What We Now Know About Heart Disease! Do You Know Your Risk?

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer in the U.S., and cardiovascular disease is the leading reason for death on death certificates. Stroke is a leading cause of disability. While routine healthcare is slowly changing, a “new medicine” is emerging that moves beyond the current “reactive-rather-than-preventive” model. Many fine doctors are busy treating illness, with little time to prevent illness.

Most of us have experience with current “standard-of-care” that looks mostly at cholesterol and blood pressure to measure cardiovascular risk.

• But, more and more physicians are aware that up to 85 percent of heart attacks happen NOT by cholesterol blocking blood flow, but by a blood clot.

• In fact, historical medicine relies mostly on EKGs and Stress Tests that look only at blood FLOW. But, findings now show patients with normal stress test results still have extensive heart disease.

• Problems aren’t picked up on stress tests unless there’s more than 70 percent blockage.

• Nearly 86 percent of heart attacks occur in people who would have passed a cardiac stress test.

• Inflammation and blood clots—not build-up of cholesterol—cause heart attack and stroke.

• Inflammation drives arterial events.

• The American Medical Association Journal (JAMA) reports inflammation causes arterial disease, not cholesterol.

• At least 50 percent of people with heart attacks have normal cholesterol.

• Now, many doctors are no longer using only cholesterol levels to determine risk.

• This model of care waits for chest pain.

• This model of care does not search for “mild” disease.

People Considered “Low Risk” Still at Risk

For a majority of people, the first sign of atherosclerosis or heart disease is often a heart attack or death.

• Up to 50 percent of sudden death from heart attacks occurs in people considered “low risk” by traditional medical standards.

• One in 30 female deaths is from breast cancer, while one in 2.6 female deaths is from cardiovascular disease.

• Up to 50 percent of men and 64 percent of women who died suddenly of coronary heart disease—had NO previous symptoms of disease.

• In fact, people with gum disease have in their blood twice the amount of small, dense LDL cholesterol (the most dangerous smaller kind that more easily stick) as those with healthy gums.

Prevention starts with doctors looking for treatable reasons WHY heart disease is there!

• Diabetes

• Dysfunctional HDL

• Endodontic Disease

• Genetics

• Hyperlipidemia

• Hypertension

• Infectious Diseases

• Inflammatory Diseases

• Insulin Resistance

• Lifestyle

• Lipo (a)

• Low Vitamin D

• Myeloproxidase and other genetic markers.

• Nicotine Exposure

• Obstructive sleep Apnea

• Periodontal Disease