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 ebook, “The Clot Thickens: The Enduring Thriller of Coronary heart Illness,” opinions the underlying mechanisms for coronary heart illness, which for the final century has been the main reason behind demise 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 reducing your heart problems threat.
By the way, when you perceive the illness course of, then you can too 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:
“After I was coaching as a pupil in medication, Scotland had the best fee of coronary heart illness on this planet. Early on the reply for why was, ‘Oh, properly, it is as a result of we now have such horrible eating regimen, 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 kinds narrowings and thickenings, which all sounds believable should you do not give it some thought too onerous.
However I additionally occur to go to France rather a lot, and what I seen about France was, they eat loads of saturated fats. They eat extra, in truth, than anybody else in Europe, and positively greater than Scotland. So, [this saturated fat] speculation definitely did not work for the French. They’ve the best saturated fats consumption in Europe and lowest fee of coronary heart illness, and this has been the case for many years.
If you happen to took all the chance elements for France and Scotland [such as smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes], then the French had barely [higher risk], based on typical pondering. However, in truth, they’d one-fifth [the rate among age-matched men].
So, I believed, that is fascinating. It does not make a lot sense based on what we’re advised. Then whereas I used to be in medical faculty, 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, nevertheless it sounded necessary.
She had been taking a look at coronary heart illness as a unique course of for many years … So, I believe that is actually the place I acquired began. When you begin questioning what the issue is, you find yourself questioning increasingly more and also you begin pondering, gosh, that is simply nonsense, is not it? This complete speculation is simply nonsense. So, I began selecting it aside.”
The Thrombogenic Speculation
“The Clot Thickens” is Kendrick’s effort to clarify another 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.
Right now, 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 kinds in your artery wall, which might occur for plenty of causes, it’s going to sometimes be coated over and dissolved. An issue arises, nonetheless, if the blood clot shouldn’t be absolutely eradicated and one other blood clot kinds in the identical “weak” 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 have got a plaque that steadily grows and ultimately thickens the artery wall till it narrows sufficiently that the ultimate blood clot, on prime of the prevailing plaque, is the factor that may trigger a coronary heart assault or stroke …
If you happen to minimize by way 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 current plaque will trigger the plaque to develop in dimension. You will discover 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 individuals is, properly, 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 sensible, as a result of it matches with what you’ll be able to see.”
As famous by Kendrick, the traditional 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 way of the addition of repeated clots.
Nevertheless, Kendrick says, when you begin drilling down into the ldl cholesterol, aka LDL speculation, the entire thing begins to collapse. LDL merely can not clarify the illness development. But regardless of the various holes within the idea, the concept LDL causes coronary heart illness is touted as an absolute, proven fact.
What is the Mechanism?
To be able to justify a speculation, it is advisable 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 clarification:
“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. If you happen to attempt to choose up a fish, it’s going to slip by way of your fingers; it’s extremely slippery. The rationale 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 way of with out it sticking, with out injury occurring. So, you have got this type of damage-repellent layer on prime 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 got injury to a blood vessel, we should have a blood clot there as a result of we might bleed out.’ So, a blood clot kinds on the world of harm, and instantly stops [the bleeding].”
The blood clot does not simply carry on rising and rising. If it did, you’d die anytime you had a blood clot. As a substitute, when a clot kinds, different processes step in to stop it getting too massive, which is why each blood clot does not trigger a stroke or coronary heart assault. As soon as the clot has stabilized, and has been shaved down, the world 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 may 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 way 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’ve got acquired an space of harm.
After all, 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. That is why you will get an issue, as a result of the endothelial cells are being broken and stripped off.
Blood clotting happens on the factors of harm 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 extremely clear that what’s occurring is you’ve got acquired 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 shifting on from that, what different factor may 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 implies endothelial cells are dying.
Fortunately as endothelial cells die, one other message is distributed to the bone marrow saying, we’d like extra endothelial cells and it stimulates endothelial progenitor cell manufacturing. These endothelial progenitor cells rush round masking over the areas of harm.
Some people who smoke have sufficient restore happening and once you’re youthful, it is okay. As you become older and your restore methods start to fail a bit, cigarette smoking turns into increasingly more of an issue.”
Different issues that may trigger endothelial injury embody:
• 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 means. 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 anything damaging that may be there.
The injury to the glycocalyx is why diabetics are vulnerable to each arterial and capillary (small vessel) illness. You possibly can’t get atherosclerosis within the capillaries, as there isn’t any room. As a substitute, the capillaries turn into damaged down and destroyed. This in flip may cause ulcers, as a consequence of poor circulation within the pores and skin of your legs and ft.
Peripheral neuropathy happens because the ends of nerve cells are disadvantaged of oxygen. Additionally visible issues (diabetic retinal injury) and kidney injury. Blood stress may turn into elevated as your coronary heart has to work more durable to push blood by way of a community of broken/lacking small blood vessels.
• Heavy metals reminiscent of aluminum and lead.
• Hypertension, because it places stress on the endothelium — Atherosclerotic plaque (atherosclerosis) does not happen except the stress 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 have got nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which produces nitric oxide (NO), and you’ve got NO itself, in addition to plenty 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 persist with this, keep away from this.'” Inside it, you even have albumin, protein complicated produced by the liver. Albumin comprises the proteins that assist preserve and restore the glycocalyx. A truth that almost all medical doctors are unaware of is that, when you’ve got a low albumin degree, you are considerably extra prone to die of coronary heart illness.
The excellent news is that whereas the glycocalyx layer may be quickly destroyed, it will also 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) may be useful on this regard.
“If you happen to try to clarify that by way of the LDL mechanism, it simply does 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 chance of coronary heart illness fairly significantly. How do you clarify that? Properly, you’ll be able to clarify that since you’re defending your glycocalyx.
These are the kind of issues that make no sense should you like wanting on the typical 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 preserve 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 Move Restriction Coaching
A life-style technique that may assist restore endothelial injury is blood circulate restriction (BFR) coaching. In response to BFR, your physique produces vascular endothelial development issue (VEGF), which acts as “fertilizer” for the endothelium. You possibly can be taught 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 — essentially 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 Rest Issue (EDRF) NO was one thing nobody believed might 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, ‘Properly, chances are 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 medication are designed to dam VEGF, because the tumor wants angiogenesis — which is the creation of recent blood vessels which are required to offer 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 medication 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], in case you are given bevacizumab or Avastin as an anticancer drug, they now provide you with angiotensin changing enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), that are blood stress reducing tablets, and ACE inhibitors have a particular influence on bradykinin, which will increase NO synthesis.”
Methods to Decrease Your Thrombotic Threat
In his ebook, “The Clot Thickens: The Enduring Thriller of Coronary heart Illness,” Kendrick opinions many various methods that may decrease your illness threat. Here is a short-list of examples coated in far higher depth within the ebook, 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) reminiscent of ibuprofen and naproxen — Whereas they successfully inhibit irritation, they’ll trigger platelet aggregation by blocking COX-2. In different phrases, they activate your blood clotting system, making blood clots extra doubtless. |
Get loads of smart solar publicity — Solar publicity triggers NO that helps dilate your blood vessels, reducing your blood stress. 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 major 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 embody, 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 stress, promotes blood clotting and impairs your restore methods. Cortisol, a key stress hormone, reduces endothelial cell manufacturing. |
Stop smoking. |