Some risk factors for heart disease you can control and some you cannot. Coronary artery disease causes roughly 1.2 million heart attacks each year, and more than 40% of those suffering from a heart attack will die. . . . According to the American Heart Association, over 7 million Americans have suffered a heart attack in their lifetime. ~ WebMD.com, Heart Disease Health Center
Did you know that chronic heart disease (CHD) is the #1 killer in the United States? Did you know that you have a higher risk for a heart attack, stroke, or death from CHD if you are age 65 or older, male, a post-menopausal female, African/Mexican/Native American, or have a family history of CHD? You also can dramatically increase your risk for CHD if you smoke, suffer from unmanaged stress, anger or anxiety, or are diabetic, obese, or physically inactive. The good news is that you can make choices today that will have an impact on the controllable group of risk factors.
What Is Heart Disease?
The human heart maintains the body’s circulatory system by pumping oxygenated blood to every living cell. Its unique muscle is especially resistant to fatigue, has a large number of mitochondria (cellular powerhouses), and allows continuous production of cellular energy. In fact, each day, the heart beats approximately 80,000 to 100,000 times, and pumps almost 2,000 gallons of blood.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the medical term for what is generally referred to as “heart disease.” CAD develops from atherosclerosis of the walls of the arteries that supply the heart muscle with oxygen and nutrients [narrowing, hardening, and clogging of arteries by plaque, a combination of ’bad‘ (LDL) cholesterol and cellular debris].
While CAD is the most common type of CHD, many other conditions can stem from it or relate to other forms of cardiovascular dysfunction, including: angina (chest pain from atherosclerotic deprivation of the heart’s oxygen); arrhythmia (abnormal heart rate or rhythm); atrial fibrillation (an arrhythmia characterized by an irregular “flutter” of the heart’s atria, its small upper chambers; caused by disruptions in the heart’s electrical conduction system; linked to the osteoporosis drugs called bisphosphonates); cardiomyopathy/congestive heart failure (CHF) (heart loses its ability to adequately pump blood throughout the body; causes shortness of breath and fluid buildup in the lungs and extremities); high blood pressure (excessive pressure on the blood vessels overworks the heart and greatly increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure, and stroke); and peripheral artery disease (arteries supplying blood to the lower extremities become diseased and narrowed).
Risks of the Conventional Approach
For patients with CHD, conventional physicians typically prescribe drugs or recommend invasive procedures such as angiography, angioplasty, bypass surgery, or defibrillator implantation. Unfortunately, all of these treatments come with a host of side effects and research shows they may not be effective for many people.
Doctors most frequently prescribe statins (lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation), beta blockers, and calcium channel blockers. According to Julian Whitaker, M.D., a leading holistic physician, research shows that, for most people, expensive statins “do not protect against heart attack or premature death,” and that “not a single study” suggests that men or women of any age will receive “any benefits,” even if a statin reduces cholesterol substantially. Beta blockers (for hypertension, angina, and arrhythmia), which inhibit the heart’s ability to respond to adrenaline, actually weaken it. Calcium channel blockers (also for hypertension, angina, and arrhythmias), prevent calcium from entering the muscle cells lining arterial walls, thus relaxing them and easing the pressure against them. Unfortunately, they also block essential functions of the heart and blood vessels, and one study even found that patients taking large doses of calcium channel blockers had a 60% higher death rate than those taking diuretics or beta blockers!
Before starting a new prescription, consider exploring with your doctor the natural alternatives and lifestyle changes below that may be more beneficial. (If you already take medications to support your heart health, don’t stop them without first consulting your physician.)
The Natural Approach
Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinol) / Acetyl L-Carnitine
D-Ribose/ Magnesium
At the recent 52nd Annual Conference of the American College of Nutrition, Stephen Sinatra, M.D., author of The Sinatra Solution: Metabolic Cardiology, emphasized the importance of treating cardiovascular disease (CVD-abnormal function of the heart or blood vessels) at the cellular level. (See also heartmdinstitute.com). Since diseased hearts lack enough adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the source of cellular energy, they require restoration of their energy through various nutritional supplements: ubiquinol (the best-absorbed CoQ10); acetyl L-carnitine (ACL) [an amino acid that rapidly protects the powerhouse (mitochondria) of all cells]; D-ribose (a simple sugar that can protect heart attack induced cell damage and help rejuvenate blood-deprived heart muscles); and magnesium (critical to proper heart function).
While the body requires D-ribose to create ATP, it uses ACL and CoQ10 to recycle ATP efficiently. Magnesium, which participates in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, also helps boost ATP production to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease.
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol)
Vitamin D deficiency, rampant in this country, especially during the winter, is linked with a dramatically increased risk of CVD.
Research also suggests that vitamin D has the ability to improve heart function. Studies have shown that the vitamin D blood levels of patients with congestive heart failure are about 50% lower than those of healthy people. One 2008 study revealed that animal subjects prone to this condition were much less likely to develop it when they took supplemental vitamin D3. Michael Holick, MD, PhD (Professor of Medicine, Boston Univ. Med. Center), recently reported that taking as much as 10,000 i.u/day is safe (with 750mg of calcium/day and magnesium). Doctor Whitaker recommends 2,000–4,000 iu in divided daily doses.
Vitamin E (100% Natural, Mixed Tocopherols)
The oxidation of LDL from exposure to heat and oxygen (which generates free radicals), rather than cholesterol itself, promotes the buildup of arterial plaque and injures the arterial lining. Vitamin E neutralizes oxidized cholesterol.
More than 6,000 studies substantiate the role of vitamin E in preventing and treating CVD disease. One 16-country study from the World Health Organization, which included thousands of men and women, found that a low level of vitamin E in the blood was more than twice as predictive of a heart attack as either elevated cholesterol or hypertension.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil)
Omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs), containing EPA and DHA, are vital components of cell membranes, precursors to important chemical messengers, and particularly important for overall heart health. They reduce “stiffness” and improve vascular function by promoting proper blood vessel dilation. Omega-3s also reduce inflammation, promote normal blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, and reduce the risk of fatal arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
Contrary to conventional medical wisdom, researchers of a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology concluded that even high-dose fish oil supplementation is safe when used in combination with blood-thinning drugs like aspirin and Plavix®. (Consult with your doctor for the appropriate dose.) The baseline therapeutic fish oil daily dose is 1,000 mg EPA, taken in divided doses with meals. Most researchers have administered at least 3,000 mg/day of the total of EPA plus DHA in studying the impact of fish oil on humans with various health conditions.
Nattokinase & Grape Seed Extract
High in vitamin K2, the fermented soybean-derived enzyme, nattokinase, combats blood clotting, an independent risk factor for CVD. A number of human and animal studies have also demonstrated its ability to reduce LDL cholesterol and total serum cholesterol.
Grape seed extract contains free-radical-fighting oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) which support heart health by enhancing blood vessel dilation through nitric oxide production. Human studies have also demonstrated this herb’s significant impact on hypertension and blood clotting.
Lifestyle Modifications
Many studies have demonstrated the importance of diet and exercise in maintaining a healthy heart. A heart-healthy diet: (1) excludes saturated, hydrogenated, and trans fats; (2) minimizes simple carbohydrates; and (3) includes fish and raw foods, such as low-sugar fruits (berries, apples), nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds), legumes, a large variety of dark green and cruciferous vegetables, and soluble and insoluble fiber (¼ cup of flax seed provides 11.7g of fiber).
Regular, moderate aerobic exercise is also critical. It conditions the heart muscle, stimulates the production of collateral blood vessels (which naturally bypass blocked arteries), raises HDL cholesterol, and lowers triglycerides, LDL (especially in women), and blood pressure.
Conclusion
Don’t take your heart health for granted! Empower yourself with knowledge about natural cardiac care. Then choose to live a healthier lifestyle and a longer life, and consider working with a holistic practitioner who can provide you with a tailor-made natural approach.