Guest guest Posted April 29, 2003 Report Share Posted April 29, 2003 Tue, 29 Apr 2003 14:40:03 -0500 WC Douglass The clot thickens Daily Dose April 29, 2003 ************************************************************** Take two aspirin and call them from the morgue... In much of the popular culture -- including the media and mainstream doctors' offices -- ordinary, garden-variety aspirin has been elevated to the status of " miracle drug " for the prevention of heart attacks. This is nothing new. And according to these " experts, " aspirin fights heart attacks by making the platelets (clotting agents) in your blood less likely to bind together in clumps and clog up your arteries... But some recent research on the subject proves what I've been saying all along -- that aspirin may not be such a good thing when it comes to protecting your ticker. Here's the newest scoop: The University of Maryland Medical Center conducted a study of 56 randomly selected heart patients who were engaged in " aspirin therapy " for the prevention of heart attacks. Of these subjects, 14 exhibited EXCESSIVE platelet aggregation (clumping). But before you conclude that 14 out of 56 isn't a bad ratio -- after all, it's only 25% -- consider this: Out of these 14, 9 (64%) had what their doctors considered " high cholesterol. " Why is this big news? Because what most doctors view as " high " cholesterol is actually bordering on dangerously LOW levels of this vital substance. If you've been reading my Real Health newsletter (or the Daily Dose) for any length of time, you'll remember that I'm a firm believer in keeping blood cholesterol levels OVER 200 -- because your risk of stroke increases when it's lower... In fact, I'd ignore cholesterol altogether unless it gets up over 300! If the Maryland study holds true, it means that the effects of aspirin on healthy, cholesterol-rich blood actually INCREASE the risk of platelet " clumping " and heart attack! And this is not to mention the heightened risk of deadly uncontrolled bleeding that comes with excessive aspirin use... Bottom line: Take aspirin only when something hurts. And if you're worried about heart attacks (who isn't?), do what I do -- take cod liver oil twice daily. It worked for my grandma, and it's working for me... ************************************************************** The fast food fallacy Look, I'll be as quick as the next doctor to point a finger at today's drive-through American culture - the carb-heavy meals, the super-size portions, the high-LDL cooking oils. And God knows I consider it my duty under the Hippocratic oath to inform my readers about how obese we're getting as a nation - how this bloating dramatically increases our risk of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and on and on and on... When it comes to blaming McDonald's for all of our health woes, however, that's where the similarity between many of my colleagues and me abruptly ends. Lately, I've been hearing and reading a lot about how fast foods have become " addictive, " as though the makers have been spiking them with secret ingredients that force us back into the drive-through lane as soon as we exit it... And I'm here to tell you - that's bunch of hooey! As a culture, we simply lack the willpower to change, that's all - and we're looking for something to blame for all of our problems. It's a witch-hunt, and it's not even a good one. There is no such thing as the fast food equivalent of nicotine. Sure, the simple sugars and refined carbohydrates you ingest at the golden arches produce changes in your blood sugar levels that might result in cravings - but no more so than candy bars, soft drinks, or any other junk foods. What are we going to do, sue them all for tempting us? That's what products DO. That's what marketing and advertising DO. They lure us into wanting things. My recommendation is this: Instead of pointing the finger, let's look in the mirror. If we want banish the sources of our temptation, the best way to make it happen is to not give in to them. Once people stop buying 'em, fast foods will go away all by themselves. Watching what I put in MY mouth, William Campbell Douglass II, MD ************************************************************** Copyright ©1997-2003 by www.realhealthnews.com, L.L.C. 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