I Want You To Follow A Healthy Lifestyle
But I also want to help you avoid a heart attack or stroke, and relying solely on improving your lifestyle to minimize your risk is not a good idea because it isn't the safest or most effective way to do so.
In my book "Before It Happens To You," I make a strong case to find out if you are a candidate for up to four medicines, three of them available by prescription and the other an aspirin. I recommend this plan because there are volumes of scientific data that prove it is the best and safest way to minimize your risk.
It is a myth that recommending lifestyle change will make a big difference for people for two reasons. First, hardly anyone can change their habits of 40 or 50 years dramatically and maintain those changes. Second, even if you were to do so, it has relatively little impact on your risk of a heart attack or stroke. I explain this in detail in my book and do so as well in brief in the free summary you can download from my website at:
http://www.beforeithappens.com
Many people have emailed me to clarify my views on their lifestyles. I do want you to improve your lifestyle, it will help you feel better and will add to the benefits of my plan. Check out the book and you'll understand. To minimize your risk you need optimal control of your blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar levels.
He Definitely "Got It"
I spend a large part of my day teaching other doctors. The other day I was seeing patients in the hospital with a young cardiologist-in-training. As we were attending to a patient's crisis, he realized that our plan was starting to work well. Filled with a sense of satisfaction, he took a crucial step in his training.
"Now that it looks as though he will survive his heart attack, I want to review the treatment he was receiving before it happened, so that we make sure he leaves here not just a survivor but with his risk truly minimized."
I felt like a proud parent. You need to make sure that when you go to the doctor, you leave that visit assured that your health is truly optimal.
What About Antibiotics to Prevent Heart Disease?
My book "Before It Happens To You" is stirring a lot of controversy in cardiology circles, because I make the case that the scientific data indicates that our standard treatments leave too many of us at risk of a premature heart attack or stroke.
An anesthesiologist at a nearby hospital in New York published a book advocating some things in common, including the use of statins and aspirin (although he chose to ignore volumes of data supporting more aggressive blood pressure control with medicines such as ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers).
A major difference between our views is that as a cardiologist, I recommended steps based on proven scientific data. In contrast, he stresses that antibiotics can prevent heart attacks. The problem with his approach is that at least 4 antibiotics have been tested and none are any different than a placebo. Antibiotics don't work, and it is irresponsible to tout them as holding promise, let alone as a "cure."
This is a problem with mass market books and a major reason I wrote mine. The scientific data is overwhelming suporting specific approaches. I have made the proof available for everyone in my book "Before It Happens To You."
Read the excerpt as a free download at
http://www.beforeithappens.com
Are Vitamins Really So Safe?
I saw a patient this week who realized that she needed to take better care of herself - so she decided to start taking a variety of vitamins.
Her cholesterol level was high despite a pretty healthy diet and lifestyle, so I discussed the reasons why she should take a statin (a cholesterol lowering drug).
"A medicine?" She was uncomfortable with the concept; that's what her parents did, take prescription medications.
"Do you want to lower your risks? To do so, would you prefer to use approaches that are proven safe and effective? Would you care to hear the scientific data that shows an approach that is safer and more effective than the vitamins you are taking?" She was, but then became very uncomfortable when I told her that statins were proven to be safer and more effective than her vitamins.
I expect she will be like most patients in this situation. In a couple of months she will be ready to take the prescription medicine, the one proven in scientific studies to be the safest and most effective way for her to avoid a heart attack or stroke.
Be Selfish and Greedy
That's right, I am encouraging you to be selfish and greedy. By that I mean you should look out for your own good and refuse to settle for less than the best possible health you can get.
I know these words have a negative "feel." That's what we have learned that selfishness and greediness are, negative. In fact, you can be selfish and greedy without doing so at the expense of others. That's when your health becomes optimal.
Next time you visit your doctor, insist that all of your questions are answered. Show up prepared with your list of concerns to make things more efficient and focused. But be selfish. Your only concern can be your own health.
Similarly, you wouldn't want only half the treatment for a serious medical problem, so why settle for half the treatment for preventing major problems. Be greedy; aim for the best possible care and the optimal medical care that is possible.
Don't Let It Happen To You
By the time you near 50, your risk of a heart attack or stroke is huge. The likelihood of dying from a heart attack is much bigger than dying from a car crash. Yet your doctor is probably following the standard approach to "prevention" which does little to help you and a lot to keep costs reasonable for society.
My book, "Before It Happens To You" explains the basis for your risks and how to minimize your likelihood of a life-threatening problem.
Read the ebook, available for free at:
http://www.beforeithappens.com
Then send the link or the ebook to your family and friends. Believe it or not, you could save someone's life.
Email me!
