Doctors have long been focusing on decreasing either total cholesterol or the proportion of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is the harmful cholesterol that damages arteries and causes heart disease.
However, the study showed that heart disease deaths decreased when patients took drugs to raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the healthy fat found in blood.
While cholesterol, which is produced by the liver, is vital for certain cellular functions, if too much LDL is in the bloodstream, it can damage blood vessel lining and increase the risk of clots.
Many studies have examined the benefits of reducing LDL, however few studies have looked into the benefits of raising HDL.
The current study tracked about 3,000 patients for an eight-year period. Half received a daily dose of bezafibrate, a drug used to control cholesterol levels in heart disease, while the other half received a placebo pill.
After the study, more than 15 percent of the placebo group had died from heart disease, compared with 13.9 percent of the drug group.
Further, HDL levels among those in the drug group increased 17 percent while HDL levels in the placebo group rose only three percent.
The results indicate that people treated with fibrates benefit from increases in their HDL levels, according to researchers. However, they noted that not all patients respond to such therapy, and those who did not respond were worse off than those on the placebo.
BBC News April 5, 2003
Don’t let the traditional medical doctors fool you. While drugs may improve HDL levels, they will not provide the full range of benefits that are achieved when levels are improved through natural methods.
One of the most potent methods of improving HDL levels is to increase your cardiovascular exercise.
It has been my experience that most patients do not realize that exercise can be used as a drug. It is the rare person who fully understands how to use this valuable tool.
Most people are content with walking 30 minutes a day a few times a week. While this is certainly better than lying on the couch watching TV, it will not produce the heart benefits that you seek.
You need to exercise at a level that makes it somewhat difficult to talk to a person next to you. If it is too difficult to talk then the exertion is probably a bit excessive and the intensity should be slightly reduced.
For most people, walking outside will just not cut it as their bodies will rapidly adjust to the exercise, and it will not provide enough stress to yield the necessary benefits. If you are able to jog or run, then exercising outdoors will work just fine. However, if you have a knee problem or if the exercise makes you feel worse, then you should not do that form of exercise.
Another caution is necessary if you already have severe heart disease. If that is the case, you should have a professional evaluation as you may require a supervised exercise program.
Ideally for most people, exercise should continue for about one hour as many times a week as possible. Once your weight reduces to normal, the exercise can be reduced to three times a week. However, the vast majority of people seem to require six or seven days of intense exercise a week to obtain maximum weight loss and cardiovascular benefits.
While I am a major fan of strength training, I haven’t been convinced of its value for people who need to lose weight and are time crunched. Most people have limited time for exercise, and if they need to lose weight and have limited time, I normally advise them to do cardio exercises exclusively.
If they have time for both cardio and strength training exercise, then it is usually wise to have a minimum of 48 to 72 hours of recovery after an intense bout of strength training. I strongly advise against more frequent strength training, as this can easily be counterproductive.
If you are one of the many time-crunched individuals out there and are looking for a convenient food source, consider Whey Protein with Aminogen®. Although whole foods are always best, if you find yourself tempted by fast food, consider this healthy alternative instead.
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