Articles of Interest

Taking Your Health to Heart

by Leslie Jacobs, M.D. and William Shoemaker, M.D.
 
In 1991, heart and blood vessel diseases took the lives of over 923,000 Americans, placing it as the number one killer in this country today. In fact, more than two out of every five Americans have been reported to die from cardiovascular disease alone … causing an explosion of national and worldly concern. And while the statistics continue to prove staggering, both men and women alike are realizing that they must begin taking their health to heart by applying a proactive approach to living. In their attempt to avoid high blood pressure, diabetes and heart attacks, these health conscious individuals are not only eating right and exercising regularly, they are also consuming heart-healthy vitamins: natural, scientifically proven wonders that are adding years to their lives.
 

Vitamin E

The benefits of vitamin E have been known for decades. However, a recent clinical study published in a prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet, reconfirmed its benefits with regards to heart disease. The Cambridge Heart Antioxidant Study followed more than 2,000 men with known heart disease for up to 21/2 years. Some were given between 400 and 800 IU of vitamin E, while others were given a placebo. The vitamin E group reduced their risk of heart attack by 77 percent. Though vitamin E has numerous benefits on the vascular system, its antioxidant properties are felt to be responsible for these impressive results.
 
You may recall our discussions of free radicals in past issues. Free radicals are toxic molecules produced by the body in response to smog, pesticides, cigarette smoke, physical exertion and normal metabolism. They have been linked to cancer, aging and atherosclerosis. The "hardening of the arteries" that is seen in the atherosclerosis occurs when cholesterol particles deposit within the artery, much like mineral deposits which form in pipes exposed to "hard" water. In our bodies this process, of course, is more complex. In the blood, cholesterol is packaged and transported in specialized molecules called lipoproteins which include HDL, LDL and VLDL. The LDL particles (commonly referred to as "bad cholesterol") are especially prone to oxidation by free radicals. Once oxidized, LDL is absorbed through pores in the inner lining of the blood vessels where it comes into contact with macrophages, specialized cells which act as vacuum cleaners and are busily set out to clean up the oxidized LDL particles. Unfortunately, the macrophages get larger as they consume LDL and are eventually trapped within the lining of the artery. Over time, these cholesterol laden macrophages enlarge further, forming a plaque that ultimately narrows the arrow. When this occurs in the coronary arteries of the heart, the risk of a heart attack, and sudden death, greatly increases. Thank goodness for vitamin E. This precious molecule actually is incorporated within the LDL particle in varying concentrations. Vitamin E suppresses the free radicals' oxidation of LDL by donating its available electrons to them. The greater the availability of vitamin E, the greater the protection, and the better one's chance of avoiding a heart attack.
 

Folic Acid and its Effects on Homocysteine

Long overshadowed by other vitamins, folic acid has now gained much more recognition for its ability to decrease vascular disease. Also known as folate, folic acid was recently the subject of an article in The Journal of the American Medical Association which reviewed the results of a Canadian study. Approximately 5,000 Canadian men and women participated in the study and had their folate levels measured in their blood. Over time, there were 165 deaths from heart disease. This increased risk of cardiac death was equivalent to that of smoking in this same group. Universally, it was found that the people with the highest folate levels had the lowest incidence of cardiac death. How does folic acid accomplish these astonishing results? Folic acid is essential in numerous metabolic reactions within the body, including the conversion of homocysteine to methionine. Homocysteine is a natural by product of protein metabolism but is extremely toxic to walls of blood vessels. Folic acid removes homocysteine from the blood; however, if folate levels are inadequate, homocysteine levels will build up and cause arterial damage. Incidentally, vitamins B6 and B12 are also responsible for decreasing homocysteine levels.
 

Know Your Risks

Now that you know what you know about the important health benefits of just a few vitamins, you might be wondering how this applies to you. Some people still believe that they can get all the nutrients, including vitamins, from the foods they eat. Unfortunately, a survey by the National Cancer Institute found that only 9 percent of Americans daily consume the five fruits and vegetables that have been recommended. Even this amount may not provide the levels of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients necessary to reduce your risk of heart disease. To complicate matters even more, everyone absorbs and metabolizes vitamins at a different rate. Therefore, the amount of nutrients that one person consumes may provide adequate levels of vitamins in their blood, but another person may need to consume more or less to achieve the same level of protection.
 
So how can you be certain that you are consuming enough antioxidants in your diet, as well as in your supplements, to lower your risk of heart disease and cancer? The answer can be as simple as getting your blood checked. There are blood tests available that can measure the levels of vitamins in your body and even give an estimate of your body's total antioxidant capacity. Consult your physician to arrange these tests. If the lab in your area is unable to perform them, specialty labs such as SpectraCell Laboratories in Houston may be contacted.
 
It is difficult to imagine why anyone, when confronted with the growing amount of research showing the benefits of antioxidants, would choose not to supplement their diet with a potent antioxidant formulation. Yet, as physicians, we are constantly amazed at the choices people sometimes make at the expense of their health and longevity. What choice will you make? Will you choose to ignore the statistics, risks and the resulting consequences by convincing yourself that it could never happen to you? Or, will you choose to take a few tablets each day to help reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer? It's your body, your life and ultimately your choice.
 
A husband-and-wife team, Drs. William Shoemaker and Leslie Jacobs are both board-certified internists who practice in Las Vegas. Their family-owned internal medicine practice is one of the largest and most successful in the state of Nevada. These two doctors are also IndependentDistributors of WIN.



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