I turned 50 in May. I marked the half century mark in a number of ways. Last month, I told you about my colonoscopy. If you've been afraid to go through it, don't be. The preps are easier than ever. It was a complete non-event.
I continued to celebrate my 50th year by checking heart disease markers which revealed a ticking time bomg. I have a high lipoprotein (a), often abbreviated as lp(a). Elevated lp(a) increases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease two to three times. I check it along with other heart disease markers in patients with a family history of heart disease.
Lp(a) is thought to be genetic adaptation to survive scurvy. When vitamin C levels are low, membranes, such as gums and blood vessels cannot repair themselves. We call this scurvy. People with high lp(a) survived scurvy because lp(a) plugged the leaks in their blood vessel walls. Nowadays, high lp(a) sets you up for hardening of the arteries, heart attack and stroke.
Interestingly, lp(a) is found only in animals without the ability to produce their own vitamin C. Humans evolved in the tropics eating an abundance of vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables. We lost the ability to produce vitamin C on our own, a genetic "if you don't use, it you lose it" situation.
A supplement called Bolouke, lowers lipoprotein (a). It's expensive and as soon as one stops it, the levels go right up. I've been researching alternatives. The late two-time nobel prize winning scientist Linus Pauling attributed hardening of the arteries to chronic scurvy, that is low grade vitamin C deficiency. He proposed higher doses than US government recommendations to reverse hardening of the arteries. It is thought that adequate vitamin C levels will also reduce lp(a). Vitamin C is inexpensive, compared to Bolouke and other protocols recommended by more alternative minded cardiologists.
Vitamin Research Products has put together a nice article for the lay reader on vitamin C and hardening of the arteries. You'll find Dr. Pauling's protocol in the article.
I will be happy to check your lp(a). Just let me know at your next visit. Stay tuned. The journey to diffuse the ticking time bomb continues.
This work by Bethany Klug is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
