Four Things You May Not Know About Salt Consumption

Monday, August 23, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra
If you’re working hard to prevent heart attack and stroke, as well as the occurrence of other cardiovascular problems, you need to beware of the dangers associated with salt. 

As any decent doctor or holistic practitioner will tell you, having too much salt in your system can make it difficult for you to maintain healthy blood pressure levels, as well as healthy cholesterol levels.  In fact, too much salt can severely compromise your overall health and force you to deal with a myriad of serious heart risk factors you’d do well to avoid.

Here are four things you may not know about salt consumption:
  1. Your body requires sodium (a component of salt) to regulate fluid balance and distribution, as well as nerve and muscle cell function. Although you need some sodium, the standard American diet includes way too much. That’s why I urge my patients to try what I often refer to as "the healthiest diet of all." You'll be amazed at how effective it can be.
  2. The current recommendation for salt consumption is less than 2,400 mg of sodium a day, which amounts to about one teaspoon of salt. Recent research suggests that people ingesting less than 1,500 mg of sodium a day are better able to keep their blood pressure low. If you have high blood pressure, you should definitely aim for that kind of level. Don’t use salt from the shaker, and read labels to add up the amount you’re taking in.
  3. Many items at fast food restaurants are high in salt, so you can easily exceed the recommended level with one serving.
  4. You can easily make up for the reduced salt in your diet by cooking with fresh herbs and spices such as basil, garlic, oregano, rosemary, chives, parsley, and onion. What’s more, all of these flavorings contain natural substances that are good for your health. Garlic, in particular, has been shown to have a positive effect on blood pressure when consumed on a daily basis.
I hope you'll share this information with your friends and loved ones. It's just another example of how you can do something simple to help control your cardiovascular health.

For more information on blood pressure levels and other cardiovascular problems, visit www.drsinatra.com.

Let Food Be Thy Medicine

Thursday, August 19, 2010 by Jan Sinatra
Dr. Sinatra has long believed in the famous words of Hippocrates, the Greek physician of centuries past who is now recognized as the “Father of Medicine.” Hippocrates employed food to assist his patients in healing their physical ailments. With all our high tech medical approaches and complex pharmaceutical agents, it is amazing how much we have forgotten that simple approach!

After years of applying nutritional solutions to the myriad faces of heart disease—high blood pressure levels; chronic hypertension; high triglycerides; elevated L(p)a; angina; and heart attack and stroke—Dr. Sinatra has finally answered his patients’ many requests for a book that they can have as a reference at home. His research and personal experiences with his family, friends, and cardiac patients has continually impressed my husband that Hippocrates was so right on—and provided the foundation for this effort.     

Dr. Sinatra has collaborated with former pro athlete and health editor Jim Healthy, as well as recipe queen Rebecca Bent to write Bottom Line’s The Healing Kitchen. The Healing Kitchen is a strategic resource for making healthy grocery selections and healing meal planning guidelines, as well as specific recipes to assist you in selecting the right healthy foods to meet your specific health and fitness needs.

Subscribers to Heart, Health, and Nutrition have been reading Dr. Sinatra’s take on which foods, herbs, and supplements can help with their cardiovascular problems (not to mention cancer and other diseases caused by inflammation) for many years. Now all that information and more is the basis for this one reference to help guide you to foods that can heal your body.

For instance, the omega 3 essential fatty acids—especially those found in squid and fish oils—assuage cardiac arrhythmia, lower blood pressure levels, reduce LDL cholesterol levels, and even prevent plaque rupture.

Garlic is a potent blood thinner and, like onions which are rich in quercetin, helps you prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Garlic and onions are both superb foods for lowering blood pressure levels. And, speaking of hypertension, Dr. Sinatra also recommends sardines and wakame seaweed as natural blood pressure lowering foods.

And that’s just the beginning! Did you know that the right diet can help alleviate your migraines headaches, or that non-inflammatory foods can heal your arthritis?

Foods can also protect women from menopausal symptoms, as well as heal and protect us from cancer. The lutein in tomatoes along with pumpkin seeds and other fine herbs and spices can help men with their prostate concerns. From heart disease and diabetes to sleep and sex, The Healing Kitchen will educate you about natural, tasty remedies for many of the illnesses that afflict the 20th century. 

If you are looking to use simple, healthy foods, herbs and spices to get your body back on track, and keep it there, you will love this book!

For more information on healthy heart nutrition or some of Dr. Sinatra’s famous recipes, visit his Web site at www.drsinatra.com.

Cardiovascular Problems and Women

Wednesday, August 18, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra
I worry about the fact that so many women still think that cardiovascular problems, like heart disease and stroke, is primarily a problem for men. The truth is that heart disease is a major health risk for women, but many physicians did not realize this until recently, so they’ve done little to encourage their female patients to take steps to protect their heart health.

I also worry because much of our knowledge about heart disease describes how the condition affects men. This leads many physicians, including some holistic practitioners, to diagnose and treat women as if heart disease affected them the same way. Nothing could be further from the truth. Heart disease affects men and women very differently and I’ve written about that here in this in newsletter articles, books, and here in this blog.

For example, if a 45-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man both come into the emergency room with chest pain, most physicians will probably admit the man and tell the woman her symptoms are due to stress and anxiety. Not many physicians realize that the incidence of coronary events among women quadruples as they reach middle age.

What You Can Do About It

I want you to understand that much of this, in both women and men, is related to lifestyle and the choices you make.
  • Choose to seek natural ways to lower blood pressure if that’s a problem for you.
  • Choose to adhere to good cardiovascular nutrition, which may include increasing the amount of fresh vegetables you consume and lowering the amount of breads and other starches you eat each day.
  • Choose to do what you need to do to maintain good cholesterol levels, improve blood circulation, and healthy triglycerides.
  • Choose to exercise so that you can more easily prevent blood clots and maintain a healthy weight.
In short, while it may be difficult at the start, choose to live a healthy lifestyle.  Choose life.

For more information on women and cardiovascular problems or tips for good cardiovascular nutrition, visit Dr. Sinatra's Web site.

Leading Causes of High Blood Pressure Levels

Wednesday, August 11, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra
The leading causes of high blood pressure levels include stress, genetics, being overweight, a high-sugar diet, heavy metal toxicity, and lack of exercise. 

This blog is loaded with posts that can help you manage all of these.  And once you have them under control, you’ll be well on your way to avoiding a host of cardiovascular problems, including heart attack and stroke.

Obviously, it’s better to prevent high blood pressure levels than to treat them.  That’s why I work so hard to educate my readers.  I want you all to know that there are natural ways to lower blood pressure, including:
  • reducing stress,
  • losing weight  (you can get great tips for doing this here),
  • controlling your sugar intake, and
  • exercising more.

You also want to adhere to good cardiovascular nutrition and following my PAMM diet makes that easy.  You’ll never go hungry, but will enjoy delicious foods filled with the nutrients you need to maintain good health.

For more information on blood pressure levels and healthy blood pressure, visit Dr. Sinatra's Web site.

Rosemary to the Rescue

Thursday, July 29, 2010 by Jan Sinatra
One of Dr. Sinatra’s safe at-home summer grilling tips is to always marinate your meat, fowl, or fish in the refrigerator, not the kitchen counter.  Set aside any extra sauce you wish to use for basting before it touches the raw foods.  We also follow the American Cancer Society warning to trim off visible fat before grilling, and cook it at a higher rack position so that it is farther from the heat. (Use only the minimum number of flames sources needed on your grill in order to reduce exposure to higher temperatures.)

But our KEY extra pointer that works is to rub your meats with rosemary. In the summer months, we have small pots of herbs on our patio so we can pick them fresh off the plant, but store-bought or dried rosemary can also work.

Rosemary helps to prevent the buildup of toxic carcinogens in the meats and even contains compounds that prevent skin cancers. It’s also a great antioxidant. You can add a drizzle of a light olive oil to the aid in the rosemary rub. Grapeseed oil is even better because it does not break down with high heat as much as olive oil can.

Lamb is the perfect complement to rosemary. Lamb is a rich, natural source of L-carnitine, an antioxidant that is one of Dr. Sinatra’s Awesome Foursome. A 4-ounce serving of lamb will net you about 75 mg of L-carnitine, a great energy substrate for cardiac muscle cells—and the entire body!

Remember, food can be your medicine. Here is a fun recipe that put our taste buds into orbit this summer.

And, stay tuned for more on Dr Sinatra’s new book about foods that heal. For even more great recipes and information on cardiovascular nutrition, check out Dr. Sinatra’s Web site.

Lamb a la Rosemary
  • one organic New Zealand rack of lamb
  • 1-2 tablespoons of grapeseed (preferred) or extra virgin olive oil
  • leaves from a 3-4 inch sprig of fresh rosemary, finely chopped ( or1/2 tsp dried rosemary)

Combine oil and rosemary and rub lamb on both sides. Place in refrigerator for one to two hours. Remove and salt and pepper to taste. Cook on both sides over propane grill to desired doneness (at least 145 degrees). Place on clean place and garnish with sprig of fresh rosemary to serve.

Eight Stroke Prevention Tips

Monday, July 26, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra
The following eight tips can help you improve blood circulation and even reduce your risk of stroke:
  • Address any lifestyle-related or heart risk factors you have with your doctor.
  • Follow a good cardiovascular nutrition eating program, such as the PAMM diet.
  • Take 1–3 grams of fish oil daily.
  • For women over 65, take 100 mg of aspirin (equivalent to 1.25 baby aspirin) a day. (Beware of stomach bleeding, though, which is always a possibility with long-term aspirin use.)
  • Drink 1 to 3 cups of green tea and 2 ounces of pomegranate juice daily.
  • Take a 500–1,000 mg garlic supplement or eat one crushed clove daily. (Avoid this tip if you’re taking Coumadin.)
  • Be aware of your high inflammation marker scores: CRP, homocysteine, fibrinogen, and Lp(a).
  • Maintain good cholesterol levels, including an HDL less than 40.

Following these tips will minimizes your chances of having a stroke and will also help to keep other cardiovascular problems at bay. For more information on stroke, heart risk factors, cardiovascular problems and overall heart health, visit www.drsinatra.com.


Farm Stand Health

Thursday, July 22, 2010 by Jan Sinatra
I am a self-proclaimed "Farm Stand Queen." I love to get local fruits and vegetables to add color, texture, nutrition, and healing perks to our summer meals at home. Plus, you get all of the perks of fresh fruits and vegetable—phytonutrients, antioxidants, carotenoids, fiber, enzymes, and so on. My personal favorite is asparagus on the grill—a family favorite and mainstay that can help lower blood pressure levels.  

Since dining on raw vegetables can offset the possible carcinogen exposure you may get by grilling meats and fish, I like to serve up colorful, raw vegetables on our patio dinner table. In addition to being refreshingly cooler, they are brimming with live enzymes that aid digestion and offset concerns we may have about high heat exposure to the main dishes. 

Two important vegetables that work in synergy to prevent cancer are broccoli (rich in sulphoraphane) and tomatoes (high in lycopene). They make great stand-alone side dishes. Serve them raw with hummus or add them to a fresh salad.

When it comes to safe and heart smart summer outdoor cooking, we are ON IT at www.drsinatra.com, which has just been updated and revamped, so we hope you will visit often.

Follow our blogs this summer for more recipes and info on summertime cooking.

Controlling High Blood Pressure

Monday, July 19, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra
Uncontrolled blood pressure levels (or hypertension) are a leading risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Often, there are no symptoms, which is why hypertension is called the “silent killer.” You may not know you have it unless you have your blood pressure checked regularly.

Your blood pressure reflects how hard your heart has to work to pump adequate blood through your arteries. Each contraction of your heart pumps out a wave of oxygen-rich blood that causes the flexible arterial walls to expand. After the wave passes, the walls deflate. The intensity of this sequence is your blood pressure. The first number is your systolic reading (the pressure of the blood against arterial walls at the wave’s peak), and the second number is the diastolic reading (the pressure when the wave passes).

Years ago, we thought a reading of 140/88 was the upper limit of normal. These days, a reading that high is unacceptable. Research shows that you want your systolic pressure to be in the 120s and your diastolic pressure to be in the high 70s or low 80s.

Unfortunately, our arteries become more rigid and calcified as we age, making it harder to attain these optimum blood pressure levels. Think of your arteries as rivers full of twists and turns. Just as the force of rushing high water can eat away at the bank of a river, high blood pressure has a potentially damaging effect on the inner layer of the arterial wall. The arteries are especially vulnerable where they bend or form branches.

The leading causes of high blood pressure include stress, genetics, being overweight, a high-sugar diet, heavy metal toxicity, and lack of exercise. Stress-related hormones, for instance, cause the peripheral vessels to constrict. This forces the heart to pump harder in order to move blood through the narrowed channels, and leads to more pressure at the bends.

Obviously, it’s better to prevent hypertension than to have to treat it. For more information on natural ways to lower blood pressure, visit www.drsinatra.com. While there, sign up for FREE e-letters or subscribe to Dr. Sinatra’s monthly newsletter, Heart, Health & Nutrition.


Lp(a) Cholesterol Guidelines

Thursday, July 8, 2010 by Jan Sinatra
Lp(a) cholesterol has been of great interest to many of you, and we’ve had many comments posted on the topic. I’d like to take the opportunity to answer a sound question from a concerned mom, because it is exemplary of what folks often ask us in the office that all of you can benefit from it.

Like many of you looking at the results of your cholesterol profiles, she reports that she is not sure what constitutes an alarming abnormal Lp(a) value. In her 50-year-old daughter’s case, the blood work read as follows:
  • Total Cholesterol:  173
  • HDL:   74
  • LDL:   87
  • LDL cholesterol-C:  90
  • Lp(a) : 12
In this particular case, there is no family history of cardiovascular disease, and the lipid panel results were within normal limits.

As with other blood level parameters, there may be some variation in normal ranges for Lp(a) as reported by different labs. I have seen some labs where up to 30 was within the normal range for the equipment and reagents they use. Our concerned mom reports that, for her daughter’s lab, anything over 10 is out of the normal range; hence her concern.

Her question is a good one. In the absence of any family history of cardiovascular problems and good cholesterol levels, how much should one be concerned about slightly elevated Lp(a)?

In this particular case, Dr. Sinatra and I would like to reassure her not worry about this finding. First of all, her daughter’s Lp(a) is only elevated two points (or  20 percent above the limit). Secondly, her high HDL “good” cholesterol levels of 74  (HDL > 60 for a woman,  and > 45 for men is considered desirable) is a very protective component. And, thirdly, there is no family or personal history of heart disease.
 
When do we get concerned? Dr. Sinatra takes action when he sees Lp(a) levels that are twice the normal limit (he sees some that are even four times higher or more!). In those cases, he recommends fish oil (a total of 2 grams/day in divided doses) and nattokinase (50 mg twice daily).

Even if your Lp(a) levels are normal, borderline, or even slightly elevated and you want to be more aggressive in your preventive medicine efforts, then just be sure that omega 3s are part of your daily vitamin and mineral plan. About one to two grams of a high quality fish oil—or squid oil—should do the trick.

Lp(a) may still be a new blood component to know about for many of you. Be sure to watch for an upcoming newsletter article on the seriousness of this risk factor. For other tips on healthy cholesterol levels, visit Dr. Sinatra's Web site. While there, don't forget to sign up for his FREE eLetters!

48 Hours After a Heart Attack

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

Time is of the essence when you’re dealing with a heart attack. The best chance for survival and optimum recovery occurs if you are treated within two hours of the onset of symptoms.

At the hospital, things will move quickly. Up to 50 percent of the time, sudden death is the first symptom of heart disease, so any patient who survives the first two hours after a heart attack has passed a significant milestone. However, even with the best of medical care, 10–12 percent of those who survive the initial attack never leave the hospital (they die in the days following).


When it’s time for a patient to be discharged from the hospital, close caregivers should be present for any medical instructions because patients frequently don’t remember details. In fact, patients sometimes fail to recognize hospital staff members when they return for follow-up visits—that kind of psychological side effect is common during times of shock and trauma. At home, one of the biggest challenges that patients and loved ones face is a sense of day-to-day suspense. Many patients say they feel like they are just waiting for the other shoe to drop. These feelings are normal.


While I hope you’ll never need this information, I want you to be aware of it. I also want you to recognize common heart risk factors so that you can avoid ever being victim to heart attack or other cardiovascular problems. The key is prevention, which includes good cardiovascular nutrition, the ability to control high blood pressure, and maintaining healthy cholesterol and healthy triglycerides levels.

For more information on heart attack and stroke, heart risk factors, or other cardiovascular problems, visit www.drsinatra.com. While there, sign up for FREE e-letters or subscribe to Dr. Sinatra’s monthly newsletter, Heart, Health & Nutrition
 

Statin Drugs and Baby Aspirin

Monday, July 5, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra
When I am considering prescribing something to help a patient maintain healthy cholesterol or good blood pressure levels, I often select drugs that can treat plaque instability at the same time—like statins and baby aspirin.

And, as much as I strongly disagree with the use of statins for treating isolated high LDL cholesterol levels when heart disease is not apparent, I endorse statin therapy in situations where direct measures need to be taken to limit inflammation in anyone with documented coronary artery disease and to treat lipid disorders.

Researchers comment that we still lack the evidence to start pulling out the prescription pad and routinely ordering statins for anyone who has calcified heart valves. However, if you already have this condition, and are on a statin drug to treat your lipids, you should know that you may be improving your valvular function as well—or at least keeping it from worsening with age.

Statin drugs have been known to help stabilize plaque in acute coronary syndromes, so it’s logical to me that they have a probable impact on the calcification process and may also prevent plaque ruptures. In fact, research shows that patients who were admitted to a hospital on statin therapy, and had these medications discontinued while treatment focused on heart attack or unstable angina, actu­ally did not fare as well as those who continued to take their statins. Something about statins obviously assists in stabilizing unstable plaques.

Anyone taking a statin drug for an appropriate reason should be chasing it down with a minimum of 200 mg of standard CoQ10.

Low-dose aspirin—i.e., one baby aspirin a day or one half of a standard adult aspirin every other day—is known to help maintain good blood pressure levels and has also been shown to help prevent coronary events in patients with known coronary artery plaque. It will help reduce CRP levels, which lowers the risk of inflammation, result­ing in fewer cardiac events. I also recommend chewing on one adult aspirin while you wait for an ambulance if you think that you may be having a heart attack.

For more information on stain drugs, cholesterol levels, or other cardiovascular problems, visit www.drsinatra.com. While there, sign up for FREE e-letters or subscribe to Dr. Sinatra’s monthly newsletter, Heart, Health & Nutrition

Cardiovascular Nutrition: Turmeric

Thursday, July 1, 2010 by Jan Sinatra
The spice turmeric is best known as an ingredient in Indian curry and yellow mustard. Turmeric has been Dr. Sinatra’s number one cardiovascular nutrition spice for years.

Turmeric’s yellow color comes from curcumin—a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound that’s been found to reduce the excess platelet aggregation that occurs in sticky, clot-forming blood.

Curcumin has an impressive list of positive research findings. In one study, investigators at Japan’s Kyoto Medical Center found that curcumin helps support healthy blood pressure levels in addition to preventing cardiac hypertrophy. They concluded that curcumin “may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for heart failure in humans.”

So don’t be afraid to use turmeric in your cardiovascular nutrition repertoire. You can add it to rice, soup, chicken, or tofu dishes, or you can blend it with melted butter and drizzle it over cooked vegetables. 

For even more information on maintaining healthy blood pressure levels and cardiovascular nutrition, visit www.drsinatra.com.

Fish Oil—The Perfect Nutraceutical

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra
There are mounds and mounds of evidence to support the value of fish oil, especially as it pertains to its ability to help rid the body of excess plaque and inflammation (which can lead to serious cardiovascular problems.)

Consider The Gruppo Italiano per lo Studio della Sopravvivenza nell‘Infarto miocardico’ (GISSI) trial which followed, for three and one-half years, over 11,000 Italians who had suffered heart attacks. Those taking one gram of fish oil daily, in supplement form, showed a 45-percent reduction in the risk of sudden cardiac death—along with a 20-percent reduction in other causes of death, including cancer.

Other studies indicate that fish oil can penetrate plaque within three days and make it less susceptible to rupture. Fish oil also has a soothing and nurturing action on heart rate variability, meaning it can fight off arrhythmia. For these reasons, I include fish oil in my daily regimen.

More good news is that if you take aspirin, you don’t need to worry about using these two agents together as long as both are being consumed within safe ranges. (Keep daily doses below 10 grams of fish oil and 325 mg of aspirin.)

Most people who use it take one-half to three grams of fish oil a day. At this dosage you don’t have to worry about taking either aspirin or Coumadin (warfarin), as long as your doctor or holistic health practitioner knows and will work with you to modify your dosage. Don’t take ginkgo with aspirin.

Folks, anyone with any cardiovascular problems should absolutely take fish oil; healthy people should also take it as a preventive measure.

For more information on cardiovascular problems and other health conditions, visit www.drsinatra.com.

Prevent Lp(a) Cholesterol

Thursday, June 17, 2010 by Jan Sinatra
To offset the inflammation caused by elevated Lp(a) levels, Dr. Sinatra recommends that you try one or more of the following:
  1. Niacin:  Take up to a total daily dose of 1 gram (1 gram=1,000 mg) taken in one or two doses. Start at a dose of 125mg, then double it as tolerated, up to the full amount.
  2. Fish or squid oil: Take 2 grams daily of a good quality fish or squid oil (but not krill oil).
  3. Nattokinase: 50 mg daily.
  4. Bolouke: Boluoke contains the enzyme lumbrokinase, which has been shown to assist with the breakdown of fibrin, a protein involved in blood clotting. It is a Canadian product and can be purchased online. This is the only measure I know of that may actually lower your Lp(a). Take as directed.
  5. Delta tocotrienol: Take 100–200 mg of this natural form of vitamin E once a day.
  6. Get grounded! Remember, heart disease—like diabetes, cancer, and a host of autoimmune problems—is a disease caused by inflammation. In the case of heart disease, it’s the arterial walls that get inflamed. Once they puff up from inflammation and all kinds of debris that accumulate in the arterial walls, they then get clogged, especially if you have a tendency to clot. Grounding can help to reduce inflammation, and help avoid cardiovascular problems and prevent blood clots.
For more information on healthy cholesterol, visit www.drsinatra.com.


Cardiology Terminology: Lp(a)

Tuesday, June 15, 2010 by Jan Sinatra
Lately, Dr. Sinatra has been getting a lot of questions about the very small, dense, and highly inflammatory cholesterol particle known as lipoprotein(a)—or Lp(a) for short.

Good questions! Dr. Sinatra is one cardiologist who just doesn’t think that total cholesterol levels are the evil culprits behind cardiovascular problems that they have been made out to be. In fact, he believes that it is high time we switch the heart disease prevention paradigm from total cholesterol to Lp(a). There are too many folks with normal cholesterol levels having heart attacks not to believe that something is amiss.

But before we discuss ways to lower or prevent high Lp(a) levels, you must first know what you are up against.

Lp(a) is small, dense, highly inflammatory sub-fraction of a cholesterol particle and is made in the liver. Dr. Sinatra believes that it is so dangerous, it should be listed as a specific risk factor for heart disease—instead of total cholesterol.

While we know a lot about what it does in terms of how it affects the body, we are still in the theoretical stages in terms of how Lp(a) is metabolized and all of its physiological functions. So, here is what we’ve got on it to date:
  • Because of its small dense properties, Lp(a) has been shown to contribute to atherosclerosis;
  • Your Lp(a) level is often hereditary, with DNA determinants;
  • Lp(a) is thought to have something to do with coagulation and clot formation;
  • It can help with wound healing because of its ability to turn on inflammatory reactions; and
  • At high levels, it can promote excessive inflammation.
In short, Lp(a)’s  characteristics include:
  • small—it can easily sneak in and permeate the cell wall and wreak havoc;
  • dense— like a stone that sinks to the bottom, it can pile up on the walls of your blood vessels; and
  • highly inflammatory—it is a provocative little monster.
Everyone should know what their Lp(a) level is, especially anyone with known heart disease. Anyone with a family history of heart disease should also know, since Lp(a) blood levels are inheritable, and its production is controlled by a specific gene (an apolipoprotein(a) gene on chromosome 6q26-27 to be specific). That’s why we see elevated Lp(a) levels run in families. Also, if you are of African-American or some European heritages, you may be more at risk.

Lp(a) levels can range from 0.2 to 200, and because folks with very low Lp(a)s appear to be quite healthy, whatever its functions, they are not thought to be critical. Dr. Sinatra likes to see levels less than 35 nmol/l, according to the Quest Diagnostics standards he usually sees.

Here are the usual parameters, depending on how your lab expresses this level:

Desirable: < 14 mg/dL (< 35 nmol/l)
Borderline risk: 14 - 30 mg/dL (35 - 75 nmol/l)
High risk: 31 - 50 mg/dL (75 - 125 nmol/l)
Very high risk: > 50 mg/dL (> 125 nmol/l)           

Should you find your Lp(a) elevated, then you need take action. Later this week, I’ll tell you the most effective natural ways to reduce or even prevent Lp(a) cholesterol.

For more information on cholesterol guidelines and other cardiovascular problems, visit www.drsinatra.com.

C-Reative Protein (CRP) and Your Heart

Wednesday, June 9, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

C-reactive protein is a heart risk factor that the medical world has started to take note of. It’s a blood protein that, when found in elevated levels, may indicate a risk for heart attack and stroke.  

CRP can be detected when there is inflammation resulting from trauma or infection. Let’s look at some study results:  A 1985 Finnish study found that half of patients with coronary heart disease had high levels of an antibody known as C-reactive protein, compared with only 17 percent of healthy controls.

The Physicians Health Study indicated that C-reactive protein could predict future cardiovascular problems, such as heart attack in healthy and high-risk individu­als, and that high levels of this protein increase risk for heart attack and stroke.

In healthy postmenopausal women with levels of C-reactive protein and 11 other substances, the one-fourth with the highest C-reactive protein lev­els were 4.4 times more likely to have had a heart attack or other cardiovascular problem than the one-fourth with the lowest levels.

If you have cardiovascular problems or you’ve recently experienced a virus or urinary infection that could cause inflammation, have your doctor check your C-reactive protein levels. CRP can be detected when there is inflam­mation resulting from trauma or infection (including pneumonia, herpes, chlamydia, and possibly even a viral infection that simulates a cold). A simple blood test is as accurate as cholesterol and homocysteine screening in pre­dicting a person’s risk of heart attack and stroke.

For more information on heart risk factors and how to prevent them, visit www.drsinatra.com.

Prevent Blood Clots by Reducing Fibrogen

Monday, June 7, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra
Arteriosclerosis, or narrowing of the arteries, is the most common cause of heart disease, but in women younger than 45, we see more heart attacks caused by improper blood clotting that can be triggered by high fibrinogen levels.

Too much fibrinogen, an inflammatory product of blood coagu­lation, can make the blood clot too fast.

High fibrinogen levels aren’t the sole province of younger women. At age 57, one woman went to her doc­tor with signs of unstable angina. She had bypass and angioplasty, followed by drugs to help her maintain healthy cholesterol, as well as other conventional treatments.

Nine years later, she had a second heart attack and underwent a cardiac catheteriza­tion to reopen some of the grafts that had closed. In her mid-60s and depressed about the recurrence of her heart disease, she came to see me seeking alternative ways of minimizing her cardiovascular problems and healing her heart.

I prescribed a fish oil (EPA-DHA) supplement to pro­mote “slippery” blood platelets and help improve blood circulatin by neutralizing her fibrinogen and triglyceride levels. I also put her on my PAMM diet, my cardiovascular nutrition plan that includes much lower levels of carbohydrates (to combat her insulin resistance), plus healthy fats and garlic. I also recommended that she exer­cise to help her lose weight.

If these measures failed to support these critical blood parameters enough within three to six months, she agreed to go on natural estrogen therapy. Estrogen is important because fibrinogen levels rise with falling estrogen. Recent research suggests that estrogen replacement therapy can sig­nificantly reduce plasma fibrinogen levels.

The most important contributor to high fibrinogen levels is cigarette smoking: Smoking is just about the worst thing you can do for your health. According to research, almost half of all heart risk factors can be attributed to cigarette smoking.

While there may be some variations among labora­tories, an acceptable range for serum fibrinogen is less than 300 mg/dl; anything over 350 mg/dl is considered undesirable.

For more information on heart risk factors and how to prevent them, visit www.drsinatra.com.

Heart Risk Factor: Homocysteine

Wednesday, June 2, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra
Historically, maintaining healthy cholesterol has been at center stage of the quest to minimize the risk of coronary artery disease. But there is now evidence that elevated homocysteine levels are also one of the top heart risk factors.

Multiple studies have confirmed the connection between high-plasma homocysteine levels and occlusive artery disease, including coronary atherosclerosis, peripheral vascular disease, and carotid artery disease. In fact, some research shows that 42 percent of strokes, 28 percent of peripheral vascular disease, and approximately 30 per­cent of premature cardiovascular disease are directly related to excessive levels of homocysteine.

High homocysteine levels can be caused by foods—red meat, avocados, sunflower seeds, wild game, poultry, and ricotta cheese. These foods contain the amino acid methio­nine. If you don’t get enough B vitamins, your body cannot break down methionine, which results in homocysteine.

Research also shows that five percent of the popula­tion may have inherited a rare genetic enzymatic defect that leads to higher homocysteine levels and premature heart disease.

When Should You Get Your Homocysteine Tested?

If you adhere to healthy cardiovascular nutrition, supplement with vitamins and minerals, exercise, and have no family history of heart disease and/or other heart risk factors, then you don’t need to be tested for homocysteine.

But, if there was a sudden death of a family member at a young age from stroke or heart disease, or if you have heart disease (especially if you are under age 60), you should be tested for homocysteine.

Research has shown that 400 mcg of folic acid a day will help prevent high homocysteine levels. However, to be safe, I recommend 800 mcg folic acid and 40 mg of vitamin B6 per day. Natural sources of folate include dark green leafy vegetables, beans, legumes, oranges, orange juice, and fortified cereals.

To read about other heart risk factors and how to prevent them, visit www.drsinatra.com.

What To Do Before Opting For Heart Surgery

Friday, May 28, 2010 by Stephen Sinatra

In many cases, the decision to undergo heart surgery is easy—particularly if you are symptomatic with a lot of heart risk factors, you have left main coronary artery disease, and your quality of life is poor. But, if you are asymptomatic, the decision to have surgery may be a difficult one.

Consider Fred, a 56-year-old engineer who came to me several years ago for a second opinion. Fred’s doctor recommended that he undergo bypass surgery immediately. His angiogram indicated two coronary vessels were about 70 percent blocked, and his stress test revealed a small area of what cardiologists call ischemia. No doubt about it: His heart was vulnerable to an attack.

But Fred was satisfied with the quality of his life. He was not symptomatic and he wasn’t suffering from any known or unknown heart risk factors. He could walk three to four miles a day without experiencing symptoms of angina, such as shortness of breath, profuse sweating, or other symptoms of cardiovascular problems.

So I recommended that he delay surgery, take beta blockers and nitrates, switch to a diet that adheres to healthy heart nutrition guidelines, enrich the diet to include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and coenzyme Q10—a key ingredient in my core nutritional program for healing cardiovascular problems. I also kept him on a walking program. I told Fred, “You have time. We don’t have to rush into surgery. Let’s see if these treatments eliminate the potential need for surgery.”

If, like Fred, you have documented cardiovascular problems but no symptoms and a good quality of life, I think you should consider the alternatives I’ve discussed before rushing into surgery.

Using Your Innate Healing Power

I strongly recommend delaying surgery until you have an opportunity to heal yourself. By that I mean trying alternative approaches to improving your heart health—whether it’s adhering to the healthy heart nutrition tips I’ve shared in this blog, incorporating exercise into your life, or taking nutritional supplements. The key is in being open to helping to heal yourself of the cardiovascular problems that plague you. 

In addition, I urge you to take periodic stress tests and be aware of any unusual symptoms you may be experiencing. If the nuclear stress test shows improvement in your blood flow, then you should continue to put off the decision to have surgery. I can’t tell you how many of my patients have healed themselves of their cardiovascular problems, and have never had to have bypass surgery or angioplasty.

Whatever option you choose, I urge you to continue on the path to a healthy lifestyle—not only to help prevent cardiovascular problems but also to limit its progression. Unfortunately, I have had to recommend second surgeries to patients who considered angioplasty or bypass surgery an instant “cure” for their heart disease, only to return to an unhealthy lifestyle.

We physicians and holistic health practitioners do our best to offer options, prescribe medications, and perform surgery, but YOU, and only you, have the power to truly heal yourself and make the most of the “second chance” surgery gives you.

For more information on the path to a healthy heart, visit www.drsinatra.com.