HealthBeat News

Category: Heart and Circulation

  • Ubiquinone, Ubiquinol, CoQ10: What’s Real, What’s Not.

    CoQ10 – Fact, Fiction, Hype, And Hocus-Pocus.

     

    By Nurse Mark

     

    I was speaking with a regular HealthBeat reader and WellnessClub member the other day, and she asked if I had seen an emailed article recently sent out by a group called “Off The Grid News” that purported to describe “A Dirty Secret About CoQ10.” She was understandably concerned about some of the claims and assertions made in the article. While I am familiar with the blog, having followed their often very good writings for several years, I had not seen this most recent post – but I promised I would look into it.

    I didn’t have to look hard to find the email she referred to – and some things about it jumped out at me immediately.

    First, it was not an article by Off The Grid News. In smaller print above the big, bold headline proclaiming status as a “Special Report” was this disclaimer: “Off The Grid News occasionally sends emails like this one to introduce major advertisers to our loyal readers and valued customers.”

    So, this isn’t a true “news” article, it is a paid advertisement by a “major advertiser” – a company wanting to sell you something.

    The advertisement, known in the ad industry as a “long-copy sales piece,” contains plenty of impressive-sounding information. Unfortunately, much of it falls into the half-truth and hype categories. There is however enough truth mixed in to make everything seem quite plausible and believable. It was well-written sales copy!

    The ad starts by proclaiming that most doctors are unaware of the effects of CoQ10 deficiency (that may be so, though research into CoQ10 has been ongoing since it’s discovery over 50 years ago) and that Big Pharma is actively suppressing research on it.

    Now, Big Pharma may be doing many bad things, but suppressing research on CoQ10 is not one of them.

    In fact, when the first statin drugs were being tested in the 1980’s the pharmaceutical companies recognized that these drugs depleted CoQ10 levels, and combination drug that would combine a statin with CoQ10 was considered. This were turned down by the FDA and has not been offered since then because doing so now would be to admit there is a problem with statin drugs.

    There are plenty of major studies both published and ongoing into the use and benefit of CoQ10 – and Big Pharma is actually involved in some of them. Big Pharma would love to figure out a new way to synthesize the stuff!

    The ad goes on to say that CoQ10 “fuels your heart.” This one falls into the “half-truth” category. CoQ10 is involved in the metabolism and energy production of every cell in your body – that’s true. But it is not a “fuel” – it is a necessary player in the complex cellular process that allows your cells to use their fuel – which is either glucose or ketones.

    The ad goes on to make much about “natural” versus “synthetic” CoQ10, telling us that we must use only the “trans-form” of CoQ10, and also that we must ensure that it was made using “yeast fermentation” because this is “the most effective form.”

    This, again, is in the “mostly, partly true” category.

    The ad then goes on to tell us why their brand of CoQ10 is the best because it meets all these requirements, is used by folks just like you (just read the testimonials!), is guaranteed to be wonderful, is really, really affordable, and it will make you feel younger and healthier than ever before.

    Well, here is a very brief summary of what you need to know about CoQ10 so you can make an informed decision when you are shopping:

    • CoQ10 was discovered in 1957. It is also known as “Ubiquinone.”
    • In the mid 1970’s, a Japanese chemical company perfected industrial fermentation technology to produce pure CoQ10 in commercial quantities. This is known now as the “yeast fermentation” process and produces “trans,” or “natural” CoQ10.
    • Until recently, almost all available CoQ10 was produced by this one Japanese company. There is now a manufacturing plant in the USA producing CoQ10 – it belongs to this same Japanese company, the Kaneka Corp.
    • Japanese industrial giants Nissin, Asahi and Mitsubishi are also known to produce commercial quantities of high-quality CoQ10.
    • The “reduced” form of Ubiquinone is called “Ubiquinol.” The body converts these substances back and forth in a cyclic manner as they each perform their specific functions in cellular metabolism.
    • The CoQ10 form Ubiquinol tends to be unstable. Recent advances have allowed a more stable form of Ubiquinol to be made available and it is being marketed heavily as being “New” and “More Bio-Absorbable.”
    • There is another form of CoQ10 that is produced from tobacco stems and potato leaves and is considered to be the “cis” form. It is known as “solanesol” and is widely produced as an alternative to “yeast fermentation” CoQ10 by manufacturers in Korea and China. It is cheaper but less effective and absorbable.
    • There is also a fully synthetic analog of CoQ10 called “Idebenone” that is produced by a Swiss pharmaceutical company and marketed under the drug names Catena and Sovrima.
    • Other research advances are promising us “more bio-available” forms of CoQ10, including water-soluble and “nano” forms – but for now much of this is marketing hype and wishful thinking.

    The chemical giant Kaneka Corp. makes much of the high quality CoQ10 available today, in both the Ubiquinone and Ubiquinol forms. They have chemical factories in both Japan and Texas. They do not sell their CoQ10 directly to consumers – they sell to other supplement manufacturers who use it to formulate their own products.

    Kaneka allows users of it’s CoQ10 to boast about this ingredient, taking advantage of Kaneka’s marketing and advertising efforts, by letting them use the trade mark “KanekaQ10™” on formulations which contain it. However, Kaneka does not require this branding, and some supplement manufacturers prefer not to disclose the source of their ingredients. If you see the trade mark “KanekaQ10™” on a product you can be sure that there is at least some of it present (but no guarantee how much…) – but if the trade mark is not there, the product may still contain either “KanekaQ10™” or a good quality CoQ10 from one of the other big manufacturers (Nissin, Asahi or Mitsubishi).

    So, how can you know what you are getting, quality-wise? Price.

    In the world of CoQ10, price, not promises, is still what determines quality.

    The Japanese chemical giants tightly control pricing for CoQ10 – and even though retail prices have come down slightly since Kaneka Corp began manufacturing this substance in Texas, they have a very tight cartel in place to control wholesale pricing just as OPEC does with crude oil.

    If you find CoQ10 supplements being sold at unusually cheap prices there will be a good reason – quality. The product may contain Chinese or Korean (or other) semi-synthetic CoQ10, or the amount of CoQ10 contained may not be what is on the label.  Some unscrupulous manufacturers may use the trade mark “KanekaQ10™” on their formulations but actually put only a tiny amount in the product, making up the difference with another, cheaper form of CoQ10.

    Beware also of couple of other common ploys: one promises novel new delivery systems or “improved bio-availability” that allows smaller amounts of CoQ10 to be “just as effective” as larger doses, and the other is to use nasty fillers, colorings, dyes, oils, preservatives and impurities in the creation of the product in order to keep costs as low as possible and profits high.

    Is “Made in USA” a guarantee of quality? Maybe, maybe not.

    We know that there is one chemical factory in Texas that makes CoQ10 – it is the very same company that makes the very same CoQ10 in Japan. If “Made In USA” means that the product is in fact made here of all US materials then this probably means quality is good. But a product made here with CoQ10 produced in Japan is likely to be equally good quality.

    On the other hand, product “Made in USA” with CoQ10 and other materials from somewhere like China or Korea must be looked at with suspicion. How will you know? Again, price.

    More CoQ10 “Hype” to beware of:

    “bio-identical to that produced naturally within the body” – While this is true, it is just another way of saying that it is derived from yeast fermentation.

    “up to 5 times greater absorption than other varieties” – Really? What “other variety” is that? Got proof? This may be true, but it is more likely hype.

    So what can you believe?

    CoQ10 – Ubiquinone – is a vital nutrient: no argument there!

    Ubiquinol, the reduced form of Ubiquinone, is also a vital substance – that the body makes from Ubiquinone.

    Only a very few people might benefit from using the reduced form, Ubiquinol, instead of Ubiquinone despite the advertising hype surrounding this newly available form of CoQ10. There is only one human study so far showing the effectiveness of this new form, versus the hundreds of peer-reviewed studies showing the effectiveness of Ubiquinone.

    Dr. Jonathan Wright has jumped onto the Ubiquinol bandwagon but Dr. Alan Gaby, who lectures with Dr. Wright, prefers the tried-and-true form Ubiquinone. Given the hundreds of studies proving the benefit of Ubiquinone versus the one for Ubiquinol Dr. Gaby’s comment was: “when it comes to CoQ10, I’ll leave with the girl I came with!”

    The molecules that are Ubiquinone and Ubiquinol are what they are: no amount of “improved bio-availability”, “nano-particle technology”, “micronization”, or other scientific-sounding mumbo-jumbo will make a better molecule. If the molecule is actually changed, then it’s not CoQ10 anymore!

    As with any supplement, the most expensive supplement is the one that doesn’t work! Be sure to get the very best quality or you will be wasting your money – no matter how “good” the price is.

    How can the average person negotiate the minefield of quality control when it comes to supplements like CoQ10?

    Easy – you let someone like Dr. Myatt look after that for you. Known as “The Dragon Lady” in the supplement industry because of her no-compromise approach to quality, her medical knowledge and biochemistry background allow her to ask the hard questions and demand straight answers from her suppliers. She isn’t easily impressed, and is never swayed by hyper and advertising claims. If Dr. Myatt offers a product you can be sure that it meets her strict standards for purity, potency, and effectiveness! It may not be the cheapest, but you can be sure that it is the best – and is your health worth the cheapest, or is it worth the best?

  • Proven Heart-Healthy Nutrient You Don’t Get Enough Of

    Fiber: The “Non-Nutrient” That’s In The News Again

     

    By Dr. Myatt

     

    It’s not a “sexy supplement” or a “new breakthrough” even though Conventional Medicine is acting like they’ve just discovered it’s benefits.

    In fact, it’s not even officially classified as a nutrient.

    But Americans get only 10% of the amount we consumed 100 years ago, and our health may be seriously suffering as a result.

    What is this important “non nutrient” that we’re missing? Dietary fiber.

    You’ve probably seen the “news” recently quoting a study of nearly 400,000 people, conducted by the National Institutes of Health and American Association of Retired People and published in The Archives Of Internal Medicine.

    It shows that men aged 50 and older who ate the most fiber were up to 56 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease, infectious diseases and respiratory ailments, compared to those who ate the least.

    For women aged 50 and up, a high-fiber diet lowered risk of death from these causes by nearly 60 percent.

    WOW – I’ll have some of that – sign me up!

    If fiber was a patented drug we would be hearing all about it, with doctors writing prescriptions for it like they do for blood pressure or cholesterol pills – but it’s not, so it doesn’t get much respect from Conventional Medicine or Big Pharma.

    “Fiber” refers to a number of indigestible carbohydrates found in the outer layers of plants. Humans lack enzymes to break down most types of fiber, so they pass through the digestive system relatively unchanged and do not provide nutrients or significant calories.

    In spite of this indigestibility, fiber has a surprising number of health benefits. In fact, as the recent NIH / AARP study confirms, consuming adequate daily fiber is one of the most important health measures anyone can take.

    Twenty-Five Health Benefits of Fiber — Who Knew?

    There are numerous “sub-classes” of fiber, but the two main types are I.) soluble and II.) insoluble fiber. Both types are beneficial to health and both typically occur together in nature. They each offer independent health benefits. Here are twenty-five known health benefits that fiber provides.

    Bowel Benefits:

    1.) Relieves constipation. Insoluble fiber absorbs large amounts of water in the colon. This makes stools softer and easier to pass. Most people who increase fiber intake will notice improved bowel function in 31-39 hours.

    2.) Relieves diarrhea. It may seem paradoxical that a substance which helps constipation also helps diarrhea, but that’s just what fiber does. Insoluble fiber binds watery stool in the colon, helping turn “watery” into “formed.” Fiber is known to offer significant improvement to those with diarrhea.

    3.) Helps prevent hemorrhoids. Constipation is a leading cause of hemorrhoids. Because fiber-rich stools are easier to pass, less straining is necessary. Diets high in fiber have been shown to prevent and relieve hemorrhoids.

    4.) Reduces risk of diverticular disease. In cultures that consume high-fiber diets, diverticular disease is relatively unknown. That’s because high fiber intake “exercises” the colon, prevents excess bowel gas and absorbs toxins, all of which lead to the “bowel herniation” disease known as diverticulitis. Increased fiber intake is currently recommended in Western medicine as primary prevention for the disease.

    5.) Helps Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS is characterized by constipation, diarrhea, or alternating constipation/diarrhea. Regardless of type, increased fiber intake has been shown to improve IBS symptoms.

    6.) Improves bowel flora. “Flora” refers to the “good bugs” (healthy bacteria) that colonize the large intestine (colon). Antibiotics, drugs, food allergies, high sugar diets and junk food alter this “bowel garden” in favor of the “bad bugs.” Certain types of fiber are rich in substances the “feed” bowel flora and help keep the balance of good bacteria in the colon at a normal level.

    7.) Helps prevent colon cancer. Although research has been controversial, observational studies in the 1970s showed that African natives consuming high-fiber diets had a much lower incidence of colorectal carcinoma. Since the “risk” of increased fiber consumption is so small, the “US Pharmacist,” states…

    “…with no clearly negative data about fiber, it makes sense to increase fiber intake just in case the positive studies did reveal an actual link. The patient will also experience the ancillary benefits of fiber consumption, such as reduction in cholesterol (with psyllium), prevention of constipation, and reducing risk of hemorrhoids.”

    8.) Appendicitis: studies show a correlation between the development of appendicitis and low fiber intake. A diet high in fiber may help prevent appendicitis.

    Whew… that’s just the bowel benefits! Fiber also helps prevent heart disease in multiple ways.

    9.) Lowers Total cholesterol. According to the FDA, soluble fiber meets the standard for reduction of risk from coronary heart disease. Psyllium husk is also able to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease as it contains a soluble fiber similar to beta-glucan.

    10.) Lowers triglycerides. Higher dietary fiber is associated with lower triglyceride levels.

    11.) Raises HDL. Fiber may even raise HDL — the “good cholesterol” — levels.

    12.) Lowers LDL Cholesterol. In addition to total cholesterol, increased fiber lowers LDL — the “bad cholesterol” — levels.

    13.) Aids Weight loss. Fiber helps prevent weight gain and assists weight loss several ways. The “bulking action” of fiber leads to an earlier feeling of satiety, meaning that one feels satisfied with less high-calorie food when the meal contains a lot of fiber. Fiber helps bind and absorb dietary fat, making it less available for assimilation. This means that some fat may be “lost” through the digestive tract when the meal is high in insoluble fiber.

    14.) Lowers Overall risk of Coronary Artery Disease. Perhaps because of a combination of the above-listed lipid-normalizing factors, some studies have shown an overall protective effect of higher fiber intake against coronary heart disease.

    Fiber also benefits blood sugar levels and diabetes…

    15.) Helps Type I Diabetes. Eaten with meals, high-fiber supplements like guar gum reduced the rise in blood sugar following meals in people with type 1 diabetes. In one trial, a low-glycemic-index diet containing 50 grams of daily fiber improved blood sugar control and helped prevent hypoglycemic episodes in people with type 1 diabetes taking two or more insulin injections per day.

    16.) Improves Type II Diabetes. High-fiber diets have been shown to work better in controlling diabetes than the American Diabetic Association (ADA)-recommended diet, and may control blood sugar levels as well as oral diabetic drugs.

    One study compared participants eating the the ADA diet (supplying 24 grams of daily fiber) or a high-fiber diet (containing 50 grams daily fiber) for six weeks. Those eating the high-fiber diet for six weeks had an average 10% lower glucose level than people eating the ADA diet. Insulin levels were 12% lower in the high-fiber group compared to those in the ADA diet group. The high fiber group also had decreased  glycosylated hemoglobin levels, a measure of long-term blood glucose regulation.

    High-fiber supplements such as psyllium, guar gum and pectin have shown improved glucose tolerance.

    More systemic benefits of fiber:

    17.) Gallstone prevention. Rapid digestion of carbohydrates leads to fast release of glucose (sugar) into the bloodstream. In response, the body releases large amounts of insulin. High insulin levels contribute to gallstone formation. Because dietary fiber slows the release of carbohydrates (and corresponding insulin), fiber helps prevent gallstone formation.

    18.) Kidney stone prevention. Low intakes of dietary fiber have been found to correlate with increased kidney stone formation, and higher intakes of fiber appear to be protective against stone formation.

    19.) Varicose veins. “Straining at stool” caused by fiber-deficiency constipation, has been found in some studies to cause varicose veins. Populations with lower fiber intakes have higher rates of varicosities.

    Fiber may even be important in prevention of certain types of cancer…

    20.) Colon Cancer Prevention. Diets higher in fiber have been shown in some studies to reduce the risk of colon cancer.

    21.) Breast cancer prevention. Higher fiber diets are associated with lower breast cancer risk. Some studies have shown up to a 50% decreased risk with higher fiber intakes. After diagnosis, a high fiber diet may decrease the risk of  breast cancer reoccurrence.

    22.) Pancreatic cancer prevention. High fiber diets are associated with lower risk of pancreatic cancer.

    23.) Endometrial cancer prevention. Higher fiber has been shown in some studies to protect against endometrial cancer.

    24.) Prostate cancer prevention. Diets higher in fiber may be associated with lower risk of prostate cancer. After diagnosis, a high fiber diet may decrease the risk of  prostate cancer reoccurrence.

    25.) Cancer prevention in general. Some studies have found that high fiber diets help prevent cancer in general, regardless of type.

    Recommendations vs. Reality – How Much Do We Need?

    The average daily American fiber intake is estimated at 14 to 15 g, significantly less than the American Dietetic Association recommendation of 20 to 35 g for adults, 25 g daily for girls ages 9 through 18 years and 31 to 38 g for boys ages 9 through 18. The American Heart Association recommends 25 to 30 g daily.

    Based on dietary intakes of long-lived populations (who typically consume 40-60 grams or more of fiber per day), many holistic physicians recommend aiming for a minimum of 30 grams of daily fiber.

    In my clinical experience, I find that most people over-estimate their fiber intake because they are unaware of the fiber content of many of the foods they eat (see http://www.drmyattswellnessclub.com/rate_your_plate.htm).

    Since fiber has proven itself to be such an important “non nutrient” for good health, increased dietary consumption and/or supplementation can be considered a wise choice for optimal health and disease prevention.

    Beware of so-called “healthy foods” that claim to be “high fiber” – whole wheat bread products, granola bars, even “high fiber” pasta – many of these foods have only marginally more fiber than their regular counterparts, with every bit as much carbohydrates.

    We wrote about this “honesty in labeling” problem in a recent HealthBeat News article called Low Carb Lies.

    To help those who would like to increase their fiber intake while keeping their carb intake under control we have developed some great recipes: Dr. Myatt’s Blueberry Muffins, Dr. Myatt’s Fiber Bread, and Dr. Myatt’s Super Shakes.

    Dr. Myatt has formulated an excellent fiber supplement – check out EZ Fiber!

    Find more information about Psyllium Here.

  • Cholesterol FastFacts

    Cholesterol: A FastFacts Look At An Essential Substance

     

    How much do you know about cholesterol?

     

    Though much-maligned by Big Pharma, cholesterol is essential to our life and health.

     

    Cholesterol is a fatty, waxy substance found in the cell membranes and transported in the blood plasma of all animals.

    • It is an essential component of our cell membranes where it builds and maintains cell membranes and establishes proper membrane permeability and fluidity for normal cellular function.
    • It plays a central role in many biochemical processes, such as the synthesis of steroid hormones.1
    • Cholesterol is synthesized in virtually all cells, and it is possible for significant amounts to be absorbed from the diet. In practice, most of the cholesterol in the body is synthesized internally; only some is absorbed in the diet.
    • Cholesterol is more abundant in tissues which either synthesize more, or have more abundant, densely-packed membranes, for example, the liver, spinal cord and brain.
    • About 20–25% of total daily production of cholesterol occurs in the liver which produces about 1 gram per day, in bile. Bile, which is stored in the gallbladder and released to help digest fats, is important for the absorption of the fat soluble vitamins, vitamins A, D, E, and K. Other sites of high synthesis rates include the intestines, adrenal glands and reproductive organs.
    • Of the cholesterol released into the intestines in bile, 92–97% is reabsorbed in the intestines and recycled by the liver.
    • For a person of about 150 pounds, typical total body content is about 35 g, typical daily internal production is about 1 g and typical daily dietary intake is 200–300 mg in the United States and societies with similar dietary patterns.
    • Biosynthesis of cholesterol is directly regulated by the cholesterol levels present, though the control mechanisms involved are only partly understood. A higher intake from food leads to a net decrease in endogenous production, while lower intake from food has the opposite effect.
    • Cholesterol is the main precursor of vitamin D and of the steroid hormones, which include cortisol and aldosterone (in the adrenal glands) and progesterone, estrogens, and testosterone (the sex hormones), and their derivatives. It provides the basic structure of all the steroids.
    • In myelin, cholesterol envelopes and insulates nerves, helping greatly to conduct nerve impulses.
    • Some research indicates that cholesterol may act as an antioxidant.2
    • Recently, cholesterol has also been implicated in cell signaling processes, assisting in the formation of lipid rafts in the plasma membrane. It also reduces the permeability of the plasma membrane to protons (positive hydrogen ions) and sodium ions.3

     

    Despite the widely-proclaimed role of cholesterol in cardiovascular disease, some studies have shown an inverse correlation between cholesterol levels and mortality in people over 50 years of age ­ an 11% increase overall and 14% increase in CVD mortality per 1 mg/dL per year drop in cholesterol levels. In the Framingham Heart Study, researchers attributed this to the fact that people with severe chronic diseases or cancer tend to have below-normal cholesterol levels.4 This explanation is not supported by the Vorarlberg Health Monitoring and Promotion Program, in which men of all ages and women over 50 with very low cholesterol were increasingly likely to die of cancer, liver diseases, and mental diseases. This result indicates that the low cholesterol effect occurs even among younger people, and contradicts the previous belief that in older people lower cholesterol is an indicator of frailty occurring with age.5

     

    References

    1. 1.) Stryer, Lubert (1995). Biochemistry (4th ed. ed.). New York: W.H. Freeman & co.. pp. 280, 703. ISBN 0-7167-2009-4.
    2. Smith LL (1991). “Another cholesterol hypothesis: cholesterol as antioxidant”. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 11 (1): 47–61. doi:10.1016/0891-5849(91)90187-8. PMID 1937129.
    3. Haines TH (2001). “Do sterols reduce proton and sodium leaks through lipid bilayers?”. Prog. Lipid Res. 40 (4): 299–324. doi:10.1016/S0163-7827(01)00009-1. PMID 11412894.
    4. Anderson KM., Castelli WP, Levy D. (1987). “Cholesterol and mortality. 30 years of follow-up from the Framingham study”. JAMA 257: 2176–80. doi:10.1001/jama.257.16.2176. PMID 3560398
    5. Ulmer H., Kelleher C., Diem G., Concin H. (2004). “Why Eve is not Adam: prospective follow-up in 149650 women and men of cholesterol and other risk factors related to cardiovascular and all-cause mortality”. J Women’s Health (Larchmt) 13: 41–53. doi:10.1089/154099904322836447. PMID 15006277

  • Dr. Myatt’s Cardiovascular Risk Checklist

    Forward By Nurse Mark:

     

    February was Heart Month. Dr. Myatt wanted to give something to you, her readers to honor Heart Month, and so she began to compile the Cardiovascular Risk Factors that she checks for in to a checklist for you that you could print and take to your doctor at your next visit.

    Well, days passed, and then weeks. What began as a quick, simple project turned into a Medical White Paper because Dr. Myatt is such a stickler for deep research and full references.

    As the end of February approached I suggested to Dr. Myatt that we’d better get this finished and available to you. She grumbled and complained that it wasn’t complete. I agreed, saying that it would never be really complete, and that she would be adding to it forever as she continues to bring you the newest, most cutting edge research and information – that’s just how she is.

    We reached a compromise – she agreed to let me post this as long as I promised to update it whenever she finds new information. So, here, exclusively for you, our HealthBeat News Subscribers, is:

    Dr. Myatt’s Cardiovascular Risk Checklist

     

    A Medical White Paper Presented By Dr. Dana Myatt

     

    February is “Heart Month.” Here’s Your Heart-Risk Checklist.

     

    Shocking Facts about Heart Attacks

    February is heart month, and in honor of your heart, I have prepared a special heart-risk assessment and report for you. First, some surprising statistics about heart disease. These “fast facts” will help you know why my heart-risk checklist is so potentially important.

    Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the US. 2,200 people die every day from heart disease.

    As many as 50% of all people who have a heart attack do not have ANY classic risk factors, although one study argues that this number is actually only 20%. “Only” a 20% chance of having a heart attack with no known risk factors? I don’t know about you, but that still sounds like a big risk to me. 

    As many as fifty percent (50%) of all first heart attacks are last heart attacks if you get my drift. Half of all people who have a heart attack die from “sudden cardiac death.” No second chances. No “jump-starting” the heart with a defibrillator. No bypass surgery or stents. Just gone in a heartbeat.

    People with NO conventional risk factors are more likely to die “sudden death” from a first heart attack. Sudden cardiac death is the first and only sign of heart disease in this group.

    You could be a non-smoker with a normal body weight, total cholesterol below 200, LDL below 100, HDL above 50. You don’t smoke, are not diabetic and have no family history of heart disease. Good for you. You doctor has just given you a clean bill of health and told you your heart is fine. And you could die of a heart attack as you leave the doctor’s office. Remember, twenty to fifty percent of all people who have a heart attack do not have ANY conventionally-tested heart risks.

    Emerging Risk Factors: The “Other Risks” No One Is Telling You About

    Routinely screened conventional risk factors include blood fats (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL), blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes. Additional testing might include a cardiac stress test (the “treadmill test”). Overweight/obesity, family history and activity levels should also be considered.

    Unfortunately, 20-50% of people who have heart attacks are “normal” for all of these tests and markers. It’s the folks with “all normal” risk factors who have the greatest likelihood of having a fatal heart attack.

    Conventional medicine acknowledges that there are a number of other risk factors for heart disease. These are called “emerging risk factors” because the information is still “emerging” or coming to light.

    Unfortunately, tests for these “emerging risk factors” are not yet ordered by most conventional physicians nor are they typically covered by insurance. Many of them will be “standard of care” in conventional medicine some day in the future. Will “some day” be soon enough for you or me?

    Good News About “Emerging Risk Factors”

    The good news is many of the most important of these “other risks” can be tested at an affordable price. They are not obscure tests with thousand-dollar price tags.

    The OTHER good news is that there are safe, natural, proven options for correcting abnormalities if and when they are found. After all, what good would it be to know about a risk factor if there was nothing you could do about it?

     

    Download the Full Medical White Paper Here

     

    Nurse Mark Comments:

    Please print this Medical White Paper, including the pages of references, so that you can show it to your doctor / cardiologist. When he / she tells you that 1) he has never heard of some of these tests, 2) you don’t need them, 3) he’s not going to order them for you, and 4) your insurance won’t pay for them anyway, please visit Dr. Myatt’s Wellness Club where Dr. Myatt will make these tests available to you, and at a very reasonable cost.

    Dr. Myatt’s Cardiovascular Risk Profile Lab Testing information.

  • The Surprisingly High Risk Of This Too-Common Condition

    The Surprisingly High Risk of Belly Fat

     

    by Dr. Dana Myatt

     

    Have you ever seen a man or woman with normal-sized legs and lower body but with a belly that sticks out like they’re nine months pregnant with triplets? Of course you have!

    I call this a “carbo belly” (some call it a beer belly), and it is the type of fat distribution that puts a person at MUCH higher risk for heart disease.

    It is even possible to be a normal weight for one’s height yet still have a waist diameter that increases heart-risk. In fact, how much belly fat you carry is more important than how fat you are overall.

    In a study done at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California, researchers measured and followed the abdominal diameter of 101,765 men and women for nearly 12 years.

    Their study found that men with the biggest bellies had 42 percent higher rates of heart disease than men with smaller waist diameters. Women with the biggest bellies were at 44 percent higher risk. This risk was seen even in normal weight subjects with big bellies.

    The take-home message:

    If you carry excess fat in your gut, you’re at higher risk of heart disease than if you have, say, a big butt. (No extra charge for the rhyme).

    Fortunately, the cure for belly fat is simple: cut down – cut WAY down – on simple carbohydrate foods like breads, cereals, potatoes, rice, corn, and sweets, while you increase your intake of protein, Omega-3 fats and non-starchy veggies.

    A few days per week of The Super Fast Diet will jump-start your belly fat weight loss program and get you out of the heart-disease danger zone fast.

    Please Note:

    Dr. Myatt is an expert in the field of weight loss and treatment of metabolic and overweight-related conditions. For more information  please see her paper, written for medical doctors, called Dietary Ketosis in the Treatment of Overweight, Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome.

    Additional information about weight loss can be found at The Wellness Club: WEIGHT LOSS – The Skinny on Losing Weight for Good

     

    References:

    1.) Value of the sagittal abdominal diameter in coronary heart disease risk assessment: cohort study in a large, multiethnic population. Am J Epidemiol. 2006 Dec 15;164(12):1150-9. Epub 2006 Oct 13. Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente of Northern California, Oakland 94612, and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco General Hospital, CA, USA.
    2.) Carbohydrate restriction alters lipoprotein metabolism by modifying VLDL, LDL, and HDL subfraction distribution and size in overweight men. J Nutr. 2006 Feb;136(2):384-9. Summary: weight loss which resulted from reduced carbohydrate intake decreased risk for atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.