Stephen R. Devries - What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Cholesterol: The Latest Natural Treatments and Scientific Advances in One Breakthrough Program

Copyright 2007 by Stephen R. Devries, M.D. and Lynn Sonberg

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Warner Wellness

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New York, NY 10017

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First eBook Edition: June 2007

ISBN: 978-0-446-19665-9

TRUE OR FALSE?

If my cholesterol level is low, I dont have to worry about heart disease.

False. Although your cholesterol level is one important factor in determining risk for heart disease, there are many others. More than half of all heart attacks occur in people with normal cholesterol levels.

If I had other risk factors for heart disease, my doctor would tell me.

Not necessarily. Many doctors focus on treating existing illnesses, not on preventing them. If your cholesterol and blood pressure are normal, you dont smoke, and you appear to be otherwise healthy, your doctor may not look any deeper.

Doctors dont believe in alternative treatments for heart disease.

False. Over the past two decades, scientific research has demonstrated the efficacy of alternative therapies, and many doctors now embrace such natural approaches as dietary changes, exercise, vitamins and other supplements, and mind-body relaxation techniques. Some patients can avoid prescription medications entirely and control their risk of heart disease through lifestyle changes and natural treatments.

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HEARTS HEALTH WITH
WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU ABOUTTM
CHOLESTEROL

A must-read if your cholesterol is high and you are trying to decide what to do about it. Dr Stephen Devries shares his twenty years of clinical experience as an integrative cardiologist and clearly guides patients through the myriad of supplement, herbal, dietary, and medication options for cholesterol management.

Victoria Maizes, M.D., executive director,
Program in Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona

It is so refreshing to work with a cardiologist who embraces prevention based on state-of-the-art medical tests and then uses these results to plan a heart-healthy diet and supplement and protocol. I have said many times that we need to clone Dr. Devries. This book will help accomplish that goal.

Bonnie C. Minsky, M.A., M.P.H., L.D.N., C.N.S.,
wellness director, Nutritional Concepts, Inc., author of
Nutrition in a Nutshell and Our Childrens Health

A very practical and science-based approach to utilizing diet and natural products to lower their risk for heart diseaseUtilizing his years of experience in integrative medicine, Dr. Devries provides the latest practical information for the person who desires alternative and medically valid prevention therapy.

Michael H. Davidson M.D. F.A.C.C., professor of medicine,
director of preventive cardiology, Rush University
Medical Center, Chicago, IL

For my father,

Robert Devries,

of blessed memory,

who will always be my beloved teacher and inspiration.

For my mother,

Helen Devries,

whose strength and love light my way.

In Gratitude

M ost thanks are due to my wonderful wife, Pam, who gave me boundless love and support to write this book in the midst of our busy family life. To my son Josh, whose radiant spirit and determination to overcome challenges is a role model for me. To my son Andy, whose keen insight and kindness is a joy to behold and always makes me proud.

I owe a great deal of gratitude to my friends and colleagues, who have been my sounding board and encouraged me to follow my dream to a different path in medicine. I would especially like to acknowledge the friendship and support of Ryan Gantes, Julie Esguerra, Mary McGarrigle, and Marianne Riley-Jensen.

My deep appreciation to the teachers of my integrative medicine trainingan experience that has enriched my life immeasurably. Special gratitude to Andrew Weil for sharing with me his expansive vision of integrative medicine and for his personal support and invaluable assistance in reviewing the outline of this book. Special thanks to Victoria Maizes for her friendship and outstanding leadership skills in directing the groundbreaking integrative medicine program at the University of Arizona. I would also like to thank Tieraona Low Dog for sharing with me her bottomless fund of botanical knowledge and for her expert review of the chapter on supplementsas well as for her constant enthusiasm and good cheer.

Very special thanks to Lynn Sonberg for connecting me with Warner Wellness to write this book, and for her thoughtful suggestions along the way. Many thanks also to Leila Porteous for her editorial expertise and care in attending to countless details.

My profound gratitude is extended to Winifred Conkling, an exceptionally talented writer and researcher, who worked very closely with me in the preparation of this book.

A re you at risk of a heart attack? You may be, and for reasons that youand your doctormay not realize. First, the good news: Heart disease is largely preventable. By some estimates, eight out of ten heart attack deaths can be prevented. All too often, however, doctors miss these opportunities for prevention.

Cholesterol receives a lot of deserved attention as a leading cause of heart disease, but the connection between cholesterol and heart disease is more complicated than many doctors realize. Although cholesterol is one very important factor in determining your heart attack risk, it is by no means the only one. I have seen thousands of heart patients over almost twenty years of practice, and as director of the Integrative Program for Heart Disease Prevention at the University of Illinois, I have seen firsthand that many people suffer heart attacks with what appears to be a perfectly desirable cholesterol level.

To truly understand if you are at risk, you must examine a range of risk factors that go beyond cholesterol. Too often, these additional markers are not checked, resulting in false assurances that all is well and missing the opportunity to prevent heart disease before it becomes worse. Understanding the many markers for heart disease and the expanding world of treatmentsincluding natural optionsis critical to keeping your heart healthy.

USING THIS BOOK

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Cholesterol will give you information about a new integrative approach to heart disease prevention that combines the best of traditional approaches with the most successful natural treatment options that have passed scientific scrutiny. You will learn about a number of powerful treatments that will help you maintain optimal cholesterol levels, as well as optimize other risk factors.

The book is divided into two parts:

Part 1, Are You at Risk of a Heart Attack?, provides a thorough explanation of the tests that can be used to assess your heart health, including both traditional cholesterol tests and newer blood markers that can offer essential information about your cardiovascular condition. It includes information on what the tests measure, what the results mean, and how the tests should be administered.