Cardiovascular Disease

Despite all the medical advances, heart disease is still our #1 killer. For decades, you have been told the five risk factors linked to almost all cases of heart disease are:

• high cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• obesity
• diabetes mellitus
• smoking

You have been told that if you just keep these 5 risk factors in check you have nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, heart disease is not a single entity. It is a complex, chronic disease with many diverse causes. It involves constant interactions among genetics, environment, and lifestyle that make each individual unique.

“Today we understand that heart disease begins with an injury to the endothelium. Many things can cause this damage, including substances in cigarette smoke, elevated blood sugar, homocysteine in the bloodstream, chronic infections, toxins, oxidized LDL cholesterol or high blood pressure. To prevent CVD we must protect the endothelium.”