A RECENT ANALYSIS OF 6 STUDIES SHOWED THAT EITHER LIFESTYLE MODIFICATIONS (EXERCISE, DIET, WEIGHT LOSS) OF CARDIAC RISK FACTORS (HYPERTENSION, DIABETES, SMOKING, ELEVATED CHOLESTEROL) OR MEDICAL THERAPY (BP OR DIABETES MEDS, STATINS) ALSO SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION. TAKE THAT LITTLE BLUE PILL! FOR MORE INFO ON WHY E.D. MARKS THE COMING OF VASCULAR DISEASE, LISTEN TO “ITS BETTER TO BE IMPORTANT THAN IMPOTENT” FROM SHU ARCHIVES!

RECENTLY, NEWS THAT TAKING PRESCRIPTION EXTENDED RELEASE NIACIN MAY NOT BE BENEFICIAL IN HEART DISEASE PREVENTION, AND IN FACT, MAY BE HARMFUL. THIS WAS GENERATED FROM A TRIAL OF HEART DISEASE PATIENTS ALREADY ON A STATIN WITH VERY LOW LDL (BAD) LEVELS, BUT ALSO LOW HDL (GOOD) CHOLESTEROL. HISTORICALLY NIACIN BENEFITS BY RAISING HDL LEVELS. HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM THE EXPERTS AT THE NATIONAL LIPID ASSN: 1. THIS WAS A SMALL TRIAL, STOPPED PREMATURELY DUE TO FEAR OF INCREASED STROKE IN THE NIACIN ARM–WHEN DUST SETTLED, MOST BELIEVE STROKE RISK WAS “CHANCE” WITH NO DIFFERENCE VS. PLACEBO. MOST TRIALS CONTINUE TO 5 YEARS WITH CLINICAL BENEFITS SEEN 2-3 YRS INTO THE TRIAL. 2. NIACIN IS TRADITIONALLY USED TO BE AN ADJUNCT TO OTHER MEDS/SUPPLEMENTS TO LOWER LDL OR RAISE HDL (OR BOTH), THIS WAS NOT  THIS TRIAL’S DESIGN! 3. A LARGER, BETTER CONSTRUCTED TRIAL WITH VARIABLE LDL AND HDL LEVELS WILL ANSWER THE NIACIN ISSUE FOR THE “REAL WORLD”, BY 2013. UNTIL THEN, I AM CONTINUING MY NIACIN AND SO SHOULD YOU!

FOLLOWING 20,000 PATIENTS, 40-80 YEARS OLD ON 40MG OF SIMVASTATIN FOR 11 YEARS, FOUND NO INCREASED CANCERS OR DEATH FROM CANCER. IN 2005 90,000 TOTAL WERE STUDIED FOR CARDIOVASCULAR BENEFIT WITH AN OVERALL 20% LESS EVENTS OR DEATH. TAKE HOME POINT: THIS WAS JUST ONE OF THE STATINS FOLLOWED, AND OUT OF 75 MILLION PRESCRIPTIONS FOR STATINS YEARLY TO THOSE WHO DONT ALREADY HAVE DOCUMENTED VASCULAR DISEASE, USE CAUTION WITH STATINS. REVIEW WITH YOUR DOCTOR THE INDICATIONS, SIDE EFFECTS AND RISK BENEFITS ALWAYS. FOR MORE INFO LISTEN:” STATINS-LIFESAVERS OR HARBINGERS OF DOOM” IN OUR ARCHIVES!

A RECENT DEBATE AT THE AMERICAN HEART ASSN MEETING THIS MONTH, QUESTIONED THE CLINICAL VALUE OF TREATING LOW LEVELS OF THIS GLOBALLY IMPORTANT VITAMIN. THEY SUGGEST WAITING FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THE “VITAL” TRIAL WHICH WILL FOLLOW CLINICAL OUTCOMES OF CANCER AND HEART DISEASE IN PATIENTS ON FISH OIL OR VITAMIN D SUPPLEMENTS. THEY ALSO SET LIMITS B/W 2000-4000 UNITS/DAY SUGGESTING THAT HIGH LEVELS OF VIT D MAY BE HARMFUL (e.g. CANCER INCREASE) FOR MORE INFO CHECK OUT OUT SHOW ON VITAMIN D (OVER 70 SHOWS ARCHIVED!)

As I sit here, in my new home in Marlboro New Jersey, just four days away from my 84th birthday, I find myself being extremely thankful this Thanksgiving week for being introduced to Dr. Scott Eisenberg in May of 2010.

My son, Lloyd brought me to Dr. Frank Alario on May 24th, 2010 – the day after I flew in from my home in Florida to visit the family in New Jersey. Dr. Alario took one look at my ankles, which were swollen and listened to my heart. He picked his head up and told me that he wanted me to see his cardiologist immediately. My reply was, if he’s good for you, then please make the appointment for me… and Dr. Alario did. That same day – I saw Doctor “Scott”. I had been living in Delray Beach, Florida and been seeing doctors and cardiologists, however, unbeknownst to me, I was suffering from heart failure and failing fast.

Dr. Eisenberg asked me about my history and I told him that I had a mio caria infraction in 1986 and in 1992 I had a quadruple bypass and endarterectomy. I told him that the surgery took place at Christiana Hospital in Delaware in 1992. Within one hour, Dr. Eisenberg had gathered all of the available information – my history at Christiana. I stayed in his office while he did the research. Dr. Eisenberg then asked me if I had a catheterization since my surgery in 1992 – (19 years ago) and I said No. Within a week, Dr. Eisenberg preformed a catheterization on me and a defibrillator was placed in my chest.

The news was not good. Dr. Scott found that two of my 19 year old bypasses were “shot” they were 100% closed and the other two were at 65% and 70%. No wonder I was so short of breath and my ankles were so swollen. Dr. Eisenberg stressed that within ten years of any bypass, a catheterization should be preformed to monitor plaque buildup. No Florida doctor had ever told me that before.

Dr. Eisenberg’s electro physiologist was unable to implant a pacemaker during that catheterization / defibrillator procedure at Jersey Shore as time was ticking that day and my 83 year old anatomy did not support the electrical connection.

One year later, I was feeling much better that I had prior to the / defibrillator procedure. Within that year, Dr. Eisenberg saw me monthly. He monitored my blood, my weight; fine tuned my meds and had me seeing Eileen at Jersey Shore Hospital’s excellent Heart Failure Center as well.

In June of 2011, Dr. Eisenberg sincerely believed that I was a candidate for the “Rolls Royce” pacemaker defibrillator and suggested that I go to New York City to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. He referred me to Dr. Whang, an electro physiologist, who successfully implanted the new device in Sept of this year (2011.)

It has now been eleven weeks since that procedure. I feel so much better. I can walk much further now than 11 weeks ago without being out of breath. I sleep less during the day. I am more alert when I am awake. I am singing in the Temple choir again. I am enjoying my family and friends and becoming active again with the JWV.

I would like to dance once more – the way I used to…. Maybe in another eight weeks.

Thank you, Doctor Scott. You gave me a new life and a renewed spirit. Your profound knowledge of the heart and accurate evaluation of my symptoms coupled with your actions and referral to Dr. Whang has been my game changer. I have much to be thankful for and this year you are at the top of my list.

Sincerely, Manny Stone

November 22, 2011

IN A SURPRISING REPORT FROM THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGERY, OF NEARLY 190,00 FOLLOWED FOR 2 YEARS, THOSE WITH THE LOWEST BMI, (BODY MASS INDEX = HEIGHT  AND WEIGHT RATIO) <23 (NORMAL TO THIN) HAD A 40% HIGHER RISK OF DEATH AFTER SURGERY THAN THOSE WITH A BMI B/W 26-30 (OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE). THE HIGHEST RISK SURGERIES WERE EXPLORATORY ABDOMINAL PROCEDURES, AND THE LOWEST WERE BREAST LUMPECTOMIES. IN A RELATED STORY, McDONALDS WILL NOW HAVE A COUNTER AT ALL MAJOR SURGICENTERS!

PRESUMABLY FROM ITS SATURATED FAT CONTENT, EATING AN EGG A DAY RESULTED IN TYPE 2 DIABETES IN 60% OF MEN AND NEARLY 80% WOMEN FOLLOWED DURING 20 YEARS OF STUDY.  WE LIPID SPECIALISTS VACILLATE BACK AND FORTH ON THE “DIETARY CHOLESTEROL” ISSUE OF EGGS, SHELLFISH ETC. Djoussé L, et al “Egg consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in men and women” Diabetes Care2008; DOI: 10.2337/dc08-1271.

THIS WAS THE FIRST CLINICAL, ALBEIT SMALL TRIAL USING BONE MARROW STEM (MONONUCLEAR) CELLS INJECTED INTO 7 PATIENTS UNDERGOING BYPASS SURGERY 2-3 WKS AFTER A HEART ATTACK.  A TOTAL OF 14 PATIENTS, ALL WITH WEAK HEART FUNCTION (CARDIOMYOPATHY) WERE STUDIED. THE  7 THAT RECEIVED THE CELLS AT BYPASS HAD NOT ONLY A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN HEART FUNCTION, BUT A DECREASE IN THE SIZE OF THE HEART ATTACK SCAR AT 4 MONTHS AND 1 YEAR. LARGER SCALE TRIALS WITH REMOVAL OF CONTRIBUTING/COMPOUNDING VARIABLES WILL NEED TO TAKE PLACE BEFORE WE SEE THIS PRIME TIME FOLKS, BUT IT IS VERY PROMISING! 

DRINKING A SUGARY SODA OR JUICE DAILY CAN GIVE YOU UP TO A 20% INCREASED CHANCE OF DEVELOPING HYPERTENSION.  SO IT WAS OBSERVED IN NEARLY 214,000 DURING 26 YEARS OF FOLLOW UP.  DAILY CONSUMPTION SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED HYPERTENSION RISK OVER MONTHLY USE. A POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE VERY NUTRITIOUS (NOT) HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP. ENJOY WATER OR 100% FRUIT JUICE, YOUR ARTERIES WILL THANK YOU!

CONFIRMING WHAT WE SAID ON OUR SHOW ‘IF IT LOOKS GOOD, DON’T EAT IT”, 1900 PATIENTS WERE SPLIT EVENLY BETWEEN A LOW CARB OR LOW FAT DIET.  THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE IN WEIGHT LOSS WITH EITHER APPROACH. LACK OF COMPLIANCE, TYPES OF FOODS AND EARLY DROP OUT SEEMED TO BE THE REASON. AS DR. DEAN ORNISH SAID LONG AGO, “APPROACHING DIET SHOULD NOT BE ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS, IT SHOULD FOCUS ON YOUR MORTALITY”. EAT AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT, NOT FOR A WEDDING OR HIGH SCHOOL REUNION.