Editor’s Word: This text is a reprint. It was initially printed February 13, 2022.
On this interview, repeat visitor Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, a board-certified household doctor and creator of the e book, “The Clot Thickens: The Enduring Thriller of Coronary heart Illness,” evaluations the underlying mechanisms for coronary heart illness, which for the final century has been the main reason behind loss of life 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 strong methods for decreasing your heart problems threat.
By the way, when you perceive the illness course of, then it’s also possible to 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 pupil in drugs, Scotland had the very best fee of coronary heart illness on the earth. Early on the reply for why was, ‘Oh, nicely, it is as a result of we now have such horrible weight loss 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 changed into ldl cholesterol in your bloodstream, after which it is absorbed into arteries and varieties narrowings and thickenings, which all sounds believable should you do not give it some thought too exhausting.
However I additionally occur to go to France rather a lot, and what I observed about France was, they eat plenty of saturated fats. They eat extra, in truth, than anybody else in Europe, and positively greater than Scotland. So, [this saturated fat] speculation actually 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.
In case you took all the danger components for France and Scotland [such as smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes], then the French had barely [higher risk], based on standard considering. However, in truth, they’d one-fifth [the rate among age-matched men].
So, I believed, that is fascinating. It would not make a lot sense based on what we’re instructed. Then whereas I used to be in medical college, a tutor in cardiology mentioned … 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, however it sounded necessary.
She had been taking a look at coronary heart illness as a distinct course of for many years … So, I feel that is actually the place I obtained 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 entire speculation is simply nonsense. So, I began selecting it aside.”
The Thrombogenic Speculation
“The Clot Thickens” is Kendrick’s effort to clarify an alternate 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 known as the encrustation speculation of coronary heart illness.
At present, 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 varieties in your artery wall, which may occur for a variety of causes, it’s going to usually be coated over and dissolved. An issue arises, nevertheless, if the blood clot just isn’t absolutely eradicated and one other blood clot varieties in the identical “susceptible” 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’ve gotten a plaque that steadily grows and ultimately thickens the artery wall till it narrows sufficiently that the ultimate blood clot, on high of the prevailing plaque, is the factor that may trigger a coronary heart assault or stroke …
In case you lower by means of the plaque and have a look at it, it nearly appears to be like like tree rings. You possibly can see there’s been a clot, restore, clot, restore, clot, restore, clock, restore over time.
It is broadly accepted {that a} blood clot forming on an present plaque will trigger the plaque to develop in measurement. You could find 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 folks is, nicely, 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 now have one course of during, and it is smart, as a result of it matches with what you’ll be able to 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 means of the addition of repeated clots.
Nonetheless, Kendrick says, when you begin drilling down into the ldl cholesterol, aka LDL speculation, the entire thing begins to disintegrate. 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, undeniable fact.
What is the Mechanism?
As a way to justify a speculation, you could have a mechanism of motion. When you perceive the mechanism of the particular illness course of, then you’ll be able to put the puzzle items collectively. Kendrick begins his rationalization:
“Your blood vessels are lined with endothelial cells, a bit like tiles on a wall. Endothelial cells are additionally coated themselves in a factor known as glycocalyx. In case you attempt to decide up a fish, it’s going to slip by means of your fingers; it’s totally 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 means of with out it sticking, with out injury occurring. So, you’ve gotten this sort of damage-repellent layer on high 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 injury to a blood vessel, we should have a blood clot there as a result of we may bleed out.’ So, a blood clot varieties on the realm of injury, and instantly stops [the bleeding].”
The blood clot would not simply carry on rising and rising. If it did, you’d die anytime you had a blood clot. As an alternative, when a clot varieties, different processes step in to stop it getting too huge, which is why each blood clot would not trigger a stroke or coronary heart assault. As soon as the clot has stabilized, and has been shaved down, the realm is roofed over by endothelial progenitor cells, made within the bone marrow, that float round in your blood stream.
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 injury outstrips restore, this could slender the artery and cut back blood circulate.
What Damages Endothelial Cells?
The query is, what can injury the endothelium within the first place? Right here, Kendrick makes use of the SARS-CoV-2 mechanism for example:
“The COVID virus enters endothelial cells by means 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 have obtained an space of injury.
In fact, 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. Because of this 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 folks at first could not perceive [about COVID-19]. But it’s totally clear that what’s occurring is you have obtained injury to the endothelial cells.
Clearly, you and I each know that should 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 injury? The reply is issues like smoking. Smoke particles get out of your lungs, they go into your blood vessels and so they trigger injury … You smoke one cigarette and an entire bunch of microparticles seem in your bloodstream, which suggests endothelial cells are dying.
Fortunately as endothelial cells die, one other message is shipped to the bone marrow saying, we want 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 once 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 injury embrace:
• Excessive blood sugar ranges and diabetes — The protecting glycocalyx layer is made 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 may be there.
The injury to the glycocalyx is why diabetics are susceptible to each arterial and capillary (small vessel) illness. You possibly can’t get atherosclerosis within the capillaries, as there isn’t any room. As an alternative, the capillaries grow to be damaged down and destroyed. This in flip could cause ulcers, resulting from 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 injury) and kidney injury. Blood strain may additionally grow to be elevated as your coronary heart has to work tougher to push blood by means of a community of broken/lacking small blood vessels.
• Heavy metals equivalent to aluminum and lead.
• Hypertension, because it places stress on the endothelium — Atherosclerotic plaque (atherosclerosis) would not happen except the strain 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’ve gotten nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which produces nitric oxide (NO), and you’ve got NO itself, in addition to a variety of different anticoagulant proteins. The glycocalyx is definitely a potent anticoagulant layer, so it stops blood clots forming. If glycocalyx is broken, your threat of blood clotting will increase.
“It is a very sophisticated layer,” Kendrick says. “It is like a jungle stuffed with issues that say, ‘Do not stick with this, avoid this.'” Inside it, you even have albumin, protein advanced produced by the liver. Albumin incorporates the proteins that assist keep and restore the glycocalyx. A truth that almost all docs are unaware of is that, if in case you have a low albumin stage, you are considerably extra more likely to die of coronary heart illness.
The excellent news is that whereas the glycocalyx layer could be quickly destroyed, it can 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) could be useful on this regard.
“In case you attempt to clarify that by means of the LDL mechanism, it simply would not work,” Kendrick says. “They’ve found that should you give chondroitin sulfate as a complement — which usually is for arthritis and stuff like that — it reduces the danger of coronary heart illness fairly significantly. How do you clarify that? Effectively, you’ll be able to clarify that since you’re defending your glycocalyx.
These are the type of issues that make no sense should you like trying on the standard concepts of coronary heart illness, however are instantly and simply defined should you say, ‘We’ve got to maintain our glycocalyx wholesome and we now have to maintain our endothelial cells beneath them wholesome.’
In any other case they are going to be broken and stripped off, after which we are going to get a blood clot, and if we hold getting blood clots at that time, we are going to find yourself with a plaque and ultimately one of many blood clots on that plaque will kill you from a coronary heart assault or a stroke.”
Blood Movement Restriction Coaching
A way of life technique that may assist restore endothelial injury is blood circulate restriction (BFR) coaching. In response to BFR, your physique produces vascular endothelial progress issue (VEGF), which acts as “fertilizer” for the endothelium. You possibly can study 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 now have within the physique. It is actually the magic molecule for cardiovascular well being,” Kendrick says.
“At one time NO was often called Endothelial Derived Leisure Issue (EDRF) NO was one thing nobody believed may 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, ‘Effectively, it’s possible 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 known as nitric oxide.'”
Some anticancer medicine are designed to dam VEGF, because the tumor wants angiogenesis — which is the creation of recent blood vessels which can be required to supply enough “vitamins” With out these new blood vessels, the tumor dies off. Sadly, should you block VEGF, you additionally block NO, which then raises your threat for coronary heart illness.
“These medicine had been nearly faraway from the market,” Kendrick says, “as a result of regardless of their anticancer exercise, they had 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 strain decreasing tablets, and ACE inhibitors have a particular impression on bradykinin, which will increase NO synthesis.”
Methods to Decrease Your Thrombotic Threat
In his e book, “The Clot Thickens: The Enduring Thriller of Coronary heart Illness,” Kendrick evaluations many alternative methods that may decrease your illness threat. Here is a short-list of examples coated in far better depth within the e book, in addition to a few of my very own suggestions that I carry up within the interview:
Keep away from pointless use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) equivalent to ibuprofen and naproxen — Whereas they successfully inhibit irritation, they will trigger platelet aggregation by blocking COX-2. In different phrases, they activate your blood clotting system, making blood clots extra possible. |
Get loads of wise solar publicity — Solar publicity triggers NO that helps dilate your blood vessels, decreasing your blood strain. 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 known as linoleic acid (LA), which I consider could also be way more dangerous than sugar. Extreme consumption is related to most all persistent illnesses, together with hypertension, weight problems, insulin resistance and diabetes. LA will get embedded in your cell membranes, inflicting oxidative stress, and might stay there for as much as seven years. Oxidative linoleic acid metabolites (OXLAMs) are what’s inflicting the first injury, together with endothelial injury. |
Decrease your insulin and blood sugar ranges — Easy methods to perform this embrace, avoiding ultraprocessed meals and synthetic sweeteners, considerably proscribing your LA consumption and getting common train. |
Handle persistent stress, which raises each blood sugar and blood strain, promotes blood clotting and impairs your restore methods. Cortisol, a key stress hormone, reduces endothelial cell manufacturing. |
Stop smoking. |