The Silent Killer

Heart Disease is the #1 cause of death in the United States.  The most common form is Atherosclerosis which accounts for 50% of all deaths in the western civilization.  The sad thing is, like 90% of all diseases, this is a lifestyle problem.  Heart Disease is not just a by luck coincidence.  It is not a bug or virus that someone just happens to catch. It is not a contagious disease that can be prevented by washing our hands.  Too often people think that heart disease is a problem they can easily avoid when they are actually one hamburger away from being a statistic.  There are several theories on what causes atherosclerosis, but it comes down to a build up of plaque in the blood vessels due to accumulation of LDL (which we will consider as public enemy number one).  LDL are fat carriers which transfers the fat you eat straight to the adipose (fat) cells.  This buildup can cause even more serious problems.  It can rupture, ulcerate, hemorrhage, calcify, form an aneurysm, or form a thrombus (a blockage in the vessel).

The Key is to understand the risk factors

• Age- the older one is the greater the risk
• Gender- males are typically more at risk, however when a woman reaches menopause, her risk is about the same as the male. (It is believed that estrogen has a protective factor)
• Heredity- even though heart disease is a lifestyle problem, risks do run in the family.  Possibly an enzyme that leads to hyperlipidemia (excess accumulation of fat- or high LDL levels)
• Diet- this is a big one.  Our diets are high in saturated fats.  This will be better understood when talking about prevention
• Obesity- I hate to put this on here, because this is the misconception that you have to be obese to have heart disease.  Absolutely false.  An obese person can have a better heart than a thin person.  This is why heart disease sneaks up on people, believing they are healthy because they are not obese.  However, obesity certainly is a risk factor.
• Diabetes and Hypertension- increases risk of heart disease
• Cigarette Smoking- 1 pack/day increases risk by 200%

More importantly, it is necessary to understand what can we do to prevent Heart Disease.  As mentioned before, estrogen (at appropriate levels) has a protective factor.  I have discussed before the importance of having healthy levels of estrogen, and this may add to the list of benefits.  Another protection is exercise which I hope is understood without further comment.  The last and most important is Diet.  Like I said, the average diet contains high levels of saturated fats (Studies have shown a link between the introduction of vegetable oils and increased heart disease).  Heart Disease is a disease of affluence.  We have the freedom to choose any meat and how much meat.  In countries where meat is not part of their daily meal, heart disease is dramatically low.  We bathe our foods in fats and oils and other things.  It has gotten to the point where we are no longer eating food, but rather we are eating a Product ("I just had Dominoes")  Lets get back to eating food again, real food.  Cases have shown that a diet with little or no meat and with more vegetable and fruits, heart disease has reversed itself.  It's no miracle, its just the way our body was supposed to be