Cholesterol Found in Sticky Situations...

Right. So where were we? Next on my list was to mention important factors related to cardiovascular disease that could be more important than simply the amount of cholesterol in your body. In fact, most people agree that there is some other factor that causes the cholesterol to build up in your arteries.

Lp(a). Like I mentioned yesterday, this is specific type of LDL cholesterol. It is not usually tested for in a normal cholesterol test (I think you’d have to request it) but most researchers agree now that it is the type that actually gets clogged in your arteries. It is very "sticky". But why does it stick in some situations and not others? One answer that has been proposed is that arteries of the heart are highly susceptible to damage from high blood pressure. After being subjected to constant stress from high blood pressure they develop lesions and weak spots. The Lp(a), in addition to other cells like platelets and proteins, stick to the site of damage as a protective mechanism, like a scar. The problem is that these scars can build up and either block the artery or cause a clot to form which eventually breaks off and gets clogged somewhere else. The solution: reduce blood pressure, strengthen artery walls by getting enough vitamin C (necessary for collagen production which keeps blood vessels strong), and lysine supplementation. For more info, look up the Unified Theory of human cardiovascular disease.

Homocysteine: This is an amino acid that is considered an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. That means that even if you have low cholesterol, if you have high homocysteine levels you are at risk of heart disease as well as other diseases. It hasn’t been completely proven why this is so, but one theory is that homocysteine interferes with oxygen utilization in the body, causing a build up of free radicals. Free radicals then damage the lining of blood vessels, and we have a situation again where cholesterol and other cells try to come to the rescue and end up causing clots and narrow vessels. In addition, homocysteine promotes the growth of smooth muscle (which is what your blood vessels are made out of) and that eventually can cause a hardening and thickening of the arteries that characterizes cardiovascular disease. What causes homocysteine levels to rise? A few things could – imbalance or deficiency of B vitamins, hormones, or it could be genetic. Homocysteine is included in blood tests when you go to the doctor if you have other risk factors such as high cholesterol or if you are a middle aged male. It also can be lowered.

Inflammation: Not like when you sprain your ankle and it swells up. I’m talking about low-grade systemic inflammation. This is an unhealthy state that suggests your body is fighting something like a virus, a food sensitivity, or the effects of chronic stress. The cause is not always obvious you may not even feel like anything is wrong. To explain it better, here is a quote from the American Heart Association’s website:

"The major injurious factors that promote atherogenesis [clogged arteries] — cigarette smoking, hypertension, atherogenic lipoproteins, and hyperglycemia — are well established. These risk factors give rise to a variety of noxious stimuli that cause the release of chemicals and the activation of cells involved in the inflammatory process. These events are thought to contribute not only to the formation of plaque but may also contribute to its disruption resulting in the formation of a blood clot. Thus, virtually every step in atherogenesis is believed to involve substances involved in the inflammatory response and cells that are characteristic of inflammation.

In addition, there is also research that indicates an infection — possibly one caused by a bacteria or a virus — might contribute to or even cause atherosclerosis. The infectious bacteria, Chlamydia pneumoniae has been shown to have a significant association to atherosclerotic plaque. The herpes simplex virus has also been proposed as an initial inflammatory infectious agent in atherosclerosis."

There is a protein that elevates in your body when you have inflammation – C-reactive protein (CRP). There are tests for it. It obviously does not cause heart problems but it is an indication of artery-damaging inflammation. Then of course you have cholesterol and other fibers trying to heal the damage… you get the drift.

I will summarize my thoughts for the day by saying that yes, cholesterol does in fact have something to do with heart disease. But it is most likely not acting alone. Since this is probably the case (as so many studies have shown), then it is not fair to blame cholesterol for all heart problems, is it? Logic would lead one to the conclusion that lowering cholesterol to unnecessarily low levels won’t really fix the problem.

Tomorrow: Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs – Oh, the Dramz!