LifeCare Chiropractic

The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona

arteries

Elevating HDL in Mice Remodels Advanced Atherosclerotic Lesions – (11-19-01)

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Elevating HDL in Mice Remodels Advanced Atherosclerotic Lesions

This is an interesting concept that needs to be followed up on. This study suggest that HDL cholesterol actually has the potential to begin to clean up some of the plaguing in arteries. This would be a remarkable achievement, and would definitely impact cardiac surgeries and procedures as well as further support the work of Dr. Dean Ornish in reversing heart disease. Remember that the medication used to lower LDLs but has a relatively small impact on raising HDL. On the other hand, exercise, monounsaturated fats (i.e. olive oil…), niacin and phytoestrogens can increase HDL levels safely.

Circulation — Abstracts: Rong et al. 104 (20): 2447

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Large Artery Stiffness Accompanies the Insulin Resistance Syndrome – (11-19-01)

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Large Artery Stiffness Accompanies the Insulin Resistance Syndrome

I am a firm believer that, as we discover more and more about the arteries and their modulation by insulin, that the concept of “essential” hypertension will fall by the wayside. 90% of HTN is essential with no known cause. It very well may be that the real cause of a large chunk of this hypertension is hyperinsulinemia adversely affecting the contractility of the arterial walls. The inter-related nature of physiology and organ systems really becomes apparent when you look at problems and solutions from a different angle–exercise is known to lower blood pressure. Could it be that exercise does this by increasing insulin sensitivity and lowering blood pressure through this pathway???

JCEM — Abstracts: Westerbacka et al. 86 (11): 5262

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Oxygenated Carotenoid Lutein and Progression of Early Atherosclerosis – (06-25-01)

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Oxygenated Carotenoid Lutein and Progression of Early Atherosclerosis

This study shows a protective effect of the carotenoid lutein (a cousin of beta carotene) on hardening of the arteries. Something to remember here…it is always beta carotene that gets all the press, and yet nature makes many types of carotenoids and that we need whole foods to get the variety that optimal health needs. Also…some of the best quality multivitamins will also contain a variety of carotenoids.

Circulation — Abstracts: Dwyer et al. 103 (24): 2922

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Insulin Resistance in Teenage Boys Linked to Elevated Systolic BP – (10-01-01)

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Insulin Resistance in Teenage Boys Linked to Elevated Systolic BP

Remember from past updates that hyperinsulinema affects the cells lining the arteries and because of this may be the answer behind supposedly “essential” hypertension. This article supports that hypothesis. On the scarier side, how many of our young people now have increased insulin resistance because of the nutrient poor, highly processed dietary patterns that are all too common?

55th Annual Fall Conference of the AHA Council for High BP Research In 15-year-old males, insulin resistance correlates with systolic blood pressure. Dr. Alan R. Sinaiko of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and colleagues from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina used euglycemic insulin clamp studies to measure insulin resistance in 159 boys and 128 girls enrolled in Minneapolis Public Schools. Measurements were collected at age 13 and again at 15. Half of the volunteers came from the top 25% of the school population based on socioeconomic status. Fifty-three students were black, Dr. Sinaiko said. On average the boys had a higher body mass index (BMI) than girls at both age 13 and age 15. Results of the studies done at age 13 did not indicate an association between insulin resistance and systolic blood pressure, but “in 15-year-old males there was a significant association.” For both males and females, higher insulin resistance was also associated with higher triglycerides and lower HDL. There was no correlation with diastolic blood pressure. Moreover, as in adults, “insulin resistance and systolic blood pressure was influenced by total body fatness,” Dr. Sinaiko said.

MECHANISM UNDERLYING OXIDATIVE STRESS – 05-01-05)

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Mechanism underlying oxidative stress-mediated lipotoxicity

In a nutshell, the researchers in this study found that elevated triglycerides (as would be found in insulin resistance) get sucked up into the macrophages (a type of white blood cells), and once there, started to destroy the mitochondria of the cell resulting in cell death.  The death of a macrophage in the bloodstream can lead to the production of foam cells and subsequent plague in the arteries.

Interestingly, vit C, NAC and resveratrol protected the macrophages from this death.  So, to extrapolate into a living, breathing human, antioxidants protect the cells that produce plaquing in the arteries, resulting in less plaque.

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INSULIN RESISTANCE – A MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR TO PLAQUING – (08-13-07)

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Nontraditional atherosclerotic risk factors and extent of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with combined impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance.

There are many clinical trials attempting to find that one drug that, when given at high dosages, can reverse or stop plaquing of the arteries. Of course, all this money spent is in the face of lifestyle changes and natural compounds that already to what the drug companies are trying to mimic.

This study found a relationship between the amount of plaquing in the coronary arteries and several “non-traditional” risk factors. So often physicians view coronary heart disease risk with blinders on — check cholesterol, blood pressure, family history, etc… But these risk factors only show a small part of what’s going on as far as risk of CHD in the patient.

This study found that insulin resistance was a major contributor to plaquing. No big surprise, of course, given how pro-inflammatory insulin resistance is.

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PROTECTING OUR ARTERIES WITH GARLIC

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PROTECTING OUR ARTERIES WITH GARLIC.  I always remind patients that cholesterol all by itself does NOT cause damage to our arteries.  It is not until cholesterol becomes oxidatively damaged (now called an oxysterol) that it becomes to cause damage to our arteries.  So, regardless of what your cholesterol level is, we need to protect our cholesterol.  How do we do this?  (hint:  statins DON’T protect cholesterol)  Shockingly, it’s a high phytonutrient, plant based diet.

In this particular study, researchers looked at the use of garlic to protect cholesterol and protect our blood vessels.