Web page potpourri: cardiovascular disease; A column devoted to informative alternative health resources on the internet

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, August-Sept, 2004 by Marjorie Roswell

Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. MD

http://www.vegsource.com/esselstyn/

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn has one of my favorite sites related to heart disease. My father, an American Heart Association volunteer, once said "horse feathers!" (or something close) when I told him that heart disease could actually be reversed with diet alone. Make sure not to miss the coronary angiograms on the site, which show profound arterial improvement after 32 months of a plant-based diet without cholesterol-lowering medication. Another favorite part of the website is this line: "Consultations with Dr. Esselstyn are limited to patients who are committed to abolish disease progression, and are not merely seeking a temporary solution." I'll note that Dr. Esselstyn does use surgery and medication when appropriate. In 1956, Dr. Esselstyn won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the US rowing team. Today, he is a leader in health, the rare surgeon who also knows how to prevent the need for surgery, and how to restore health.

PubMed -- http://www.pubmed.org/

PubMed is the citation resource site of the National Library of Medicine and the National Center for Biotechnology Information. I recommend that you search for "Esselstyn CB." Dr. Esselstyn has published his findings in the American Journal of Cardiology, and Preventive Cardiology, among others.

The Preventive Medicine Research Institute

http://www.pmri.org/

http://www.pmri.org/Research_Beverage.html

Dr. Dean Ornish was one of the first to show that heart disease could be reversed through lifestyle measures. But he didn't just stop at scientific research. He's working with Medicare to get coverage for his Program for Reversing Heart Disease. Amidst all the interesting content on the website, one item has piqued my interest. I can't help but wonder what is the "natural beverage" that they're studying for its effect on atherosclerosis!

TrueNorth Health

http://www.healthpromoting.com

http://www.healthpromoting.com/HBP1.pdf

http://www.healthpromoting.com/HBP2.pdf

http://www.healthpromoting.com/HBP3.pdf

I once thought that fasting was ridiculous, except perhaps as an annual religious practice. I learned otherwise, upon hearing Dr. Alan Goldhamer speak of his studies on high blood pressure. In his first study, over 90% of participants achieved completely normal blood pressure via water-only fasting. Blood pressure levels remained low, after the fast. His second study also yielded impressive improvements.

One national labor union, noting these results, now offers full medical coverage of supervised water-only fasting for all union members and spouses who have high blood pressure or diabetes. The savings in medical care have been substantial, a nearly $2,784 savings per-participant in the first year alone.

Dr. Goldhamer co-wrote the book The Pleasure Trap along with his Director of Research, psychologist Doug Lisle. Amazon.com reader reviewers gave the book 5 stars out of 5.

Plaque Rupture

http://www.heartcenteronline.com/myheartdr/common/articles.cfm?ARTID=518

I was originally taught that arterial plaques gradually fill up the artery until a heart attack occurs, but in many cases, as it turns out, weak-walled arterial plaques will burst, causing a sudden occlusion. An animation at this website demonstrates the event. It's important to note that the plaques that rupture this way are not likely to show up on stress tests. The basic lesson is: don't wait until you feel sick to practice a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Heart Pictures

http://vip.doc.ic.ac.uk/~gzy/heart/heart/hearthome.htm

This site has some nice videos of pumping hearts, and images of resin casts of arteries and veins.

Trans Free America -- http://www.TransFreeAmerica.org/

Questions and Answers about Trans Fat Nutrition Labeling

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qatrans2.html#s1q3

Ban Trans Fats

http://www.bantransfats.com

Trans fat is a potent cause of heart disease. Slow to act, the US is finally going to require labeling of trans fats, beginning January 1, 2006. If you read the FDA Q & A carefully, you'll notice that food manufacturers will be allowed to list amounts of trans fat with less than 1/2 gram per serving as 0 (zero) on the Nutrition Facts panel. (Current consumption averages 2.8 grams of trans fatty acids per day.)

Most trans fat in the American diet comes from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. In May 2004, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) formally petitioned the FDA to prohibit the use of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, recognizing that labeling alone will not halt exposure to the toxic fat.

Ban Trans Fats--a much smaller non-profit--often differs in viewpoint from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. For instance, Principal Consultant Mary Enig sees saturated fats as healthful, while in general, CSPI sees them as unhealthful. Despite some nutritional disagreements, both groups agree that partially hydrogenated vegetable oil should be banned from American food manufacturing. Go through your pantry, and toss out everything that contains the stuff! (Write to me if you'd like ideas on what to substitute.)