Cardiovascular Disease

This is a brief overview of a vast topic. It focuses on cardiovascular physiology and how dysfunction develops. It will also talk about some medical approaches and some supporting natural approaches. As always, this is educational and not a recommendation for treatment.

Medical Approaches to Cardiovascular Disease

Here we will mainly discuss some of the drug therapies used to manage heart disease, high cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, and high blood pressure. Doctors, of course, will talk to you about lifestyle but we will not include that advice here. Lifestyle suggestions will appear later in the article.  This is mainly about drug therapy.

• Statins (cholesterol lowering medication): This seems to be medicine’s go-to treatment for preventing heart attacks. The benefit is more modest than often assumed, especially in primary prevention. Benefits are especially unremarkable if you have not had a previous heart attack. They damage the mitochondria (the cell’s energy producer). Click here to learn more. They deplete CoQ10 and it may be advisable to supplement if you take these drugs.
• ACE Inhibitors (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors) relax blood vessels, lower blood pressure, and reduce the heart’s workload. They are primarily used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and protect the kidneys in patients with diabetes or chronic kidney disease. One common side effect is a persistent, dry hacking cough. Other common effects include dizziness, low blood pressure (hypotension), fatigue, high potassium levels (hyperkalemia), and headaches. They can deplete the body of zinc and cause retention of potassium.
• Beta Blockers: These treat cardiovascular conditions by blocking the effects of adrenaline, which slows the heart rate and reduces blood pressure. They relax blood vessels and decrease the heart’s workload, making them common treatments for high blood pressure, angina, heart failure, and arrhythmias. Common beta-blocker side effects include fatigue, dizziness, cold hands/feet, and slow heart rate, which often decrease as the body adjusts. Other potential side effects include insomnia, depression, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, and increased blood sugar. Never stop taking beta-blockers suddenly, as this can cause severe reactions like heart attacks. Beta-blockers primarily deplete Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)and melatonin in the body. These deficiencies can lead to side effects like fatigue, muscle aches, and sleep disturbances, as CoQ10 is crucial for cellular energy and melatonin regulates sleep cycles.
• ARBs(Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers): These are a class of prescription medications that lower blood pressure, treat heart failure, and protect kidneys. Side effects include dizziness, lightheadedness (especially upon standing), low blood pressure (hypotension), diarrhea, hyperkalemia (high blood potassium), muscle cramps, and headaches. They cause the body to hold on to potassium, and some evidence suggests they may deplete magnesium and zinc.
• Diuretics: Used to treat edema in conditions like heart failure. Side effects include increased urination, dizziness, headache, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalances such as low potassium. Other side effects include muscle cramps, dry mouth, increased thirst, and potential sexual dysfunction. Serious, though less common, risks include kidney damage, arrhythmia, or severe allergic reactions. These also deplete thiamin and magnesium.
• Anticoagulants: Often called “blood thinners”, but they do not thin blood. The drugs prevent blood clots. Anticoagulant (blood thinner) side effects primarily involve increased bleeding risks, such as heavy menstrual periods, prolonged nosebleeds, bleeding gums, blood in urine/stool, and severe bruising. Other side effects include digestive issues (nausea, diarrhea), headache, dizziness, and rarely, skin necrosis. Seek immediate care for bleeding that doesn’t stop.  Also, you need to be aware of supplements because some of them also inhibit clotting.

The above is a partial list of the medications used for cardiovascular issues. Some drugs are not covered here, but these are the common ones.

Natural Healthcare and Cardiovascular Issues

Obviously, this information is not posted for you to start treating yourself. However, much of natural healthcare is about improving infrastructure. We are not treating anything; we are giving the body what it needs to improve physiology. What follows below is not “instead of”; it is things that might improve your situation and should be discussed with your doctor.

Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (formerly called “Syndrome X”) is diagnosed when a person has at least three of the following five risk factors, which significantly increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke: abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high fasting glucose. It doubles the risk of a cardiac event. These patients also have a 5x greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than the general population.

• Metabolic syndrome is about inflammation and insulin resistance. A low-glycemic, anti-inflammatory diet (like the Roadmap to Health) will go a long way toward getting it under control. Improving your diet does nothing to interfere with any medical treatment (except possibly making it so your doctor needs to give you less medication. There is a strong likelihood it will progress to type 2 diabetes, which makes cardiovascular risk factor even worse.
• Supplementation for the metabolic syndrome: There are supplements that can help bring insulin insensitivity (also called insulin resistance) under control. These are covered in great detail in the article about insulin insensitivity and type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes

Like metabolic syndrome, high inflammation and high cardiovascular risk. It may be that drugs have been prescribed for blood sugar control and to lower A1C. If you are taking these drugs and begin to try bring blood sugar and inflammation under control with natural health, make sure you are monitoring your blood sugar (and checking with your doctor). The natural approach works and the numbers will change; there is a good chance your medication dosage will need to be adjusted. More information can be found in the diabetes/insulin insensitivity article.

Congestive heart failure

Congestive heart failure is a long-term condition in which your heart can’t pump blood well enough to meet your body’s needs. Your heart is still working. But because it can’t handle the amount of blood it should, fluid builds up in other parts of your body. Most of the time, it collects in your lungs, legs and feet. To deal with the fluid buildup, diuretics are often given. Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan) is a drug commonly prescribed to treat it. There are many natural substances that can support heart function. These include CoQ10, ribose, thiamin, and magnesium to name a few. Reducing inflammation with diet is also helpful.

Endothelial Health and Nitric Oxide

The endothelium, the inner lining of blood vessels, plays a central role in cardiovascular health. Nitric oxide (NO) helps regulate vascular tone and blood flow. When endothelial function is impaired, blood vessels become less responsive, contributing to hypertension and vascular disease.

Blood Pressure and Vascular Tone

Blood pressure is influenced by a balance between vasoconstriction and vasodilation. Systems such as the renin-angiotensin system promote constriction, while nitric oxide promotes relaxation. Disruption of this balance can lead to sustained elevations in blood pressure.

Arteriosclerosis, Atherosclerosis and Arterial Health

Atherosclerosis is a gradual process involving the buildup of plaque within the arterial walls. This process is influenced by lipid metabolism, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction, and may eventually lead to reduced blood flow or plaque rupture.

Inflammation and Cardiovascular Risk

Cardiovascular disease is now understood to involve inflammatory processes. Markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) are often elevated and may reflect underlying vascular inflammation.

Natural Ways to Help the Cardiovascular System

Diet, vitamins, minerals and nutraceuticals can all play a role in improving cardiovascular health. For the most part, none will interfere with any other treatment. You should discuss any lifestyle changes with your doctor for a couple of reasons. First, it may affect dosages needed for any drugs you may be taking. Second, although rare, some supplements may affect drug therapy. Taking omega-3 fatty acids, for example, can enhance the effectiveness of “blood thinners” and give too much of an anticoagulant effect. A list of supplements is included here; it is not complete (otherwise this section would be massive) but some of the important ones are included.

• Anti-inflammatory and Low Glycemic Diet: Cardiovascular disease is basically an inflammatory condition. Insulin insensitivity and diabetes are both strong risk factors for cardiovascular disease, so eating foods with a low glycemic load is very important. The Roadmap to Health is both low glycemic and anti-inflammatory.
• Coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ10): This is involved with producing energy in the cell. This makes it vital for cells that require high energy—such as heart muscle cells. Studies have shown it to improve heart failure, and cardiovascular health in general. It is depleted by cholesterol lowering medication.
• Magnesium: It has been studied for its cardiac benefits that include helping the heart muscle relax between beats, maintaining a steady rhythm, and lowering blood pressure.  Studies have shown it to be beneficial to patients with heart failure. It is depleted by diuretics and ARBs.
• Thiamin: Also depleted by diuretics. People with heart failure are commonly deficient and benefit with supplementation.
• B6, B12, and Folate: These three nutrients are mentioned together because they help lower homocysteine, which is an inflammatory substance linked to cardiovascular problems.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids (and essential fatty acids in general): These are anti-inflammatory and have also been shown to improve the lipid profile.
• Berberine: Studies have found that it is anti-inflammatory and can even help to lower cholesterol. It also helps balance the microbiome, which can be a source of inflammation.
• Lipoic Acid: This is an antioxidant that is soluble in both oil and water—so it protects from inflammation. It has also been shown to improve lipid profiles.
• Vitamin D: It is also anti-inflammatory and several studies have shown that adequate vitamin D levels are important for cardiovascular health.
• Vitamin K2: Can help keep calcium out of the arteries, making it protective against atherosclerosis. Studies have shown it to improve survival in cardiovascular patients.

This is a vast topic that could easily fill an entire textbook. The links on this page will lead you to more detailed information and links to the studies that have been performed.