Statin Crestor Found to Protect Heart in People With Inflammation and Normal Cholesterol:

Half of all heart attack victims have perfectly normal cholesterol levels, and many have no risk factors at all. Experts have recently come to believe that one hidden culprit is chronic inflammation, which turns arteries into plaque magnets. But they haven’t known whether treating inflammation could actually protect the heart. A new landmark finding suggesting that is the case could affect millions of seemingly healthy people, Deborah Kotz reports.

If confirmed in further studies, the research, published in the current New England Journal of Medicine, could transform screening for heart disease. Nearly 18,000 people with normal cholesterol levels and no heart disease but high levels of inflammation (as measured by a marker called C-reactive protein) were randomly assigned to take either the cholesterol-lowering statin known as Crestor, which has anti-inflammatory effects, or a placebo. Over two to five years of treatment, the people taking a statin had about a 50 percent lower risk of heart attack or stroke and a 20 percent lower risk of dying of any cause compared with those who took placebos. They also had a 46 percent lower rate of bypass surgeries and angioplasties.

Crestor isn’t the only drug that may fight inflammation. In October, Sarah Baldauf listed 12 things you should know about aspirin, which is one of the cheapest anti-inflammatory drugs available.

Here’s a quote from A Better Way to Screen for Heart Disease?:

Here’s a startling stat that people tracking their numbers should know: Half of all heart-attack victims have perfectly normal cholesterol levels, and many have no risk factors at all. Experts have recently come to believe that one hidden culprit is chronic inflammation, which turns arteries into plaque magnets. But they haven’t known whether treating it could actually protect the heart. A new landmark finding suggests that is the case.

If confirmed in further studies, the research, published in the current New England Journal of Medicine, could transform screening for heart disease. Nearly 18,000 people with normal cholesterol levels and no heart disease but high levels of inflammation (as measured by a marker called C-reactive protein) were randomly assigned to take either a cholesterol-lowering statin drug with anti-inflammatory effects or a placebo. The people taking a statin, for two to five years, had about a 50 percent lower risk of heart attack or stroke and a 20 percent lower risk of dying of any cause compared with those who took placebos. They also had a 46 percent lower rate of bypass surgeries and angioplasties. “These results are way beyond what we could have hoped for,” says study leader Paul Ridker, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

This is a quote from Dr. Uffe Ravnskov, the author of The Cholesterol Myth:

Most researchers to-day in this field agree that inflammation of the arterial wall is the start. The crucial question is, what starts the inflammation? As cholesterol has been demonized for so many years we have not been able to clear the blackboard and rethink… all studies of dead people have failed to show an association between their intake of saturated fat, or their serum cholesterol, and the degree of atherosclerosis. People who avoid all saturated fat and who have low cholesterol become just as atherosclerotic as people who gorge in animal food and whose cholesterol is high.

Another misconception is that atherosclerosis is a disease. When arteries become inflamed the body immediately starts a repair process to strengthen the vascular wall. Smooth muscle cells proliferate, fibrosis follows, and later, if necessary for further strength, cholesterol and calcium are used for reinforcement. This is in particular important in the coronary arteries because due to the steady movements of the heart and the negative pressure at their outside they have to be stronger than for instance arteries running to the intestines or inside bony channels. Inflammatory processes go on now and then already from childhood; it is a natural defence mechanism and atherosclerosis should therefore be considered as scars, remnants from a long life’s combat with noxious chemicals or microorganisms….I think that the final attack is caused by microorganisms, but this is not the only answer. Any factor that weakens our immune defense may facilitate the growth of microorganisms, also at the inside of our vessels. These factors may be environmental (toxic compounds) or nutritional. There is much evidence that microorganisms may play a role. I published a review about this issue a few years ago. This paper has since long been one of the most-frequently read article in that journal.

Blacks Are More Socially Conservative Than Barack Obama

I don’t expect everyone to understand what it means to serve in the military, but I hope that everyone can respect those who do choose to serve.

History of Veteran’s Day

The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11 a.m.

The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.