Inflammation – The “Secret” Cause of Heart Disease

Twenty-five millio
Americans are in danger of suffering a heart attack and don’t know it. You may be surprised to know that less than half of all heart attack victims had high cholesterol levels.

You can find out if you are one of those at risk with a simple blood test called CRP.

C-reactive protein, (CRP) is gaining tremendous ground as a reliable and accurate predictor of heart disease. In this article, you’ll find out why measuring your CRP level is crucial. And, I’ll give you some tips for keeping CRP levels in your own body at acceptable levels.

Detect Inflammation Before It’s Too Late

Your body produces C-reactive protein as a defense mechanism. When a part of your body is injured, it sends signals to the rest of your body for help. Your immune system responds by sending out white blood cells and inflammatory molecules, including CRP to the injured area.

Once there, the defense cells try to repair injured areas and fight off intruders. But this defensive response causes inflammation. The inflammatory response ignites a spark of energy, in the form of oxidative “fire.” This process often results in the permanent damage of surrounding tissues. In fact, the inflammation of blood vessel cells is a major risk factor leading to heart disease.

Spikes in CRP levels are an early sign of inflammation in the body. That’s why CRP is such a strong indicator. Today, we can say with certainty that using CRP levels to detect early signs of heart disease is far more effective than relying on cholesterol levels.

The New England Journal of Medicine recently published a massive study on CRP. In a trial that involved almost 28,000 participants, researchers tried to predict cardiac events like heart attack and stroke by measuring levels of LDL cholesterol and CRP in the blood. They found conclusively that CRP predicted cardiac events with greater regularity and precision than did LDL cholesterol.

Low Levels of CRP Could Save You from a Heart Attack

So what can you do to keep your levels of CRP as low as possible? Physical activity is the easiest and most reliable way. We have recently discovered that even moderate exercise can result in lower CRP levels. In a recent study, people who went from not exercising at all, to exercising a small amount 5 times a week, reduced their levels of CRP by up to 30%.

Additionally, there are several effective supplements that help to stop cell damage and irritation in your heart’s lining. If you can prevent and reduce damage to your heart’s lining, your CRP levels will be naturally low. As a result, you can substantially lower your risk of a fatal heart attack.

These nutrients include:nn* L-argininen* Folic Acidn* Taurinen* Vitamin En* Vitamin C

CRP levels can be measured with a simple blood test. Talk to your doctor about testing your CRP levels. If your doctor doesn’t offer this as a routine test, ask him to order it for you. The test doesn’t cost very much, and your insurance will cover it.

In chapter 5 of my new book, The Doctor’s Heart Cure, you’ll discover more about CRP, and how to measure the leading indicators of heart health.

You’ll learn:

• How to asses your own heart health.
• New methods of early detection.
• How to monitor insulin levels to prevent heart disease.
• How to protect yourself from the “sinister killer,” – homocysteine.

To find out more about my book right now, click here: www.alsearsmd.com/heart-cure.phpn