Cardiovascular Disease Therapy

Cardiovascular Disease | Heavy Metal Detox | Inflammatory States | Dental Toxicity

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CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE: Myth vs. Reality

Cardiovascular Disease Statistics

According to the American Heart Association, about 62 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which can include high blood pressure, coronary heart disease (heart attack and chest pain), stroke, and congestive heart failure, and close to a million die from such conditions every year. Deaths associated with CVD are by far the number one cause of death, not only in the US, but globally as well. CVD claims more lives annually than the next seven leading causes of death combined.

Men no longer corner the market on heart disease. It is now also the #1 killer of American women. Also, 60% of all stroke deaths are women. Almost twice as many women in the US die of heart disease and stroke than cancer.

The human and financial cost of cardiovascular disease in the U.S. is astronomical. Every year, approximately 1.5 million Americans have a heart attack. The treatment of cardiovascular disease rings up a total of $100 billion dollars annually. Coronary artery bypass is the most frequently prescribed surgical procedure for heart disease, costing $10 billion per year. Numerous leading medical doctors and authorities have stated that coronary bypass surgery is overprescribed and often unnecessary. Nearly 20,000 people die every year as a result of bypass surgery or angioplasty.

Most people are unaware that 150 years ago, heart disease was almost unheard of. Cardiovascular disease is a relatively new disease. Stressful lifestyles, processed foods, environmental toxins and obesity have all played a part in fostering this disease.

The Cholesterol Myth

Patients have all been led to believe that cholesterol is bad and that lowering it is good. Pharmaceutical companies have told us that statin drugs are proven to work to lower the risk of heart attacks and death by lowering cholesterol. This is not supported by the following facts:

• If you are a healthy woman with high cholesterol, there is no proof that taking statins reduces your risk of heart attack or death.
• 75% of people who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol
• Older patients with lower cholesterol have higher risks of death than those with higher cholesterol.
• Countries with higher average cholesterol than Americans such as the Swiss or Spanish have less heart disease.
• Recent evidence shows that it is likely statins' ability to lower inflammation it what accounts for the benefits of statins, not their ability to lower cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced by the liver that is used to help perform thousands of bodily functions. The body uses it to help build your cell membranes, the covering of your nerve sheaths, and much of your brain. It's a key building block for our hormone production, and without it you would not be able to maintain adequate levels of testosterone, estrogen, progesterone and cortisol. Without cholesterol, you would die.

The medications that are prescribed to patients today such as the cholesterol lowering drugs (statins) don't address the real problem and in many cases actually cause more harm than good. The statin drugs are so toxic to your liver that they have been banned in many other countries. They have been known to cause muscle disorders called myopathy. Also statins have been shown to cause depression or loss of motivation in the majority of patients, probably due to alteration of cholesterol metabolism in the brain.

Cholesterol is only one factor of many -- and not even the most important -- that contribute to your risk of getting heart disease. There are far safer ways to decrease cardiac deaths and treat abnormal cholesterol levels without risking drug side effects.

Addressing Cardiovascular Disease

Costly complex technological treatments and procedures after a lifetime of poor diet, poor lifestyle decisions, toxic exposure to environmental pollutants and disrupted hormonal balance are not the solution. The approach to reducing the overall incidence of cardiovascular disease and death needs to start well before the end stages of the disease. It seems reasonable to ask: Is there a better way?

There is a major shift in thinking regarding treatment and, more importantly, prevention of cardiovascular disease. The Texas Institute of Functional Medicines (TIFM) focuses on addressing the following:

• Inflammation
• Heavy Metal Toxicity
• Dental Health
• Hormone Balance
• Nutritional State

We concentrate on preventing or reversing existing cardiovascular disease. We believe that an 'inflammatory' lifestyle, the accumulated effect of toxic heavy metals and undiagnosed, untreated dental disease account for the bulk of cardiovascular disease in this country. Most of use also abuse our bodies with our 'modern' diet and we know that what we eat is a potent 'nutriceutical'.

Combined together, all of these factors determine your risk of heart disease. Our patients undergo a comprehensive medical evaluation to assess their cardiovascular risk.

A critical step in gaining or maintaining cardiovascular health is accurately measuring your current status. We draw a panel of very specific tests. This information is then crafted into an effective treatment or preventative plan. We address each area specifically with the appropriate intervention to return you to wellness.

The Chelation Solution

Chelating agents are substances which can chemically bond with, or chelate metals, minerals, or chemical toxins from the body. The chelating agent actually encircles a mineral or metal ion and carries it from the body via the urine and feces.

Intravenous chelation therapy involves injecting the chelating agent Calcium EDTA into the bloodstream for the purpose of eliminating from the body undesirable substances such as heavy metals, chemical toxins, mineral deposits, and fatty plaques. DMSA and DMPS are the chemicals used intravenously to chelate mercury, which is otherwise very difficult to extract. These agents are used throughout the US and globally.

The FDA has approved IV EDTA chelation as a treatment for lead poisoning but it is considered 'off label' for extracting mercury and other heavy metals. Physicians administering the chelation for lead toxicity observed that patients who also had atherosclerosis (fatty-plaque buildup on arterial walls) or arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) experienced reductions in both conditions after chelation. Since 1952, IV EDTA chelation has been used to treat cardiovascular disease.

Over 1,800 scientific journal articles have been published on the use of EDTA in intravenous (IV) chelation. In the past 30 years, hundreds of thousands of patients have received this therapy.

Chelation and Cardiovascular Health

Chelation reduces calcium plaques on arterial walls. These atherosclerotic plaques are not limited to arteries nearest the heart. On the contrary, they are widespread and can affect blood flow (oxygen delivery) to every cell, tissue, gland, organ, and system being served by the over 75,000 miles of blood vessels in your body. Chelation reaches every blood vessel in the body, from the largest artery to the tiniest capillary and arteriole, most of which are far too small or too deep within the brain or other organ to be safely reached in surgery.

Phosphatidyl Choline/Deoxycholic Acid - Unplug your vessels

Research has shown that it is the oxidized (or rancid) portion of LDL cholesterol, not the total amount, that injures the cardiovasvascular system. Phosphatidylcholine and Deoxycholic Acid increases the solubility of oxidized cholesterol and thereby decreases its ability to induce atherosclerosis and thus cardiovascular disease. Phosphatidylcholine also aids in removing cholesterol from tissue deposits, and inhibiting platelet aggregation. This can result in halting and in some cases reversing plaques that close off blood vessels. We offer this also as the "Quick Cardio" IV infusion that can be done in less than 20 minutes. Our patients can stop by early in the day, at lunch, or after work making this an exceptionally convenient way to preserve and regain your cardiovascular health.

We are a leader in IV therapies in the US. We also have IV protocols for osteoporosis and immune optimization. We have patients from all over the world come to receive our IV treatments and our sister pharmacy ApothéCure develops and distributes these state of the art therapies to physicians internationally. As cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer, arrange your consult today to get started on the path to optimum cardiovascular health.

THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF HEAVY METALS ON YOUR HEALTH

The Heavy Metal Hazard

Some metals are naturally found in the body and are essential to human health. Iron, for example, prevents anemia, and zinc is a cofactor in over 100 enzyme reactions. They normally occur at low concentrations and are known as trace metals. In high doses, they may be toxic to the body or produce deficiencies in other trace metals;

Heavy or toxic metals are trace metals that are very dense. These metals include mercury, nickel, lead, arsenic, cadmium, aluminum, platinum, and copper. We are exposed to them everywhere. Once liberated into the environment through the air, drinking water, food, or countless human-made chemicals and products, heavy metals are taken into the body via inhalation, ingestion, and skin absorption. High-concentration exposure is not necessary to produce a state of toxicity in the body, as heavy metals accumulate in body tissues and, over time, can reach toxic concentration levels.

Human exposure to heavy metals has risen dramatically in the last 50 years as a result of an exponential increase in the use of heavy metals in industrial processes and products. Today, chronic exposure comes from mercury-amalgam dental fillings, lead in paint and tap water, chemical residues in processed foods, and "personal care" products (cosmetics, shampoo and other hair products, mouthwash, toothpaste, soap). In today's industrial society, there is no escaping exposure to toxic chemicals and metals.

In addition to the hazards at home and outdoors, many occupations involve daily heavy metal exposure. Over 50 professions entail exposure to mercury alone. These include physicians, pharmaceutical workers, any dental occupation, laboratory workers, hairdressers, painters, printers, welders, metalworkers, cosmetic workers, battery makers, engravers, photographers, visual artists, and potters.

The Effects of Heavy Metal Toxicity

Studies confirm that heavy metals can directly influence behavior by impairing mental and neurological function, influencing neurotransmitter production and utilization, and altering numerous metabolic body processes. Systems in which toxic metal elements can induce impairment and dysfunction include the blood and cardiovascular, detoxification pathways (colon, liver, kidneys, skin), endocrine (hormonal), energy production pathways, enzymatic, gastrointestinal, immune, nervous (central and peripheral), reproductive, and urinary.

Breathing heavy metal particles, even at levels well below those considered nontoxic, can have serious health effects. Virtually all aspects of animal and human immune system function are compromised by the inhalation of heavy metal particulates. In addition, toxic metals can increase allergic reactions, cause genetic mutation, compete with "good" trace metals for biochemical bond sites, and act as antibiotics, killing both harmful and beneficial bacteria.

Further, toxic metals set up conditions that lead to inflammation in arteries and tissues, and this encourages calcium to be deposited in the inflamed areas of the blood vessels causing hardening of the artery walls and progressive blockage.

Common Heavy Metals: Sources and Specific Effects

Aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and nickel are the most prevalent heavy metals. The specific sources of exposure, body tissues in which the metal tends to be deposited, and health effects of each metal are identified below.

Aluminum

Sources of exposure: Aluminum cookware, aluminum foil, antacids, antiperspirants, baking powder (aluminum containing), buffered aspirin, canned acidic foods, food additives, lipstick, medications and drugs (anti-diarrheal agents, hemorrhoid medications, vaginal douches), processed cheese, "softened" water, and tap water.

Arsenic

Sources of exposure: Air pollution, antibiotics given to commercial livestock, certain marine plants, chemical processing, coal-fired power plants, defoliants, drinking water, drying agents for cotton, fish, herbicides, insecticides, meats (from commercially raised poultry and cattle), metal ore smelting, pesticides, seafood (fish, mussels, oysters), specialty glass, and wood preservatives.

Cadmium

Sources of exposure: Air pollution, art supplies, bone meal, cigarette smoke, food (coffee, fruits, grains, and vegetables grown in cadmium-laden soil, meats [kidneys, liver, poultry], or refined foods), freshwater fish, fungicides, highway dusts, incinerators, mining, nickel-cadmium batteries, oxide dusts, paints, phosphate fertilizers, power plants, seafood (crab, flounder, mussels, oysters, scallops), sewage sludge, "softened" water, smelting plants, tobacco and tobacco smoke, and welding fumes.

Lead

Sources of exposure: Air pollution, ammunition (shot and bullets), bathtubs (cast iron, porcelain, steel), batteries, canned foods, ceramics, chemical fertilizers, cosmetics, dolomite, dust, foods grown around industrial areas, gasoline, hair dyes and rinses, leaded glass, newsprint and colored advertisements, paints, pesticides, pewter, pottery, rubber toys, soft coal, soil, solder, tap water, tobacco smoke, and vinyl 'mini-blinds'.

Mercury

Sources of exposure: Air pollution, batteries, cosmetics, dental amalgams, diuretics (mercurial), electrical devices and relays, explosives, foods (grains), fungicides, fluorescent lights, freshwater fish (especially large bass, pike, and trout), insecticides, mining, paints, pesticides, petroleum products, saltwater fish (especially large halibut, shrimp, snapper, and swordfish), shellfish, and tap water.

The primary source of exposure to mercury is "silver" dental fillings (approximately 50% mercury when placed); over 225 million Americans have these fillings in their teeth. Mercury fillings release microscopic particles and vapors of mercury every time a person chews. Vapors are inhaled while particles are absorbed by tooth roots, mucous membranes of the mouth and gums, and the stomach lining. Also, mercury is still in use as a major component in every flu vaccine.

Researchers cite five categories of pathological reaction to mercury fillings, as identified by dentists, doctors, and toxicologists. The categories are:

• Neurological: emotional manifestations (depression, suicidal impulses, irritability, inability to cope) and motor symptoms (muscle spasms, facial tics, seizures, multiple sclerosis)
• Cardiovascular problems: nonspecific chest pain, accelerated heart beat
• Collagen diseases: arthritis, bursitis, scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosis
• Immune system diseases: compromised immunity
• Allergies: Airborne allergies, food allergies, and "universal" reactors.

Nickel

Sources of exposure: Appliances, buttons, ceramics, cocoa, cold-wave hair permanent, cooking utensils, cosmetics, coins, dental materials, food (chocolate, hydrogenated oils, nuts, food grown near industrial areas), hair spray, industrial waste, jewelry, medical implants, metal refineries, metal tools, nickel-cadmium batteries, orthodontic appliances, shampoo, solid-waste incinerators, stainless steel kitchen utensils, tap water, tobacco and tobacco smoke, water faucets and pipes, and zippers.

The Heavy Metal Solution

Even if all heavy metal production were to stop today, however, enough heavy metals have been released into our environment to cause chronic poisoning and numerous neurological diseases for generations to come. Fortunately, there is a way to get these harmful substances out of the body. Intravenous chelation detoxification protocols can help remove heavy metals and chemical toxins and reduce the toxic load our bodies endure on a daily basis.

If you or someone you know has been exposed to Mercury or any other heavy metal toxins, the Texas Institute of Functional Medicines has a treatment known as Heavy Metal Detox, which can help to detoxify and remove one of the major contributing factors to cardiovascular disease. Each of our distinctive Detox treatments are individualized for the needs of each of our specific patients based upon their level of exposure and the types of heavy metal toxins involved.

It's time to rid your body of the toxic heavy metal burden and take efforts to preserve and restore your heart health. Call our patient coordinator now to schedule your initial appointment today.

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Inflammation and Chronic Disease

A prominent theory in the medical community is that almost every modern disease has inflammation as its root cause or is a significant factor in chronic illness. Inflammation is an extremely effective weapon that has developed to protect you from living in a hostile environment. "Bad" inflammation results from a sensitized immune system that either over reacts or stays 'turned on' well past the time that is necessary for your protection. There are many switches that we are exposed to in modern life that serve to rev it up. Cardiovascular disease, immune diseases, diabetes, cancer and even aging are implicitly tied to inflammation that out of control.

Chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, depression and cancer are all skyrocketing in our modern society. Many physicians attribute this to the fact that most of us walk around in a low level, smoldering state of inflammation caused by our diet, unhealthy food choices, environmental toxins and old fashioned stress. We may feel 'healthy' yet are functioning far from optimal. As the saying goes, we don't know what we don't know. This inflammatory stress can eventually mushroom to affect every one of our critical systems...and our health will suffer from it.

Our goal at the Texas Institute of Functional Medicines (TIFM) is to help you determine what inflammatory influences are affecting you and your health and to introduce anti-inflammatory interventions to stop or reverse their negative impact.

Hidden Inflammation and Your Health

First, we need to identify the triggers and causes of inflammation. Then we need to help reset the body's natural immune balance by providing the right conditions for it to thrive. At TIFM, we find those inflammatory factors unique to each person and to see how various lifestyle, environmental, or infectious factors turn up the immune system, leading to a host of chronic illnesses. These factors include:

• Poor diet-foods full of preservatives, mercury laden fish, refined carbohydrates like bread and pasta, saturated and trans fats, bad drinking water, glutens
• Lack of exercise
• Stress, Stress, Stress
• Undiagnosed dental disease and cavitations
• Hidden or chronic infections with viruses, bacteria, yeasts, or parasites
• Hidden allergens from food or the environment
• Environmental exposure to toxins such as mercury and pesticides
• Mold toxins and allergens

A detailed history and comprehensive yet specific enables us to discover the causes of an over active inflammatory state in most people. We can then recommend and institute an individualized therapy that may include:

• Anti-oxidants and other supplements
• Heavy Metal detox
• Treatment of Yeast Overgrowth
• Vitamin C IV Therapy
• Hormone Balance
• Addressing occult dental disease
• Aggressive Nutritional counseling and avoidance of inflammatory foods

There is no need to wait to feel better and influence the development of chronic disease in a proactive fashion. Call our clinic today to schedule a visit with our team of experts.

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DENTAL CAVITATIONS

Cavitations are a relatively new term in the dental world. Most patients are not aware of cavitations, and even most dentists probably do not know much about them as yet.  

What are Cavitations?

   

A cavitation is a hole in the bone, usually where a tooth has been removed and the bone has not filled in properly. Other causes of cavitations include:

• Dental injections
• Root canal procedures
• Periodontal disease - receding gums
• Bruxism - grinding your teeth
• Infected wisdom teeth

Theoretically, when a tooth has been pulled, the body will eventually fill in the space in the bone where the tooth once was. Sometimes an incomplete healing can take place which leaves a hole or a spongy place inside the jaw bone. This bone then gets infected or dies. This serves as the nidus for development of a cavitation. Sometimes they can spread throughout the jawbone and may even penetrate the sinuses.

What's hiding inside?

Inside a cavitation, bacteria flourish and inflammatory cells multiply. Cavitations act as a breeding ground for bacteria and their toxins. Research has shown these bacterial waste products to be extremely potent. Cavitations can exert far-reaching impact on the every bodily system. They may be a source of low level or high level stress on the entire body. Their toxins can contribute significantly to the development of serious degenerative diseases. They can also place a heavy burden on the immune system and weaken its defense systems.

Investigation has revealed that some cavitations are reservoirs of huge amounts of mercury. When cavitation toxins combine with chemicals or heavy metals, such as fluoride or mercury, then even more potent toxins may be formed. Clinical experience indicates it is sometimes difficult for some patients to successfully detoxify mercury from the body until their cavitations are treated and 'silver' dental filling removed.

 

How are Cavitations Diagnosed?

Diagnosing cavitations is an elusive process because cavitations do not always readily appear on X-rays. Sometimes they show up only as very subtle differentiations in the texture pattern of the bone. If your dentist is not specifically looking for the cavitations, then your X-ray will be read as looking "just fine".

There are other ways to discover cavitation sites. For example, they will sometimes cause pain when the area is lightly stroked or when pressure is applied. Electrodermal Screening (link) is extremely effective in helping find potential cavitation sites when used in conjunction with a thorough patient history. They can also be detected via thermal imaging (link) of the head. Special high resolution computer enhanced three dimensional images are then obtained which can define the extent of the cavitation and assist in planning the treatment.

Treatment

The recommended treatment of cavitations entails surgical debridement (scraping clean) of the area to remove all unhealthy bone and associated pathology, such as abscesses, cysts, etc. Sometimes it may be sufficient to drill a small hole through the bone and into the cavitation and rinse it out with homeopathic and other substances. After the appropriate procedure is completed, the goal is bone regeneration. Our clinic prescribes a custom compounded substance that was developed especially for bone regeneration and has proven to be very effective. Intravenous therapies may also be ordered. There are very few dentists who are trained in effectively diagnosing and treating cavitations and we will direct you to a dentist with expertise in this field.

Most people aren't aware of the magnitude of this problem. They are subtle but can have a huge impact on your health and how you feel. The Texas Institute of Functional Medicines has years of experience in diagnosing and treating cavitations. Call us to schedule your evaluation.

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