Editor’s Notice: This text is a reprint. It was initially revealed February 13, 2022.
On this interview, repeat visitor Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, a board-certified household doctor and writer of the guide, “The Clot Thickens: The Enduring Thriller of Coronary heart Illness,” critiques the underlying mechanisms for coronary heart illness, which for the final century has been the main explanation for demise within the U.S.
Of all of the books he is written, that is my favourite, because it goes into nice element, providing you with the organic understanding of the method of atherosclerosis resulting in coronary heart assaults and strokes. He additionally has stable methods for decreasing your heart problems danger.
By the way, when you perceive the illness course of, then you may as well perceive how each COVID-19 and the COVID jab can contribute to coronary heart illness. When requested why he is taken such an curiosity in coronary heart illness, Kendrick replies:
“Once I was coaching as a scholar in medication, Scotland had the very best fee of coronary heart illness on this planet. Early on the reply for why was, ‘Oh, properly, it is as a result of we have now such horrible food plan, and we eat garbage meals like deep fried Mars bars.’
So, you eat an excessive amount of saturated fats, the saturated fats will get was ldl cholesterol in your bloodstream, after which it is absorbed into arteries and kinds narrowings and thickenings, which all sounds believable in case you do not give it some thought too arduous.
However I additionally occur to go to France quite a bit, and what I seen about France was, they eat loads of saturated fats. They eat extra, actually, than anybody else in Europe, and positively greater than Scotland. So, [this saturated fat] speculation definitely did not work for the French. They’ve the very best saturated fats consumption in Europe and lowest fee of coronary heart illness, and this has been the case for many years.
For those who took all the chance elements for France and Scotland [such as smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes], then the French had barely [higher risk], in line with standard considering. However, actually, that they had one-fifth [the rate among age-matched men].
So, I assumed, that is attention-grabbing. It does not make a lot sense in line with what we’re instructed. Then whereas I used to be in medical college, a tutor in cardiology stated … LDL can not cross the endothelium. On the time, I did not know what LDL was, nor did I do know what the endothelium was, but it surely sounded necessary.
She had been coronary heart illness as a special course of for many years … So, I feel that is actually the place I acquired began. When you begin questioning what the issue is, you find yourself questioning an increasing number of and also you begin considering, gosh, that is simply nonsense, is not it? This complete speculation is simply nonsense. So, I began choosing it aside.”
The Thrombogenic Speculation
“The Clot Thickens” is Kendrick’s effort to elucidate another speculation for what really causes coronary heart illness. If it is not saturated fats and ldl cholesterol, what’s it? In 1852, a Viennese researcher, Karl von Rokitansky, developed what he referred to as the encrustation speculation of coronary heart illness.
Right this moment, this speculation has been renamed the thrombogenic speculation. “Thrombo” stands for thrombosis, i.e., blood clots, and “genesis” means the reason for, or the beginning of. So, the thrombogenic speculation is that blood clots are the essential pathology that causes all coronary heart illness.
In a nutshell, when a blood clot kinds in your artery wall, which might occur for a lot of causes, it is going to usually be coated over and dissolved. An issue arises, nevertheless, if the blood clot is just not totally eradicated and one other blood clot kinds in the identical “weak” space. This then turns into what’s conventionally known as atherosclerotic plaque.
“The atherosclerotic plaque is mainly a buildup of blood clot, restore, blood clot, restore, blood clot, restore,” Kendrick explains. “If the blood clotting course of is quicker than the restore course of, you might have a plaque that step by step grows and finally thickens the artery wall till it narrows sufficiently that the ultimate blood clot, on prime of the prevailing plaque, is the factor that may trigger a coronary heart assault or stroke …
For those who minimize by way of the plaque and have a look at it, it virtually appears like tree rings. You possibly can see there’s been a clot, restore, clot, restore, clot, restore, clot, restore through the years.
It is broadly accepted {that a} blood clot forming on an current plaque will trigger the plaque to develop in measurement. You will discover 10,000 papers saying that that is the case. What the mainstream will not settle for is {that a} blood clot on a wholesome artery wall can provoke the entire course of.
So, to an extent, all I am saying to individuals is, properly, we all know blood clots trigger the ultimate occasion. We all know blood clots trigger plaques to develop. Why will not you settle for that blood clots are the factor that begins it within the first place? As a result of then we have now one course of during, and it is smart, as a result of it matches with what you may see.”
As famous by Kendrick, the standard view is that low-density lipoprotein or LDL will get into the artery wall the place it initiates plaque formation. It then, inexplicably, stops initiating plaque, and the plaque continues to develop by way of the addition of repeated clots.
Nevertheless, Kendrick says, when you begin drilling down into the ldl cholesterol, aka LDL speculation, the entire thing begins to crumble. LDL merely can not clarify the illness development. But regardless of the numerous holes within the idea, the concept LDL causes coronary heart illness is touted as an absolute, proven fact.
What is the Mechanism?
With a purpose to justify a speculation, you must have a mechanism of motion. When you perceive the mechanism of the particular illness course of, then you may put the puzzle items collectively. Kendrick begins his clarification:
“Your blood vessels are lined with endothelial cells, a bit like tiles on a wall. Endothelial cells are additionally coated themselves in a factor referred to as glycocalyx. For those who attempt to choose up a fish, it will slip by way of your fingers; it’s extremely slippery. The explanation it is slippery is as a result of it is coated in glycocalyx and the glycocalyx is extremely slippery. It is nature’s Teflon.
So mainly, in our case, the glycocalyx [is inside] our blood vessels, to permit the blood to journey by way of with out it sticking, with out harm occurring. So, you might have this sort of damage-repellent layer on prime of your endothelial cells.
Now, if that layer is broken, after which the endothelial cell itself beneath is broken, then the physique will say, ‘Oh, we have harm to a blood vessel, we should have a blood clot there as a result of we might bleed out.’ So, a blood clot kinds on the world of injury, and instantly stops [the bleeding].”
The blood clot does not simply carry on rising and rising. If it did, you’d die anytime you had a blood clot. As a substitute, when a clot kinds, different processes step in to stop it getting too large, which is why each blood clot does not trigger a stroke or coronary heart assault. As soon as the clot has stabilized, and has been shaved down, the world is roofed over by endothelial progenitor cells, made within the bone marrow, that float round in your bloodstream.
When a progenitor cell finds an space that has been broken, it attaches itself to that space, together with others, forming a brand new endothelial layer. The remaining blood clot is now mendacity “inside” the artery wall itself. So, mainly, it is the restore course of that may result in plaque buildup inside the artery wall. In time, if harm outstrips restore, this will slender the artery and cut back blood movement.
What Damages Endothelial Cells?
The query is, what can harm the endothelium within the first place? Right here, Kendrick makes use of the SARS-CoV-2 mechanism for instance:
“The COVID virus enters endothelial cells by way of the ACE2 receptor. It prefers endothelial cells as a result of they have ACE2 receptors on them. It will get into the endothelial cell and begins replicating, then bursts out, damaging the cell. Bingo, you’ve got acquired an space of injury.
After all, added to this, when cells have viruses inside them, they ship out misery alerts to the immune system saying, ‘I have been contaminated, come and kill me,’ and so the immune system begins to have a go on the endothelial cells. That is why you may get an issue, as a result of the endothelial cells are being broken and stripped off.
Blood clotting happens on the factors of injury and hey, presto, you are having clotting, you are having strokes, you are having coronary heart assaults, which is the factor that individuals at first could not perceive [about COVID-19]. But it’s extremely clear that what’s occurring is you’ve got acquired harm to the endothelial cells.
Clearly, you and I each know that in case you get a [COVID jab], the cells are triggered to supply the spike protein, and these cells are sending out misery messages saying, ‘I am contaminated.’ It’s a must to be very cautious if you wish to stick one thing into cells that then says to the immune system, ‘Please come and destroy me,’ as a result of that is what the immune system goes to do.
However transferring on from that, what different factor could cause endothelial harm? The reply is issues like smoking. Smoke particles get out of your lungs, they go into your blood vessels they usually trigger harm … You smoke one cigarette and an entire bunch of microparticles seem in your bloodstream, which implies endothelial cells are dying.
Fortunately as endothelial cells die, one other message is distributed to the bone marrow saying, we’d like extra endothelial cells and it stimulates endothelial progenitor cell manufacturing. These endothelial progenitor cells rush round overlaying over the areas of injury.
Some people who smoke have sufficient restore happening and if you’re youthful, it is okay. As you become old and your restore methods start to fail a bit, cigarette smoking turns into an increasing number of of an issue.”
Different issues that may trigger endothelial harm embody:
• Excessive blood sugar ranges and diabetes — The protecting glycocalyx layer is fabricated from proteins and sugars — Excessive blood sugar damages the glycoprotein layer, thinning it down in a measurable approach. Excessive blood sugar can cut back the glycocalyx layer by as a lot as two-thirds. This, in flip, exposes the endothelial cells to the bloodstream and the rest damaging that could be there.
The harm to the glycocalyx is why diabetics are vulnerable to each arterial and capillary (small vessel) illness. You possibly can’t get atherosclerosis within the capillaries, as there is not any room. As a substitute, the capillaries turn into damaged down and destroyed. This in flip could cause ulcers, attributable to poor circulation within the pores and skin of your legs and toes.
Peripheral neuropathy happens because the ends of nerve cells are disadvantaged of oxygen. Additionally visible issues (diabetic retinal harm) and kidney harm. Blood stress may additionally turn into elevated as your coronary heart has to work tougher to push blood by way of a community of broken/lacking small blood vessels.
• Heavy metals resembling aluminum and lead.
• Hypertension, because it places stress on the endothelium — Atherosclerotic plaque (atherosclerosis) does not happen except the stress is raised, including biomechanical stress.
Repairing the Glycocalyx
As defined by Kendrick, the glycocalyx layer resembles a garden, with slippery filaments that stick up. Inside this glycocalyx layer you might have nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which produces nitric oxide (NO), and you’ve got NO itself, in addition to a lot of different anticoagulant proteins. The glycocalyx is definitely a potent anticoagulant layer, so it stops blood clots forming. If glycocalyx is broken, your danger of blood clotting will increase.
“It is a very difficult layer,” Kendrick says. “It is like a jungle stuffed with issues that say, ‘Do not keep on with this, keep away from this.'” Inside it, you even have albumin, protein complicated produced by the liver. Albumin accommodates the proteins that assist keep and restore the glycocalyx. A truth that almost all medical doctors are unaware of is that, if in case you have a low albumin degree, you are considerably extra prone to die of coronary heart illness.
The excellent news is that whereas the glycocalyx layer might be quickly destroyed, it will also be quickly repaired. (Experiments have proven that in an space the place the glycocalyx has been utterly stripped off, it may be utterly repaired in a single second.) Dietary supplements like chondroitin sulfate and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) might be useful on this regard.
“For those who attempt to clarify that by way of the LDL mechanism, it simply does not work,” Kendrick says. “They’ve found that in case you give chondroitin sulfate as a complement — which usually is for arthritis and stuff like that — it reduces the chance of coronary heart illness fairly significantly. How do you clarify that? Properly, you may clarify that since you’re defending your glycocalyx.
These are the kind of issues that make no sense in case you like wanting on the standard concepts of coronary heart illness, however are instantly and simply defined in case you say, ‘Now we have to maintain our glycocalyx wholesome and we have now to maintain our endothelial cells beneath them wholesome.’
In any other case they are going to be broken and stripped off, after which we’ll get a blood clot, and if we hold getting blood clots at that time, we’ll find yourself with a plaque and finally one of many blood clots on that plaque will kill you from a coronary heart assault or a stroke.”
Blood Circulate Restriction Coaching
A life-style technique that may assist restore endothelial harm is blood movement restriction (BFR) coaching. In response to BFR, your physique produces vascular endothelial development issue (VEGF), which acts as “fertilizer” for the endothelium. You possibly can be taught the ins and outs of BFR in my free BFR report. VEGF additionally induces the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), a potent vasodilator, and it stimulates endothelial progenitor cells.
“NO protects the endothelium. It’s anticoagulant — probably the most potent anticoagulant we have now within the physique. It is actually the magic molecule for cardiovascular well being,” Kendrick says.
“At one time NO was often known as Endothelial Derived Rest Issue (EDRF). NO was one thing nobody believed might probably exist within the human physique. NO is definitely a free radical. Everybody says free radicals are terribly damaging and unhealthy.
To that I reply, ‘Properly, chances are you’ll want to know that the chemical that’s the single most necessary protecting chemical within the physique for the cardiovascular system is an extremely free radical referred to as nitric oxide.'”
Some anticancer medication are designed to dam VEGF, because the tumor wants angiogenesis — which is the creation of latest blood vessels which might be required to offer enough “vitamins.” With out these new blood vessels, the tumor dies off. Sadly, in case you block VEGF, you additionally block NO, which then raises your danger for coronary heart illness.
“These medication have been virtually faraway from the market,” Kendrick says, “as a result of regardless of their anticancer exercise, they have been procardiovascular illness to fairly a scary diploma.
[That’s why], if you’re given bevacizumab or Avastin as an anticancer drug, they now offer you angiotensin changing enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), that are blood stress decreasing tablets, and ACE inhibitors have a particular impression on bradykinin, which will increase NO synthesis.”
Methods to Decrease Your Thrombotic Danger
In his guide, “The Clot Thickens: The Enduring Thriller of Coronary heart Illness,” Kendrick critiques many alternative methods that may decrease your illness danger. This is a short-list of examples coated in far larger depth within the guide, in addition to a few of my very own suggestions that I deliver up within the interview:
• Keep away from pointless use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) resembling ibuprofen and naproxen — Whereas they successfully inhibit irritation, they’ll trigger platelet aggregation by blocking COX-2. In different phrases, they activate your blood clotting system, making blood clots extra doubtless.
• Get loads of wise solar publicity — Solar publicity triggers NO that helps dilate your blood vessels, decreasing your blood stress. NO additionally protects your endothelium, and will increase mitochondrial melatonin to enhance mobile power manufacturing.
• Keep away from seed oils and processed meals — Seed oils are a main supply of the omega-6 fats referred to as linoleic acid (LA), which I consider could also be way more dangerous than sugar. Extreme consumption is related to most all power ailments, together with hypertension, weight problems, insulin resistance, and diabetes.
LA will get embedded in your cell membranes, inflicting oxidative stress, and may stay there for as much as seven years. Oxidative linoleic acid metabolites (OXLAMs) are what’s inflicting the first harm, together with endothelial harm.
• Decrease your insulin and blood sugar ranges — Easy methods to perform this embody, avoiding ultraprocessed meals and synthetic sweeteners, considerably proscribing your LA consumption and getting common train.
• Deal with power stress, which raises each blood sugar and blood stress, promotes blood clotting and impairs your restore methods. Cortisol, a key stress hormone, reduces endothelial cell manufacturing.
• Stop smoking.
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