
This zone helps decrease body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol. It also
decreases the risk of degenerative diseases and has a low risk of injury.
85% of calories burned are fats! Do for 20-30 minutes at a time before
doing intervals.
Fat Burning: 60%-70% of maximum heart rate: This zone provides the
same benefits as the Warm Up zone, but is more intense and burns more
total calories.
The percent of fat calories is still 85%. Do for 20-30 minutes before doing
intervals.
Source: Your Target Heart Rate, http://www.thewalkingsite.com/thr.html
3. Weight training
Even though aerobic exercise burns more fat than weight training, it is
still necessary to keep muscles from weakening with age. Denser, stronger
muscle keeps your metabolism burning more calories.
Weight training can be done with resistance bands or by lifting free
weights in the gym (or your home), or using weight machines at a gym.
These should be done in 10-12 repetitions, 3 sets, for each muscle group
worked, 3 times a week. If you attend a gym, there are trainers available
to show you how to do the free weights and/or the weight machines.
Resistance bands programs on DVD can be bought at many department
stores that carry sporting goods.
Now, let’s look at another major factor in developing heart disease – your
diet!
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Diet – Are You Feeding A Killer?
Researchers published in the Journal of the American College of
Cardiology [The effects of diet: emphasis on metabolic syndrome,
Giugliano, Ceriello, Esposito, August 2005], concluded that the typical
Western diet (what most Americans eat daily) has a bad effect on your
health. It seems to actually activate your immune system in a sort of
defense response against the inflammation that this diet creates.
For that reason, when I address a heart healthy diet with my patients, I
combine 3 heart risk factors into one category – cholesterol, hypertension,
and diabetes – as they all stem from a poor diet. In addition, they can all
contribute to creating inflammation and dangerous blood vessel plaque
buildup. Let me explain how…
If your diet is high in animal fats, salt, and refined sugars, and you’re just
eating more calories than your body uses every day, you’re going to gain
unwanted fat (cytokines). You’re going to develop dangerous inflammation
and, ultimately, your cardiovascular system is going to suffer.
The worst offenders are:
Sugar/Type 2 Diabetes
High refined sugar diets can lead to obesity which fuels type 2 diabetes
and its corresponding complication, heart disease. The American Heart
Association reports that 57 million Americans have pre-diabetes, or
metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance), and another 20 million have fullblown diabetes. Why? When you eat too much refined sugar, your insulin
levels go up causing you to store fat around your belly and internal organs.
Not exercising enough makes matters worse.
Diets high in refined sugars create a highly acidic environment that
results in a pH imbalance throughout the body. Too high acid ignites
inflammation. Inflammation then begins to degrade vascular, as well as
other tissues and feeds disease.
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A USDA report, cited on Organic Wellness’s website, states Americans eat
between 100-180 lbs of sugar a year. Some comes from the sugar that you
add to foods, but most comes from the processed foods and soft drinks that
have become so prevalent in the American diet.
When you eat too much refined sugar, your pancreas sends out a flood of
insulin to process it. In turn your body begins to secrete a stress hormone
– cortisol. Your immune system responds to all that sugar as if it’s being
attacked by a virus, bacteria, or toxin, and mounts a counterattack, creating
inflammation.
Saturated Fat/Cholesterol
High saturated fat foods, too much polyunsaturated Omega-6 “salad
dressing” oils and trans-fats all contribute to inflammation. If you’ve been
eating too much polyunsaturated Omega-6 oils, you’re really not to blame.
Beginning around the early 1980’s, television and magazine ads were full
of the wrong information about these, and other, fats.
Back then, low-saturated fat diets were touted as the correct way to eat.
Except that these low saturated fat diets also omitted the “good” Omega-3
fats found in fatty fish, nuts, avocados, olive oil, flax seeds.
In addition, people were told to switch to Omega-6 polyunsaturated
vegetable oils (soybean, corn, sunflower) to cook with and use in salads.
These oils are also used in processed, packaged foods to help preserve
long shelf life. Later research, however, showed that too much Omega-6
type oils actually did more harm to your heart and arteries than good.
They began to outbalance beneficial Omega-3 oils and were found to
fuel inflammation. Omega-3 fats, on the other hand, not only prevented
inflammation from developing but decreased what was already present.
At that time, hydrogenated vegetable oils, or “trans-fats”, were used
almost exclusively in margarine that people ate every day on toast,
vegetables, popcorn, you name it. Today, thankfully, most of these transfats have been removed from foods, but you must read labels to be certain.
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Salt/High Blood Pressure/Hypertension
High blood pressure can be caused by a number of things. Simply put
though, the American “Western Diet” contains too much salt. You may
be adding table salt to foods as well, but there can also be some hidden
sources of salt in your diet you may not be aware of:
• Processed, packaged, canned (especially soups), all can contain a
lot of salt.
• Soft drinks containing sodium bicarbonate, along with caffeine,
can cause blood pressure to skyrocket.
In addition, high blood pressure also gets created along with high
cholesterol levels. Arteries narrowed from cholesterol plaques have to
work harder to squeeze blood through them, thereby driving up blood
pressures.
What Does a Heart Healthy Diet Look Like Anyway?
I’m glad you asked that question. It’s really not as complicated as you
might think, and basically just hinges on common sense. As I noted in the
OBESITY section, there are several things you can do to prevent/remedy
obesity. Basically, these same rules hold for preventing/improving heart
disease as well. Here I’ll go into a little more detail about what exactly you
should be eating.
Optimal, healthy nutrition
Heart healthy nutrition comes from a variety of the basic food groups,
but more so from the fruits and vegetable groups. These have the most
vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients that your entire body
needs to stay healthy. They are very low in fat and, most, are low in sugar
as well. Next, proteins, and good fats are necessary to maintain muscle
health (remember, your heart is a muscle – don’t starve it!) and decrease
inflammation. Good, low glycemic carbohydrates help sustain stable blood
sugar levels and provide energy.
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Fruit
If you need to lose body fat, limit your fruit to 2 servings of low sugar
varieties (like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries).
Remember, one serving is about 4 ounces. After normalizing your weight,
you can include any fruit you would like, up to 4 servings a day.
Vegetables
Again, if you need to lose fat, eat more low sugar vegetables (read labels)
from 5-6 servings a day. Limit, or omit until your weight is within range,
high starchy vegetables like white potatoes and corn. After your weight is
normal, you can include potatoes and corn but do so in limited amounts as
they are metabolized faster than sugar in your body and can wreak havoc
with spiking insulin levels and packing fat back on.
Proteins
Foods like fish, poultry, lean grass-fed beef (even bison!), are good protein
sources. Legumes, which generally have 0 sugar grams in them, also do
double-duty as both a protein and a carbohydrate food. Hard cheeses can
count as a protein, as they have no sugar in them. Aim for 2-3 servings of
6-8 ounces per day of fish, beef, or poultry and 1-2, ¼ cup serving of hard
cheeses.
Good Omega-3 Fats
2-3 servings of extra virgin olive oil, fish oil, walnut oil, or flax seed
oil. Researchers say a good ratio of Omega-6 fats (corn oil, safflower,
sunflower oil, cottonseed, peanut) to Omega-3’s are anywhere from 4:1
to 1:1. Yet, I feel the best ratio is an even balance between the two at 1:1
ratio – for every tablespoon of Omega-6 oil you use, use 1 tablespoon
of Omega-3. You may also get these fats from eating salmon, tuna and
mackerel or supplement with fish or krill oil supplements at 1-2,000 mg a
day.
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Mixed nuts also fall into the “good fats” category. Aim for ¼ cup per day
of unsalted mixed nuts (no/low peanuts) containing almonds, walnuts,
macadamias, Brazil nuts, and pecans, which are also high in Vitamin E.
Carbohydrates
These should be in the form of low-glycemic index foods like wheat,
quinoa, amaranth, barley, brown rice, and rolled oats. Aim for 2-3 servings
per day. Pair with a protein to prevent insulin spikes and keep blood sugar
levels stable. Dairy (cow’s milk) can also be considered a carbohydrate
because it contains lactose – a sugar. 8 ounces of cow’s milk contains
about 11 grams of sugar which is pretty high for one food item. Try to
switch to unsweetened almond or soymilk and add your own natural
sweetener, Stevia. 8 ounces of almond milk contains more calcium than
cow’s milk, 40 calories, 2 carbs, 0 sugar, and more than 50% of natural,
very heart healthy Vitamin E.
Now, let’s look at another critical factor in whether you will develop heart
disease or not – how you live your life!
Lifestyle – Is How You Live Your Life Killing Your Heart?
I have several patients who have normal weight, are nonsmokers, exercise
frequently, and yet are still at risk for heart disease because of their
lifestyle. What they do in their lives, on a daily basis, the people they
interact with, drugs and/or medications they take, can literally be setting
them up for a sudden heart attack and they don’t realize it. Let’s look at
the lifestyle factors for developing heart disease, which can include stress,
alcohol, genetics, and medications/drugs.
Let’s start with stress – one of the most common factors in creating heart
disease.
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Stress
Stress can come from many places – finances, jobs, personal relationships,
etc. Stress creates biochemical responses in your body that help maintain
a perfect living environment for the hidden killer, inflammation, to flourish
in. Research has shown that psychological stress is associated most often
with the top 3 diseases – heart disease, diabetes and cancer – because of
the ability of stress to promote inflammation by dampening your immune
system.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University report [Chronic stress and
disease, Cohen, Janicki-Deverts, et al, PNAS, April 2, 2012 DOI:] that
chronic stress weakens the body’s natural ability to fight inflammation.
Eventually, if stress is not alleviated, inflammation can take over and
create serious health problems throughout the entire body.
Stress, in general, helps create and worsen all the other risk factors for
developing heart disease, as well as other serious diseases. Here’s how:
• Stress creates a chronic onslaught of hormones like adrenalin, the
“fight or flight” hormone. Your adrenal glands eventually become
fatigued and worn out from the chronic pump of adrenaline.
• Chronic stress makes your body think it is under chronic attack.
As I explained earlier, your immune system goes into a defense
mode. It begins to chronically release another stress hormone,
cortisol, as a defense mechanism.
• Chronically elevated cortisol levels cause you to become insulin
resistant and store too much fat, especially around your belly, and
have chronically elevated blood sugar levels. This sets you up for
developing type 2 diabetes.
• Stress shortens and degrades your telomeres. Telomeres are a little
protective cap at each end of your chromosomal DNA. Each time
telomeres shorten, your DNA becomes less able to reproduce a
healthy copy. Your body starts to age and disease of aging – heart
disease and cancer can set in.
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Alcohol
This lifestyle factor may confuse some people as recent research has
shown that 1-2 glasses of red wine, or dark beer, a day may actually be
beneficial to your heart. In addition, research has shown that it may lower
your risk for type 2 diabetes, and protect you from breast and prostate
cancer. The key with alcohol intake is moderation. The reasoning “if a
little is good, more is better” does not work with alcohol.
After a few glasses of wine, or bottles of beer, or a couple of shots of
liquor, too much alcohol consumption has the same effect on your body as
too much refined sugar. It elevates the acid/pH imbalance and, again, fuels
inflammation. Why? Alcohol is metabolized as sugar in your body. Like
refined sugar, a cookie or piece of cake here and there is okay, but a steady
daily diet of cookies and cake (and alcohol) can wreak serious health
hazards.
Genetics
The simple truth of genetics is that if your parents and/or family members
had heart disease, high cholesterol, history of heart attack/stroke, you are
at high risk for it as well. As such, this is information you need to share
with your doctor as it gives your doctor a clue as to what to look for in
your heart health.
In fact, you should also share yours, and your relatives, health information
with all family members as risk factors usually crop up in many people in
a family. The National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute (NHLBI) recommends
that if a family has a pattern of early heart attacks, or heart disease, (before
age 55 for men and age 65 for women), a child in that family should have
his or her cholesterol checked between the ages of 2 and 8. In addition, the
new NHLBI/AAP guidelines recommend that all children be screened for
high cholesterol between ages 9 and 11.
Medications/Substances
Recent research has shown that many common medications can put you
at higher risk for a sudden heart attack. In fact, up to 15,000 deaths in
the United States have been attributed to medications and/or drug-like
substances.
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They can contain ingredients that interfere with the normal electrical
activity in the heart that controls heartbeat. This can cause life threatening
heartbeat disruptions. The risks are higher in women and elderly people.
Here are some medications and substances shown in research to possibly
cause sudden heart attack and/or contribute to coronary artery disease.
Foxglove herb: The drug digitalis, which is used to regulate heart
rhythms, is made from this herb. Yet, sudden cardiac deaths have been
attributed to ingesting this herb in tea form.
Nitrates: These are drugs prescribed to treat angina pain. Long-term
regular use may double your risk of a heart attack.
Cocaine and Amphetamines: Causes elevated heart rates that can send
the heart vessels into spasm.
Antibiotics: Taken for infections for a limited period of time, antibiotics
can be helpful. Prolonged use of antibiotics, however, can put you at
risk for heart problems. Two antibiotics most often associated with this
problem are erythromycin and clarithromycin.
Gastrointestinal drugs: Domperidone-containing drugs like Motillium,
et al, had been cited as a “small risk” of causing ventricular arrhythmia
(erratic heartbeat) problems in people older than age 60 and/or taking
more than 30 mg a day.
Anti-psychotic drugs: Chlorpromazine, haloperidol, and pimozide have
been cited as causing possible heart problems.
Now you have the several most important risk factors that I feel contribute
to the development of coronary artery disease and/or a sudden heart
attack. My hope is that The 30-Day Heart Cure, along with the steps
I’ve outlined above will help you improve your existing heart disease and/
or prevent you or someone you love from ever experiencing a sudden heart
attack.
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Appendix
Lab Tests For Heart Disease
In Chapter Two, I mentioned that I do a series of tests to determine your
level of heart disease and risk for having a sudden heart attack. For those
of you who may be interested in the details of what these tests reveal
and how they are done, I’ve compiled the following comprehensive
information just for you. You’ll also learn what are considered normal
levels and the kind of treatment that’s typically offered based on the
results.
Heart Disease Risk Factor Tests --------------------------------------Current research reveals that it’s really inflammation that opens the
door for life-threatening cardiac events like sudden heart attack. It’s
inflammation that damages your arterial walls and creates conditions that
causes cholesterol to become trapped and start sticking to your arterial
walls in dangerous plaques.
In fact, inflammation wreaks havoc throughout your entire body – not just
your cardiovascular system. As unbelievable as it sounds, it’s possible to
not even know that you have inflammation lurking around silently causing
all that damage.
However, I briefly mentioned a groundbreaking test – the MPO – that is
coming into use more and more nationally. The MPO (see more about it
at #3 below) is a marker for dangerous inflammation specific to your heart
and its blood vessels. It’s becoming one of the more popular tools to alert
you, and your doctor, to what your inflammation levels are.
It can help your doctor assess your risk for developing a sudden, perhaps
fatal heart attack, from the rupture of arterial plaque.
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57
The MPO, as well as the other cardiac marker tests listed below, can
give you a beneficial heads-up alert that allows you some time to work
on cooling down inflammation, and decreasing “bad” LDL cholesterol,
through a combination of diet, exercise, supplements, and using The
30-Day Heart Cure. Shutting off inflammation, as well as getting rid
of toxins and metal buildups, can help prevent arterial plaques from
rupturing, perhaps catastrophically so.
Cardiac Blood Labs -------------------------------------When you see your internal medicine doctor, or a cardiologist, for
assessment of possible heart disease-related symptoms, or just an annual
check-up, they will likely order certain simple blood tests to be done.
They may include:
1. CRP-HS – C-reactive protein high sensitivity. This is the original,
standard test to measure inflammation. It is still commonly in use yet
it is not completely specific to the cardiovascular system. It is only a
general marker for inflammation somewhere in your body. Yet, having
inflammation from any other condition in your body, like arthritis, or
psoriasis even, can mean that you may develop inflammation in your
cardiovascular system as well.
2. Homocysteine – This is a test that measures a specific protein –
homocysteine – in your blood. High homocysteine results from too high
iron levels in blood and can damage the lining of arterial walls.
It can mean that you’re prone to developing dangerous blood clots and
arterial plaques that could cause a heart attack. Diets low in folic acid – a
B vitamin – and too high in iron, can cause elevated homocysteine levels.
Folic acid normalizes homocysteine levels.
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3. MPO – myeloperoxidase. Measures the level of a chemical in your
blood called myeloperoxidase. This is a caustic, free radical substance that
creates high inflammation in the cardiovascular system. It damages arterial
walls and causes fatty cholesterol to attach itself that go on to calcify, or
harden, into stony plaques.
4. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) – Measures the level of another inflammatory
substance in your blood – those cytokines I told you about in Chapter One.
IL-6 is secreted by your immune system in response to trauma or chronic
tissue damage like that which occurs to arterial walls.
According to a PubMed study [The interleukin-6 receptor as a target
for prevention of coronary heart disease: a mendelian randomisation
analysis, Lancet 2012 Mar 31; 379(9822): 1214-24. doi: 10.1016/S01406736 (12) 60110-X. Epub 2012 Mar 14], high IL-6 levels are associated
with increased risk of coronary artery disease. There are a number of
conditions that can cause highly inflammatory cytokines to form including
obesity, high blood sugar levels, and autoimmune conditions like arthritis,
psoriasis, etc.
5. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a) – Mayo Clinic researchers
[Circulation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN] characterize TNF as yet
another “pro-inflammatory cytokine that is a significant mortality (death)
predictor” in patients with cardiomyopathy and cardiovascular disease.
6. Cholesterol studies – These are a series of blood labs which assess
many facets of your cholesterol levels and your risk for arterial plaque.
The most comprehensive is the VAP (vertical auto profile) developed in
2007 by a company called Atherotech in Birmingham, Alabama. The VAP
is a series of very sensitive, cardiac specific tests.
The cholesterol portion of the VAP includes the following tests:
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59
a. LDL (bad cholesterol) levels which should be less than 130 mg/
dL
b. Lp (a), which is more atherogenic (capable of causing hard,
plaque formations) than LDL and should be under 10 mg/dL.
c. IDL, which is also more atherogenic than LDL, and should be
less than 20.
d. HDL (good cholesterol) should be greater than 40 mg/dL.
e. VLDL1+2 (very low density lipoprotein) should be less than 20.
f. VLDL3 should be less than 10.
g. Triglycerides, which should be less than 150.
If LDL cholesterol is too high, HDL cholesterol too low, and Lp (a),
IDL, or triglycerides are too high, you would likely be at higher risk for
developing dangerous, unstable plaques. This is especially true if your
inflammation markers (CRP, homocysteine, MPO) are also elevated.
7. Other plaque-revealing tests – Another portion of the VAP includes
additional plaque/risk assessments. These are Lplac2, the apolipoproteins
B, A1, as well as the apolipprotein B/A1 ratio. These tests indicate the sum
of artery hardening particles in your blood. The lower your apolipoprotein
B/A1 ratio is (should be lower than 0.75), the lower your risk for
developing dangerous, unstable arterial plaques.
8. D-dimer – This test is also commonly done to rule out the possibility of
a blood clot when patients come in with symptoms of recurrent chest and
leg pain and shortness of breath. It reveals your blood’s clotting potential.
High fibrin D-dimer levels result in thick blood, which is more prone to
clot. Chronic inflammation in the vascular system leads to more fibrin/
blood thickening. Blood doesn’t flow freely, blood fats harden, and clots
can form into blockages.
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9. Vitamin B12 – Often, a B12 test will be run to rule out deficiency.
After the age of 30, most people lose the capacity to absorb Vitamin B12
properly through their large intestine and become deficient in it. Some
researchers believe that low B12 levels may be one of the contributing
factors to developing too high cholesterol. Vitamin B12 is believed to
decrease cholesterol levels and triglycerides especially when taken with
fish oils [Vitamin B12 – Evidence, High Cholesterol, MayoClinic.com].
Cardiac Imaging Studies
If your visit to your doctor includes complaints of chest pain, and/or
shortness of breath, or other possible cardiac-origin symptoms, your
doctor may also want to do specific imaging studies to look for arterial
plaque blockages. These include:
1. Cardiac CT (computer tomography) scan – A painless test that
involves using an x-ray machine to take detailed pictures of your heart.
You lie on a table and the scanner moves around your body in a circle.
You may also be injected with a contrast dye to highlight veins and
arteries. The scan can identify plaque buildup/blockages which may be
causing your symptoms.
2. Coronary calcium scan – This is a variation of the cardiac CT
scan and primarily looks at the buildup of calcium in coronary arteries.
Calcium buildup is often an early marker for coronary artery disease.
3. Arteriogram/angiogram – Both these tests highlight the arteries
(arteriogram) and veins (angiogram) of the coronary system to look for
plaque buildup and possible blockages. A small tube is inserted into the
main artery of the thigh, the femoral artery, around the groin region. This
tube is threaded up the femoral artery into the heart using an x-ray to guide
the doctor. A radiopaque contrast media dye is then injected through this
tube. This dye is absorbed in the porous plaque areas. When doctors read
your scan, areas with plaque buildup, or blockage, show up on the scan as
brightly lit up areas.
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61
4. Cardiac MRI – Magnetic resonance imaging of the heart is sometimes
done, like the CT scan, to look for plaque buildups and blockages. The
cardiac MRI can give a higher resolution, more detailed 3-D picture than a
chest x-ray or CT scan.
Treatment Options Based on Your Test Results
After testing results are in, you and your doctor now know what your risks
may be for developing unstable plaque that can break off and block blood
flow to your heart. In traditional medicine, here’s what your treatment
options are likely to be:
1. Conservative measures. This is a “watch” and “wait” approach when
heart attack risk levels are low, but still needing intervention to prevent
worsening. If your cholesterol and triglyceride levels are not within range,
yet your CRP-HS and MPO, and other plaque indicators are normal,
or only slightly out of range, conservative measures are generally the
preferred treatment. These conservative measures may prevent you from
further developing dangerous heart disease:
• Diet and lifestyle changes to lower cholesterol and inflammation
levels
• Reduce risk factors like smoking, high blood sugar levels, alcohol
intake, exposure to toxins, etc.
• Instituting a heart-healthy diet and adding Omega-3 fish oils.
Ensuring adequate folic acid intake (see more about these
measures in Chapter Three)
• Regular exercise (see more in Chapter Three)
• Avoiding psychological stressors
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2. Pharmacotherapy. This includes prescription drugs commonly called
“statins” which are aimed at lowering cholesterol. Many of them also have
an added anti-inflammatory effect as well. Yet they can have undesirable
side-effects, including:
• Low Co-Q10 levels. Statins can dangerously lower Co-Q10 levels
which can affect heart muscle strength.
• Muscle damage. A condition called rhabdomyolysis can occur
which causes severe all-over muscle pain and damage.
• Kidney or liver damage. Statins increase the liver’s enzymes to
digest foods, drugs, alcohol, etc. Chronically elevated enzyme
levels can lead to liver and kidney damage.
• Digestive problems. Nausea, diarrhea, constipation can occur.
• Skin rashes or flushing effect. This is usually due to the
inclusion of niacin, a B vitamin, either combined with the statin
drug itself, or taken separately.
• Neurological disorders. Memory loss, or possibly AML
(amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease) have
recently been associated with statin usage.
• Elevated blood sugar levels. Chronic statin use may lead to
diabetes. The FDA has issued warnings on statin labels about this
side effect.
3. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). If you have arterial
blockages severe enough to be causing blocked blood flow, pain, shortness
of breath, etc., your doctor may recommend this procedure. It often is
done urgently, as a life-saving technique.
CABG involves removing the bad, plaque-blocked segment of artery and
placing a patch to graft the two sides back together. A stent is often placed
within the CABG segment to make sure the graft heals without obstruction
to blood flow. CABG procedures today are mostly successful but they can
have important risks and side effects including:
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63
The graft and stents can fail/collapse, necessitating urgent re-do of the
bypass graft.
• Infection in the graft or donor site can occur.
• Illnesses like pneumonia and life-threatening, antibiotic resistant
bacterial infections can develop while in the hospital recovering
from the surgery.
• Your life and activity level is on hold for several months. You
must take it very easy for several months following surgery in
order for the graft to heal properly.
4. Balloon angioplasty. If significant blockage, or narrowing of the
artery, is found a balloon angioplasty is often done immediately. The
balloon opens up the artery and a stent is placed to keep the artery open.
This allows blood to flow again without obstruction. Like CABG, this
procedure can prevent a full blown, fatal, heart attack from happening.
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Glossary of terms
Acupuncture/acupressure – ancient Chinese system of applying pressure
or stimulation to certain energy meridians in the body.
Aneurysms – weakened, outpouchings of arterial walls that can burst
suddenly.
Angiogram – a test where dye is injected to show blockages in cardiac
vessels.
Arterial plaque – hardened pieces of fatty LDL cholesterol, calcium and
other minerals, and/or blood toxins that can adhere to arterial walls.
Astazanthin – a powerful antioxidant from the carotenied (Vitamin A)
family of vitamins. Helps fight free radicals, boost healthy vision and the
immune system.
Bioelectric charge – the natural electric impulse that human cells share.
Blood protein markers – in cardiovascular disease, these are C-reactive
protein and homocysteine. They can affect the degree of heart disease that
you have and what risk you are for a sudden heart attack.
Calcified plaque – plaque that has hardened into a stony-like substance.
Cardiovascular – pertaining to the blood vessel system of the heart,
including arteries and veins.
Chelation – a process of one substance attracting another (metals, toxins,
minerals, debris) and holding onto them to move them out of the body
through natural elimination.
Cholesterol – fatty acids that float through the blood stream.
Cortisol – a hormone that gets released during stress. Causes blood
pressures, and blood sugars, to rise.
C-reactive protein (CRP) – a test that measures the amount of
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65
homocysteine in the blood.
Cytokines – proteins formed from fat cells.
Detoxify – to cleanse the body of toxins.
Electrolytes – a combination of minerals that control the natural “firing”
of the heart’s electrical system that keeps the heart beating correctly.
Endorphins – hormones that are produced through certain stimuli
(exercise, food, alcohol, drugs) that create feelings of happiness and
contentment.
Environmental toxins – poisons arising from substances in the general
environment (air pollution, unclean water) or your own personal living
environment (chemicals, smoking, weed killer, dental fillings etc). These
can contribute to inflammatory cardiovascular disease.
Fluid retention – the holding of fluids within tissues. Commonly, fluid
retention is seen in calves and ankles when cardiovascular disease is
present.
Hemoglobin A1c – blood test for averaging glucose levels over 90 days.
Can identify if someone is predisposed to prediabetes and/or is insulin
resistant.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) – type of cholesterol that is a more
protective, buoyant fatty acid, it floats through the blood in larger molecules
that protect the arterial walls from LDL sticking to them.
Homeostasis – the natural state of balance in living organisms.
Homocysteine – a type of protein derived from iron that can cause serious
inflammation in vascular walls if levels get too high.
Insulin resistant – the inability to use the hormone, insulin, efficiently –
resulting in too high blood sugar levels. Part of metabolic syndrome.
Interval training exercise – short bursts of intense intervals of exercise
thought to strengthen the heart better.
IP-6 fiber – short for inositol hexaphosphate, a dense fiber found in rice
bran and legumes (beans, peas).
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66
L-methionine, L-cysteine – necessary proteins that also chelate (attract
to) metals (like cadmium, arsenic, lead and mercury). L-methionine also
gets rid of heavy blood fats before they solidify into early arterial plaques.
These proteins are also highly noninflammatory.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) – a nonprotective type of cholesterol that
is of smaller molecular size and can stick to arterial walls.
Low glycemic index – foods that do not cause the blood sugar to rise too
quickly or cause the pancreas to release too much insulin at one time.
Macrophages – large “eating” cells produced by the immune system.
Their job is to go out into the body and eat up cellular debris.
Metabolic syndrome – a cluster of conditions – insulin resistance,
overweight, high cholesterol – that can lead to heart disease.
Methicillin-resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA) – a classification of bacteria
that can develop from skin wounds. Often acquired in hospitals or clinics
where intravenous access is required.
Myeloperoxidase (MPO) study – measures the amount of
myeloperoxidase – a caustic, high inflammatory substance that can cause
arterial plaque to become unstable.
Oral chelation – taking chelation products in pill, or liquid form, by mouth
versus receiving them through an intravenous method.
PAH – polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – These are highly
inflammatory toxins that come from meat cooked at very high heat, such as
barbecue or grilled.
Statins – A class of medications used by doctors to reduce LDL cholesterol
and/or inflammation in patients.
Stents – devices inserted into blood vessels to keep them open and blood
flowing freely.
Sub-risk factors – a set of criteria that are secondarily causative to a
main risk factor. Ex: Smoking is a sub-risk factor to the main risk factor of
inflammation. It causes inflammation.
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67
Triglycerides – also known as “ugly” cholesterol, these are fat-dense
globules that float through the blood stream. They can buildup in plaques
that then harden on arterial walls.
Trimethylglycine – a beneficial acid found in beets and other root
vegetables that decreases dangerous LDL cholesterol fatty acids in the liver.
Valerian – a natural, homeopathic tranquilizer from which the prescription
drug Valium is also made. Taken in drops or tablets.
Vulnerable plaque – type of arterial plaque that is more prone to breaking
off and causing heart attack.
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
69
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Vitamin Deficiency Linked to Stroke and Plaque Buildup in Carotid
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cfm
What Are The Benefits of Quitting Smoking? http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
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What is a Cardiac CT scan? http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/
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The 30-Day Heart Cure
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What Is Interleukin-6? http://www.news-medical.net/health/Interleukin-6What-is-Interleukin-6.aspx
Why You May Need to Exercise Less, http://chriskresser.com/why-youmay-need-to-exercise-less
World Renowned Heart Surgeon Speaks out on What Really Causes Heart
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The 30-Day Heart Cure