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Steve Parcell, ND Lipoproteins are a better measure of risk, and lipoprotein testing represents a new era in preventive cardiology. Just measuring LDL and treating it (while still somewhat effective) may not be enough for ultimate heart attack prevention, because it does not reflect lipoprotein size, density, or particle number. LDL and HDL are just not enough when it comes to evaluating your risk of a heart attack. This is particularly true if...

Kelly Parcell, ND So far, all studies examining the effects of hormone replacement therapy have shown no major reduction of cardiovascular risk. In fact, equine estrogens (Premarin) and progestins (Provera) appear to be associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Naturally occurring estrogen does not fully account for why women get heart disease later than men either. According to a BMJ study in 1995 of postmenopausal women, there was no relat...

Fish oil contains both DHA and EPA. These are essential fatty acids for human health. They can be made from plant-based oils that contain alpha linolenic acid in foods such as nuts, flaxseeds, and leafy greens. But the conversion is not always easy to do in the human body.  Evidence is accumulating supporting a better effect from DHA over EPA for cardiovascular protection. DHA is more effective at lowering blood pressure and improving endothelia...

Steve Parcell, ND Statins are either mainly lipophilic (fat loving) or hydrophillic (water loving). Those that have the least amount of blood brain barrier permeability include pravastatin, rosuvastatin and atorvastatin. 26% of cholesterol in humans is found in the brain. Studies indicate there is more benefit than risk when it comes to taking statins and even some improvement in patients with dementia. Just to be safe take one with the least blo...

Steve Parcell, ND Sometimes I like to cut and paste the abstract. I consider this important news and plan to discuss it with a number of my patients on simvaststin. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2013 Apr 10. pii: S0735-1097(13)01403-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2013.02.074. [Epub ahead of print] Simvastatin impairs exercise training adaptations. Division of Cardiology at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC. Abstract OBJECTIVES: Determine if simvastatin imp...