THE CAUSES OF HEART DISEASE

I have spent over 30 years professionally examining and treating heart

disease patients and have come to several conclusions regarding the '"true

causes" of the arterial disease known as "coronary artery disease" which

describes the location of atherosclerosis and its consequences which include

heart attack and sudden death. When the same disease affects the cerbral

arteries a stroke is the result. In both cases a usually gradual, but

sometimes rapid narrowing of the arteries occurs over a several year period

of time. The causes of this medical malady go beyond the standard "risk

factors" cited by experts and the American Heart Association. Cholesterol,

smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, inactive lifestyle, obesity and

stress do not account for fully half or more of all heart disease statistics.

These risk factors also do not explain the increasing incidence of

cardiomyopathy, a primary disease of the heart muscle itself leading to its

deteriotation and weakening with a reduction in exercise capacity and

ultimately congestive heart failure. Another aspect of heart disease for

which conventional cardiology has no answers are the many electrical

disturbances known as "arrhythmias". These include atrial fibrillation,

paroxysmal atrial tachycardia ( PAT), sick sinus syndrome,

Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome, premature ventricular contractions (PVC's),

ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation to name a few.

While a few people appear to be genetically predisposed to coronary artery

disease, cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias, the vast majority of people

acquire these diseases as they age. Other folks seem to escape heart disease

altogether and live into their 80's and 90's living a vigorous lifestyle with

no cardiovascular limitations nor symptoms. Why is this? What are the reasons

some stay well and others have heart attacks, develope heart failure or

require all sorts of heart drugs or even a pacemaker to maintain a normal

heart rhythm?