Heart Defects Simplified



For as long as I've known him, echocardiography technologist, Ken Heiden, has had a deep fascination with congenital heart disease. Ken has just written a wonderful book on congenital heart disease called Heart Defects Simplified.

While this is a bit off-topic for the Heart Scan Blog, I know that there is a serious lack of helpful information for people with congenital heart disease and parents of children with congenital heart defects. So I asked Ken to tell us something about his book.



WD: I've reviewed your book and have been thoroughly impressed with the clarity and detail with which you handle a complicated topic. You somehow manage to make it easy to grasp, far more than any other resource I've used in past. Do you feel that your book serves a previously unmet need?

KH: This book serves an unmet need in that it presents the complex subject of congenital heart defects in a simplified manner. Most books on this subject are anywhere from 300-1700 pages in length and tend to be written for doctors. Further, most of these books have very few diagrams, and they rely upon their explanations to describe these defects.

Heart Defects Simplified is 104 pages in length, describes the most common defects, including surgical repairs, in a two-page format with full-color diagrams on the left and complete descriptions on the right of each chapter. The book is particularly written for sonographers, nurses and parents, but it is valuable for anyone interested in this subject. It is particularly useful in clinical situations because it is convenient to lay out at your side with a coil-bound format and durable pages. Further, there are appendixes which include "Surgical Procedures in Alphabetical Order," "Prevalence of Congenital Heart Disease," "Scanning Protocols for Echocardiographers," "Imaging Tips," a glossary and a worksheet for echocardiographers.


WD: I know that many people with loved ones who have congenital heart defects, particularly parents of children with such conditions, are often kept in the dark about the details of the condition. Is your book suitable for the non-technical reader, such as parents?

KH: This book is an excellent resource for parents. It is written in language that is understandable by parents as well as technologists and nurses. The full-color diagrams provide invaluable insight into this very complex world. Most importantly, this book attempts to make the subject of congenital heart defects accessible to anyone who wishes to comprehend this subject.


WD: I understand that people with congenital heart defects and parents are active participants in online discussion groups. Will your book serve as a resource for people who participate in these groups?

KH: This book is not only a resource for sonographers and parents, but the book is accompanied by a blog (HeartDefectsforEveryone.blogspot.com) that attempts to address many of the concerns commonly encountered with congenital heart defects. This blog is a work in progress, but I hope to provide a forum for parents, healthcare personnel, and others to share their questions and concerns about congenital heart disease.
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Why average cholesterol values can be so bad

Why average cholesterol values can be so bad

Jack had been told again and again that there was absolutely nothing wrong with his cholesterol panel. His numbers:

Total cholesterol 198 mg/dl

LDL cholesterol 119 mg/dl--actually below the national average (131 mg/dl).

HDL 48 mg/dl--actually above the average HDL for a male (42 mg/dl).

Triglycerides 153 ng/dl--right at the average.


So his primary care physician was totally stumped when Jack's heart scan revealed a score of 410.


Lipoprotein analysis (NMR) told an entirely different story:

LDL particle number 1880 nmol/l (take off the last digit to generate an approximate real LDL, i.e., 188 mg/dl).

Small LDL 95% of all LDL particles, a very severe pattern.

A severe excess of intermediate-density lipoprotein (218 nmol/l), suggesting that dietary fats are not cleared for 24 hours or so after a meal.

And those were just the major points. In other words, where conventional cholesterol values, or lipids, failed miserably, lipoprotein analysis can shine. The causes for Jack's high heart scan score become immediately apparent, even obvious. Jack's abnormalities are relatively easy to correct--but you have to know if they're present before they can be corrected. A shotgun statin drug approach could only hope to correct a portion of this pattern, but would unquestionably fail to fully correct the pattern.

As I've said before, standard cholesterol testing is a fool's game. You can squeeze a little bit of information out of them, but there's so much more information that can be easily obtained through lipoprotein testing like Jack had.

Comments (23) -

  • DietKing2

    8/29/2007 9:56:00 PM |

    Doctor,
    Have you ever heard of this?
    I hear you talking about Lp(a) quite alot and I'm not counting on my daily dose of Lipitor to straighten out whatever else might be going on backstage in my bloodstream, you know?
    Let me know what you think.
    Adam
    http://www.thecureforheartdisease.com/pauling/lpatent.html

  • Dr. Davis

    8/30/2007 12:36:00 AM |

    Hi, Adam--

    Yes, we've tried the Rath/Pauling formula informally but have never seen any substantial effect.

    Lipoprotein(a) is a very real phenomenon that clusters in high-risk families with heart disease. The treatment is specific, e.g., niacin, testosterone, and others. However, it must be measured specifically. Be sure to see the extensive conversations on our website, www.trackyourplaque.com.

  • Anonymous

    8/30/2007 2:53:00 AM |

    hello- I am new to your blog and just wondering your opinion on "The South Beach Diet" or what diet/book you recommend.
    I am a 50 year old male on a statin with a calcium score of 2. My lipid numbers are OK now but I really want to get off the statin and am totally confused by all the contradicting diet info out forthe public.Help!

  • Anonymous

    8/30/2007 3:21:00 AM |

    Hi Dr. Davis,

    I joined TrackYourPlaque today and appreciate your insight there.

    The story you relate in this post is incredible really and one I can relate to...

    10 years ago I had a mild heart attack at 43 which led to 3 stents.  5 years ago, just symptoms which got me to the hospital which led to a triple bypass.

    I've met with a lot of doctors, including cardiologists who appear often to know less about what they're doing than I have come to know through research and reading on the internet.

    I guess it's understandable that every adult patient wouldn't get sophisticated lipoprotein subfraction analysis as a matter of course.

    But you'd think that someone in my situation would get sophisticated input.

    My HMO was and is great for emergency conditions and has highly qualified surgeons and facilities.

    But after reading this post, I was struck again by how little informed and significant knowledge about best practice treatment methods one can really get in some HMO contexts.

    I know that I've spent a lot of time doing my own research to learn everything I could ('cause I don't want to die young) and I have to wonder sometimes what happens to folks with issues similar to mine who don't have a research and read orientation or the time to learn enough to protect themselves with preventative measures.

    Mid Life Male in CA
    aka "wccaguy"

  • Dr. Davis

    8/30/2007 11:45:00 AM |

    South Beach Diet is a wonderful program, at least phases 1 and II. Phase III, in my opinion, is too lax by including too much wheat. However, it is an overall solid and healthy diet. Also beware of its over-reliance on processed foods. The best foods for all of us are in the produce aisle, the ones with no labels.

    Our principal website, www.trackyourplaque.com, will also soon be releasing the NEW Track Your Plaque Diet that incorporates many of the concepts discussed here to help achieve control over heart scan scores.

  • Dr. Davis

    8/30/2007 11:50:00 AM |

    Mid Life Male--

    Yes. Lipoprotein testing, in my view, can make or break success in gaining control over your disease.

    Unfortunately, the lack of knowledge in this area is not confined to the HMO's. HMO's are, in fact, poorly represented in Wisconsin, yet ignorance among my colleagues regarding lipoprotein testing and other advanced measures of risk persists outside of the HMO setting. In short, it's everywhere. It's up to us to talk about it and spread the word.

  • Anonymous

    8/30/2007 3:02:00 PM |

    Hello- Greg here- I posted the South beach Diet question- thanks so much for the response. A couple questions:
    - Is your new book coming out actually a book to purchase or part of your membership web-site?
    - Can you tell me when it will be available?
    - I know you don't recommend wheat flour products but can you comment on sprouted grain bread line Eziekiel or similar brands, are these any better in moderation? Or should I just forget about bread entirely?
    - My calcium score was 2. That was about 3 years ago, now at 50 when should I have it done again?
    Thanks!
    Greg

  • Anonymous

    8/30/2007 3:19:00 PM |

    Greg - again- sorry, I might be confused here. My calcium score was 2 is that the same as a heart scan score?
    I am not sure I know the difference.
    Thanks!

  • Anonymous

    8/30/2007 4:11:00 PM |

    Hello- sorry for all  my comments but I just found your site and I am very impressed.
    I did a search for Splenda and didn't come up with much- can you comment on this product and the use of it in your program.I have dessert issues... I did enjoy the ricotta dessert on South Beach but what do you think of jello and the use of Splenda in desserts without wheat!There is so much on the web about the evils of Splenda- who to believe?
    Thanks!
    I really should just become a member I suppose.
    Greg

  • Anonymous

    8/30/2007 6:48:00 PM |

    Another question- do you have any thoughts on Dr. Gott's "No Sugar, No Flour Diet"? He is coming out with a cookbook this December to compliment this book.
    Thanks!
    Greg

  • Dr. Davis

    8/30/2007 8:20:00 PM |

    Sorry, no. I've heard of it but haven't yet read it. I like the title, however!

  • Dr. Davis

    8/30/2007 8:22:00 PM |

    In my experience, I've not witnessed any ill effects from Splenda or Stevia. I have seen plenty of mental cloudiness, however, with aspartame. I still think it's a good idea to keep your sweeteners, natural or synthetic, to a minimum.

  • Dr. Davis

    8/30/2007 8:23:00 PM |

    Yes, a heart scan score and a calcium score are the same thing.

  • Dr. Davis

    8/30/2007 8:26:00 PM |

    The New Track Your Plaque Diet will be a Special Report posted on the www.trackyourplaque.com website sometime in the next few months.

    With a starting score of 2, I would not recommend another scan for 3 to 5 years.

    I actually have a 18-month old loaf of Ezekiel bread in my freezer that I have not yet had a chance to play around with. So, no, sorry, no experience nor much knowledge of this specific product yet.

  • Anonymous

    8/30/2007 8:28:00 PM |

    Thanks for the responses.
    Can you tell me, in general, how often a person should have a heart scan done. As I said my last one was at 48 ( a score of 2)  I am now 50.
    Thanks!
    Sorry if I already asked this.
    Greg

  • Anonymous

    8/30/2007 8:56:00 PM |

    OK- I have been reading many of your posts today and thanks for your patience with my posting enthusiasm... I think I asked the same question twice!
    I have beed struggling for sometime with diet and my physician is no help.
    I did lose on South Beach but gained much of it back.
    I see that you recommend South Beach but as I read your postings it seems you lean toward a vegetarian diet too or am I reading into this.
    By joining the web-site would I get access to recipes and meal plans?
    Thanks for help and patience with the new guy.
    Greg

  • Dr. Davis

    8/30/2007 9:17:00 PM |

    Greg--

    South Beach is a wonderful program. Following a vegetarian diet is a choice, but not a necessary part of doing well on our program.

    Unfortunately, meal programs will not be found on the Track Your Plaque website, just discussion of principles and occasional recipes. We are working towards that, however.

  • Anonymous

    8/30/2007 9:45:00 PM |

    Thanks!
    I think I have been reading too much over the years as I have dealing with higher blood lipids and weight gain.
    The whole vegan/vegetarian crowd can make me nervous - The China Study, Ornish, McDougall, Fuhrman, Esselstyn, Pritikin, etc.... they all say theirs is THE way. I had the nutritionist write me back from the Pritkin Center and say South Beach (in the one study done) showed no decrease in LDL and that it is a horrible diet.
    Also there was an article between Ornish and Agatston in Ornish's column he writes for Newsweek where Dr. Agatston said Ornishes approach was aggressive but perhaps he should offer it to those that want to try it in the future ( I am not quoting correctly but you can google Ornish and Agatston and find the article) It kind of made me feel like he wasn't too proud of his program or maybe he was just trying to appease Ornish.... urrhhh... not sure.
    I know as the public we are really lead down different paths and the more I read the more confused I get.
    Best- Greg

  • Dr. Davis

    8/31/2007 11:33:00 AM |

    I always remind people not to  confuse diets meant to achieve WEIGHT LOSS and diets that correct causes of HEART DISEASE. There is a good deal of overlap but there can be crucial differences.

    The inclusion of abundant grains, for instance, from whole wheat or whole grain bread and breakfast cereals, magnifies undesirable small LDL particles and raises triglycerides, both powerfully related to increased coronary plaque growth.

    We use the heart scan score as our endpoint and guided along the way by lipoprotein patterns. I think this makes us worlds smarter about diet, what works and what doesn't.

  • Anonymous

    8/31/2007 1:32:00 PM |

    Thanks so much for all your help.
    I am wondering if your counsel patients at your clinic- either you or your staff.
    I am near LaCrosse, WI so not that far away. Or is it better just to join your site?
    I did have the LDL test and my particle size were a bit on the small side and as you know I have a calcium score of 2.
    Just wondering about next steps for myself- I know you cannot counsel via this blog, just looking for a general recommendation.
    Thanks!
    Greg

  • Dr. Davis

    8/31/2007 2:14:00 PM |

    Hi, Greg--
    I would suggest using our website.

    In all honesty, I do not do the website work to increase my practice. My practice is already bursting to overflowing. I am confident that the Track Your Plaque website can serve your purposes quite well.

  • Ask A Doctor

    8/13/2009 3:10:50 PM |

    I think that the lipoprotien tests should be included in the standard list for testing Cholesterol.

  • buy jeans

    11/3/2010 8:43:25 PM |

    As I've said before, standard cholesterol testing is a fool's game. You can squeeze a little bit of information out of them, but there's so much more information that can be easily obtained through lipoprotein testing like Jack had.

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Small LDL--a persistent bugger

Small LDL--a persistent bugger

Sometimes, small LDL is easy to get rid of. Take niacin, for instance, and it can simply disappear from your body.

But other times, it can be aggravatingly persistent. Several times every day, in fact, I need to run through the checklist of strategies to reduce small LDL with patients.

How important is small LDL? In my experience, it is among the most potent causes behind coronary plaque known. It's a big part of the explanation why some people at an LDL of cholesterol of X mg/dl will have heart disease, while others with the same X mg/dl of LDL will not. When present, small LDL particles are much more likely to trigger atherosclerotic plaque formation. Small LDL particles magnify Lp(a)'s ill-effects tremendously. The data vary but small LDL probably increases heart attack risk at least three-fold.



Here's a checklist of strategies that I advise patients to consider to minimize the small LDL pattern:


--Lose weight to ideal weight--This is very important and effective.


--Fish oil--A relatively small effect unless triglycerides are high to begin with.




--Reduction of wheat products--This can provide a BIG effect. More precisely, a reduction in high-glycemic index foods is effective. But the biggest day-to-day high-glycemic food culprits are wheat products like breads, pasta, crackers, chips, pretzels, and breakfast cereals. "You mean whole wheat bread makes small LDL?!" Yup.


--Reduction of sweets--For the same reasons as reducing wheat products.


--Add raw almonds and walnuts--1/4 to 1/2 cup per day.




--Replace wheat products with OAT products, especially oat bran. This does NOT mean oat-containing breakfast cereals with added sugar and wheat, e.g., Honey Nut Cheerios, Cracklin' Oat Bran Cereal, etc. You might as well eat candy. Buy oat bran as plain oat bran--nothing added. Use it as a hot cereal or added to yogurt, "breading" for chicken, etc.




--Vitamin D--A variable effect, likely resulting from its beneficial effects on "insulin resistance".


--Exercise


--Niacin--Very effective but not always enough.


Among the choices, my favorites are weight loss, niacin, and reduction of wheat products. Those will give you the biggest bang for your buck.

Comments (1) -

  • Cindy

    11/24/2006 5:04:00 AM |

    I've read that excessive carbohydrates in general are linked to small LDL and that those following a low carb diet, or reduce carbs below a certain level will not have small particle LDL, but will instead produce large fluffy LDL.

    Is this true? Is there an "optimal" level"? And do you feel that the large, fulffy LDL are less dangerous?

    I've also read that if Triglycerides are below a certain leve, this pretty much ensures the LDL we produce will be large particles. Thoughts?

    Thanks!!

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Heart scan tomfoolery

Heart scan tomfoolery

Heart Scan Blog reader, Steve, sent these interesting questions about his heart scan experience. (I sometimes forget that this blog is called "The Heart Scan Blog" and was originally--several years ago--meant to discuss heart scans. It has evolved to become a much broader conversation.)

The answers are a bit lengthy, so I'll tackle Steve's questions in two parts, the second in another blog post.

Dr. Davis,

I had a heart scan last year. The score was 96. While not a horrible score, it
was a wake up call, and I changed my lifestyle.

I had another scan this year and the heart scan score went up to 105, but the
volume score went down from 141 to 136.

The report I received said this:

'The calcium volume score is less in the current study as compared with the
original or reference study. This is an excellent coronary result and indicates
that there has been a net decrease in coronary plaque burden. The current
prevention program is very effective and should be continued.'

This is all well and good, but I have two questions:

1. Am I really going in the right direction even though the heart scan score
went up 9%?

2. Here are results that make no sense to me:
- Left Main volume went up from 22.4 to 35.6
- LAD went down from 95.2 to 91.3
- LCX volume went down from 23.2 to 0
- RCA volume went up from 0 to 9.3

Why would there be so much variation from year to year, and why would the plaque
move from site to site?

Steve


Questions like Steve's come up with some frequency, so I thought it would be worthwhile to discuss in a blog post.

First of all, the conventional heart scan score, or "calcium score" or "Agatston score" (after Dr. Arthur Agatston, developer of the simple algorithm for calcium scoring, as well as South Beach Diet fame), is the product of the area of the plaque in a single CT "slice" image
multiplied by a density coefficient, i.e., a number ranging from 1 to 4 that grades the x-ray density of the plaque. (1 is least dense; 4 is most dense.) A density coefficient of 1 therefore signifies some calcium within plaque, with higher density coefficients signifying increasing calcium content and density. Incidentally, "soft" plaque, i.e., non-calcified, would fall in the less than 1 range, even the negative range (fatty tissue within plaque).

The volume, or "volumetric," score is the brainchild of Drs. Paulo Raggi and Traci Callister, who expressed concern that, if we cause plaque to shrink in volume, the density coefficient used to calculate the calcium score would increase (since they believed that calcium could not be reduced, contrary to our Track Your Plaque experience, thereby leading to misleading results. They therefore developed an algorithm that did not rely on density coefficients, but used the same two-dimensional area obtained in the standard heart scan score, but replaced the density coefficient with a (mathematically interpolated) vertical axis (z-axis) measure of plaque "height." This 3-dimensional volumetric value therefore provided a method to generate a measure of calcium volume. In their original publication, the volume score proved more reproducible than the standard calcium score. This way, any reduction in plaque volume would not be influenced by the misleading effects of calcium density, but reflect a real reduction in volume.

Callister and Raggi's study also highlighted that calcium scoring in any form is subject to variability. Back in 1998 (when their study was published), there was a bit more variation than today due to the image acquisition methods used. But, even today, there is about 9% variation in scoring even if performed repeatedly (with less percentage variation the higher the score).

Unfortunately, volume scoring never caught on and the calcium score has been the most commonly used value by most heart scan centers and in most clinical studies. And, in all practicality, the two values nearly always track together: When calcium score increases, volume score increases in tandem; when calcium score decreases, volume score decreases in tandem.

Steve is therefore an exception to the general observation that calcium score and volume score travel together. Steve's calcium score increased, while his volume score decreased. From the above discussion, you can surmise a few things about Steve's experience:"

1) In all likelihood, the changes in both calcium score and volume score could simply be due to variability, i.e., variation in the placement of his body on the scan table, variation in position of the heart, variation in data acquisition, etc. There is a high likelihood that neither value changed; both are essentially unchanged.

2) If the changes are not due to scan variability, but are real, then it could be that the calcified plaque is reduced in volume but increased in density. If true, this is probably still a favorable phenomenon, since plaque volume is a powerful predictor of coronary "events" and an increase in plaque density is likely a benign phenomenon. It would also raise questions about the adequacy of vitamin D and vitamin K2 status, both major control factors over calcium deposition and metabolism.

So, in all likelihood, Steve's apparent discrepant results are modest good news, especially since calcium scores can ordinarily be expected to increase at the rate of 30% per year if no action is taken. Experiencing no change in score, calcium or volumetric, carries a very excellent prognosis, with risk for heart attack approaching zero. (I'm impressed that Steve accomplished this on his own, something the majority of my colleagues haven't the least bit of interest doing.)

Part 2 of Steve's question will be tackled in a separate post.

Comments (12) -

  • Ed Terry

    11/4/2010 4:27:46 PM |

    After two years my volumetric score decreased 14% annually, but my Agatston score increased by 33%.  For the Agatston score, a pulsation artifact was noted.  My cardiologist could not explain to me what that was.  Unfortunately, each scan was performed using a multi-slice detector CT instead of an EBCT.

    Could the increased Agatston score be due to the pulsation artifact?

  • Anonymous

    11/4/2010 10:32:18 PM |

    Can a person have a high calcium score yet "ideal" lipids -- low tris, high hdl and low ldl, very low crp?

  • David

    11/6/2010 8:35:57 PM |

    Anonymous,

    Yes. Lipids show you a snapshot of a single point in time, and are not a guarantee of anything. Think of it this way: Say you've been eating garbage all your life. Cookies, candy, pizza every night, etc. On top of this, you started smoking when you were 15. Now fast forward. You're 50 years old, you've been putting garbage in your body for almost your whole life, and it hits you: I need to cut this out. So you clean up your diet and give up the candy, cookies, pizza, and cigarettes. You get serious about getting in shape, and start exercising regularly. A couple years go by and you stay consistent with your new lifestyle. You get your lipids checked, and wow! HDL is nice and high, LDL is low, trigs are low, etc. This is great, but it doesn't tell you anything about the damage that's already been done over the last 50 years of bad habits. You could have developed a lot of plaque over your lifetime regardless of what your lipids say now. Lipids are sensitive to changes in diet, and change rapidly regardless of plaque burden.

  • pierogi

    11/6/2010 11:54:02 PM |

    Good questin..Good answer.
    However do good lipids stop,slow or reverse calcium score?

  • David

    11/7/2010 5:05:18 AM |

    pieroji-

    Regardless of the exact mechanism that is truly behind the arrestment of plaque growth, there are definitely certain lipoprotein patterns that are associated with low-risk and plaque regression, so those are the types of patterns we shoot for. The direction of the causal relationship and all the players involved is not completely clear in my mind, though certain lipoproteins, such as HDL2, seem to play an active causal role in such tasks as reverse cholesterol transport, reduction in inflammation, etc.

  • Sara

    11/7/2010 6:09:42 AM |

    the 4-60's is a great target for reversing cad:
    hdl, ldl, trigs, vit.d

  • Dr. William Davis

    11/8/2010 1:40:30 AM |

    Wow, David.

    Excellent description of how this works. Thanks for listening!

  • Samual

    11/9/2010 4:20:20 AM |

    Its fantastic Blog.The Infrastructure and technology are the reasons for India being touted as one of the favourite destinations as India medical tourism.

  • buy generic viagra

    11/9/2010 5:45:43 AM |

    Calcium are very essential for human bones..It improves the growth of bones.

  • pammi

    11/9/2010 10:34:21 AM |

    Heart  disease is one of the most  dangerous disease which takes thousands of life every years all over the world. If we know its symptoms and Treatment for heart disease. We can prevent is to large extent.

  • Anonymous

    11/9/2010 5:52:54 PM |

    David -- thank you for your response.  Very helpful.  My problem is a doctor who is clueless about real risk factors.  She dismisses my concerns about heart health because she says I have "spectacularly high" hdl. At least she does not push statins on me.  Total cholesterol is high by  conventional standards and bounces around from 220 to 295, but the ratio between HDL and LDL and Triglycerides ("Tris") are always consistent and have been so for over a decade -- I keep my medical records.  Tris are generally under 50.  HDL is virtually always over 100.  C-reactive protein is always very low.  I do take small amount of thyroid meds -- 60 mg Armour plus 2.5mcg of cytomel.  I tried to explain that at my age -- I need to know what kind of hdl.  I also told her I am concerned about having ferritin at high end of normal (with no periods -- that may soon be even higher) and she laughed it off saying most women are worried about anemia. She had no idea about the different kinds of hdl.  I just turned 47 -- menstrual cylcles seemed to be stopping.  I am 5'2.5" and weigh 103.  I have not eaten wheat for around a decade and have been a low carber for much longer. I don't eat grains of any kind and vascillate between a paleo style low carb and one that includes some dairy. My family history is full of type 2 diabetes -- both parents and brother.  I have a meter and check my glucose fasting and post prandial etc.  Doc says I'm crazy.  I'm a stress eater and during binges -- I overeat nuts and nut butters or very dark chocolate -- 85% cocoa content.  I am never tempted by or crave baked goods or grains at all.  I was eating very small amounts of low carb fruit but find that it destabilizes my blood sugar and isn't worth it. Fasting is mid-80s but AIC has been edging up and doc does not understand that is why I am now testing after meals etc. Lately I've had extreme exhaustion and doc laughs it off as menopause symptom but I am concerned about my heart health.  I eat copious amounts of fat -- just love it -- not a carb craver.  Wondering if that could be insulin resistance? Any advice?

  • David

    11/10/2010 4:39:20 AM |

    Anonymous,

    If you're not happy with your doctor, I would suggest looking for a new one. Also, if you want an advanced lipoprotein analysis and your doctor won't do it, you can always do this yourself. Go to www.privatemdlabs.com and order an NMR LipoProfile. It's fairly inexpensive and super easy. You pay online, go get your blood drawn at a local lab, and then get the results emailed to you in a couple days.

    Wow, your HDL is really up there, and triglycerides are nice and low. Has it been this way all your life? Some people have a genetic deficiency of CETP (cholesteryl-ester transfer protein), which makes it so that the transfer of cholesterol between lipoprotein particles (like HDL to VLDL) is impaired. Of course, this means that HDL will go UP while trigs will stay pretty low. This also often leads to lower amounts of small LDL particles. Have you ever had your LDL size checked?

    I don't know what is causing your fatigue, but suggest that you keep pressing your doctor until you figure it out. Again, if your doctor just laughs off all your concerns, maybe it's time to look for a new doctor. Personally, I would reassess your hormone situation, including thyroid, and aim for optimal correction of all pertinent parameters.

    Have you had a heart scan? What better way to put your mind at ease and/or determine the true nature of your risk? There is a wealth of information here on Dr. Davis' blog as to why this could be a good idea to discuss with your doctor (hopefully she won't laugh it off!).

    David

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The most frequently asked question of all

The most frequently asked question of all

The most frequently asked question on the Track Your Plaque website:

"Can you recommend a doctor in my area who can help me follow the Track Your Plaque program?"

This is a problem. Unfortunately, I wish I could tell everyone that we have hundreds or thousands of physicians nationwide who have been thoroughly educated and adhere to the principles I believe are crucial in heart disease:

1) Identify and quantify the amount of coronary atherosclerotic plaque present. In 2007, the best technique remains CT heart scans.

2) Identify all hidden causes of plaque. This includes Lp(a), post-prandial disorders, small LDL, and vitamin D deficiency.

3) Correct all patterns.


But we don't.

You'd think that this simple formula, as straightforward and rational as it sounds, would be easily followed by many if not most physicians. But Track Your Plaque followers know that it simply is not true. My colleagues, the cardiologists, are hell-bent on implanting the next new device, providing a lot more excitement to them as well as considerably more revenue.

The primary care physician is already swamped in a sea of new information, going from osteoporosis drugs, to arthritis, to gynecologic issues, to skin rashes and flu. Heart disease prevention? Oh yeah, that too. They can only dabble in heart disease prevention a la prescription for Lipitor. That's quick and easy.

Nonetheless, I believe we should work towards identifying the occasional physician who is indeed willing to help people follow a program like Track Your Plaque. As we grow, we will need to identify some mechanism of professional education and we will maintain a record of these practitioners. But right now, we're simply already stretched to the limit just doing what we are doing.

If you come across a physician who practices in this fashion and you've had a positive relationship, we'd like to hear about it.
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200 point drop in heart scan score

200 point drop in heart scan score

Some of the math-savvy will have noticed that we often report drops in CT heart scan scores on a percentage basis. Unfortunately, it this were a competition (which, of course, it is not), this would be unfair.

A score of 50, for instance, that drops "only" 25 points would represent a 50% drop in score.

But someone with a score of 1050 who drops his or her score the same quantity, or 25, will have dropped their score less than 5%.

In other words, the magnitude of your starting score determines how large a percentage drop you achieve, even when the absolute, or real, quantity of plaque reversal is the same as someone who begins with a lower score.

I qualify this discussion in this vein because of Grady's story. Grady, a soon-to-retire attorney, started with a heart scan score of 1151. On the Track Your Plaque program, he saw his score drop nearly 200 points--200 points!

But, if we gauged Grady's success just on a percentage basis, he dropped his score only a measly 17% or so. (Imagine the headlines if this program were sponsored by a drug manufacturer. The Track Your Plaque program proudly has nothing to do with the drug industry.)

Of course, the Track Your Plaque program is not a competition. It is an effort to help everyone possible, the more the better. Even if Grady failed to set a new Track Your Plaque record gauged on a percentage basis, he will have achieved an extraordinary advantage in health: the virtual elimination of the dangers of heart disease.

With this drop in score, Grady's risk for heart attack plummets from a spine-chilling 25% per year to nearly zero. (I know of NO other program that can claim such a track record.)

Grady's full story will be reported in the August, 2007 Track Your Plaque newsletter. To subscribe or to just view when it is posted, go to www.cureality.com website, click on the upper right hand corner What Does My Heart Scan Show? graphic, which then takes you to the page to view the newsletter. Or, Track Your Plaque Members can just go to the Library and click on newsletter archives.
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Advanced topics in nutrition

Advanced topics in nutrition

Nutrition in the modern world has become an increasingly problematic topic. From genetic modification to commercialized methods of mass production, we are having to navigate all manner of complex issues in food choices, particularly if ideal health, including maximal control over coronary plaque, is among our goals.

We will therefore be releasing a series of discussions on the Track Your Plaque website in the coming months, a series I call "Track Your Plaque Advanced Topics in Nutrition." These will be, as the series title suggests, discussions for anyone interested in more than the "eat a balanced diet" nonsense that issues from "official" sources. Among the topics to be covered:

1)Advanced Glycation End-products--both endogenous and exogenous, including peripheral issues like lipoxidation and acrylamides.

2)Dietary influences on LDL oxidation--including the concept of "glycoxidation." Protection from oxidative phenomena is not just about taking antioxidants.

3) Foods you MUST eat--We've talked a lot about foods that you shouldn't eat. How about foods you should eat?
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Vytorin study explodes--But what's the real story?

Vytorin study explodes--But what's the real story?

The makers of Vytorin, Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, issued a press release about the the Enhance Study yesterday. The news has triggered a media frenzy.

The NY Times reporting of the story:

Drug Has No Benefit in Trial, Makers Say

The 700 participants in the trial all had a condition called "heterozygous hypercholesterolemia," a genetic disorder that permits very high LDL cholesterols. The average LDL at the start was 318 mg/dl.

The Times reported that, while Vytorin cut "LDL levels by 58 percent, compared to a 41 percent reduction with simvastatin alone," but "the average thickness of the carotid artery plaque increased by 0.0111 of a millimeter in patients taking Vytorin, compared to an increase of 0.0058 of a millimeter in those taking only simvastatin." There was no difference in heart attacks or other "events" between the two groups.

(Vytorin is the combination of simvastatin and Zetia.)

In other words, the participants taking Vytorin had 53 ten-thousands of a millimeter more plaque growth than the group taking just simvastatin.

I am always uncomfortable when put in the position of defending a drug or drug company. However, it is patently absurd that this study has generated such attention. I suspect the public and media are waiting for another Vioxx-like debacle, with memories of concealed or suppressed data that suggested heightened heart attack risk that was dismisssed by the drug manufacturer. (That's not to say that the company hasn't been trying to delay or modify the outcome of the study, which they apparently have, much to the objections of the FDA.)

However, at this point, there is no reason to believe that this question possesses any parallels to the Vioxx fiasco.

If we accept the data as reported, however, we might say it calls the entire "Lipid Hypothesis" into question: If LDL cholesterol is significantly reduced but is not correlated with reduction in plaque, is LDL the means by which atherosclerotic plaque progresses? This trial does not answer that question, but does serve to raise some doubt.

Another issue: Heterozygous hypercholesterolemia, and thereby LDL cholesterol, may not be the overwhelming driver of plaque growth in this population. It is probably the number of small LDL particles, a factor which is not revealed by LDL cholesterol. For this reason, heterozygous hypercholesterolemia by itself is insufficient to cause heart disease. Some other factor(s) needs to be present. I would propose that it is the size of the LDL particle: When small, heart disease develops; when large, heart disease is less likely to develop. This issue was not addressed by this study. Readers of The Heart Scan Blog know that conventional LDL cholesterol, the number used in this study, is a virtually worthless number for truly gauging plaque behavior because of its flagrant inaccuracy.

So, there are substantial uncertainties, contrary to the absolute certainty expressed by people like Dr. Steve Nissen (who, by the way, has no expertise in lipoprotein disorders). It is premature to reach any firm conclusions from this study. The only conclusions that I personally come to are 1) Is this yet another reason to question the entire Lipid Hypothesis as it stands? and 2) What would the results have been had LDL particle number and LDL particle size been examined, not just LDL?

I would not automatically conclude that Zetia causes carotid plaque. This is absurd. And I am definitely not one to come to the rescue of a drug or drug manufacturer. I am simply after understanding and truth.

As an interesting aside, Dr. Howard Hodis of the University of Southern California and an expert in carotid scanning for heart disease prevention research, made a comment relevant to us in the Track Your Plaque program:

"Clearly, progression of atherosclerosis is the only way you get events,” Dr. Hodis said. “If you don’t treat progression, then you get events."

Comments (28) -

  • Anonymous

    1/16/2008 1:01:00 AM |

    What am I missing here? Has it not been proven that Statin + Niacin combo is like 90% affective in stopping plaque progression in its tracks? Why does that not say that LDL reduction AND particle size reduction,(Niacin for LP(a),works best? Its not just LDL, I developed heart disease with a 90-100 LDL before my Dr discovered  high LP (a). Treated with 10mg statin,1500 Niacin, diet,I am at a30/30 count. OVER&OUT

  • Peter

    1/16/2008 11:20:00 AM |

    Let's just summarise. First there was Keys with his total cholesterol. This turned out to be garbage. Then there was LDL vs HDL. But LDL is calculated and, as we know from this site, tells us nothing about anything. Then we have LDL particle size. Small dense is bad, big fluffy is good, noting that big fluffy contains lots of cholesterol per particle and can increase your calculated, or even absolute, LDL. Two factors, most studies use calculated LDL. The bin is there, file promptly.

    The second is that something controls your LDL particle size. How, on a practical basis, does Dr Davis control LDL size and density? No wheat and no sugar. Does wheat and sugar elimination alter anything in the body? Wheat contains both an insulin mimetic and two insulin potentiators, plus starches and sugars both increase blood insulin levels per se. Perhaps there is a message here. It's been known for decades that insulin drives the proliferation of the arterial media we call arteriosclerosis.

    If insulin also controls LDL particle size (I have no information on this, but I'm willing to bet it does) then Yudkin and Stout are correct, Keys is wrong and the cholesterol hypothesis, what remains of it, describes the effects of insulin on blood lipids. While insulin and glucose do the damage to the arteries.

    Just a cholesterol skeptic view.

    Peter

    Statins are anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-proliferative and probably anti other things too. Unfortunately they drop cholesterol levels (in humans anyway). Zetia, like torcetrapib and clofibrate, does the cholesterol dropping thing without the anti everything else that statins bring along. No wonder they killed so many people in the clinical trials. Clofibrate. Torcetrapib.

    If a drug company develops a drug which converts small dense LDL to light fluffy LDL without affecting insulin sensitivity or glucose, I predict it will go the way of clofibrate and torcetrapib. There's the bin.

  • Dr. Davis

    1/16/2008 1:06:00 PM |

    I especially find it interesting that, among the so-called pleiotropic, or non-lipid, effects of statin drugs is a modest rise in 25-OH-vitamin D3 levels.

  • Anonymous

    1/16/2008 3:25:00 PM |

    I think this just once again shows that statins DO reduce heart disease but NOT because of the reduction in LDL. I'm always amazed at the Dr. who say you don't need to be on a statin your LDL is fine. Statins have been proven to reduce death rates in cardiovascular disease by 30 to 40% and yes with niacin by 90%!!!!!!!! Anybody worried about heart disease should be taking them. And save me the "side effects" alarm of statins that is so over blown. The fact is we invented a drug to reduce LDL, it does that but thats not why it reduces heart attacks and we're still not sure why they do. We accidently created a great class of drugs.

  • kdhartt

    1/16/2008 3:31:00 PM |

    I remember in Taubes reading that small LDL are the result of particles being formed in a high-triglyceride environment--if so there is a more direct link to diet than through insulin.

    About the merits of statins, can't we at least say that through reducing the number of all LDL particles and hence the number of small particles arteries are protected?

    Keith

  • Jenny

    1/16/2008 4:29:00 PM |

    The drug company slanted this study so that they'd get a wonderful result, that they didn't and the lengths that they went to hide or misrepresent the data that came out of the study has to make you suspicious of what ELSE they have learned.

    Did you catch that they also suppressed other study results showing liver damage from Zetia?

    Also, did you catch the BMJ story today about the calcium supplementation trial that lowered LDL raised HDL and increased cardiac and stroke events in older women?

    While that too isn't a death blow to the LDL hypothesis, it certainly doesn't bolster it.

  • Bad_CRC

    1/16/2008 6:03:00 PM |

    Peter,

    Good post; you have an impressive grasp of the literature on this!  I have a question for you, though:  Besides the epidemiology (which I know you don't buy), aren't there still tons of animal studies linking atherosclerosis to dietary saturated fat?  In fact, to promote atherogenesis in lab animals so they can study it, don't they feed them a diet rich in palmitic, stearic, myristic and lauric acids from animal and tropical plant fats, which works predictably?

  • Dr. Davis

    1/16/2008 6:24:00 PM |

    Drug companies are actually scrutinized fairly closely, though plenty of shenanigans still go on.

    What scares me even more is what may have been going on BEFORE the intensified scrutiny began a few years ago.

    Nowadays, the return on investment for treatment of chronic diseases like cholesterol, osteoporosis, and hypertension are so substantial that it is causing them to see a blur between right and wrong.

  • Dr. Davis

    1/16/2008 6:41:00 PM |

    Yes. I believe that the evidence for that effect of statin drugs is quite confident.

    When I question the Lipid Hypothesis, what I really mean is that I question the wisdom of the simple "high cholesterol means more atherosclerosis" philosophy, a belief that is clearly oversimplified, though it contains a germ of truth.

  • Peter

    1/16/2008 8:12:00 PM |

    For anonymous,

    Of course statins reduce cardiac mortality and obviously it's nothing to do with LDL cholesterol lowering. But before you pop one on the off chance (they are available OTC in the UK) go very carefully through this paper.

    You need the full text, the abstract tells you nothing, so here's a summary:

    There were 2913 patients in the placebo group. A total of 306 died during their 3 years of not taking a statin. That is 10.5% died. In the treatment group there were 2891 patients and 298 died, that's 10.3%. Bear in mind that these were high risk cardiovascular patients, the sort for whom statin therapy is supposed to be effective in saving lives.

    There was undoubtedly a significant improvement in cardiac mortality WITHOUT improvement in overall mortality. To sum up the PROSPER trial, you can have the cause of death changed from heart attack to cancer, but not the date on the death certificate. You choose. Perhaps you're too young to be in the PROSPER trial, but live long enough and you won't be!

    PS if you EVER see a statin trial without the overall mortality figures, just assume there was no benefit or worse. If there is even a miniscule benefit it will be broadcast far and wide.

    Keith,

    Thanks for the pointer. Obviously high triglycerides are a classic marker of hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance. I'll follow that one when I get that far in to Taubes' book. Seems it's looking good for Yudkin.

    bad_crc,

    Yes, there are thousands of papers like that. They usually use D12451 or something like it. High fat alright, 45% calories from lard. As the rest is? A bit of corn starch, a mass of maltodextrin and an even bigger mass of sucrose!!!!! But of course it's the lard that kills....

    Whereas using a real high fat diet you get this paper. I would suggest the 60% of calories from fat us a little low for a rodent. Choosing for themselves they can go to around 80%, get plump but don't develop insulin resistance.

    Peter

  • Jenny

    1/16/2008 10:11:00 PM |

    My understanding is that studies show that statins are effective in reducing heart attacks ONLY in people who have already HAD heart attacks. Not in the general population.

    This would confirm the growing suspicion that statins work by limiting the inflammation associated with heart disease. Not through their effect on lipids.

    To get back to Zetia/Vytorin, what Dr. Nissen pointed to, which IS in my mind worth noting, was that while the variation in individual endpoints did not rise to statistical significance every single endpoint measured went in the wrong direction. That argues against random effects in my mind.

    Beyond that, we know that in most people heart disease develops over a longer period than that spanned by this study, which only lasted 2 years. If all these parameters measured were trending negatively at 2 years, what happens at 5? Or 10? This is one of those drugs that once they put on on it, you take them forever. So the 5 or 10 year result could be devastating if this turns out to be a significant finding.

    My suggestion would be continue testing this drug in small studies involving people who are very well informed of the risks, but end the writing of the current 1 million prescriptions a month. That's a LOT of guinea pigs, and if there turned out to be an accelerating pace of problems with it, a lot of people could die unnecessarily.

  • Dr. Davis

    1/16/2008 10:20:00 PM |

    Statins reduce the number of LDL particles, which is very poorly represented by the conventional (Friedwald)calculated LDL cholesterol.

    More importantly, when someone with heterozygous hypercholesterolemia (as in this Vytorin study) has a high number of SMALL LDL particles, then statin drugs, in my view, do provide benefit. But a superior effect would be to specifically reduce the number of small LDL particles, best accomplished with such strategies as elimination of wheat, weight loss via low carbohydrate diet, fish oil, vitamin D, and niacin.

    This raises the question of how well the two groups in this study were matched for the number of small LDL particles. To my knowledge, this was not measured.

    Let me also remind everybody that the measure obtained and used for comparison was carotid IMT, not carotid plaque.

  • wccaguy

    1/16/2008 10:39:00 PM |

    I'm certain I'm not alone in feeling bewildered that such a dominant theory of the disease could turn out to have been so wrong for so long at such great cost in lives and treasure.

    Just as a question of historical interest, how far back in the history of science do we have to look to find this kind of reversal of understanding of what the facts are with such broad and great consequence?

  • Dr. Davis

    1/16/2008 11:45:00 PM |

    Hi, WC--

    I'm not sure, but it's not the first time.  

    Is the earth still flat?

  • wccaguy

    1/17/2008 12:49:00 AM |

    Hi Dr. D.

    I was thinking of Galileo also and his remarkable discovery that the earth orbits the sun.

    But then I thought "surely we don't have to go that far back do we to get to such a broad and consequential paradigm shift?"

    Maybe we do.

  • Richard A.

    1/17/2008 3:52:00 AM |

    Could zetia be interfering with the absorption  of simvastatin?

  • Peter

    1/17/2008 5:52:00 AM |

    Hi wccaguy,

    You may enjoy this discussion article from PLoS. The authors intend it to be provocative, put it does pose the question "on which day did medicine stop making mistakes?"

    Peter

  • Anonymous

    1/17/2008 11:23:00 AM |

    In response to Jenny, not all studies on reducing heart attack death havwe been done on people who already had a heart attack. The reduction of 30 to 40% is whether you've had one or not.

  • kdhartt

    1/17/2008 1:18:00 PM |

    Our saturated fat question keeps coming up, but the current common wisdom is that saturated fats are "neutral" in the sense that they raise both LDL and HDL. But do we know what they do to the number of small particles? Of course, if LDL is raised by making particles fluffy then saturated fats are clearly protective.

    Keith

  • Dr. Davis

    1/17/2008 1:34:00 PM |

    Hi, Richard-
    No, there was indeed a substantial further drop in LDL with Vytorin over simvastatin.

  • Dr. Davis

    1/17/2008 1:41:00 PM |

    There is a very modest shift from small to large LDL.

  • Jenny

    1/17/2008 1:47:00 PM |

    Zetia dropped my very high, inherited LDL to normal, BUT I afer a couple months on Zetia my post-menopausal body stopped making estrogen--my gynecologist remarked on it.  

    I also started having a problem with persistent visual afterimages which the ophthalmologist said might also be from having too little cholesterol.

    Both problems went away when I stopped the Zetia. I have very high LDL but I also have the "longevity" cholesterol gene which makes for big fluffy LDL as well as very low Apo(b). My doctors--including the cardiologist I saw--are ignorant about the implications of both findings and just obsess about the high LDL.

    Since naturally produced estrogen seems to be protective for heart disease, I wonder if some people with inherited high LDL are like me have the large fluffy LDL molecules which give a deceptively high LDL value on tests. For them lowering it with Zetia drops LDL TOO low, so that the body doesn't have the cholesterol it needs for important functions, like making the naturally produced female hormones that may be protective against heart disease.

  • Dr. Davis

    1/17/2008 1:52:00 PM |

    Hi, Jenny-
    Keep in mind that conventional LDL is a flagrantly inaccurate number. In my experience, LDL of 150 when accurately measured (we use the NMR LDL particle number as the "gold standard"), the true number is between 80 and 270 mg/dl.

    In my view, conventional LDL is a silly number. It is also the basis of a $23 billion (annual revenue) industry.

  • Anonymous

    1/24/2008 4:06:00 AM |

    In Dec 05 I had a heart scan score of 145.  I went from 10 mg of Lipitor to 80mg of Vytorin and 1000 Niacin, 1 fish oil.  At that time my particle number was 1325 and small particle # 977.  A year later it went to 1503/1277.

    In Nov 07 my heart scan went to 291. I then went to 2000 mg of Niacin and 150 COQ10,4 fish oil, 500 mg C, Vitamin D.

    My new liposcience profile taken Dec 27 07 shows small particle down to 249 and particle number down to 279.

    I dont know why my plaque increased so much but the new lipo profile is impressive in reduction.

    Is there anything here that seems weird or is it just the plaque grew fast and is likely now under control with the much improved scores?  All other factors on the profile were great and my Vitamin D is very good and CRP excellent too.  My homosistine was 15.7 is the only thing a bit high.

    Thanks!!

  • Dr. Davis

    1/24/2008 12:53:00 PM |

    Sorry, but I do not assess entire programs on this blog.

    I would invite you to participate in the conversations in the Track Your Plaque Forum for detailed discussions like this. There is also a free report on "10 steps to take if your heart scan score increases" on the www.trackyourplaque.com website.

  • buy jeans

    11/2/2010 7:37:41 PM |

    I would not automatically conclude that Zetia causes carotid plaque. This is absurd. And I am definitely not one to come to the rescue of a drug or drug manufacturer. I am simply after understanding and truth.

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