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Heart Disease Ruins Bones: Osteoporosis and Heart Disease Linked
It’s almost comical how mainstream medicine has cordoned human disease into specialties and yet the human body metaphorically thumbs its nose at the idea that systems act in isolation. Every system effects every other system.
We see this time and time again. Heart disease patients who also have colorectal cancer. Patients with stomach complaints that also have osteoporosis. My favorite is diabetes and cardiovascular disease. From my viewpoint, there is no difference between heart disease and diabetes. If this sounds strange, consider that 70% of diabetics die of cardiovascular complications, and almost every single cardiovascular patient has signs that they are either diabetic are heading towards diabetes. The lifestyle changes to prevent diabetes are the same ones that will protect the heart.
Which then brings us to this particular study. Researchers looked at the rate of osteoporotic fractures in patients who were being treated for heart failure and found an increased risk (about 33% after all other risk factors for fractures were accounted for).
Just pointing out the association is important and will hopefully wake up clinicians who do not view treatment of a patient from a whole body perspective. I have never had a patient diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis who was given any information beyond the drugs available and take some more calcium. Rarely is vitamin D even touched on, let alone other lifestyle related factors that contribute to bone destruction.
The researchers however, in their conclusion, demonstrate that they just don’t get it. The conclusion is that this means that patients with heart failure should be screened more often for osteoporosis and given more drugs.
UGH!!
These conditions are on the same trajectory! They are not separate disease entities that need to be treated independently by another litany of drugs. We need to understand that poor lifestyle changes lead to EVERY disease and that fixing the lifestyle is key, NOT medicating the symptoms! (Ok..I feel much better now…)
TRY OTHER WAYS TO LOWER YOUR RISK OF HEART ATTACK – (05-01-05)
A Randomized Trial of Low-Dose Aspirin in the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Women
I guess it’s not the results of this study that should surprise everyone, but rather the thought process behind it. This study did not show a benefit in women in preventing a first cardiovascular event with the use of aspirin. What surprises me is this never ending quest to find a single agent to effect a single disease (statins, anyone?). Many of these, “one cause, one cure” approaches affect only the disease looking to be improved, if that.
However, the other 20 recommendations to lower your risk of a heart attack like a low glycemic index diet, exercise, fish oils, lots of fruits and veggies, etc… will have a side effect of lowering your risk for just about every chronic disease. So we focus on one single intervention like taking aspirin to lower our risk of heart attack, when we should educate the public about refined carbs and insulin resistance.
RISK OF CVD BY HYSTERECTOMY STATUS – (05-01-05)
Risk of CVD by Hysterectomy Status, With and Without Oophorectomy
This exemplifies what I have a problem with–many times women have hormonal dysfunctions that lead to gynecological problems. These problems could be caused by estrogen dominance, insulin resistance, increased inflammation via poor dietary supply of omega 3 fatty acids…
But these women undergo hysterectomies without ever fully evaluating what the actual cause of the problem was! Quite frustrating considering that whatever the imbalance, it is allowed to reign unchecked after one of the body’s smoke detectors (the problem leading up to the hysterectomy) is plucked out.
WAYS TO LOWER THE RISK OF CVD AND OTHER CHRONIC DISEASES – (05-01-05)
Low-Dose Aspirin in the Primary Prevention of CVD in Women
Wow. It’s been a bad time for dogma. HRT, dairy, now aspirin to prevent a heart attack in women. I have always contended that there are 20 other ways to lower your risk of CVD that will not only pose no risks, but have benefits in risk reduction in many other chronic diseases such as diabetes or cancer. Funny, but I don’t recall this one getting alot of press, either, and this was in the NEJM…
HOW GOOD IS TO CONSUME DARK CHOCOLATE? – (04-25-05)
Short-term administration of dark chocolate is followed by a significant increase in insulin sensitivity and a decrease in blood pressure
Need I say more? Remember, though, that this is dark chocolate, NOT milk chocolate with all it’s added sugar.
WHAT IS A GOOD SOLID TEST TO CHECK OXIDATIVE STRESS – (04-25-05)
Urinary 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid excretion is associated with oxidative stress in hypertensive subjects
Not to confuse anyone with long words (just how much would that be worth in Scrabble?) but it is surprising to me just how many ways we are finding to evaluate oxidative stress. Truly this is a wonderful movement, because we are still lacking a good, overall, solid test to check for oxidative stress.
What I can see happening is a panel of several oxidative stress markers that will give a good idea of what state a patient is in. Given that I think oxidative stress/mitochondrial dysfunction is the root of all evil, any markers we can identify to evaluate this is a good thing.
EFFECT OF DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID ON LIPOPROTEIN SUBCLASSES – (04-25-05)
Effect of docosahexaenoic acid on lipoprotein subclasses in hyperlipidemic children
A few important points here. First, this study wisely looked at the subclasses of lipids, which is much more important than looking at just HDL, LDL particles. Second, the results were quite dramatic–91% increase in LDL1 and 14% increase in HDL2 (both “good”) and a 91% decrease in LDL3 (“bad’). Lastly, look at the dosages used–1.2 grams/day of EPA. That’s quite a hefty dose considering that most, off the shelf supplements have between 100-200 mg.
All in all, remarkable results in this study with, in this group of patients, can have dramatic long-term preventative effects on these kids if the supplementation continues.
PAINFUL COMBINATION – STATINS FOR CHOLESTEROL AND ARTHRITIS
I just left a meeting where I found out one of our members had been hospitalized for kidney failure following rhabdomyolysis (muscle damage). The first thought to pop into my mind was statins. This may or not have been the case, but it is a well known association with taking statins to lower cholesterol.
Since their introduction, the statin class of drugs (think Lipitor, Crestor) has been on a pedestal. By 2003, Lipitor was the best selling drug in history. Just like every drug, the statin class of drugs has a dark side and contributes to conditions such as muscle damage, heart damage, liver and kidney problems, diabetes and cancer.
The sad part about all this is that basically, statins absolutely suck at preventing a first heart attack (the data is somewhat better for 2nd heart attacks, but still trumped by dark chocolate…). There is no other way to describe it. I have review the absolute effectiveness of statins in previous posts. Compare this to the effects of natural approaches:
- Nuts to lower cholesterol
- Berries to improve and protect your heart
- Honey helps to protect the heart
The bottom line is that statins are a very ineffective at preventing a first heart attack (overall, lowers absolute risk of having a heart attack about 1%, the risk of dying from a heart attack even less) and there are natural approaches that are much more effective and safer and cheaper. Worse, there are side effects that are high prevelant and occasionally life threatening.
However, if none of the above side effects really concern you, here’s a new one to add: Damaging rheumatoid arthritis.
In this particular study, researchers found a strong association (absolute 7.3% increase–that means an extra 7 cases of RA for every 100 patients treated with statins) between statin use and rheumatoid arthritis. Keep in mind that RA is one of the most debilitating forms of arthritis.
All because of the use of a drug that will make your numbers look better, but don’t actually fix anything. Lifestyle is the ONLY thing that can do that.
HOW DOGS CAN HELP HEART PROBLEMS
As an avid dog owner my entire life, I can attest to the fact that animals have a calming influence on us. Except, that is, when you return home and find your favorite couch in tatters. Many are sure that this calming influence has to be good for our health, but how can dogs help heart problems?
Stress is, without a doubt, one of the most devastating situations that we can put ourselves into. Because of this, anything that can calm our stress levels will likely have long term benefits.
In this particular study, researchers knew that pet owners had greater survival rates than non-pet owners if they already had diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, so they looked at how well the heart functioned in pet owners.
They looked at heart rate variability, a marker used to determine the cardiac health of the patient and found that pet owner’s hearts were much more responsive than non-pet owners.
What more could you ask for??
IMPROVEMENT IN METABOLIC RISK FACTORS FOR CVD – (05-08-05)
Effect of orlistat on cardiovascular disease risk in obese adults
Just so you know–it wasn’t me that designated April/May as “beat up the pharmaceuticals for obesity” months.
This study found improvements in several metabolic risk factors for CVD, but not enough to lower 10-year risk assessment. Interestingly, although the patients on orlistat had lower total cholesterol, none reduced their cholesterol lowering meds. I can practically guarantee that lifestyle changes geared towards a healthy body composition will definitely lower a patient’s need for cholesterol lowering drugs.
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