Health Alert 217
Dear Subscriber:
Most doctors will tell you that the best way to lower cholesterol is to lower your LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. They suggest that you do that by taking statin drugs, such as Lipitor or Zocor. Every year the recommended LDL is further reduced and the group that needs drugs is expanded. However, increasing your HDL, “good cholesterol,” is the best way to lower your risk of heart disease.
Now I have a recent, but little known, study that backs my unpopular point of view. Today I’ll tell you about a study that showed that increasing HDL could do more than lower your risk of heart disease. It can reverse existing plaque buildup in your coronary arteries.
* New Hope for Clogged Arteries *
When fatty deposits from high cholesterol build up on the inner lining of your heart’s walls, you can develop atherosclerosis, also known as “hardening of the arteries.” Removing these fatty deposits would make a significant difference in heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S. today.1
Researchers in northern Italy have developed a protein called Apolipoprotein A-I, a synthetic form of HDL. The Cleveland Clinic recently conducted a two-year study where patients with acute chest pain received five weekly infusions of this synthetic HDL.
In only six weeks, Apolipoprotein A-I reduced the plaque build-up in the patients’ clogged arteries.2 Dr. Steven Nissen, a Cleveland Clinic cardiologist who directed the study says, “… this study shows the potential of this new therapy.”3
This study shows the benefits of increasing HDL levels. Maybe one day synthetic HDL infusions will become a common treatment for heart disease but in the meantime…
* Increase Your HDL Naturally *
The good news is you don’t need drugs or blood transfusions to increase HDL.
Look what happened to Paul R. He recently had a heart attack that scared him into taking action… so he followed all of his doctor’s advice. He used the Nitro patch, took two blood pressure drugs, and a cholesterol lowering “statin” drug. He felt weak, tired and had constant muscle aches. He said life after his heart attack felt like he was 90 years old. It turns out; it wasn’t his heart attack that was making him fatigued, weak and achy. It was the drugs he was taking.
Paul made the following changes:
He gradually weaned off all drugs.
- He replaced the cholesterol statin with Policosanol, a safe, natural supplement.
- He started an exercise program designed for rehabilitating an injured heart.
Today, Paul has lowered his blood pressure and restored his energy level. He says, “I feel better than before I had my heart attack.” And his latest stress test shows little evidence that he ever had a heart attack.
As I stated in HA198, you best manage heart health by raising HDL levels – not by lowering LDL levels. I recommend eating a diet high in protein and Omega 3 fats and gradually increasing physical exercise like my PACE program. These habits will increase your HDL while reducing your LDL and triglyceride levels.
To Your Health,
Al Sears, M.D.
Sources:
(1) Dillon, John. “”Manmade Cholesterol Reverses Clogged Arteries” HealthDay Reporter Nov. 2003:
www.healthfinder.gov/newsstory Reuters 01:26 PM ET 03/15/2004
(2) J Clin Invest. 2004 Aug: 114 (4): 529-41 PMID: 15314690
(3) “Cleveland Clinic Foundation Release” Journal of American Medical Association, Nov.5, 2003:
www.biospace.com/news-story