| If you want to learn your chances of suffering a heart | | | | under the age of 40 and women under the age of |
| attack, ask your doctor to draw blood for C-Reactive | | | | 60.)If your C reactive protein is high, you may need to |
| Protein (CRP), the good HDL and the bad LDL | | | | take Zithromax, Dynabec, or Biaxin for 9 days.If your |
| cholesterol, small low-density lipoprotein, Lp(a), | | | | good HDL is low or your triglycerides are high, you |
| homocysteine. He will also check your blood | | | | need to restrict calories and any foods that cause a |
| pressure.We used to think that heart attacks were | | | | high rise in blood sugar, such as bakery products, |
| caused primarily by plaques accumulating in arteries | | | | pastas and sugar-added foods; and eat root |
| because of high cholesterol levels. Now we know that | | | | vegetables and fruits only with other foods, not alone |
| the inner lining of an artery must first be roughed up | | | | as snacks. You may also need to take medications.If |
| before plaques form, and infections are the most | | | | your bad LDL cholesterol is high, you need to restrict |
| common cause of damaged inner linings of arteries. | | | | saturated fats, partially hydrogenated fats and calories, |
| C-Reactive Protein is a blood test that measures | | | | and you may need to take medication.If your Lp(a) is |
| inflammation or the swelling that occurs in arteries | | | | greater than 40, you need to take the vitamin niacin |
| before plaques form. So C-reactive protein is one of | | | | after every meal in continually raising doses until your |
| the best indicators that a person is headed for a heart | | | | Lp(a) is below 40. Diet will not lower Lp(a).If your |
| attack.Blood cholesterol levels are still good predictors | | | | homocysteine is high, you need to avoid meat and |
| of heart attacks. Your bad LDL cholesterol should be | | | | poultry, and eat plenty of whole grains, leafy green |
| under 100. If you have had a heart attack, your LDL | | | | vegetables. You can meet your needs for vitamin B12 |
| should be under 70. Having high blood levels of a | | | | with seafood and skim milk dairy products, or with B 12 |
| subfraction of the bad LDL cholesterol called small LDL | | | | pills. If homocysteine remains above 100, you should |
| increases your risk for a heart attack.Another test | | | | take folic acid, pyridoxine and B12 (readily available in |
| called homocysteine also predicts heart attacks. When | | | | combination pills such as Foltex or Fol-B.)A |
| your diet does not provide you with adequate amounts | | | | heart-healthy diet and lifestyle makes it possible for |
| of the vitamins B12, pyridoxine and folic acid, blood | | | | most people to control cholesterol and blood pressure |
| levels of homocysteine rise, damaging the walls of the | | | | without drugs.Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk |
| arteries and causing plaques to form.Lp(a) is a genetic | | | | show host for 25 years and practicing physician for |
| disorder that causes clots to form and so is a cause | | | | more than 40 years; he is board certified in four |
| of heart attacks, particularly in younger people (men | | | | specialties, including sports medicine. |