Seven Important Measures of Cardiovascular Health--and It's Not Cholesterol

Ready for a heart-to-heart talk about the real culprits behind heart disease? Get ready to challenge everything you thought you knew about cholesterol and heart health. Our journey begins with debunking the age-old myth that cholesterol is the primary cause of heart disease—an erroneous belief rooted in misinterpreted studies from the mid-20th century. We're also laying out seven self-manageable measures of heart disease risk that you can address right at home. If you ask your doctor about how to reduce your risk for heart disease, i.e., coronary heart disease and heart attacks that remain the number one killer of Americans, he/she will tell you that reducing saturated fat, eating whole grains, perhaps taking a baby aspirin, and reducing cholesterol with a statin cholesterol drug are the keys. Is this true? Of course it’s not. 88 million Americans take statin cholesterol drugs, for instance, and there has been no measurable reduction in heart disease events. Many people have worked to reduce saturated fat intake and it’s part of the reason why we have record-setting levels of overweight and obesity. In other words, the conventional ideas of reducing risk for heart disease are nothing more than fairy tales based on misinterpretations, misrepresentations, and a desire to maintain the very profitable status quo of procedures for heart disease, the #1 moneymaker for hospitals. Of course, the real tragedy is that the focus on cholesterol, saturated fat, etc. takes everyone’s attention off the real causes of heart disease that are, in truth, identifiable, measurable, and readily correctable. Just don’t ask your doctor to tell you how. So, in this episode of Defiant Health, let’s consider this question and discuss seven measures of heart disease risk that you are able to address on your own. The path to understanding heart disease veers towards an in-depth look at coronary atherosclerosis, often ignored in conventional advice. Brace yourself as we expose how plaque buildup in your arteries, not cholesterol, poses a more accurate risk assessment for heart disease. We end our expedition by revealing the unsung hero in heart disease prevention – lipoprotein analysis. Together, we'll explore how lipid levels impact coronary calcium scores and discover how Vitamin D and fish oil may work to curb this increase. Managing insulin and glucose levels is vital, and we'll explain why. We're also exploring the overlooked roles inflammation and disrupted bowel flora play in heart health. Lastly, we'll offer insights into a diet program teeming with key nutrients that can help achieve optimal heart health. Know your heart better, and let knowledge empower your journey towards a healthier heart. Further discussion can be found on my DrDavisInfiniteHealth.com blog. For access to my Inner Circle discussions, including weekly Zoom video discussions: InnerCircle.DrDavisInfiniteHealth.com _____________________________________ Support the show YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WilliamDavisMD Blog: WilliamDavisMD.com Membership website for two-way Zoom group meetings: InnerCircle.DrDavisInfiniteHealth.com Books: Super Gut: The 4-Week Plan to Reprogram Your Microbiome, Restore Health, and Lose Weight Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight and Find Your Path Back to Health; revised & expanded ed