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Whats New 2004
Snippets
from around the world.
Aside from total cholesterol and LDL levels ratios of
total to HDL cholesterol and triglycerides to HDL also
predict cardiovascular events and even death. In other
words high levels of triglycerides and low levels of HDL
also place you at risk.
Another
way to evaluate your cardiovascular health is to have a
coronary CT scan, which measures the build-up of calcium
in your blood vessels.
High calcium levels are thought to correlate with
the accumulation of fatty plaque, which blocks up your
blood vessels. However a Japanese study has discovered that it is the
distribution, size and extent of calcium deposits, which
more precisely determines whether you are at risk of
developing a heart attack. These researchers found that
spotty calcification correlated with the development of
a heart attack whereas more extensive calcification was
associated with what is termed stable angina that did
not lead to an immediate heart attack.
Australian experts are claiming that asymptomatic
people can have a high calcium score and this might
actually be protective.
However I would beg to differ.
Stable plaque or fatty deposits can become
unstable. In
other words the accumulation of calcium around the wall
of a fatty deposit does not necessarily mean that this
build-up of fat will never obstruct your blood vessels
and that you have less chance of sustaining a heart
attack if you have this type of deposit.
Once again I’m about to complete a book on the
above, which explains all these concepts in detail so
stay tuned to this space.
Coeliac
disease, which necessitates total avoidance of gluten,
is not an uncommon problem. One way to discover whether
your abstinence is total is to have an annual blood
test, which measures transglutaminase antibody (tTG-IgA)
levels. tTG-IgA increases with gluten exposure and correlates with
the degree of small bowel damage in most patients.
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Spa
Chakra Wellness Centre
The
Wharf
Woolloomooloo
Sydney
2011
02
93680888
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