HEALTH WISE
(11/21/2008) By Julie Sergel

Do You Know Enough
to Save Your Life?

A fascinating article by a medical doctor examines the sudden death by heart attack of beloved Washington correspondent Tim Russert and ponders, with all of the medical expertise available, could a more holistic approach have saved this man’s life?

Dr. Raphael Kellman, a graduate of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, makes keen points in dissolving the solutions of a society who wages high stakes in pharmaceutical drugs and strict conventional medicine, citing sober losses for such behavior. Kellman notes that drugs bypass attending to the root causes of disease—most of which can be traced to breakdown in cellular function. Antioxidant deficiencies, toxic build-up, decreased energy output, cell membrane damage and compromised cell or organ function comprise the starting line for disease.

A strong point Dr. Kellman makes is that none of us suffer from medicine deficiencies. For instance, individuals with hypertension do not lack blood pressure medication in their bodies, nor do those with high cholesterol have such a profile due to lack of statin drug in their system. These conditions are due to a plethora of factors—none of which stem from our body’s deficiencies of certain drugs or medications. Hypertension can be the result of improperly functioning arteries, inflammation, insulin resistance, or a nutritional deficiency of vitamin B12, vitamin C, or other nutrients. High cholesterol may be caused by a poor diet and/or metabolic abnormalities gone undetected by routine blood tests. In either case, dysfunction of the blood vessels, or endothelial dysfunction, leads to heart disease as does the presence of cholesterol particles like lipoprotein A, VLDL and Apo-B. British studies link high levels of lipoprotein A to an increased 70% higher risk of developing heart disease in a 10 year period as well as being a predictor for a heart attack early in life—often in 40s and 50s. Dr. Kellman says the reason lipoprotein A is not such a widely known risk factor in terms of heightened risk for heart disease is due to the fact there is no drug to treat it. However, he is quick to suggest that nutritional interventions and dietary changes in the realm of niacin, fish oil, vitamin C, lysine, and proline, as well as prohibiting all trans fats can work wonders.

Inflammation greatly enhances heart disease. What contributes to inflammation is a poor lifestyle--living in a polluted environment, plenty of refined and fried foods (trans fat), chemical preservatives, additives, and pesticides. Studies show that B12, folate, vitamin C, L-arginine, resveratrol, antioxidant therapy and fish oil can upgrade endothelial function. The electrical conductivity of the heart is improved—as is inflammation reduced and blood pressure lowered—which can prevent arrhythmias and sudden death from a heart attack. Kellman cites a major clinical study where 11,000 mg of fish oil daily yielded a 30% reduction of cardiovascular rate and a 20% reduction of sudden death—a small action providing a very great impact.

Additional aid for the heart comes from garlic and pomegranate extract, CoQ10 (cholesterol medications and age deplete vital stores), L-carnitine, niacin, and resveratrol—which have all been scientifically studied and proven beneficial to heart health. Garlic and pomegranate extract have been shown to even reverse arthrosclerosis.

Dr. Kellman also suggested the thyroid’s connection to heart disease explaining a low thyroid should be tested more sensitively—via the TRH stimulation test. In 2002, the Lancet published a report where patients who were in the upper limit of normal on the TSH thyroid blood test with no obvious symptoms of thyroid disease, had 20 times the chance of developing heart disease.

I trust this information will prove to serve you well—and spur you to work with doctors and health practitioners who integrate a holistic approach to your well-being. For help with such things, please call Nature’s Remedy, located at 18 Monroe Street in Ellicottville, NY to schedule an appointment with a trained and certified professional. (716) 699-HERB (4372).