| If you want to learn your chances of suffering a | | | | under the age of 40 and women under the age of |
| heart attack, ask your doctor to draw blood for | | | | 60.)If your C reactive protein is high, you may need |
| C-Reactive Protein (CRP), the good HDL and the bad | | | | to take Zithromax, Dynabec, or Biaxin for 9 days.If |
| LDL cholesterol, small low-density lipoprotein, Lp(a), | | | | your good HDL is low or your triglycerides are high, |
| homocysteine. He will also check your blood | | | | you need to restrict calories and any foods that |
| pressure.We used to think that heart attacks were | | | | cause a high rise in blood sugar, such as bakery |
| caused primarily by plaques accumulating in arteries | | | | products, pastas and sugar-added foods; and eat |
| because of high cholesterol levels. Now we know | | | | root vegetables and fruits only with other foods, not |
| that the inner lining of an artery must first be | | | | alone as snacks. You may also need to take |
| roughed up before plaques form, and infections are | | | | medications.If your bad LDL cholesterol is high, you |
| the most common cause of damaged inner linings of | | | | need to restrict saturated fats, partially |
| arteries. C-Reactive Protein is a blood test that | | | | hydrogenated fats and calories, and you may need |
| measures inflammation or the swelling that occurs in | | | | to take medication.If your Lp(a) is greater than 40, |
| arteries before plaques form. So C-reactive protein is | | | | you need to take the vitamin niacin after every meal |
| one of the best indicators that a person is headed | | | | in continually raising doses until your Lp(a) is below 40. |
| for a heart attack.Blood cholesterol levels are still | | | | Diet will not lower Lp(a).If your homocysteine is high, |
| good predictors of heart attacks. Your bad LDL | | | | you need to avoid meat and poultry, and eat plenty |
| cholesterol should be under 100. If you have had a | | | | of whole grains, leafy green vegetables. You can |
| heart attack, your LDL should be under 70. Having | | | | meet your needs for vitamin B12 with seafood and |
| high blood levels of a subfraction of the bad LDL | | | | skim milk dairy products, or with B 12 pills. If |
| cholesterol called small LDL increases your risk for a | | | | homocysteine remains above 100, you should take |
| heart attack.Another test called homocysteine also | | | | folic acid, pyridoxine and B12 (readily available in |
| predicts heart attacks. When your diet does not | | | | combination pills such as Foltex or Fol-B.)A |
| provide you with adequate amounts of the vitamins | | | | heart-healthy diet and lifestyle makes it possible for |
| B12, pyridoxine and folic acid, blood levels of | | | | most people to control cholesterol and blood pressure |
| homocysteine rise, damaging the walls of the arteries | | | | without drugs.Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk |
| and causing plaques to form.Lp(a) is a genetic | | | | show host for 25 years and practicing physician for |
| disorder that causes clots to form and so is a cause | | | | more than 40 years; he is board certified in four |
| of heart attacks, particularly in younger people (men | | | | specialties, including sports medicine. |