Extended-release niacin (1500 to 2000 mg per day) lowers levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) by an average of 24% in people starting with higher levels of Lp(a)—starting levels of 92 mg/dL versus 54 mg/dL—according to a study from Russia.

Elevated levels of C-reative protein—above 2 mg/dL—are associated with an increased risk of heart and stroke as noted by the Mayo Clinic.

Note: I prefer immediate-release niacin to extended-release niacin. In the 1980’s there were reports of some liver problems with extended-release niacin, and earlier studies showing benefits of niacin used immediate-release niacin, not extended-release.

Men with the highest one-third hair mercury content—2 mcg of mercury per gram of hair or higher—were 56% more likely to develop coronary heart disease, 68% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease (heart attack or stroke), and 60% more likely to have an acute coronary event during an average follow-up of 13.9 years compared with men in the lower two-thirds according to a study from Finland which followed 1871 Finnish men aged 42 to 60 years free of previous coronary heart disease or stroke at baseline.

The one-fifth of men with the highest toenail mercury levels were 2.2 times more likely to have a heart attack compared to the one-fifth of men with the lowest levels according to a study which looked at 684 men from eight (8) European countries and Israel who had a heart attack and compared them to 724 men selected to be representative of the same populations.

“Unless LDL levels are… 300 mg/dL or higher, they have no value, in isolation, in predicting those individuals at risk of [coronary heart disease].”
— William Castelli, 1996; as noted in this 35-second video clip of cardiologist Dr. Aseem Malhotra.

Higher water intake (more than 1.7 liters) was associated with a 12% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease in men, and a 21% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease in women compared to those consuming less than 1 liter of water per day according to a study from Japan.

People consuming 3000 to 5000 mg of sodium per day plus a high potassium intake (greater than 4600 mg per day) had the lowest risk of death during an average follow-up of 8.2 years according to data from 103,5700 people from 18 countries.

Women consuming 2 or more artificially-sweetened beverages per day were 31% more likely to have an ischemic stroke (where there is an interruption in blood supply in the brain such as caused by a blood clot), 29% more likely to have coronary heart disease, and 16% more likely to die (all-cause mortality) during an 11.9 year follow-up according to a 2019 study.

Women consuming 2 or more artificially-sweetened beverages per day were 31% more likely to have an ischemic stroke (where there is an interruption in blood supply in the brain such as caused by a blood clot), 29% more likely to have coronary heart disease, and 16% more likely to die (all-cause mortality) during an 11.9 year follow-up according to a 2019 study.

Women consuming 2 or more artificially-sweetened beverages per day were 31% more likely to have an ischemic stroke (where there is an interruption in blood supply in the brain such as caused by a blood clot), 29% more likely to have coronary heart disease, and 16% more likely to die (all-cause mortality) during an 11.9 year follow-up according to a 2019 study.

Numerous studies have shown that people who consume more potassium have the following benefits:

• Lower risk of heart disease
• Lower risk of stroke
• Lower risk of cancer
• Lower risk of death.

The average U.S. adult consumes 2700 mg/day.

The National Academy of Sciences recommends we consume at least 4700 mg per day.

Below is evidence from several studies about the benefits of consuming more potassium.

People with with mild hypertension (140-159 / 90-99 mm Hg) who had no cardiovascular disease and no cardiovascular disease risk factors who were treated with blood pressure drugs were 9% MORE likely to develop cardiovascular disease during a median follow-up of 5.8 years than people of the same age and blood pressure who were NOT taking blood pressure drugs according to a 2018 study.

Aspirin use lowers the risk of a cardiovascular event—heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death—by 11% and increases the risk of a major bleed by 43% according to a new meta analysis in JAMA that analyzed 13 aspirin trials randomizing 164, 225 participants.

Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, author of The Great Cholesterol Con and the book Doctoring Data, wrote a terrific article summarizing his views on what causes cardiovascular disease, and what does not.

He explains why the LDL hypothesis of cardiovascular disease makes no sense.

He says, “The LDL hypothesis is nonsense, it is wrong, and it does not remotely fit with any other factors known to cause CVD [cardiovascular disease].”

He also explains why inflammation is not the cause of cardiovascular disease, and instead, it is simply part of the repair process (which is happening all the time).

Below are highlights from his article, but I encourage you to read the entire article, because it contains a lot more than just the highlights that I am including below.

People who eat four (4) servings of nuts per week have a 37% lower risk of coronary heart disease compared to people who seldom or never consume nuts according to analysis of data from four (4) large epidemiological studies.

Each serving of nuts per week (one ounce or 30 grams) reduced the risk of coronary heart disease death by 8.3%.

“Collectively, the epidemiological data indicates nuts may be one of the most cardio-protective whole foods commonly eaten,” the authors of the paper concluded.

“Simply eating more nuts could save many lives.”

The one-third of people consuming the most extra virgin olive oil (2 ounces per day or 57 grams per day) were 35% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke) during a 4.8 year follow-up compared to the one-third consuming the least (0.75 ounces or 21 grams per day) according to a study of 7,216 men and women at high cardiovascular risk, aged 55 to 80 years, from the PREDIMED study.

For every 2 teaspoon (10 gram) increase in extra virgin olive oil consumption per day was associated with a 7% lower risk of dying during a 4.8 year follow-up according to a study of 7,216 men and women at high cardiovascular risk, aged 55 to 80 years, from the PREDIMED study.

For every 2 teaspoon (10 gram) increase in extra virgin olive oil consumption per day was associated with a 10% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease (heart attack and stroke) during a 4.8 year follow-up according to a study of 7,216 men and women at high cardiovascular risk, aged 55 to 80 years, from the PREDIMED study.

For years we have been told that lower cholesterol levels are associated with a lower risk of death.

But it turns out that this is not true!

Research shows that the exact opposite is true!

When cholesterol levels fall, people are at a greater risk of death, not a lower risk of death!

This is noted a new review paper by independent researchers Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD, author of The Cholesterol Myths, Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, author of The Great Cholesterol Con, and other independent researchers.

In the review paper, they note:

“If high [total cholesterol] was the major cause of CVD [cardiovascular disease], people with high [total cholesterol] should have a higher risk of dying from CVD.

“The hypothesis that high [total cholesterol] causes CVD [cardiovascular disease] was introduced in the 1960s by the authors of the Framingham Heart Study.

“However, in their 30-year follow-up study published in 1987, the authors reported that ‘For each 1 mg/dl drop in [total cholesterol] per year, there was an eleven percent [11%] increase in coronary and total mortality’.

“Three years later the American Heart Association and the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute published a joint summary [8] concluding “a one percent reduction in an individual’s [total cholesterol] results in an approximate two percent reduction in CHD [coronary heart disease] risk”.

“The authors fraudulently referred to the Framingham publication to support this widely quoted false conclusion.”

In other words, they’ve been lying to us for 30 years!

There is no association between total cholesterol and the degree of atherosclerosis notes a new review paper by independent researchers Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD, author of The Cholesterol Myths, Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, author of The Great Cholesterol Con, and others.

“If high [total cholesterol] causes atherosclerosis, people with high [total cholesterol] should have more atherosclerosis than people with low [total cholesterol]. In 1936 Landé and Sperry found that corrected for age, unselected people with low [total cholesterol] were just as atherosclerotic as people with high [total cholesterol]. Since then their seminal observation has been confirmed in at least a dozen studies,” they note.

The one-fifth of people consuming the most potassium relative to sodium were 22% less likely to have cardiovascular disease during a 24 year follow-up than the one-fifth of people consuming the least potassium relative to sodium.

The one-fifth of people consuming the most potassium relative to sodium were 14% less likely to die from any cause during a 24 year follow-up than the one-fifth of people consuming the least potassium relative to sodium.

Men who donated blood were 88% less likely to have a heart attack during a 9-year followup compared to men who did not donate blood according to a 1998 study from Finland.

This was after adjusting for age and coronary disease risk factors.

Only one (1) man out of 153 (0.7%) who had donated blood in the previous 24 months before baseline had a heart attack during 1984 to 1995, whereas 316 men of 2529 (12.5%) who had not donated blood had a heart attack.

“These findings suggest that frequent blood loss through voluntary blood donations may be associated with a reduced risk of acute myocardial infarction in middle-aged men,” the authors of the study concluded.

L-carnitine reduces all-cause mortality after a heart attack by 27% according to a meta-analysis of 13 studies.

L-carnitine reduces ventricular arrhythmias after a heart attack by 65% according to a meta-analysis of 13 studies.

L-carnitine reduces development of angina after a heart attack by 40% according to a meta-analysis of 13 studies.

L-carnitine reduces heart failure after a heart attack by 15% according to a meta-analysis of 13 studies.

However, there was a 21% chance that this difference seen between groups was due to random chance (P=0.21), in other words, it was not statistically significant, but this also means that there was a 79% chance the difference was due to the L-carnitine.

This means that it is likely that the L-carnitine following a heart attack also reduces the risk of developing heart failure.

L-carnitine given after a heart attack

• reduces all-cause mortality by 27%
• reduces ventricular arrhythmias by 65%
• reduces development of angina (chest pain) by 40%
• reduces heart failure by 15%
• reduces infarct size

according to a meta-analysis of 13 studies.

The minimum effective dose seems to be 2 grams per day (2,000 mg).

L-carnitine given after a heart attack

• reduces all-cause mortality by 27%
• reduces ventricular arrhythmias by 65%
• reduces development of angina (chest pain) by 40%
• reduces heart failure by 15%
• reduces infarct size

according to a meta-analysis of 13 studies.

The optimum dose seems to be 6-9 grams per day (6,000 to 9,000 mg per day).

Women who consumed 2 or more diet drinks per day were 50% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease over the next 8.7 years compared to women who consumed few to none, 0-3 diet drinks per month, according to a recent study.

This was after controlling for other cardiovascular risk factors.

People consuming the most chocolate were 10% less likely to have coronary heart disease, and 14% less likely to have a heart attack, according to data from six prospective studies.

Compared with people who never or rarely ate eggs, people eating roughly one egg per day were 18% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease according to a study looking at more than 500,000 people in China.

Compared with people who never or rarely ate eggs, people eating roughly one egg per day were 28% less likely to die from hemorrhagic stroke according to a study looking at more than 500,000 people in China.

Compared with people who never or rarely ate eggs, people eating roughly one egg per day were 12% less likely to have ischemic heart disease according to a study looking at more than 500,000 people in China.

Compared with people who never or rarely ate eggs, people eating roughly one egg per day were 14% less likely to have a major coronary event according to a study looking at more than 500,000 people in China.

Compared with people who never or rarely ate eggs, people eating roughly one egg per day were 26% less likely to have a hemorrhagic stroke according to a study looking at more than 500,000 people in China.

Statin use among US adults increased by 68% from 1999 to 2005, from 8% of people surveyed to 13.4% of people surveyed.

How much do you think this reduced heart attacks, strokes and coronary heart disease?

Would you be surprised to learn that during this time that:

• Heart attacks increased by 16%!
  (from 3.4% to 3.7%)
• Strokes increased by 45%!
  (from 2.0% to 2.9%)
• Coronary heart disease increased by 32%!
  (from 2.8% to 3.7%)
• Type 2 diabetes increased by 32%!
  (from 7.8% to 10.3%)
• People with one or more of these conditions increased by 19%!
  (from 13.4% to 16%)

Do you believe that statins reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and death?

I do not.

The results of the study mentioned above suggests the exact opposite.

As sugar intake increases, the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease (heart attack or stroke) increases according to a recent analysis by researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During an average follow-up of 14.6 years, compared to the one-fifth of people consuming the least amount of added sugar:

• the one-fifth consuming the next most amount of sugar were 7% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease
• the one-fifth consuming the third highest amount of sugar were 18% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease
• the one-fifth consuming the second highest amount of sugar were 38% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease
• the one-fifth consuming the most amount of sugar were 103% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease (2X as likely to die from CVD)

This was after adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity as well as sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics.

People who had a prior heart attack who were given 40 infusions of EDTA chelation therapy compared to those given a placebo were 18% less likely to die from any cause, have a heart attack, have a stroke, have coronary revascularization, or hospitalization for angina over the next 5 years.

A subset of people who were Type 2 diabetics had a 41% lower risk of these events happening.

EDTA chelation helps to remove heavy metals such as lead and cadmium.

“[A] body of epidemiological data showing that accumulation of biologically active metals, such as lead and cadmium, is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” the authors of the paper note.

Extended-release niacin (1500 to 2000 mg per day) lowers levels of Lp(a) by an average of 28% in people starting with higher levels of Lp(a)—starting levels of 92 mg/dL versus 54 mg/dL—according to a study from Russia.

Elevated levels of Lp(a) (above 50 mg/dL) are associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke according to the Lipoprotein a Foundation.

Note: I prefer immediate-release niacin to extended-release niacin. In the 1980’s there were reports of some liver problems with extended-release niacin, and earlier studies showing benefits of niacin used immediate-release niacin, not extended-release.