mri vs calcium score

[Joanna45]

I had the lipoprotein a test done..insurance would not pay for calcium test..and make sure you do the Lipoprotein little a test mine was 12mg/dl and want to get it closer to zero will have the test done again in 6 months

[pamojja]

A good right up for all important lab tests, though omitting the very important Lp(a), and giving too much emphasis to LDL and HDL, can be found here: http://www.lifeextension.com/Protocols/Heart-Circulatory/Atherosclerosis-and-Cardiovascular-Disease/Page-01

Good to know where there might by problems contributing, and to measure progress in these areas.

An initial CAC score is a good motivator, since it tells you your real risk for an adverse event. And done every 1-2 years shows the overall, hopefully, regression.

[Joanna45]

Excercise moderate like walking every day I added slo niacin 500mgs a day and K2 100mgs a day I use heart tech from tower labs..as it has Vit C, Lysine, proline vit.E, Vit.A, Vit.B2, Vit.B6 and folic acid, and L-arginine. And I get it from tower Labs..and for me it has worked ..had superior mesenteric artery 48% narrowing and -almost 50% superior celiac Artery narrowing ..I was quite sick as I was not getting enough blood flow to my stomach and lost weight as it was causing severe gut pain after eating ..after just a few days on the Pauling therapy was able to eat..and have been well since ..this all started last June..
And by the way the doctors did not have a solution for this and wanted me to take an asprin and go on a statin and my cholesterol was not high..they just don't want to admit that it can be simple to cure..

Joanna

[pamojja]

low fat diet-15-20% fat

anything ele?

The testing will guide you, and I believe it will be a bid different for each. In my case found by post-prandial glucose testing that I'm pre-diabetic. That's the worst which can happen if you want to avoid plaque-build up. So armored with a blood-glucose meter I singled out those foods which cause the highest spikes. Thereby I ended up low carb, same protein and high fat (~70% of calories, they have to come from somewhere..). That's also the combined experience at the old TrackYourPlaque forum (which suggest initial yearly CAC scoring till regression is achieved), where it's host lifted any restrictions on fats intake (of the healthy kinds). Only exception is in ApoE 4 genotype people. But even there lab test would guide about individual limits and restrictions.

[ddimeo]

Eat HIGH fat!!! 15-20%, in my opinion, is too low.
www.dietdoctor.com

[pamojja]

Ingested dietary fat is primarily stored

That isn't my experience. However, I hope we are all reasonable enough to know that a diet helping one phenotype wouldn't be wise for an other phenotype.

I take it for granted, zarfas, that you've been able with your approach to keep fasting and 1 hr postprandial glucose out of the pre-diabetic range?

[pamojja]

So despite me going diabetic on a low fat diet which I applied my whole life, which I could reverse by going high-fat, you think I should just close my eyes about going full blown diabetic and continue with low fat???

Sorry, this isn't a theoretical question about some views in some article, this is about how to prevent diabetes in reality. If you can't get down from your hypothetical high horse and are able to talk about actual health problems of real people who don't suffer what your articles talk about, but DIABETES with all it's implication in real life, then I don't see a reason to continue this conversation.

[pamojja]

Your question was how to reduce calcification, I answered in my case it meant to go high fat to prevent diabetes (which is one main driver in CVD). If you can accomplish that by remaining low-fat that's fine with me.

My insulin sensitivity improved by changing to high-fat. I've been vegan since age 10 and after 30 years this brought me a 80% stenosis. This is the reality for me, no textbook or government advise would change that a iota. But you suggest I should go blind to it because in your view this is only opinion - while you didn't even test for your insulin-sensitivity? Oh, well. You make every discussion about actual health improvement into ideological debate and if disagreed proceed with insults. No one else does that here.

[pamojja]

But to satisfy your search for explanations, here some more about CAC score and what drives it:

https://youtu.be/UZoQiDaWnuE

[pamojja]

I had around 60 kg at 174cm all my adult years and I test repeatedly for insulin sensitivity.

[ddimeo]

zarfas,
You mentioned about how to reduce lp (a)? Saturated FAT is the ONLY way to reduce lp (a). Low fat will get you nowhere. Again, it's opinion. Further, I've had my blood test come back and I had phenomenon results all with declines in my cholesterol (50% reduction ) triglycerides (65% reduction ) and lp (a) 3.8!!!! I also had my HDL at 57 (up to 20%) all from fasting and a diet high in FAT!
http://www.docsopinion.com/health-and-n ... protein-a/

Books:
Obesity Code - Fung
Good Calories Bad Calories -- Taubes
Fat Chance --Lustig

[jimmylesante]

My understanding of the diets going round is HF(saturated fats) and LC(simple carbs-particularly trans fats fulled carbs...biscuits etc) Always a big helping of veggies which make up most of the meal.
I've seen people eat 90% fat and protein and 10% veggies---this to me is not correct nor sustainable.
The concepts of high fat and high protein i've always believed was to stop the hunger pangs whilst the body switched from a glucose burning machine to a fat burning machine. The foundation of the diets being a 90% bed of vegetables that does the good stuff.

[ddimeo]

zarfas,
Get your lp(a) tested and report back.
Thanks

[pamojja]

..add in Pauling therapy, vit K2, MG, Vit D and you are set up to win

In Linus Pauling own words in his '86 book 'How to Live Longer and Feel Better':

• Take vitamin C every day, 6 grams to 18 g (6000 to 18,000 miligrams), or more. Do not miss a single day.
  
• Take vitamin E every day, 400 IU, 800 IU, or 1600 IU.
  
• Take one or two Super-B tablets every day, to provide good amounts of the B-vitamins.
  
• Take 25,000 IU vitamin A tablet every day.
  
• Take a mineral supplement every day, such as one tablet of the Bronson vitamin-mineral formula, which provides 100 mg of calcium, 18 mg of iron, 0.15 mg of iodine, 1 mg of copper, 25 mg of magnesium, 3 mg of manganese, 15 mg of zinc, 0.015 mg of molybdenum, 0.015 mg of chromium, and 0.015 mg of selenium.
  
• Keep your intake of ordinary sugar (sucrose, raw sugar, brown sugar, honey) to 50 pounds per year, which is half the present U.S. average. Do not add sugar to tea or coffee. Do not eat high-sugar foods. Avoid sweet desserts. Do not drink soft drink.
  
• Except for avoiding sugar, eat what you like - but not too much of any one food. Eggs and meat are good foods. Also you should eat some vegetables and fruits. Do not eat so much food as to become obese.
  
• Drink plenty of water every day.
  
• Keep active; take some exercise. Do not at any time exert yourself physically to an extent far beyond what you are accustomed to.
  
• Drink alcoholic beverages only in moderation.
  
• Do not smoke cigarettes.
  
• Avoid stress. Work at a job that you like. Be happy with your family.

[pamojja]