Woman just diagnosed

[ofonorow]

Thank you Mr. Fonorow. I have a zillion questions, but will start with just a couple and give a little back ground.

I am a 60 year old white female. Just diagnosed with heart disease as a result of a CT Calcium Scoring Heart test with a score of 912. My doctor freaked, said we needed to start treating this aggressively.

Prescribed zocor and a beta blocker. I have Chol of: Total 259, HDL 70, LDL 160, TG <100 and a Lpa of 70. I thought I was pretty healthy. No symptoms of heart disease. I went to the doc because my brother just passed away from heart disease. He was a heavy smoker and drug addict, he was 57.

Interestingly, after I found out about my Lp a, I started on a supplement that contains 1000mg C, 200 L-lysine, 200 L-Proline, quercetin 200 and green tea 200. I have not been taking it regularly due to having the flu and just not up to taking a lot of pills. Anyway, after looking at your book I will start back on it immediately.

So with the info I just gave you do you have any further recommendations? How accurate is the CalciumScoring Test? Should I stay on the meds?

Thank you for the note in your book. I am a dietitian, however, not very traditional as I practice mostly alternative therapies. Your book feels like a God thing.
R.M.

I recognize the dosages you decided to take, and while they will help, they are too low to be miraculous. That is the point of Linus Pauling's recommendations, the so-called Pauling Therapy starts at around 6000 mg of both vitamin C and lysine. Not 200 mg lysine and proline which is less than you would normally receive in your diet.

The key is vitamin C. Your cholesterol tells me you simply have not been taking what you require. When you get to your optimal level, your total cholesterol should normalized to around 180 mg/dl. (Unless you are fighting a toxicity, such as previous dental work.)

What are the units of the Lp(a) and what did the lab list as normal? If that were mg/dl - it is high, but probably invalid. If nmoles/l, then it is about perfect - normal.

You and I should probably continue this AFTER you read the book, as some of my comments about the drugs you were prescribed may not seem as so over the top. (I am against what your doctor ordered. Your doctor is completely unaware how these drugs actually create heart disease.)

[ofonorow]

I have just read your book. My Lp a was in mg/dl, what makes that invalid? I hate the drugs too. I am hesitant to stop them right now when I am so anxious and fearful about the CT Scan - what is your opinion on that? Please post and you can use my first name. Did I mention that my name is Richyne - female? I will go to the web and order the A-9. My CT of 912. I am 60.

I am so afraid right now and can't help my thoughts of dying from this disease. I thought your book was enlightening.

Any info you are willing to provide is appreciated. I am to see a cardiologist next Wed. What if they want to do a angiogram? I am not willing to do that at this stage.

R.\

Re: Lp(a)

The problem is that certain major labs "calculate" rather than measure Lp(a). Now, since Lp(a) is a subset of LDL cholesterol, if the Lp(a) number is that large, then your LDL number should be much larger. So I suspect that these are "calculations" and thus not accurate.

But, lets make the assumption that the number is accurate, and that your Lp(a) is very high. Then you have done exactly the right thing by ordering Tower A-9 - an Lp(a) binding inhibitor - because the Pauling invention makes the normally "sticky" Lp(a) molecules in
the blood less sticky. Lysine from the blood attaches to the molecules so they won't stick to the plaque on your arteries, and according to Pauling, "will even work to destroy existing plaques."

So take the A-9 (2 servings daily, 4 scoops), perhaps 1 scoop every 4-6 hours is probably ideal, at least to start, and should keep your blood levels high all the time.

A-9 covers most of the bases - except vitamin C. It only provides 6000 mg, which is high for most people, but may not be enough vitamin C on an individual basis. Usually double that amount (10,000 to 12,000 is enough to resolve almost any problem, but as per Les in this forum, some people require much more.) How do you find out? Well, without Bush Cardioretinometry (looking at the retinal arteries for signs of heart disease) the best bet is Titrating to Bowel Tolerance, per http://www.orthomed.com/titrate.htm

As you can probably guess, I don't like any heart medications, other
than perhaps nitroglycerine for angina. The problem with Zocor is that it will actually INCREASE Lp(a) and DECREASE coQ10 (a vitamin-like enzyme that U.S. doctors know nothing about, but that is required by EVERY cell for energy. I personally can not advise you, but I myself would not take the zocor, but rely on extra vitamin C to control the cholesterol.)

You might show your doctor the cholesterol-lowering drug ads from the New England Journal of Medicine in Canada - Canada requires these warnings about elevating Lp(a) and lowering CoQ10. See
http://naturesperfectstatin.com/warn.htm

In fact, you might ask your doctor if he is willing to review my book.

So all in all I think you are on the right track. Follow the protocol
in the book, all of it. Owen

[ofonorow]

Thank you so much for all the info. What do you know about the cardiolite stress test? They want me to do that. I had a NMR (I think that is what it is called) My CRP was great and the metabolic numbers great as well, the only high number was my LDL. I did see the cardiologist today. I probably should have just not had that darn CT anyway.

Thanks again. I have been taking 3000 Vit C and struggling with loose stools, any suggestions? I agreed to stay on the beta blocker until after the stress test.

Richyne
R.\

Dear R-

Good news about the LDL! The symptom of high LDL is feeling good.
(It is the Lp(a), not LDL, which is the potential culprit. LDL carries
vitamin E and CoQ10 around and as the book mentions, LDL is not a risk
factor when Lp(a) is analyzed separately, i.e., not included with LDL.)

Now, if you can only tolerate a "preventive" 3000 mg dose of vitamin C,
there are a few options.

1. Take smaller dosages more frequently. (Not convenient, but more
will be absorbed. About every 4 hours is optimal). After a few
weeks or months, you can start taking less frequently. Try to
take as much as you can (titrating) every 4 hours which does not
cause gas/diarrhea.

2. Ascorbic acid can be absorbed through the stomach wall/lining, but
your stomach must be acidic for this to occur. (Vitamin C that
does not reach the intestines/rectum will not cause gas/diarrhea)
so if you are taking antacids or acid blockers, this will mean
that less vitamin C is being absorbed into your blood stream than
if your stomach was its "natural" acidity.

3. Take your vitamin C with proteins and away from sugars and carbs.
(helps absorbtion and avoids breakdown of the vitamin in the gut.)
The more Omega/3 oils you are taking the better, as this helps
cell membranes become more permeable to the vitamin.

4. If all this fails to improve your tolerance, there is a good option,
but that is pricey. That is the Lypo-C (liposomal) vitamin C from
LivonLabs.com. If you want to try that route, the Vitamin C
Foundation offers it at vitamincfoundation.org/cart