Reversing Heart Disease
What if I told you we had a new treatment that would help you lose weight, increase exercise capacity, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, lower blood sugar, and reduce emotions of depression and anger? The treatment is called “Dr Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease” and for the last 2 years it has been approved for coverage by Medicare and other insurances. You have to have had heart troubles for health insurance to cover the treatment… but for the rest of us without heart issues, the treatment details are simple and free.
We are so used to modern medicine producing the latest drug, surgery or high-tech imaging designed to improve our health, but perhaps the greatest things for our health are basic, fundamental habits. The “Reversing Heart Disease” program involves nutrition, exercise, stress management and social connections and it exemplifies how simple lifestyle habits have tremendous effects on health.
Ornish Nutrition
Dr Ornish recommends a low fat diet based mostly on whole grains, fruits, veggies, legumes, soy, nonfat dairy and egg whites. He discourages animal fats, meats, sugar, alcohol and caffeine. His book, The Spectrum, emphasizes that diet is a spectrum of choices, it is not simply black and white, and that none of us are likely to be able to follow a strict diet perfectly. With that in mind, there is a “spectrum” of choices and we need to mostly choose wisely.
I teach patients the “80:20 rule” which means choose very healthy foods 80% of the time and don’t stress when we slip into less healthy foods 20% of the time. Eating is and should be an enjoyable process without stress – expecting 100% from any of us is not realistic and leads to frustration and abandonment of efforts to keep a healthy diet on track.
Ornish Exercise
Modest regular exercise is what we’re talking about here. It is clear that the biggest health benefits from exercise occur when going from none to even a modest amount of exercise. Further increases in frequency or intensity continue to improve health – but again, the biggest benefit is gained by just starting and sticking with something!
Aerobic activity such as walking, biking, swimming, dancing, etc has numerous benefits from weight loss to improved mood to lowering risk of heart disease. Simply taking a few minutes to walk 3-5 days per week makes a significant impact on overall health. This is where endurance and stamina are found.
Strength training is another key type of exercise that involves using resistance to build muscle strength, speed and power. Using simple hand weights or resistance bands is really all that is necessary. While there is no need for expensive equipment, of course the many types of exercise machines are an added bonus for doing strength training. Again, 20 to 30 minutes, 2-3 times per week, is a sufficient amount.
Ornish Stress Management
Stress is the real or perceived threat to our well being. Our innate stress system involves a cascade of hormones and chemicals that are ready upon demand to help us “fight the Saber-toothed Tiger” which is a good thing. The problem is we spend our lives “fighting imaginary tigers and running from imaginary bears”. To deal with stress we have two choices – avoid stress or manage stress.
Stress is really more defined as how we react to an outside stressor – that is our reaction determines the degree that outside stressors actually affect us. Stress will increase blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar, and stomach acid, while impairing the immune system and causing muscle tension.
Avoiding stress involves making decisions that are good for our health. Saying no to yet another obligation, avoiding toxic relationships, and seeking work that we truly enjoy are all ways to avoid stress. But sometimes avoiding stress is not possible or even advisable.
Managing stress is a more realistic and necessary process for most of us. No matter what your occupation or lifestyle, it is likely there are complex, sometimes stressful situations that need to be dealt with. How we go about life really determines the degree to which stressors affect us and there are proven ways to defuse stress.
Make stress management a simply daily routine. Take a 2 minute break to close your eyes and do some deep breathing. Take a 15 minute walk during lunch. Do meditation or progressive relaxation. Get involved in yoga or tai chi type classes. Have a regular massage or acupuncture treatment. Lowering stress to the body and mind is one of the most powerful preventive health measures one can take.
Ornish Society
Our ability to connect with ourselves and others is the heart of what Dr Ornish terms “love and intimacy”. Loneliness and isolation permeate our society and lead to poor health. We are hard-wired to be social creatures and enjoying nurturing supportive relationships is a necessary part of our psyche. Caring and supporting for one another is a hallmark of healthy societies and individuals.
Being aware of our needs for love and intimacy is the first step to improving our connection to others. Dr Ornish suggests spending more time with friends and family, improving communication skills, seeking counseling where needed, and simply making a sincere and compassionate effort to spread joy.
Good communication skills are at the heart of establishing healthy relationships. Learn to listen to and express your feelings, listen to others with empathy, and acknowledge the feelings of others.
Integrative Medicine
I’ve been following the works and writings of Dr Ornish for 20 years. We can thank him for reminding us of a few basics that can have a profound impact on our health. We should salute him, not only for doing research that shows his program will reverse heart disease, but for having the fortitude to convince insurance carriers to actually pay for something that is not a drug or procedure.
Integrative medicine brings together conventional medicine with complementary or alternative therapies. A holistic approach includes body, mind and spirit. Exercise, nutrition, stress management and healthy relationships. Yoga, meditation, massage and acupuncture. These are powerful treatments that will promote health and wellness.
The next free seminars are “Adrenal Fatigue” Monday, March 19th, and “Supplements: Why you need them and how to choose them”, Monday, March 26th, 6pm, at the IMC. Seating is limited so RSVP at 245-6911 or online at rsvp@imcwc.com.
Bio
Scott Rollins, MD, is Board Certified with the American Board of Family Practice and the American Board of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. He specializes in Bioidentical Hormone Replacement for men and women, thyroid and adrenal disorders, fibromyalgia, weight loss and other complex medical conditions. He is founder and medical director of the Integrative Medicine Center of Western Colorado (www.imcwc.com). Call (970) 245-6911 for an appointment or more information.
He is also medical director of Integrative Weight Solutions, a holistic, physician supervised HCG weight loss program that incorporates expert evaluation for hormone and digestive health imbalances, exercise physiology, and behavioral support for a powerful and balanced journey to weight loss. For more information see www.integrativeweightsolutions.com or call 245-0373 to arrange a free consultation.
The Second Most Feared Disease
Glen Campbell has it and is talking about it, my best friend’s father just died from it and my own grandfather has a variation of it. According to a Harvard School of Public Health survey 25% of us fear developing this disease more than any other. Alzheimer’s dementia - the progressive loss of mental and physical function that starts as an anxious worry, peaks as a plaintive whine, and years later ends in a quiet wimper.
Dementia, meaning “without mind” in Latin, is the loss of cognitive function and usually occurs in progressive stages associated with aging. It is a syndrome in which areas of memory, language, attention and problem solving are affected. It reduces the ability to learn new information, retain or recall past experience. There is also loss of ability to reason, patterns of thoughts, emotions, and ability to perform activities.
Alzheimer’s dementia was first described in 1906 by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer. The exact cause of Alzheimer’s is uncertain but it is a disease of “plaques and tangles”. Intense research is pointing to the role of oxidation and inflammation as a causative factor. Thousands of studies seek a novel compound that will prevent or treat Alzheimer’s but as yet there is no cure.
In Alzheimer’s the intricate and delicate neuron pathways of the brain start to wither and die while sticky protein plaques call “beta-amyloid” begin to accumulate and further disturb the brain signals. Structural tubules call “tau proteins” within the neurons that normally help keep them aligned for nutrient transport become tangled and thrown into disarray. The result is an accumulation of plaques and tangles that turn the brain circuits into “muck”. Over time neurons die and the brain shrinks.
Alzheimer’s dementia is one type of dementia, estimated to represent about 60% of all cases of dementia. Other types of dementia include those related to poor circulation, aging, other diseases such as Parkinson’s, and some specific degenerative brain disorders. If the syndrome is reversible then it is known as delirium and is not a type of dementia. Delirium can be caused by head injuries, psychiatric conditions, and medical illnesses such as electrolyte disturbances, thyroid disorders or infections. Physicians should be careful to rule out treatable causes of delirium before making the diagnosis of dementia.
Is it Alzheimer’s Dementia?
Alzheimer’s progresses through fairly predictable stages and in the earliest phase it is hard to diagnose. The subtle mental changes are often noted only by close friends and family. What is the difference between early dementia and typical age-related changes? According to the Alzheimer’s Association there are 10 warning signs or stages of Alzheimer’s:
1) Memory loss that disrupts daily life, such as forgetting important dates, names of people one should know, or directions to a familiar place. A typical age related change is simply forgetting an appointment or name but remembering them later.
2) Challenges in planning or solving problems such as following a recipe or balancing a checkbook. Making a simple error in balancing the checkbook is normal.
3) Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure, such as driving to work or remembering rules to a favorite game. Needing help using the VCR is a typical age-related change.
4) Confusion with time or place, losing track of dates, seasons and the passage of time, or not realizing where they are or how they got there. Getting confused about the day of the week and figuring it out later is normal.
5) Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships, such as having difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast. They may not recognize their own reflection in a mirror. Typical age-related changes are vision changes related to cataracts.
6) New problems with words in speaking or writing, including trouble following or joining a conversation or stopping in the middle of a conversation and having no idea how to continue or they may repeat themselves. They may have trouble naming a familiar object. Occasionally having trouble finding just the right word is a normal variant.
7) Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps. Putting things in unusual places and not being able to retrace their steps to find it. This may lead to accusations of stealing. Typical age-related changes include misplacing items such as glasses.
8) Decreased or poor judgment leading to changes in judgment or decision making. Using poor judgment with money or paying less attention to grooming. Having a favorite old worn out sweater that everyone else is tired of is normal.
9) Withdrawal from work or social activities and not participating in hobbies, social activities, work projects or sports. A typical age-related change is sometimes feeling weary of work, family and social obligations.
10) Changes in mood and personality can lead to confusion, suspicion, depression, fear or anxiety. Being easily upset especially when in unfamiliar locations is common. It is normal to develop very specific ways of doing things and becoming irritable when a routine is disrupted.
Alzheimer’s Prevention and Treatment
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s. There are two main types of drugs that are FDA approved for treatment of symptoms of Alzheimer’s in the moderate to severe stages yet they are only modestly effective in slowly the progression for 6-12 months. Intense research is trying to unlock a cure by disrupting the process of plaque and tangle formation. Inflammation is a key player but as yet it is not clear if it causes the disease or comes along as a byproduct.
There are proven ways to keep the brain healthy and stave off dementia. These include regular aerobic exercise, strength training, learning new skills, controlling stress and having an active social life. Eat a healthy anti-inflammatory diet such as the Mediterranean diet. Include herbs and spices that control oxidation such as curcumin, ginger, and many others. Check for vitamin deficiencies, especially B12. And getting control of other diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure can delay dementia.
Functional Medicine Treatments
There are many natural supplements that have promise in prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s. These are targeted to control oxidation and inflammation, support healthy nerve tissue and encourage cellular energy production. Examples include SAMe, alpha-lipoic acid, vitamins C and E, resveratrol, phosphatidylserine, CoEnzyme Q, activated B vitamins and more.
We are seeing some tremendous results in our clinic using high doses of glutathione, the body’s master anti-oxidant, given intravenously. Patients and family members report improved memory, mood and energy. This is an exciting area of promising research as well as rewarding clinical practice. Next week I’ll review glutathione in more detail. Maybe we’ll soon take Alzheimer’s off the most feared list but for now the struggle continues.
Whole Body UltraSound Screening
A 15 Minute Test Could Save Your Life
One of the most important components of preventive medicine is detecting disease before it strikes - while there is time to turn it around. Wouldn’t you like to know your car is about to have a flat tire before it happens? How about detecting diseases such as heart disease, stroke or cancer long before symptoms appear? A simple screening test can give you a huge head-start when it comes to preventive health.
Sonography or ultrasound, which has been used extensively for decades in Europe as a non-intrusive screening tool, has finally come of age in the United States. Sonography uses the reflections of high frequency sound waves to construct an image of a body organ and provides real time images of blood flow in the body.
New breakthroughs in imaging software allow professional sonographers and radiologists to look inside a person’s body and potentially detect the onset of certain types of disease. This early warning system is alerting people to health problems before symptoms occur. And early treatment saves lives.
Here in America ultrasound has been used to help establish what disease may be causing a current symptom. For example, having pain in the upper right side of the abdomen may be related to having stones in the gallbladder or in the kidney, and ultrasound is a simple way to match the symptoms with an image that fairly well establishes the diagnosis. Most women with children have had an ultrasound to monitor their baby’s growth and development. But ultrasound can be used to screen for so much more.
Modern CT scans, xrays, mammograms and bone density scans all use radiation to provide an image of the body. While the risk of radiation induced harm is justifiable in serious conditions that necessitate these studies, it is not reasonable to do routine screenings with radiation, particularly when taking a look at the whole body and when a safer option is available. Ultrasound has the benefit of using harmless sound waves to produce an image.
Cost is another area where ultrasound shines. Instead of thousands of dollars to produce an image with a CT scan or MRI, the usual cost for whole body ultrasound is under $500. Ultrasound can also be done in the comfort of an office setting and requires no preparation, no contrast dyes, no IV and no blood draw.
The Ultrasound Screen
One of the most common areas to screen with ultrasound is the blood vessel system. Heart disease is the number one killer in America and stroke is number three. Both of these diseases progress without obvious symptoms, usually present without warning and both are preventable! Yet we miss the early stages in both diseases if we only use routine risk markers such as family history, high cholesterol, sugar, or blood pressure. The fact is that about half the people dying from heart disease don’t have these risk factors and remain clueless that plaque is slowly accumulating in their arteries. For about 2/3 of men and ½ of women suffering a heart attack, the heart attack itself is the first clue of the underlying disease which has been present and slowly progressing for many years.
Ultrasound can be used to measure plaque accumulation in the major arteries as well as the smaller artery systems. One can look at the carotid arteries in the neck for plaque that may lead to a stroke. Abdominal aorta aneurysms are easily found and monitored. The blood supply through the lower extremity arteries is measured using the ultrasound to measure blood pressure in the ankle and comparing to pressure in the arm, known as the ankle-brachial index or ABI.
Even the heart rhythm and flow as well as the heart valves can be assessed with ultrasound. A thickened or leaky heart valve can be detected before it is too late to manage without surgery and before it begins to cause secondary problems.
Thyroid imaging with ultrasound can pick up thyroid enlargement or nodules that may represent a low thyroid condition, autoimmune thyroid disease, early thyroid dysfunction or cancer.
Liver screening can uncover fatty liver disease, liver congestion or enlargement, benign cysts or cancer. The size of the spleen has implications involving the immune system and possible cancers that originate in the blood. The gallbladder is easily seen and not just gallstones are found, but it can be noted as swollen and thickened or observed emptying after taking a few bites of food. An enlarged pancreas points to diabetes and certainly finding a cancer of the pancreas while it is still localized (stage one) is a life-saver.
Kidney stones are seen in the earliest detectable stages with ultrasound, and can be treated prior to blocking the urine flow and causing a severe pain problem! The thickness of the kidney cortex or outer rim is an indicator of overall kidney health and function. Cysts and cancers of the kidney can be detected.
The uterus and ovaries are also well visualized with ultrasound. Growths in the uterus (fibroids) or abnormal thickening of the uterine lining is picked up with ultrasound. The ovaries may be scanned for cysts or growth that suggests cancer. The bladder is easily seen and before and after urinating images can detect residual urine that uncovers conditions that interfere with normal bladder emptying.
Breast imaging is a great use for ultrasound. Without any radiation exposure the breasts may be analyzed for small anomalies, tiny calcium deposits, microcalcifications and small cancers. Cysts and fibrous tissue are observed. Changes in blood flow that accompany early cancers can be detected.
Even the prostate is easily seen with ultrasound by scanning through the abdomen and bladder. Early prostate enlargement or benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) is easily detected. Prostate cancer can also be seen with ultrasound imaging. The size of the prostate can be accurately measured to help determine if an elevation of the blood marker called PSA is concerning or just normal for the size of the prostate (PSA density).
In general, cancers need a ready blood supply to grow, and ultrasound is an excellent way to determine if a nodule or mass found in the body has an abnormal increased blood supply. Cancer tends to have a “ring” of new blood vessels surrounding it and ultrasound, particularly the real-time Doppler imaging, is fabulous for showing this worrisome finding.
Action follows knowledge and finding certain diseases in the early stages can mean the difference in life or death. Knowing you are at risk for heart disease or stroke, finding an enlarged liver, small kidney stones, thyroid nodules, or a slightly enlarged prostate for example. All these conditions are reversible and the earlier they are detected the easier it is to take action!
We offer whole body ultrasound screening at the IMC for $400. It takes about 15 minutes and your results are provided immediately. Our ultrasonographer, Mary Blakley, has extensive training with multiple university degrees and certifications. With over 40 years experience in ultrasound imaging she sets the standard. For more information about Mary visit www.ucarehealthscreenings.com.
An “ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. This simple 15 minute test could save your life. Call 245-6911 to schedule your screening ultrasound.
INSET
The next free seminar is “Low Thyroid: Misunderstood, Misdiagnosed, Missed!” Monday, February 27th, 6pm, at the IMC. Seating is limited so RSVP at 245-6911 or online at rsvp@imcwc.com.
Bio
Scott Rollins, MD, is Board Certified with the American Board of Family Practice and the American Board of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. He specializes in Bioidentical Hormone Replacement for men and women, thyroid and adrenal disorders, fibromyalgia, weight loss and other complex medical conditions. He is founder and medical director of the Integrative Medicine Center of Western Colorado (www.imcwc.com). Call (970) 245-6911 for an appointment or more information.
He is also medical director of Integrative Weight Solutions, a holistic, physician supervised HCG weight loss program that incorporates expert evaluation for hormone and digestive health imbalances, exercise physiology, and behavioral support for a powerful and balanced journey to weight loss. For more information see www.integrativeweightsolutions.com or call 245-0373 to arrange a free consultation.
