Half the people who have heart attacks were not diagnosed with Heart Disease prior to their event. This thread is designed to make sure you are not one of them.
I was a asymptomatic, obese hypertensive 72-year-old male who used to drink and smoke when I paid for a heart scan at Holistica Lab in Oct of 2007. That revealed that I had a calcium score of 322. A thallium stress test done here at Kaiser afterwards showed my CAD is stable. I set out to try to slow down the normal 35% annual increase in plaque though diet, exercise, simvastatin and supplements.
My initial weight was 254 with a 50” waist and a 32.4 BMI. I am now down to 221 with a 45” waist and a 28.4 BMI. My body goal is 180 with a 40” waist and a 23 BMI. I stopped eating wheat, sugar, corn, potatoes and rice to drop this weight.
I was fortunate enough not only to be able to slow and stop my plaque growth, but to regress it. A heart scan at Kaiser hospital in Oct of 2008 revealed a calcium score of 219.
This is a 32% regression from a year ago.
A VAP advanced Lipid panel showed on 5/15/2009 that I have changed my numbers to an HDL of 46, a Trigliceride of 48, and a LDL of 54. With these numbers I will NEVER have angina or a heart attack from my heart disease. You can do the same.
The body scan showed a kidney cyst that turned out to be malignant. I was able to save the kidney by finding the tumor early.
As someone who has heart disease and has survived both Colon and Kidney Cancer, I have a great interest in preventative approaches to these problems. It's mainly my own fault I have these problems. Twenty years of heavy smoking stopped in '74 and thirty years of heavy drinking stopped in '92. Plus some bad cancer genes on my Mother's side.
I will post info on them that I find of interest and hope others will also. I start with the premise that we all should exercise and lose weight. If you do it, fine. If you don't it's even more important that you do the other things I list. These will help you prolong your life and live better, but the most important thing you can do for yourself is: GET YOUR WEIGHT DOWN TO A BMI OF 25! Here is the BMI scale to let you know where you are and so that you can figure out what you need to do. nhlbisupport.com
Take charge of health yourself. If you wait for your doctor to do it for you, you could be in the same situation as poor Tim Russert. This is an age when your physician should facilitate your success, not prevent it or leave you wallowing in ignorance.
If you have heart disease, the program I follow that "Track your Plaque" recommends is:
First priority is LDL-C less than 60 mg, Triglycerides less than 60 mg, and HDL-C 60 mg. or higher; 25-OH-vitamin D3 of greater than 60 ng/ml. Back to basics: a general program of correcting blood pressure (115s/70s). I STRONGLY recommend you join their site, which will get you their book, and start reading up on your particular problems. trackyourplaque.com
PERSONAL HEALTH: After constant reading of reports and my own personal experience, I have become convinced that the best thing you can do for your and your family's health is add supplemental Vitamin D to your daily intake. 6000IU for men, 5,000 for women, 2000 for children. Have everybody's 24OHD-3 level checked and make sure it is OVER 60. Don't worry about the upper limit, there really is none when taking D-3 softgels. Anything you can read on the Net is testing done on D-2 prescription results, and there is almost nothing there that is negative. My D-3 level is 80, and there is no known negative for that. Over 60 is where all the studies and anecdotal reports show results.
Your Doctor will be negative on this dosage and level, Because he is behind the curve. He will be negative on ordering a blood test. Don't let him stop you. The benefits are just too good. Medical experimenters who work with D are taking 4-8 K of supplemental D-3 when they see the results. The tablets do not absorb well Buy the soft gel version. Cheapest way to buy it is like this:
Carlson Vitamin D -- 2000 IU - 360 Soft-gels
I take Eleven Kirkland brand Fish Oil capsules [3000+EPA/DHAmg] daily plus three 2000IU gel caps of Vitamin D. The D is the best preventative I know of for Cancer. For BP, I take one 50mg Atenolol and one 10mg Lisinopril daily for BP.
For heart disease, I recommend you get a heart scan and track your plaque. I had a 330 score, and have reduced it in one year to 219. I take a 20mg Simvastatin every other day. I take two 500mg of Slo-Niacin daily. I add two tablespoons each of ground flax seed and oat bran to my morning oatmeal. I have found Costco to be the best source for CoQ10, Fish Oil and Slo-Niacin. Buy Vitamin D Carlson brand online in 360 IU 2000 capsule bottles. Take an InVite K2 supplement capsule daily.
TYP recommends adding the following supplements:
# 3 grams of Omega 3 from fish oil per day. {six to 10 capsules]
# 1 gram of SloNiacin per day [ 2 500mg tabs, start w/one and add the other a week later]
# 6000IU Vitamin D from Soft gel each day for men, 4000IU for women.
# Vitamin C: 500mg per day
# CoQ10 100mg to 300mg daily if you have muscle pain from a statin.
# Vitamin K-2 InVite K2 supplement daily.
# Add l-arginine 6000 mg twice per day (on empty stomach)
# Consider a magnesium supplement (e.g. magnesium oxide 250 mg twice per day).
# Add oat bran 2 tbsp per day to your diet.
# Add ground flax seed 2 tbsp per day to your diet.
Lifestyle:
# Achieve BMI of 25 [body fat 17% male, 20% female] or less through weight loss. This should be regarded as a priority to reduce blood pressure if you begin with a BMI >25.
# Consider increasing exercise to 40 minutes 4 days per week, or use pedometer and increase steps or kcal burned by 50% over your current daily expenditure.
# Ensure that you get at least 7 1/2 hours of sleep every night. Sleep deprivation contributes to high blood pressure.
# Increase intake of monounsaturated oils (olive and canola; raw almonds and walnuts) and cut back sharply on intake of starches. Other than that, eat what you like, but STOP EATING WHEAT, SUGAR AND CORN! If you do, your weight will drop like a stone.
HERE IS A LIST OF POSTED ARTICLES I CONSIDER THE MOST IMPORTANT:
THE BASICS:
Long-Term Prognosis Associated With Coronary Calcification:
If you have been diagnosed as having Heart Disease
Message 24981152
The Track Your Plaque Program, by William Davis MD
Message 25020991
THREE POWERFUL REASONS TO TRACK YOUR PLAQUE.
Message 24867962
Winning Your Personal War with Heart Disease:
Can heart disease be reversed?
Message 24813138
How to Reverse Heart Disease with the Coronary Calcium Score
Message 24744798
The Track Your Plaque "Rule of 60"
Message 24699498
Tip the scales towards plaque reversal
Message 24813327
American Heart Association acknowledges the power of Heart Scans to predict heart attacks!
Message 24858584
Ebt Scans: "Yes, Johnnie, there really is an Easter bunny"
Message 24739038
CT heart scans and radiation: The real story
Message 24922968
Do stress tests really add any information?
TYP recommends using the NMR test done by Liposcience Corp
Message 25013778
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) An Advanced User's Guide
Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Disease
BLOOD PRESSURE: Normal blood pressure may be high blood pressure!
Message 24850250
Does high cholesterol cause heart disease?
Message 25020677
Coronary plaque: Is your thyroid to blame?
Message 24888554
Extinguishing Inflammation: A Practical Guide
Message 25122009
HDL: Why it's so important
Message 24827262
HDL Cholesterol and HDL Subclasses - Raising them.
Message 24805009
HDL: Higher is better
Homocysteine: An Update
LDL of 60 mg reverses plaque
Very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL)
Lipoprotein (a) – A Hidden Risk Factor for Heart Disease and Stroke
Message 24888483
Unique Strategies for Lipoprotein(a) Reduction
Lipoprotein Checklist: Lipoprotein(a)
Message 25101652
Lipoprotein Analysis:
Message 24864225
Lipoprotein Checklist: Small LDL
Message 25012916
lipoprotein test? What's the best?
Message 25035990
Metabolic Syndrome - Shutting off
Message 24957861
Triglycerides - Mother of Meddlesome Particles
Message 24827265
Triglycerides - A Nutritional Approach
Message 24833701
C-Reactive Protein:
PRESCRIPTIONS
High-dose Lipitor® fails to stop increase in heart scan score
Statins
Message 24833716
Other Drugs
Message 24873359
SUPPLEMENTS:
A QUICK NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT LIST
Message 24833825
DHEA: What role in your program?
FISH OIL - You probably don't take enough fish oil
Message 25037527
IODINE
l-arginine - How important?
Message 24713741
L-Arginine: An essential amino acid to shrink coronary plaque
Message 25092268
Magnesium
Magnesium—crucial nutrient for health
Message 24836388
Magnesium
Niacin - The Cholesterol Wars Champion
Message 25021784
Niacin: Ins and outs, ups and downs
Message 24858586
Flush-free niacin kills
Oat bran, Ten ways to use
Omega-6 / omega-3 ratio, By Dr Davis
Message 24827306
Soy Protein Powder
Message 24874923
testosterone to treat lipoprotein disorders
Vitamin C, By Dr Davis
Message 24827365
Vitamin D, "How much should I take?"
Message 24869788
Vitamin D and HDL - By Dr Davis
Message 24858480
Vitamin D - Track Your Plaque data abstract
Message 24739010
Vitamin D and programmed aging?
Message 24741856
Vitamin D and Plaque Regression Data
Message 24806976
Vitamin D Framingham Heart Study
Message 24819921
50 minute video[/url][tag]Vitamin D Pandemic and its Health Consequences 50 minute video[/tag]
The case against ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) as a vitamin supplement
Message 24904172
Vitamin K Study
DIET
HOW I LOSE A POUND A WEEK
What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?
Message 25028553
The NEW Track Your Plaque Diet: Part 1
The NEW Track Your Plaque Diet: Part 2
The NEW Track Your Plaque Diet: Part 3
Diet Principle #1: Choose the Right Fats
Message 24878899
Diet Principle #2: Foods Should Be Rich In Fiber
Message 24878923
Diet Principle #3: Foods Should Be Unprocessed
Message 24878930
Diet Principle #4: Choose Foods With Low Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load
Message 24878963
Diet Principle #5: Create New Habits
Message 24878969
Diet Principle #6: Food Should Be Enjoyed!
Message 24878975
Get Fat on a Low-Fat Diet
Message 24957860
MEDICAL STUDIES
COURAGE TRIAL SUMMARY
CourageTrial Abstract
ENHANCE STUDY
ERA JUMP STUDY - FISH OIL
Jupiter study critique
Low vitamin D linked to sudden cardiac death
REFERENCES
A list of web resources
Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) Values
NUTRIENT DATA LABORATORY |
