Steve Yap
Posted on 4 March 2013 - 05:17pm
While conventional treatments focus on lowering total cholesterol and/or reducing blood thickness, complementary therapy works differently in treating heart diseases
Where current conventional treatment tends to focus on lowering total cholesterol and reducing blood thickness, complementary cardiology addresses atherosclerosis differently.
The condition is viewed as a reversible chronic metabolic disorder along with other conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, allergies, and even some cancers.
Elevation in non-oxidised blood total cholesterol may be indicative of atherosclerosis, but it may not be its cause.
The top 10 blood markers which guide complementary therapy for reversing the progression of heart disease include:
► C-reactive protein
Like most other chronic health disorders, atherosclerosis is likely to be linked to chronic inflammation, which this marker measures.
Besides initiating a plaque from the lesion inflammation inflicts, it's widely recognised that for a plaque to rupture, inflammation must be present too. Those with gum disease or weak immunity and suffer from frequent infections also tend to have elevated C-reactive protein scores.
Eat foods low in omega-6 fats and high in omega-3 or mono-unsaturated fats. Note that meat or by-products from corn-fed livestock/animals and even fish (orange salmon) are pro-inflammatory since they're high in omega-6.
► Homocysteine
Besides shortening telomere at the end of your chromosomes, this by-product of protein metabolism is widely recognised as being more dangerous than total cholesterol as a marker for heart disease since it was identified in 1969 by Kilmer McCully at Harvard.
It's being addressed in anti-ageing medicine since hyperhomocysteinemia also links stroke and Alzheimer's disease. This condition is on the rise due to high intake of refined food and grains devoid of vitamin Bs.
Supervised supplementation with vitamins B12, B6, folate, and magnesium citrate helps, especially for those with ApoE-4 variant gene.
► Ferritin
Iron is an essential trace mineral. In excess, the stored iron (ferritin) is a strong oxidising agent linked to many chronic disorders.
This marker is viewed as being more dangerous than total cholesterol, which oxidation causes it to stick to arteries. Don't take iron supplement unless your serum ferritin is tested.
Red meat, organ meat, eel, cockles, egg yolk, and cashewnut are rich in iron. Chelating nutraceuticals for ferritin include rice bran IP-6 and quercetin.
► Cortisol
For those with healthy adrenals, elevated cortisol score is suggestive of elevated stress. However, those with chronic fatigue syndrome (adrenal insufficiency), abnormally low cortisol score may be the consequence.
Prolong stress not only adversely affects one's mental state, but also the heart. High anxiety levels may raise risk by up to 700%.
Untreated stress can lead to depression, which may raise risk of heart disease up to 400%.
Indeed, studies showed chronic anxiety as being predictive of fatal heart disease. Other studies showed anger could increase risk of a second cardiac event by 700%.
Adequate sleep and adatogens are used to lower one's cortisol levels.
► Fibrinogen
Thick blood may be indicative of chronic inflammation. This condition promotes blood clots, gangrene in diabetes, fatigue, and mechanical stress to organs such as the heart and kidney.
Reduce intake of refined starch/sugar and caffeinated drinks and increase intake of fluid and fresh vegetables can help thin the blood.
► HbA1c
Diabetics are at high risk of developing heart disease since their arteries tend to clog a lot faster than non-diabetics. Insulin resistance and diabetes are reversible by dietary/lifestyle modifications with or without targeted nutraceuticals.
► Blood pressure
The longest-living people have blood pressure around 115/75. Generally, hypertension is reversible by lifestyle/dietary modifications with nutrients such as L-arginine, magnesium citrate, potassium citrate, CoQ10, and EPA/DHA.
► Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)
If you suffer from hypothyroidism (low metabolism), you can raise it with dietary/lifestyle modifications and nutrients.
Generally, excess intake of refined starch/sugar lowers one's metabolism while higher protein intake raises it. Regular exercise also help extend elevated metabolism.
► Lipoprotein [a]
This very small, sticky cholesterol can easily attach itself to arteries. Produced by the liver in response to our ageing vascular system, its elevation is considered an independent risk factor for heart disease. Consult a nutritional therapist for treating this condition.
► High density lipoprotein
High levels of HDL cholesterol promote cleaner arteries and we are only as old as our arteries. Most spices and many nutraceuticals can help raise HDL levels.
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/627541
