When Kilmer § MeOully, M.D., first proposed a link between levels of an amino acid nd heart disease in 1969, the medical community largely ignored him. But four decades and hundreds of studies later, that corununity is int linking high levels reased nsk of heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular Homocysteine is formed when the body breaks down dietary protein, especially protein from animal sources. Then B vitarnins, particularly folate, Bs, and B,9, break down homocysteine so your cells can use it for energy. But if this breakdown phase fails to ocecur—say, if you don’t get enough B vitamins— homocysteine builds up to an unhealthy level, It then damages endothelial cells, preventing the production of nitric oxide. It may also make blood cells stickier, encouraging clotting, which can eventually trigger a stroke or heart attack. In a study of 386 women at the University of Washington in Seattle, those with the most homocysteine in their blood had double the heart attack...
Since bacteria, VITUses, and other germs are a common cause of inflammation mn general (think about the white blood cells the body dispatches to fight an infection), researchers have begun investigating a possible link between germs and heart disease. Same of the bugs that have been implicated are the culprits behind chronic, low grace infections, They include helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes most uicers: chlamydia pneumoniae, a bacterial organism that causes mild pneumonia in young adults; and even streptococcus mutans, the bacteria that cause cavities in your teeth (see “One More Reason to Brush,” below.) Also on this list is herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1), the virus that causes cold sores. A study published in the journal Circulation in 2000 found that older people who had been infected with HSV-1 had twice the risk of having a heart attack or dying from heart disease as those never infected by the virus. Another study looked at 572 heart disease patients who had...
Remember the last time you scraped your knee? As it healed, it grew red and warm, sometimes leaking pus. That was inflammation at work. Whenever there’s an injury to any part of your body, the flow of blood increases as white blood cells rush to the area like rescue workers responding to a train wreck. Ironically, this verv process can also damage tissue. What does inflammation have to do with heart cisease? As it turns out, plenty, When the lining of the artery is damaged—say, when LDL particles burrow into the artery wall—white blood cells flock to the site, resulting in inflammation, Thus, more LDL equals more inflammation. Inflammation not only further damages the artery walls, leaving them stiffer and more prone to plaque buildup, but it also makes any plaque that’s already there more fragile and more likely to burst. Other factors that damage the artery wall and trigger inflammation include smoking, high blood pressure, and even germs (more on those in a minute). How do you...
The same chemical responsible for men’s erections (and, indirectly, for the success of Viagra) also plays a vital role in the health of your arteries, and thus your heart. The chemical is nitric oxide (NO), which is primarily produced in the blood vessels’ endothelium, or lining. There it increases blood flow, prevents fatty deposits from sticking to blood vessel walls, keeps walls from getting too thick and stiff, and prevents the arteries from narrowing. “The lining of the vessel is very important for cardiac health,” says John P. Cooke, M.D., Ph.D., head of Stanford University’s vascular unit and one of the first researchers If your artery walls don’t make enough nitric oxide, they become like Velcro, attracting borne gunk like flies to flypaper. to pinpoint the role of NO in cardiovascular health.“When the endothelium is healthy it’s like Teflon, and things don’t stick.” When it’s unhealthy, it becomes more like Velcro, attracting blood like Velcro, attracting...
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