Editor’s Notice: This text is a reprint. It was initially revealed February 13, 2022.
On this interview, repeat visitor Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, a board-certified household doctor and writer of the guide, “The Clot Thickens: The Enduring Thriller of Coronary heart Illness,” critiques 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, supplying you with the organic understanding of the method of atherosclerosis resulting in coronary heart assaults and strokes. He additionally has stable methods for reducing your heart problems threat.
By the way, when you perceive the illness course of, then you may also 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 drugs, Scotland had the very best fee of coronary heart illness on the earth. Early on the reply for why was, ‘Oh, properly, it is as a result of we’ve such horrible weight loss program, 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 in case you do not give it some thought too laborious.
However I additionally occur to go to France rather a lot, and what I seen about France was, they eat numerous 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 very best saturated fats consumption in Europe and lowest fee of coronary heart illness, and this has been the case for many years.
For those who took all the danger elements for France and Scotland [such as smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes], then the French had barely [higher risk], in line with typical pondering. However, in truth, they’d one-fifth [the rate among age-matched men].
So, I assumed, that is attention-grabbing. It does not make a lot sense in line with what we’re advised. Then whereas I used to be in medical faculty, a tutor in cardiology stated … 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, but it surely 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 bought 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 entire speculation is simply nonsense. So, I began choosing it aside.”
The Thrombogenic Speculation
“The Clot Thickens” is Kendrick’s effort to elucidate an alternate speculation for what truly 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.
In the present day, 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 might occur for a variety of causes, it would usually be coated over and dissolved. An issue arises, nonetheless, if the blood clot shouldn’t be 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 could have 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 …
For those who reduce via the plaque and have a look at it, it nearly seems to be like tree rings. You’ll be able to see there’s been a clot, restore, clot, restore, clot, restore, clot, 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 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 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’ve one course of during, and it is sensible, as a result of it matches with what you possibly can 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 via 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 disintegrate. LDL merely can not clarify the illness development. But regardless of the numerous holes within the concept, the concept LDL causes coronary heart illness is touted as an absolute, incontrovertible fact.
What is the Mechanism?
To be able to justify a speculation, you must have a mechanism of motion. When you perceive the mechanism of the particular illness course of, then you possibly can 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. For those who attempt to decide up a fish, it’s going to slip via your fingers; it’s totally 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 via with out it sticking, with out harm occurring. So, you could have this type 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 got harm to a blood vessel, we will need to 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 does 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 does 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 bloodstream.
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 harm outstrips restore, this may slender the artery and cut back blood circulation.
What Damages Endothelial Cells?
The query is, what can harm 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 via 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 bought an space of injury.
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 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 individuals at first could not perceive [about COVID-19]. But it’s totally clear that what’s occurring is you’ve got bought harm to the endothelial cells.
Clearly, you and I each know that in case 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 could cause endothelial harm? The reply is issues like smoking. Smoke particles get out of your lungs, they go into your blood vessels and so they trigger harm … 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 protecting over the areas of injury.
Some people who smoke have sufficient restore occurring and while you’re youthful, it is okay. As you become older and your restore programs start to fail a bit, cigarette smoking turns into increasingly more of an issue.”
Different issues that may trigger endothelial harm 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 method. 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 is likely to be there.
The harm to the glycocalyx is why diabetics are vulnerable to each arterial and capillary (small vessel) illness. You’ll be able to’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, on account 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 harm) and kidney harm. Blood strain may grow to be elevated as your coronary heart has to work more durable to push blood via 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) does 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 could have 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 follow this, keep away from this.'” Inside it, you even have albumin, protein complicated produced by the liver. Albumin accommodates the proteins that assist preserve and restore the glycocalyx. A reality that the majority 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 might be quickly destroyed, it can be quickly repaired. (Experiments have proven that in an space the place the glycocalyx has been fully stripped off, it may be fully repaired in a single second.) Dietary supplements like chondroitin sulfate and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) might be useful on this regard.
“For those who attempt to clarify that via the LDL mechanism, it simply does not work,” Kendrick says. “They’ve found that in case 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 possibly can clarify that since you’re defending your glycocalyx.
These are the type of issues that make no sense in case you like trying on the typical concepts of coronary heart illness, however are instantly and simply defined in case you say, ‘We’ve got to maintain our glycocalyx wholesome and we’ve to maintain our endothelial cells beneath them wholesome.’
In any other case they are going to be broken and stripped off, after which we’ll get a blood clot, and if we hold getting blood clots at that time, we’ll 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 way of life technique that may assist restore endothelial harm is blood circulation restriction (BFR) coaching. In response to BFR, your physique produces vascular endothelial development issue (VEGF), which acts as “fertilizer” for the endothelium. You’ll be able to 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’ve within the physique. It is actually the magic molecule for cardiovascular well being,” Kendrick says.
“At one time NO was generally known as 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, 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 latest blood vessels which can be required to supply ample “vitamins.” With out these new blood vessels, the tumor dies off. Sadly, in case 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], 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 reducing tablets, and ACE inhibitors have a selected affect on bradykinin, which will increase NO synthesis.”
Methods to Decrease Your Thrombotic Danger
In his guide, “The Clot Thickens: The Enduring Thriller of Coronary heart Illness,” Kendrick critiques many various methods that may decrease your illness threat. Here is a short-list of examples coated in far better depth within the guide, 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, reducing your blood strain. NO additionally protects your endothelium, and will increase mitochondrial melatonin to enhance mobile vitality 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 harm, together with endothelial harm.
• 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 programs. Cortisol, a key stress hormone, reduces endothelial cell manufacturing.
• Stop smoking.