Everyone reading this knows how important the heart is, but how effectively are we as a nation taking care of it? Heart Disease is the #1 killer in the U.S. Most of us like to blame our elevated cholesterol levels on bad genes. The truth of the matter is that bad cholesterol is merely an indicator of a problem and really tells you nothing in regards to what is actually putting you at risk of heart disease. The factors that are most commonly referenced in relation to heart attack risk are weight, smoking, lack of exercise, poor diet and bad genes. While all of these are important considerations they are not the entire story. You may know someone who has told you they eat a very healthy diet but they cannot lose weight, or get their cholesterol levels down. In this type of a case the temptation may be to chalk it up to bad genes, begin taking a statin, and move on. I want to propose that we dig deeper to find out what is truly at the heart of this #1 killer in America.
The primary driving force behind heart disease is...INFLAMMATION! There you have it. I have wrapped "heart disease" up into one word. But what does that really mean? Inflammation in the body is often thought of as a tissue injury that induces pain. This can certainly be the case but the primary type of inflammation that I am referring to (as increasing one's risk of heart disease) is a more systemic inflammatory process. Our immune systems are one of the primary drivers of inflammation in the body. When your immune system reacts to an antigen (virus, bacteria, fungus, yeast, parasite), a food, an emotional stress, or an environmental toxin you have production of cytokines. The release of cytokines produces an inflammatory reaction throughout the body. This inflammatory process can lead to damage of the endothelial lining of the arteries which may set into motion the beginning of this degenerative condition.
Every individual that has elevations in cholesterol, blood sugar, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, or homocysteine needs to have comprehensive lab testing performed to assess their individual condition. In order to most effectively help prevent heart disease we need to be able to support each individuals immune system in a way that helps to reduce these inflammatory processes. If you have any further questions feel free to reach me by email at drhuffman@moundsviewchiro.com or at my office at 763-398-7770. God Bless.
Sincerely,
Dr. Joshua Huffman
Board Certified in Chiropractic Neurology and Integrative Medicine
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