Complete Care Family Medicine                             February 2013 
 
CCFM 2011
 
 
Heart Health Month! 

  

 

Appropriate for Valentine's Day month, February is also recognized as Heart Health month.  

 

Heart disease is still the number one killer in our country, for men and women. Many risk factors have been identified, however I'd like to share with you a risk factor I have heard about since medical school but most recently attended a local conference that turned a huge light bulb on in my head. The risk factor is endothelial dysfunction and poor Nitric Oxide production. The endothelium is the cell lining to all of our vessels where atherosclerosis and plaque formation develops, causing progressive inflammation, narrowing, and ultimately occlusion of key vessels everywhere in our body. The outcome can be catastrophic and life threatening, such as a heart attack, stroke, loss of circulation to limbs, high blood pressure,ischemic bowel disease, and increased cancer risk.  

 

A healthy endothelium produces Nitric Oxide, a very potent vasodilator and inflammation controlling substance that keep vessels wide open. Since all of our vessels have endothelium, all of our body needs to produce Nitric Oxide sufficiently to carry out optimal circulation of oxygen rich blood and to prevent the cascade of atherosclerosis.  

 

The lecture I attended was given by Dr. Nathan Bryan,  a top Nitric Oxide researcher from the University of Texas. He told the incredible story of how Nitric Oxide research led to winning the Nobel Prize, how he was fortunate to work with these researchers, and how by improving Nitric Oxide in the body cardiovascular health as well as total body health can dramatically improve. Dr Bryan has patented a quick saliva test to check patient's Nitric Oxide content in their body to help diagnose people who need support producing Nitric Oxide. Beets, kale and spinach are nitric oxide rich foods, and as some of you may have recalled many Olympians were drinking lots of beet juice to help improve their nitric oxide production. You also need other essential items to make nitric oxide, but for many of us our organ function, or more accurately organ dysfunction, now interferes with producing these key ingredients, so diet may not be all that we need. 

 

I have purchased Dr Bryan's salivary testing strips to use in my office and during the month of March, and I am offering to all of my patients a complimentary nitric oxide check plus a quick suggestion list to help improve your endotheial health. Just call the office and make a nurse's appointment, it will take you just a few seconds to find out your results. I am convinced now that healthy endothelial function is a necessary component to total optimal health.

 

To your optimal health,

Dr. Marcela Dominguez and Dr. Cheryl Thomas 
and the CCFM Team

  

  

  

  

  

  

  


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