True Heart Disease Prevention (and Reversal)

There are so many things to think about when it comes to heart health, and there are so many misconceptions regarding prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, which accounts for 1 in every 4 deaths in the US.

If you want a healthy cardiovascular system, you absolutely must pay attention to the health of your blood vessels. You have approximately 60,000 miles of blood vessels in your body. More than just pipes that carry blood, the blood vessels play an essential role in your health.

The blood vessels are regulated by the endothelial cells, a single layer of cells that make up the innermost layer of the vessels. These cells come into direct contact with the contents on the inside of the vessels. This specialized layer of cells is a major player in blood flow, platelet aggregation (clotting), and blood vessel tone (how the blood vessels dilate and contract).

This essential cell layer is protected by the Endothelial Glycocalyx (EGX) which is a slippery, gel-like smooth lining that buffers the contents of the blood vessels. The EGX not only provides another layer of protection to the endothelial cells, but it also contains superoxide dismutase (SOD), a powerful antioxidant that prevents free-radical damage to the endothelium. Together, the endothelium and the EGX actively control the passage of nutrients, oxygen, hormones, and waste products into and out of the blood vessels. This also plays a role in regulating inflammation and immunity.

In addition, the EGX stimulates the production of nitric oxide (NO). NO is an essential gas that signals the blood vessels to dilate or widen. You can imagine that the flexibility of the blood vessels is extremely important when it comes to increasing circulation and ensuring oxygen delivery during exercise, sexual activity, and other times of higher demand.

NO is necessary in order to maintain normal blood pressure, healthy sexual function, improved muscle strength and exercise endurance, quick recovery, and supports healthy blood flow.

Ensuring a healthy endothelium and EGX is the number one factor to keeping your cardiovascular system healthy. You want to avoid heart disease? Focus on this! Because the degradation of the EGX and the endothelium is the very first step in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease.

The EGX and the endothelial lining is very delicate and is easily damaged, especially from our typical American lifestyle. The most important risk factors that damage the EGX and the endothelium are:

• High blood sugar, including but not limited to pre-diabetes and diabetes (fasting blood sugar at the high level of normal range on a blood test is not normal),
• Poor diet (I’m looking at you industrial seed oils, processed foods, and sugar)
• Environmental toxin exposure (chemicals from the air, water, food, cleaning products, person care products, etc.)
• Inflammation

Our predominant medical system ignores these risk factors and instead focuses on cholesterol and blood clots. While these are also important to address, both cholesterol and blood clots accumulate in the blood vessels and stick to the blood vessel walls only when the EGX layer is insufficient and the endothelial lining is damaged. Cholesterol sticks to the damaged blood vessels in an attempt to patch up and smooth over those areas. Blood clots form and block blood vessels when the EGX no longer provides that slime layer to allow the blood to flow smoothly through the vessels.

When the EGX and endothelial lining are damaged, there is a lack of NO and the blood vessels can no longer dilate appropriately, leaving a more narrow opening for the contents of the vessels to flow through and a build up of blood pressure, further increasing the likelihood of clotting, stroke, and heart attack

While you diligently work, with me if needed, on reducing the risk factors that you now know damage the EGX and the endothelial lining, you can also take some supplements. Here are two of the most important supplements for your cardiovascular health:

Rhamnan sulfate, found in a type of marine algae, found in Arterosil HP by Designs for Health, actually repairs the EGX. It has been shown to increase arterial elasticity, is anti-inflammatory, and has even been shown to reduce atherosclerotic plaque formation in rats.

Addressing the root cause of cardiovascular disease is the only effective treatment of cardiovascular disease. We must prevent damage to the EGX and the endothelium and we must try to reverse that damage if we want to effectively prevent heart attacks and stroke.