Category: General

By Stephen W. Parcell, ND   There is more to preventing heart attacks and stroke than seeing your primary doctor for a cholesterol test and EKG. Athletes and active people over 40 should have atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid artery and coronary arteries evaluated. Heart attacks are more likely to occur during exercise. Masters athletes may develop changes to the heart muscle that can be dangerous. Echocardiograms determine if heart function is normal and are especially important in endurance athletes. Good amounts of aerobic exercise and a great diet does not preclude you from having cardiovascular disease. Heart disease is often asymptomatic: the first symptom can be a heart attack. It could be massive (or not). Family history is a risk factor regardless of personal history. Even good lab work and negative cardiovascular workups at the cardiologist do not remove risk. Advanced cardiovascular blood work that looks at inflammation, genetics, hormones, cholesterol particle size and nutritional markers can be billed to insurance. Not all people with high cholesterol should be treated the same. Individualized treatment is important. Heart scans (calcium scoring) and carotid ultrasounds enable quantification of plaque burden. Thank you for your attention!  

EBV causes MS in genetically susceptible individuals by infecting a white blood cell, these infected cell seed the nervous system where they produce pathogenic autoantibodies and promote the survival of autoimmue T cells that would normally be eliminated. Thus, the virus promotes the autoimmune process. Studies on EBV in lupus patients show increased EBV viral load, abnormal expression a decreased immune response to EBV, and increased levels of EBV-directed antibodies. As EBV is known to be controlled by cell-mediated immunity, the reduced EBV-specific T-cell response in SLE patients may result in defective control of EBV causing frequent reactivation. These high antibody levels have been shown to react with normal cells thus promoting a cross reactive autoimmunity, causing lupus.  

We are participating in an clinical trial using this device. To inquire about participation in the trial please call us. Current Studies: Acute Cold / Flu: Reduction in cold related symptoms and recovery support Chronic Fatigue: Improvement in energy and focus Chronic Lyme Disease: Improvement in mental focus and clarity Epstein Barr Virus: Improvement in overall well-being Hepatitis C: Improvement in general well-being and focus

A new blood test that measures levels of TMAO (trimethylamine-N-oxide) — a metabolite derived from gut bacteria — can powerfully predict future risk for heart attack and stroke. The new test — now available at our office and run by Cleveland Heart Lab measures blood levels of TMAO, a compound produced by the liver after intestinal bacteria digest certain nutrients: L-carnitine (found in red meat) and lecithin (found in egg yolks, meats and full-fat dairy products). Lecithin is also pumped into the intestines as a component of bile, so all individuals, regardless of diet, feed their gut microbes lecithin and have potential for elevated levels of TMAO. The higher the level of TMAO is, the higher the risk of accumulation of arterial plaque.  In December 2015, the Cleveland Clinic reported they’d found a non-toxic chemical compound called DMB that could reduce TMAO. DMB kept TMAO levels down and also led to a shrinking of artery plaque and lower levels of TMA-producing gut bacteria. Insurance accepts this test and treatment options are avialible at our office.

Stephen. W. Parcell, ND here. I specialize in cardiovascular medicine at NatureMed, Boulder, CO. My approach is comprehensive. I spends more time learning about patients so that a holistic, patient centered model can be implemented. I work closely with athletes in both the prevention and treatment of many conditions including cardiovascular.  Athlete’s heart is a condition that has been recognized for over 100 years but only recently has ultrasound technology improved to the point that it can be evaluated more carefully. Long-term athletic training leads to an increase in left ventricular mass. These changes in the heart muscle are relatively mild and the differences between athlete and non-athlete populations are generally small. The changes in heart size associated with long-term athletics are more pronounced in certain sports such as distance running, swimming, cycling, and rowing.  Athlete's heart is not a dangerous condition but one must differentiate increased heart size that is adaptive and normal versus changes in heart size and function that are abnormal, maladaptive and pathologic. Athletes can also get plenty of plaque in their arteries, I know its not fair but it happens. This is easily seen on an ultrasound.  Heart problems affecting athletes: Electrophysiologic heart muscle problems affecting younger athletes that may cause unexpected death in a otherwise very healthy individual. Cardiomyopathy si the most common heart...