Preventing heart disease 05-04-2006 Preventing heart disease 1. The appropriate tests What you need to realise is that all the elements mentioned in "The New theories" are early warning signals that your body is under attack and you need to marshal your defences to head off the enemy at the pass. When you go for your regular health check you can have those tests which will inform you whether your antioxidant status is favourable or not. If your c-reactive protein is elevated this is an indication that your immune system is activated and that inflammation is occurring somewhere in your body. The source may be your gastrointestinal system which harbours harmful bacteria and parasites. Your liver might not be detoxifying adequately which means that your immune system will have to cope with certain noxious agents. C-reactive protein is not only associated with coronary heart disease but also with other age related degenerative diseases such as dementia and arthritis. This is why it is important to find the cause of inflammation and treat it appropriately. If you are overweight and have high blood pressure then it is highly likely that you have raised insulin levels and simple blood tests will indicate whether this problem is present. By increasing the amount of protein in your diet and taking the supplements chromium and vanadium you can significantly reduce your insulin levels which will have beneficial consequences for your cardiovascular health. Elevated homocysteine levels should respond to vitamin B6, Bi, and folic acid administration. It is probably a good idea to take these supplements regularly to prevent the destructive effects of homocysteine. Taking regular vitamin C will keep apolipoproteins ''A'' and B at bay. The presence of heavy metals such as lead, aluminium, copper and iron that initiate free-radical damage can be evaluated by means of a hair mineral analysis. For those of you who have established heart disease and angina this can be a very viable alternative to coronary by-pass grafting and other medical technologies which have limited efficacy, especially in the long term when vessels restenose (block up) necessitating another operation. A substance called EDTA is administered which binds to heavy metals removing them from your body, thereby aborting and reversing the atherosclerotic process. Your blood vessels will become unblocked and you will experience significant improvements. Chelation therapy, which is the practice of giving EDTA, is a safe procedure used in a number of clinics around Australia. It can also be employed for other circulation problems like those of the legs as well as for a number of other diseases such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and chronic fatigue syndrome. Anti Aging programs have adopted Chelation Therapy as part of their protocol. One of the possible reasons why women live longer than men is the loss of excess iron with the monthly menstrual flow. Men can achieve similar results with regular blood donation. It is mandatory that you implore your health practitioner to do all these tests if you are to have an effective health strategy. Male Vitality | New theories | Preventing heart disease | The healthy diet | Wonder nutrients for the cardiovascular system | Opening your heart | Protecting your prostate | Losing your hair? | Antioxidants | Male Vitality Summary