Yesterday, in response to a reader’s
request about how to “cure” rather than prevent heart disease,
I shared a leading cardiologist’s recommendations. To get the
naturopathic point of view, I also spoke with Bobbi Lutack, a
naturopathic physician (ND) at Bastyr University in Kenmore,
Washington. She told me that while conventional medicine focuses
on treatments for the symptoms -- such as bypass, stents,
angioplasty and prescription drugs -- NDs focus on creating a
healthy cardiovascular system through diet, exercise, stress
management and supplements.
Is the Cure Worse Than the Disease?
When people walk into Dr. Lutack’s office
after a heart attack, they often are uncertain and depressed.
Can they exercise again? Is it safe to have sex? She stresses
that individuals with all types of heart disease need to speak
candidly with physicians about their questions and concerns.
She spends one hour with each patient at the first appointment,
getting the whole picture and coming up with a proper game
plan for treatment.
According to Dr. Lutack, once the
issue becomes one of “cure” rather than prevention, the
approach should be more aggressive and proactive. Still,
in natural medicine, the first question is always, Is the
cure worse than the disease?
Take cholesterol, for example.
The greater the family history of heart disease and
the higher a person’s cholesterol, the more aggressive
Dr. Lutack is in taking measures to lower it. Yet, this
does not mean that she automatically prescribes cholesterol-
lowering statin drugs, which have been associated with harmful
side effects such as muscle pain, abdominal discomfort, liver
damage and cognitive or memory problems. Instead, Dr. Lutack
begins with close attention to diet and exercise. For many
people, this is all that is necessary to get cholesterol
under control. If this fails to do the trick, she has an
arsenal of dietary supplements at her disposal. If after
all this cholesterol still is high, only then will she
prescribe a low-dose statin, along with the herb milk
thistle to lessen the possibility of liver damage.
Dr. Lutack adds that we need to look
beyond the common fixation with cholesterol and examine
other risk factors for heart disease, especially the
inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP). Today
more and more physicians recognize that inflammation
plays a key role in heart disease, and treatment
also entails keeping these markers -- and thus
inflammation -- at normal levels in the body.
The Naturopathic Way
Naturopathic physicians see
patients not as passive but primary, active
participants in maintaining health. Dr. Lutack’s
recommendations for getting your heart back on
the right track include...
Follow a healthy diet.
Dr. Lutack thinks of food as medicine. She recommends
plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, cold-water
fish such as salmon and mackerel (rich sources of
heart-healthy essential fatty acids), flaxseed rather
than artery-clogging saturated oils and organic,
hormone-free turkey, chicken and lean beef in moderation.
Foods such as oats, apples and bran can help lower
cholesterol, and the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) recommends soy (such as tofu, edamame and soy milk)
to reduce the risk for heart disease. Junk food contributes
to high cholesterol, inflammation and uneven insulin
levels in the body (another risk factor for heart disease),
so go easy on the fried and fatty foods, sugar, white
bread and pasta.
Get moving. If you’re uncertain
about which level of exercise is safe for you, the first
step is to get a stress test. This generally entails
walking on a treadmill while your doctor monitors your
heart. Afterward, you can get started on a regular
program of aerobic exercise, such as walking, swimming
or biking. You may want to join a cardiac rehabilitation
program at a local gym or YMCA, where you will be set
up with a heart monitor that will tell you exactly what
level of exercise is appropriate. Ask your doctor to
refer you -- the program usually is covered by insurance.
Get a handle on stress. To relieve
stress, which is harmful to your whole body including your
heart, Dr. Lutack recommends a variety of techniques,
including acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine,
homeopathy, meditation, yoga or counseling. Go with whatever
works best for you. She notes that stress is all about
perception and warns that a pill just puts a bandage on
the problem. Other approaches, such as meditation, allow
you to look inward and examine your life. Often your life
doesn’t change at all, but a shift in attitude allows you
to view people and situations in a new and more
positive light.
Take dietary supplements. Given
the many side effects of prescription drugs and the obvious
risks of invasive procedures, it’s important to consider
the many natural alternatives that are available to help
you cope with heart disease. These include the following
dietary supplements...
Carlson’s Cod Liver Oil. According
to Dr. Lutack, this old-fashioned remedy reduces blood
coagulation similarly to ibuprofen, but without side effects.
It also lowers C-reactive protein levels.
Coenzyme Q-10, a chemical made
naturally in the body that grows scarcer as we experience
stresse, smoke or grow older. This supplement produces
energy and acts as an antioxidant to scoop up cell-damaging
free radicals that lead to inflammation, plaque buildup
and blood clots.
Guggulipid, an ancient Ayurvedic
remedy made from a resin extract from the guggul tree.
Used for centuries in India, this supplement reduces
cholesterol and inflammation, acts as an antioxidant
and reduces platelet aggregation to make blood thinner.
Policosanol, a safe, natural
substance found in citrus peels and, surprisingly, in
sugar cane. Studies have shown that this supplement
can be as -- or even more -- effective than statin
drugs in lowering cholesterol, and without side
effects. (For more on policosanol, see Daily
Health News, August 26, 2004.) With policosanol,
your liver produces less cholesterol and absorbs
more of the harmful type of cholesterol...
your blood is thinner, protecting you from heart
attack and stroke... and inflammation is reduced.
Red yeast rice (monascus
purpureus) is a traditional element of Asian
cuisine made from fermenting red yeast on rice.
This supplement contains a natural form of
lovastatin, the active ingredient in the statin
drug Mevacor. Less expensive and with fewer side
effects than statins, Dr. Lutack recommends red
yeast rice to lower total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”)
cholesterol and harmful blood lipids called
triglycerides. It also may reduce elevated C-reactive
protein levels. (For more on red yeast rice, see
Daily Health News, November 9, 2004.)
Folic acid, B-6, B-12 and
hydrochloric acid to lower homocysteine.
Dr. Lutack observes that most medical doctors
prescribe only folic acid to control elevated
homocysteine, but the others are necessary to
help your body absorb the folic acid more
efficiently.
Although you can purchase
dietary supplements on-line or from quality
health-food stores, Dr. Lutack strongly recommends
consulting an ND. Dosages and combinations vary
according to each person’s condition, and many
dietary supplements must be used with caution
(if at all) with prescription drugs. In addition,
you will need regular blood tests to determine
whether supplements are successful in bringing
risk factors within target range.
Sources.
Bobbi Lutack, ND, adjunct
faculty member, Bastyr University, Kenmore,
Washington. American Heart Association,
www.americanheart.org National Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine,
http://nccam.nih.gov US Food and Drug
Administration, www.fda.gov
