CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

By Lawrence Wilson, MD

© Revised, The Center for Development, April 2008

 

         Cardiovascular disease includes symptoms such as heart palpitations, congestive failure, arrhythmias, angina, arteriosclerosis, impaired circulation, hypertension, strokes and heart attacks.  Hypertension is discussed in a separate article.  Click here for this article.  Other, less common symptoms are chronic low blood pressure, perhaps ReynaudŐs syndrome, infections around the heart, and others.

Tissue mineral analysis and nutritional balancing science can provide much insight about the causes of some cardiovascular conditions.  Amazingly, in most instances it can also correct cardiovascular symptoms at very deep levels.  It may even stop and reverse chronic and serious conditions for which medical doctors recommend surgery such as aneurysms and heart valve problems in some cases. 

 

CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE AND SOME OTHER HEART PROBLEMS OFTEN EASY TO HELP WITH NUTRITIONAL BALANCING

 

         Many people find it hard to believe, but difficult cardiovascular conditions such as angina, congestive heart failure, and even cardiomyopathy respond well to nutritional balancing science, even when drugs and surgery do not work well.  The reasons why this is so are explained in the sections below.

         Other conditions that respond very well are many cases of high blood pressure, clogged arteries or arteriosclerosis, heart valve problems, atrial fibrillation, and other heart arrhythmias.

         Sauna therapy may seem dangerous if one has a heart condition, but it is often very helpful.  The saunaŐs gentle heat improves circulation, relaxes the sympathetic nervous system, dilates the peripheral blood vessels which usually lowers blood pressure, and helps remove toxic metals that often contribute to hardening of the arteries and many other cardiovascular health conditions.  Infrared energy also seems to have healing effects on the body tissues.

         With this introduction, let us examine why nutritional balancing is so helpful in many cases to both prevent and correct cardiovascular health conditions.

 

MAGNESIUM AND HEART DISEASE

 

         Magnesium plays a critical role in cardiovascular disease.  Magnesium is needed within the cells for the production of energy.  Magnesium is also required for muscle relaxation.  Low magnesium can result in symptoms ranging from tachycardia and fibrillation to constriction of the arteries.  Secondary effects include angina and embolism or thrombosis (heart attack).

         Modern diets are low in magnesium.  Refining and food processing remove magnesium from grains and other food products.  In addition, the alarm reaction in response to stress depletes magnesium.

         Many people with cardiovascular symptoms have low magnesium levels on their hair analyses, or magnesium is low in relation to calcium, sodium and potassium.  These people are usually fast oxidizers.

         Another group of people with cardiovascular symptoms have very high hair magnesium levels.  These are usually slow oxidizers.  Their calcium/magnesium ratios may or may not be normal.  The high hair magnesium is often a loss of magnesium into the hair.  The condition is called biounavailable magnesium.  These individuals need extra magnesium until they are able to utilize magnesium properly.  An especially well-utilized magnesium supplement is called Spartan MK from Endomet Laboratories.  It contains magnesium and potassium aspartate.

 

COPPER AND HEART DISEASE

 

         Dr. Klevay and other researchers proved that copper deficiency is associated with an increased risk of arteriosclerosis.  Fast oxidizers tend to be copper deficient.  Slow oxidizers may have biounavailable copper.  An excessive intake of zinc or vitamin C can induce a copper deficiency.

 

ZINC AND ARTERIAL FLEXIBILITY

 

         Zinc is required for the synthesis of protein structures.  Adequate zinc helps to keep the artery walls flexible.  Zinc deficiency is associated with increased brittleness and hardening of the arteries.  Hardening increases blood pressure, and increases the chances for strokes and aneurysms.

         Low zinc allows the tissue sodium level to rise, which can contribute to high blood pressure and fluid retention.

 

THE SODIUM/POTASSIUM RATIO

 

         An important indicator for cardiovascular disease is a hair sodium/potassium ratio less than 2.5:1.  This ratio indicates tissue breakdown. This can result in cardiomyopathy (destruction of the heart muscle) or irritation of the arterial walls.  The breakdown of arterial tissue causes weakening of the arteries and an increased tendency for hemorrhage, aneurysms and strokes.  Weakening or irritation of the artery walls may cause the body to respond by coating the arterial walls with fatty or calcium plaques.  The results are arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis.

         A sodium/potassium ratio less than 1:1 is considered a strong trend for a heart attack or other serious cardiovascular disease.

 

TOXIC METALS

 

         Toxic levels of certain minerals are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.  Toxic metals harm the body by displacing vital minerals in enzyme binding sites.  Cadmium replaces zinc in the arterial walls, causing increased brittleness and hardening of the arteries.  Cadmium in the kidneys causes congestion that can raise blood pressure, placing extra stress on the entire cardiovascular system.

         Toxic levels of iron can infiltrate the heart muscle and contribute to heart failure.  Mercury, lead and other toxic metals can contribute to calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper deficiencies and thereby increase blood pressure and increase the risk of other cardiovascular symptoms.

 

OXIDATION TYPES AND HEART ATTACKS

 

         We distinguish two metabolic types, fast and slow oxidation.  Other types are mainly a combination of these in some degree.  Interestingly, two primary types of heart attacks (or myocardial infarctions) occur.  Let us correlate how these relate to the metabolic rate and metabolic type, as discovered using hair tissue mineral analysis research.

 

         Coronary Thrombosis.  This is the most common type of heart attack.  It occurs when a small piece of arterial plaque or other foreign material completely clogs a coronary artery leading to the heart muscle.  The area served by this artery is then deprived of blood, and therefore of oxygen and nutrients, and the muscle dies, or is damaged to some degree.

         This type of heart attack correlates best with slow oxidizers.  These individuals tend to develop clogged arteries with a buildup of calcium, toxic metals or fatty plaques in the arteries.  They also tend to have more sluggish circulation, which can also lead to plaque buildup.

         Hair tissue mineral analyses on these individuals tend to show high levels of calcium and magnesium, and lower levels of sodium and potassium.  Toxic metals may or may not be revealed on early tests because the energy level is low and the toxic metals may be hidden deep within body tissues, including the artery walls.

         These individuals may also develop high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases for the same reasons explained in the paragraph above.

         These heart attacks are often non-fatal because only one or a few coronary arteries are involved.  With adequate bed rest, magnesium infusions, vitamin E and other standard supportive care, the body can often develop what is called collateral circulation to go around the clogged coronary artery.  New blood vessels grow and surrounding blood circulation may also become enhanced to nourish the heart muscle.

 

         Sympathetic Nervous System Heart Attack.  The arteries have muscles in their walls.  In this type of heart attack, the arterial muscles contract or spasm to such a degree that they inhibit the flow of blood to the heart.  A vicious cycle occurs, in which the shock of the coronary artery spasm causes an alarm reaction in the body that further stresses the body, causing even more spasm of the coronary artery.

If this cycle is not broken, death can easily result.  This

type of heart attack is often fatal because it can affect most or all of the coronary arteries at the same time.  Thus there is less chance for the heart to continue receiving enough oxygen and nourishment to continue beating.

         This type of heart attack occurs more often in the metabolic type called the fast oxidizer, especially if the oxidation rate is extremely fast.  In these individuals, the hair tissue levels of calcium and magnesium tend to be quite low, usually less than 30 mg% or 300 ppm of calcium and usually less than 3 mg% or 30 ppm of magnesium.  The hair sodium and potassium levels are often quite elevated due to stress.

         These individuals may or may not have somewhat clogged arteries secondarily that contribute to their cardiovascular problems.  Also, these individuals may be quite young and may appear to have very healthy coronary arteries. 

Blood pressure may be normal or even low at times.  Labile hypertension is more common among them, as the pressure can rise and fall as the arterial muscles contract and relax.  These are people for whom a shock can cause a sudden, massive and fatal heart attack with no warning.  Emotions such as anger, resentment and other strong feelings may play a large role in the causation of this type of heart attack.

 

EMOTIONS AND LIFESTYLE 

 

         Studies indicate that anger turned inward is associated with increased blood pressure and greater risk of heart attacks.  Frustration, hostility and resentment in particular create this pattern.  Not all 'type A' personalities have more heart attacks.  The angry and frustrated 'type A' personalities have a greater risk of heart attacks.

         Lifestyle plays an important role in the prevention and correction of heart disease.  Exercise has been shown to be very important.  Adequate rest and sleep, sunshine, skin brushing, stress reduction and other natural therapies are all helpful.

 

DIET AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

 

         There is much emphasis on saturated fat intake and heart disease.  This is undoubtedly important for slow oxidizers who have difficulty with fat.  Dr. Dean Ornish demonstrated reversal of plaque formation with a combination of a low-fat, vegetarian diet, meditation and exercise.

         Robert Atkins, M.D., a New York cardiologist, as well as many researchers since, have found that a low carbohydrate diet with some fat is very helpful for certain cases of heart disease.  These are most likely fast oxidizers.  In these individuals, some fats and oils balance body chemistry and lead to improved health.

 

OTHER NUTRIENTS

 

         Vitamin C, vitamin E, chromium, selenium, potassium, essential fatty acids, especially the omega-3 and omega-6 family, bioflavinoids, and many other nutrients influence the cardiovascular system.  Heart glandular substance and herbs such as cayenne pepper, hawthorn berry and others may also be helpful.  Enhancing energy production by balancing the oxidation rate helps many cases.

         For these reasons, a complete scientific nutrition program that addresses all the above is the best approach for prevention and correction of cardiovascular disease.

 

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