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I found this article today and thought it was something we should all know about. It's short, but worth investigating, I think. It doesn't go into details about why those with RA have an increased risk of heart disease other than inflammation.
Here's the link: http://www.healthcentral.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/news-254410-66.htmlI have family history of heart disease on my mother's side, so I think I'll ask my rheumy about this study at my next appt.
linda
Hi Linda,
Have you had a chance to check out Amy Proal's bacteriality website? This piece she's written on the pathogen connection to inflammation in relation to cardio-vascular disease is pretty enlightening:
http://bacteriality.com/2008/01/26/cad/
Dr S in GA also mentioned that Harvard had done studies on the cardio-protective properties of minocycline and it's why he doesn't mind keeping his rheumatoid patients on it even after achieving remission.
Peace, Maz
Linda, thank you for bringing the inflammation connection to our attention. I am not aiming any of this at you, but rather at the article's overly simplified solution of just adding more drugs to your body. Shame on them!
This kind of article sounds more like a drug promotion than anything else.
All doctors understand that inflammation is what is damaging us. I have been hearing that from doctors from day 1. I just received my Blaylock Wellness report and the focus this month is on inflammation: How it is behind almost every disease and how to eat and live to help reduce this inflammation. This is not only essential information for all of us who are sick, but even more so for our “healthy” friends and family so that they stay healthy.
No doubt about it. We are at increased risk of organ disease of all kinds, including heart disease, lung disease, liver and kidney disease. RA is systemic and does internal damage much the same as the visible joint damage.
So what should we do? Take more toxic drugs and nothing else? When is American medicine going to wake up? Doctors need to go back to school and learn nutrition habits. We cannot afford to eat carelessly. Our bodies are in the fight of their life and there are very simple, effective ways to aid our body in reducing inflammation. Conversely, if you eat the SAD (Standard American Diet), you are increasing the inflammation in your body. Drugs are one way but they should not be the only way.
For many months before I became sick, my blood pressure rose. I had never had blood pressure issues before. After diagnosis, I found an integrative doctor to treat my RA. In addition to the minocycline, we worked on leaky gut and inflammation control. We worked to improve my detox abilities. If you don't yet know about detoxification's role in health, start to read it. Every body that is alive detoxes daily. The minute you stop, you die. But if your ability to detox becomes defective, you develop illness and eventually death.
With this doctor, my blood pressure quickly returned to normal. The doctor had me on many supplements and he coached me in diet. He said “If you eat sugar, don't bother to come back”.
One of the supplements he had me take was Vitamin C. He said “Take it to bowel tolerance”. In other words, keep increasing the mg until I get loose bowels. At the time, I worked up to 6000mg daily and still had normal bowels. I just couldn't seem to get any more than this into my daily routine. I was thriving under this doctor's care. At the time, I remember reading research that found that sick people can tolerate much higher doses of Vit C than healthy people.
After about a year, I ran out of the C and decided not to continue it as a cost saving measure. Several months later I was in a local doctor's office and my blood pressure was once again high. The doctor had me come back in one month to check again. He gave me no advice or medicine in the meantime. My blood pressure was still high. Now he was talking about blood pressure medicine. I asked what could I do naturally to help lower the bp. He had no idea except to cut out salt.
I researched the internet and found that Vit. C helps reduce bp. I jumped back on the C that day. 30 days later, my bp had fallen to 118/70 which is normal for me. I make it a point to eat foods rich in C and for now continue supplementing although today I only supplement 2000mg. My bp is always good.
How much healthier for us to eat and practice healthy habits to aid us in our wellness program. Yet doctors don't even know about it. They just give us more drugs. That is more toxins for the liver and kidneys and skin to have to deal with.
It seems to me that American medicine is more concerned with the wellfare of wealth (through the manufacture of drugs) than health.
In addition to eating lots of fresh fruits and veggies (organic as much as possible) I juice fresh vegetables almost daily. Before I became sick 3 yrs ago, anytime I would get a bump or cut or any kind of skin injury, it would take forever to heal. It would eventually callous over and leave a mark. A chiropractor told me this was not a good sign about the health condition of my body. Boy was she ever right!
A couple of weeks ago, I fell and scraped the palm of my hand. I was stunned and thrilled to watch that scrape heal completely within two weeks. Gone from view. I still get excited about this because it is a visable indication of how much healthier and better my body is working today than it was 3 yrs ago. If my skin is healing this well, then my internal body must be also.
My doctor is always watching for signs of inflammation in my joints. She finds it before I feel it. When necessary, she uses drugs to get it under control while fighting the bacteria and parasites causing the inflammation and disease. She also instructs me on diet and supplementation according to my needs. She is a rheumatologist who has gone back to school and continues to study and look for ways to put these horrible auto-immune diseases into remission.
I was placed on CoQ10 from the very beginning. This is specifically for the benefit of my heart. It is a natural enzyme without harmful side effects. So far, tests indicate my heart is in very good working order.
Yes reducing inflammation is critical, but there are more ways to do this than just taking drugs.
Susan
Susan – thank you for wise words. Your perspective on all this is one I've come to, although much more recently than you. I am now being much more of an active particpant in my wellness drive ( in addition to simply taking abx) and am looking for the ways in which I can contribute to this. Healing my leaky gut is a big one and recognising what I can do for myself is one of the reasons why I havent had too hard a time starting out with a pretty restrictive diet. Sounds like you have found a couple of really good docs for 'Team Susan'. which is great. Be well. Lynnie
Be well! Lynnie
Palindromic RA 30 yrs (Chronic Lyme?)
Mino 2003-2008 100mg MWF - can no longer tolerate any tetracyclines
rotating abx protocol now. From Sep 2018 MWF - a.m. Augmentin Duo 440mg + 150mg Biaxsig (roxithromycin). p.m. Cefaclor (375mg) + Klacid 125mg + LDN 3mg + Annual Clindy IV's
Diet: no gluten, dairy, sulphites, low salicylates
Supps: 600mg N-AC BID, 1000mg Vit C, P5P 40mg, zinc picolinate 60mg, Lithium orotate 20mg, Magnesium Oil, Bio-identical hormones (DHEA + Prog + Estrog)Susan, I am a single male, and I hardly know how to cook. Clueless. Up to the time I got RA, I ate poorly. I want so much to follow your advice, but it is overwhelming to me. Can you make a short list of the things that most helped you. I've heard you mention:
(1)juicing
(2)vitaminC
(3)vegan, gluten free, dairy free
What else. Is there a cook/diet book you would recommend?I agree that we need a more holistic approach to medicine, and that our diet here in the states is pretty bad. I've always tried to eat healthy foods and stay away from sugars and junk food. I think this is why I've so far been able to stave off developing type 2 diabetes, altho I have teetered on the edge of insulin resistance for 5 yrs now due to the use of Pred for over 10 yrs. Weaning off the pred was my main goal when I began AP. With my family history of heart disease and my 20 yr history of PsA, I'm surprised that I don't have any sign of heart disease or hypertension, again, I believe that is because I eat healthy and have always exercised. But even the strongest athletes can have heart disease, especially if it is an inherited problem, so this article caused me more concern for my heart health. Any good cardiologist will advise their patient on diet and exercise along with meds in their care plan for their patients.
But here's the problem, it's much easier to take a pill than change a lifestyle.
While doctors are trained from day one to give us medications, (that is the expected outcome with most people when they see a doctor), I've always been advised on diet and exercise from any doctor I've seen, no matter what the specialty. Weight gain is bad for so many conditions; arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart dx, etc, that most doctors regularly lecture their patients on their eating habits. Actually, many of the health problems that are increasing can be attributed to poor health habits, whether it be lack of exercise, smoking, diet, etc. Doctors have been warning us for years about the dangers of this lifestyle, but we as a society have not been listening.
As for the meds, yes, doctors do dispense too many pills. But I also believe it's a supply/demand problem. Most people don't think like Susan, they just run their body into the ground and then go to the doctor for a pill when it breaks down. Consumers expect a pill and the doctors oblige, but they also give advice about diet, slowing down, reducing stress, etc. If they didn't give the rx, their patients would probably see another doctor and they would lose business. But I think most people want a quick fix, and changing diet or exercising takes too much time. So the problem isn't just with our medical professionals, we have to change our views as well. AND then, we have to somehow deal with the big pharmas, who are the real benefactors ($$$) of our approach to health.
Susan, you're right about our attitudes toward health, but it's a really big problem with lots of players. With the cost of healthcare skyrocketing, as well as food and fuel, maybe more people will begin looking for a more holistic (and less expensive) solution to their health problems.
superperro!
My heart goes out to you. I know how to prepare food and am willing and still find it challenging to prepare most of my food at home. I remember talking with a gentleman who was also a patient of my doctor about this. He said he does things like this….
1-He buys most of his veggies frozen and fresh veggies already chopped. He sautes them quickly in the frying pan in a small amount of coconut oil (healthier for you than you think) and cooks a big thing of rice once a week. He throws some of the cooked rice in the frying pan to warm it, puts a seasoning on it and whalla! He has dinner. It is very good to eat some food raw daily. 50% if you can. Raw is super easy. Just wash it good. All fresh fruit is raw. Cole slaw is raw. Salads are raw. Some people eat raw meat. eeewwww!!!!! You're a guy so maybe you can do it. Yuck!!
At first this food will taste strange to you. You are accoustomed to eating the high fat fast foods. They put things like MSG in it that make it taste really good so you will buy more and more. However, those tasty additives are making us all very sick and should be outlawed. After a while though, you will prefer the taste of real food and no longer enjoy the junk food.
I agree with Linda that the public is just as much to blame for all this as any doctor. We do just want a pill to make it all go away. Even I wish it could be so easy. But food manufacturers are also putting things in their food to make them irresistable. I was so hooked on sodas it was an addiction and it took me a long while to break the habit.
2-If you eat meat, make it organic whenever possible. I watch my local grocery store (Kroger) for specials on their organic (free range) chickens, turkeys, meat, hot dogs (Oscar Meyer makes a natural hotdog and bacon I can eat) Sometimes I can purchase a whole Coleman's chicken for $3.00. I freeze it. When I cook it, I wash it, rub with melted coconut oil and salt and pepper and stick it in the crockpot. I fill the pot up 2/3 with water and add some raw celery, carrot and onion. I save the chicken broth for soups and for steaming veggies. It adds great flavor to the veggie. I use the chicken for sandwiches and salads. I work fulltime plus have a farm and not much time for preparing meals. So these are easy recipes. Right now I am supposed to not eat any meat. This is for 6 mths while the doctor has me on special herbs to help me detox. I do really well most of the time, but occasionally I just want some meat. Look for the USDA/Organic stamp to be sure the foods meet organic standards.
Eat nuts, fruit, dark chocolate for snacks. Popcorn is good if you don't load it with butter. Butter is better than majorine. In fact, just try to eat only foods that did not come out of a lab. Altered food is not healthy. That alone may be all some people need to do.
To be sure food is not contributing to your pain and inflammation, have a doctor run a bloodtest specific for food sensitivities. My doctor ran one by ALCAT Laboratories. Once it told me foods I was reactive to and I began avoiding those foods, my pain level dropped and stayed consistently low. I learned to avoid foods that have the ingredients I am allergic to.
A good way to avoid developing food sensitivities is to not eat the same food every day. If you eat potatos on Monday, eat as much as you want but don't eat them again until Thursday. It is a 4 day rotation system and prevents our bodies from developing food allergies.
It can get very complicated, but at the start just try eliminating processed foods, sweets, sodas. Although I do not advocate a low fat diet (just like Maz's article) I did first learn about the food connection to RA from a doctor who espouses a vegan (no animal products of any kind) low fat diet. Two weeks of this diet and nothing else ( I did the diet before beginning any treatment for RA) I had a 50% reduction in inflammation and pain. It was miraculous. So, like me, you may not stick with this diet forever, but it is a good place to start. http://www.drmcdougall.com
I bet if you google, you will find a guy's guide to eating healthy. Our local co-op has a deli called “The Happy Belly Deli”. It is delicious and all the ingredients are listed. Also they are all organic. Lots of men eat at this deli. My husband loves their club sandwich.
BTW, I went to Spain 3 yrs ago and quickly learned to say Tucar Perro (touch dog). It was a question I posed to everyone who had a dog and they all obliged. I am such an animal lover. Finally, I approached a couple who had a weimaraner and asked “Tucar Perro?” They said “I'm sorry. We only speak English.” 😀 I think about this everytime I see your name.
Susan
So what should we do? Take more toxic drugs and nothing else? When is American medicine going to wake up? Doctors need to go back to school and learn nutrition habits.
I would suggest most doctors know that a diet high in fat and sugar is not good for you. I would also suggest most of the public knows it too. The problem is getting people to do it. Doctors can not babysit their patients 24/7. Its up to us to put the right things in our bodies. I don't blame doctors for the poor diets of Americans.
Joe
Ok guys. I'm glad you have doctors who received more than the obligatory nutritional class in medical school.
My first rheumatologist snorted at me when I told him how much improvement I gained from just 2 weeks of the vegan diet. He said there is no scientific proof except for red meat. Red meat has been scientifically proven to cause inflammation in joints.
The internist I spoke of earlier who was concerned about my high blood pressure apparently did not know that Vit C will bring it down. I would rather take Vit C than blood pressure medicine. There is a time and place for medicine, but I want to try that which is safe first. If it fails, then try the stronger meds until something works.
Yes, most doctors may understand we need a better diet, but they are not trained in how to go about it. High Fat, Low Fat. You have doctors standing on both sides of the argument.
My father had his first heart attack at 41. I was 9. We almost lost him. The doctors put him on a low fat, low cholesterol diet. They told him to eat margarine. It is well known now that the transfats in margarine are far worse for your heart than butter. That was not none back then. He had another attack at 45, 49 and he died of his fourth attack at 57. Low fat and low cholesterol did not save him. Read Maz's reference.
I have said to Mom many times since I was diagnosed with RA that I believe Daddy had a bacterial cause to his heart disease. Bacteria is one of the causes of inflammation. Toxins, injury and heredity also play a part.
Joe, I know your wife has done well on Humira and I am glad for her. I too have had to add Enbrel to my regimen although I have just started. However, my doctor is only using the Enbrel temporarily to keep the inflammation at bay while we go after the bacterias. Is your wife continuing with the AP?
Thank God for medication, but I am not going to rely solely on the meds. Also, I want to be on them as briefly as possible and I believe that eating nutritiously will help the medicines clear the bacterias more quickly. Keeping my liver healthy with a nutritious diet will help it process the toxins from the drugs. For sure, it will not hurt.
You can read on almost all the mainstream arthritis websites that they do not feel diet has any impact on auto-immune disorders. So where do you find all these mainstream doctors who are so well versed in the important role of nutrition and can actually help you rebuild your body? I had to hunt high and low to find mine.
Susan
Susan,
Thanks for asking about Michelle. She is doing great on just Humira. The only mino she takes now is the occassional script for acne from her dermatologist. She thinks she is the only female over 40 with acne :).
Your margarine story is a good example for why I think doctors don't often dispense nutritional advice. As you say, low fat, high fat, low carb, high protein, etc etc – they all have had their day in the sun and it seems like what we think is good for us today turns out to be bad for us tomorrow.
Your father may have been one of those genetically predisposed to heart disease no matter what diet he adopted.
I hope the enbrel gives you some relief while you start the AP. Good luck!
Joe
This is for Maz
Thank you so much for that article. I have certainly improved out of sites since using the Benicar and part of that treatment, plus what I was advised to take in the States.
For me it has been a life saver.
To each his own.
Natural treatment for 6 years, whilst necessary for life support, did not help me greatly with the bacteria, almost until it was too late and cost me thousands.
If you can do it without it that is fine, but we all should all be allowed a choice with the information that is available in the world.
I know this treatment using drugs is scowled upon terribly but for some of us it is necessary to survive. There are drugs that are dangerous which we do need to know about. I guess it is just a matter of sifting through it all and making a decision. Elimination of sugar, starch, yeast, milk products and nightshades was also necessary for me to be successful.
Thanks for the posts on this topic. Very timely for me, as my new GP thinks I have high blood pressure (almost always normal at home but high in the office). My cholesterol is 240, though HDL is good and ratio is OK. Right away the dr. wanted to prescribe a statin and a bp medicine. I'm thinking give me a chance to lose a few lbs. and exercise more, then see what the numbers are. And my CRP (not checked by her, but by my RA dr.) is only slightly elevated (.9).
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