End Fatigue
New This Week: January 27, 2012
To Prevent Heart Disease, Rely on Natural Medicine
Dear Readers,
It was another bad week for standard medicine. Two main treatments for heart disease protection — cholesterol-lowering statins and blood-thinning aspirin — were found to cause more harm than good — except in those who already have angina or a personal (not family) history of strokes or heart attacks.
Safer alternatives that show dramatic benefits in preventing heart disease? Optimizing thyroid function — which is associated with a 69% lower risk of death from heart attack. And in men, optimizing testosterone when they enter andropause is important. In this week's research briefs (below), I also go through a number of studies that show the benefits of nuts, red wine and exercise as natural ways to prevent heart disease.
These dramatic improvements in heart health by optimizing hormones are just two of the reasons why I recommend that both men and women get a major "Holistic Tune Up" when they turn 45. If you're over 45 years old and haven't had your tune up, you're overdo — and you deserve it, because you deserve to be optimally healthy, whether you're young, middle-aged or in your golden years.
For gender-specific info on getting your "Holistic Tune Up," see:
- The WOW Program (Well Optimized Woman)
- The TOM Program (The Optimized Male)
Love & blessings,
Dr. T
Special Report
Small Heart Size Common in CFS
A few weeks ago I discussed a condition called POTS/NMH (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome/Neurally Mediated Hypotension), pointing out that most people with POTS/NMH also have CFS.
The main symptom of POTS/NMH is that when you stand up, you have a speeding heartbeat and low blood pressure, causing symptoms like dizziness, shakiness, nausea, weakness and fatigue. And even a slight increase in your activity levels — eating, showering, walking — can worsen the symptoms.
Well, a new study by Japanese researchers, published in the medical journal Clinical Cardiology, has found that CFS patients with POTS/NMH have smaller-sized hearts than CFS patients who don't have POTS/NMH.
The researchers also found that the smaller heart might be the cause of the symptoms of POTS/NMH — because a smaller heart has to beat faster to pump a normal amount of blood throughout the body.
Surprisingly, this finding is good news for those with CFS and POTS.
Research Briefs
Statins Increase Risk of Diabetes
A new study analyzing health data from more than 150,000 postmenopausal women (aged 50-79 years old) showed that taking statins can increase the risk of getting diabetes by a whopping 48%. With current estimates suggesting that 1/4th of women may get diabetes, this is a big risk — especially for a drug that doesn't effectively prevent heart disease.
Aspirin's Risks Outweigh Benefits in Preventing Heart Disease
UK researchers analyzed nine studies involving more than 100,000 patients and found that taking a daily aspirin to prevent heart disease increased the risk of serious stomach bleeds by 30% — but only decreased the risk of heart attacks by 10%. In other words, aspirin did a lot more harm than good. The researchers' conclusion: routine use of aspirin to prevent heart attacks isn't justified.
The #1 Nut for Healthier Hearts — Walnuts!
Researchers from the University of Scranton tested nine types of roasted and raw nuts, and two types of peanut butter. Their aim: to measure the ability of the nuts' polyphenols (powerful antioxidants) to stop the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, the process that triggers artery-clogging plaque. The winner of both the roasted and raw competitions: the walnut.
Red Wine Is Good for Your Heart — and Might Protect Against Breast Cancer!
Studies show that moderate alcohol intake — one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men — decreases the risk of heart attack. On the other hand, alcohol is linked to a very small increase in the risk of breast cancer (dozens of factors seem to play a role). But a new study shows that one type of alcohol may actually decrease the risk of both heart disease and breast cancer: red wine.
More Exercise, Less Risk of a Heart Attack
One of the best actions you can take for your heart is to get into action, with exercise! A new study of more than 29,000 people from 52 countries provides more evidence that exercise is good for the heart. It linked regular mild exercise to a 13% lower risk of having a heart attack, and regular moderate or strenuous exercise to a 24% lower risk.
Recommended Reading
Meet Jonny Bowden — "The Rogue Nutritionist"
My good friend Jonny Bowden, aka "The Rogue Nutritionist," always has a worthwhile reality check on conventional wisdom, especially where nutrition is concerned. Check out "7 Nutrition Lies That Are Making You Sick & Fat" at his website. I think you'll enjoy his straight forward, no bologna approach to nutrition and anti-aging.
Also check out Jonny's newest book, "The 150 Healthiest Slow Cooker Recipes on Earth," available at Amazon.com.
Dr. Teitelbaum Available for Consultations
Having just finished my fourth book in as many years, I'm happy to announce that I've decided to once again return to seeing patients for a few hours each week.
Cool Stuff
Friends
Great pics of animal pals.
This Week's Joke
Kermit
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