HEALTH NEWS

Inflammatory Markers Linked to Fatal Heart Attacks

By Byron J. Richards, Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist

June 28, 2009

Inflammatory Markers Linked to Fatal Heart Attacks
In a group of 5,680 men and women between the ages of 70 to 82, the presence of elevated inflammatory markers1 Il-6 and CRP were clear predictors of risk for fatal cardiovascular events.

Just about every person experiences a progressive accumulation of inflammatory wear and tear during aging. One of your key goals should be to minimize this as best you can – many factors can be employed on your behalf. Since just about everyone is experiencing inflammation, how do you know when it is a problem for serious cardio problems or just a more or less “normal” amount of wear and tear for your age.

The new study suggests that it is a real problem when it gets to a point where it can be measured in your blood. In other words, you could have joint inflammation, fatigue, a feeling of wear and tear, or some other clear sign of inflammation. These symptoms may or may not show up in your blood.

One reason they wouldn't, even though you may feel inflamed, is because your body is keeping the problem localized to your tissue areas and it hasn't spilled over yet into your blood. This new study suggests a tipping point, a point at which inflammation has become extremely problematic to an older individual. And that point is reflected by an elevation in your bloodstream of key inflammatory markers known as Il6 and CRP. This study did not test TNFa, which is yet another that is likely to be a problem.

Reducing inflammation is always a multi-pronged approach, It involves sleeping well, managing stress, relaxing activities, refreshing exercise, a good diet, and nutrients that facilitate inflammation recovery and the repair of your body tissues.

The moral of the story is that you do not want a bunch of inflammatory junk in your circulation, where it runs the risk of highly irritating your arteries and heart and leading to fatal cardiovascular events.

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