Dr. Mercola October 13 2007 46,784 views
High blood cholesterol is known to contribute to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which in turn increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. Now, researchers from the Saint Louis School of Medicine have found out how it does this.The researchers found, using an animal model, that cholesterol limits the activity of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), a key protective protein that protects your heart’s aorta and other vessels from damage caused by hypertension, high cholesterol, and other factors.Cholesterol suppresses the responsiveness of cardiovascular cells to TGF-beta, which allows atherosclerosis to develop.Atherosclerosis damages and narrows arteries of your heart and other tissues, which prevents blood from pumping through properly. This increases your risk of heart attack and stroke.The findings also suggest a possible mechanism by which people with high cholesterol are at an increased risk for other diseases such as cancer. TGF-beta is a known tumor suppressor, and when its protective effects become limited by high cholesterol, it could increase your risk of certain cancers.The researchers hope their findings will lead to the development of new drug therapies to treat or prevent atherosclerosis.Journal of Cell Science September 18, 2007
Science Daily September 21, 2007
I believe a more accurate marker of heart disease is elevated CRP (C-Reactive Protein) levels than cholesterol. CRP is a protein that is a marker of inflammation in the body. Also high homocysteine levels can contribute to heart disease which can be controlled by folic acid.
Unlike cholesterol, CRP is not found in foods. However, its levels in the body are strongly influenced by diet. A recent study by Simin Liu, MD, PhD, of the Harvard Medical School found that women who ate large amounts of high-glycemic (diabetes promoting) carbohydrates, including potatoes, breakfast cereals, white bread, muffins, and white rice, had very high CRP levels. Women who ate a lot of these foods and were also overweight had the highest and most dangerous CRP levels.
Dietary fats also influence inflammation. Most omega-6 fats, found in margarine and corn and safflower oils, are the basic building blocks of arachidonic acid and prostaglandin E2, two of several key inflammation-causing substances in the body. In contrast, omega-3 fats, found in fish, fish oils, and vegetables, have an inflammation-suppressing effect.
My father had a heart attack at age 46 and his mother died of a heart attack at age 36. In our family we know to watch our CRP and homocysteine levels and eat properly...which means to eat the proper fat, EFAs, pasture-fed meats, raw milk, raw butter, fruits and vegetables.
It is extremely dangerous to lower cholesterol with statins!!!
For people in Belgium or the Netherlands:
read the book "De Cholesterolleugen" (the cholesterol lie), written by a doctor (cardiologist, surgeon) which name I don't recall. This book explains the function of cholesterol in the human body, and why it is dangerous to lower it with "medicines".