Cholesterol, Atherosclerosis,
and Heart Issues
Cholesterol and Atherosclerosis
- Despite
all the recent advances in drug and surgical treatment, heart
attacks and strokes continue to be the number one cause of death in
this country. Almost two million people die from these
diseases every year.
Both
heart attacks and strokes have the same common cause - atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. As we get older,
arteries become narrower because of the accumulation of fatty
plaques. More deposited plaque means less blood flow.
Eventually, as the
arteries become too narrow, blood does not flow at all. This is what
causes a heart attack or stroke.
In
a recent issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, John C. LaRosa,
M.D. of Tulane University Medical Center, New Orleans, LA, stated
that "Elevated cholesterol level is the single most important
factor" in promoting the hardening of the arteries.
In other
words, controlling your cholesterol is the most important step you
can take in prevention of the condition that kills more people every
year than many other diseases combined.
When Should
You Become Concerned About Your Cholesterol?
The
answer is NOW! A recent study published in New England
Journal of Medicine, examined people who died from trauma between
the ages of 2 and 39. Much to the researchers' surprise, these young
people already had extensive fatty deposits on their arteries. As
much as 11% of coronary arteries were covered with plaques.
Just
imagine what must happen by the time we
reach the age of 50 or 60. This process becomes much more
widespread, interfering with the blood flow and causing the death of
almost 2 million people yearly.
In
1993, the National Cholesterol Education
Program (NCEP) Expert Panel issued an updated set of recommendations
for normal cholesterol levels. According to NCEP, total cholesterol
should be under 200, HDL (good cholesterol) should be over 35 and
LDL (bad cholesterol) should be under 130.
However,
a recent study in the journal Circulation has demonstrated that
cholesterol levels at the upper end of the normal range (180 to 200)
may lead to blood vessel damage and should be abandoned in favor
of a lower "desirable" range.
They found that the arteries
of people with cholesterol levels considered "high-normal"
do not dilate normally - thus increasing their risk of heart disease
or stroke.
The Danger
of Cholesterol Drugs
Armed
with this information, the pharmaceutical companies have
rushed to produce many different "cholesterol lowering"
drugs. The most widely used drugs act by blocking cholesterol production
in the liver. Some of them are Lovastatin (MEVACOR),
Pravastatin (PRAVACHOL), Simvastatin (ZOCOR), and fluvastatin (LESCOL).
These drugs are sometimes simply called "statins."
Cholesterol
lowering drugs are a double-edged
sword. Statins decrease total cholesterol by up to 25% and increase
the HDL by up to 10%. Studies show that this can decrease the risk
of a heart attack by as much as 35%.
However, like any medication,
the "statins" have many side effects. The most important
one is the effect on the liver. Patients taking these drugs are
advised to check their liver function at least every three months,
because of a possibility of severe liver damage.
In
addition, decreasing blood cholesterol with drugs has
been linked to an even more serious side effect. Recently, the
American College of Physicians issued guidelines regarding the use
of cholesterol lowering medications.
They indicate that all the
available data suggests that there is an increase in
non-cardiovascular mortality in patients who use cholesterol-lowering
drugs.
In other words, your risk of getting a heart attack is
decreased, but you have a much higher risk of dying from another
cause.
A
natural alternative to treat cholesterol
This
is not exactly an ideal way to deal with the cholesterol problem.
That is why medications to people with elevated cholesterol levels
are recommended.
Instead, a combination of natural substances that
have the same, or even better effects, without all of the side
effects. A number of these substances have been used for many
decades with the specific goal of improving the metabolism of
cholesterol and triglycerides.
Gugulipids
are the extract of the Commiphora Mukul tree that grows in India.
Over 20 clinical studies have shown that Gugulipids can lower total
cholesterol, decrease LDL and triglycerides
and increase the HDL level. Gugulipids are just as effective in
reducing cholesterol as lipid-lowering drugs but without the side
effects.
Chromium
is well known for its positive
effect on blood lipids and blood sugar level.
Garlic
and Borage oil decrease the
LDL cholesterol while increasing the level of the HDL cholesterol.
