A research team at Tufts University studied the effects of oat compounds, called avenanthramides, on arterial health.

They say that their findings suggest the avenanthramides of oats decrease the expression of inflammatory molecules that can lead to chronic inflammation and eventually a hardening of the arteries known as atherosclerosis.

According to the National Institutes of Health, atherosclerosis is a common disorder of the arteries. It occurs when fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up in the walls of arteries and form hard structures called plaques. Eventually, the plaques can make the artery narrow and less flexible, making it harder for blood to flow. If the coronary arteries become narrow, blood flow to the heart can slow down or stop. This can cause chest pain, shortness of breath and other symptoms.

Among the ways to keep arteries healthy are eating a healthy, low-fat diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding smoking and drinking alcohol.

The study is being published in the scientific journal Free Radical Biology & Medicine.

Eating oats has previously been proven to improve health and lower the risk of coronary heart disease by helping to lower cholesterol.

Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have found that a protein called PGC-1alpha plays a key role in the process known as angiogenesis, which spurs the growth of new blood vessels.

The research team studied the effect of exercise on mice for their results. As expected, the animals that exercised were found to have high levels of angiogenesis. They also found the mice that were lacking the PGC-1alpha protein failed to grow new blood vessels in response to exercise. Ultimately, their experiments demonstrated that exercise activates beta-adrenergic signaling, which leads to a robust induction of PGC-1alpha.

The findings suggest, according to researchers, that walking daily is the best therapy for PAD sufferers.

PAD affects 5 million individuals in the U.S. and is the leading cause of limb amputations. It is a common circulatory problem in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs. It is characterized by leg pain primarily encountered while walking, but can also be a sign of widespread accumulation of fatty deposits in the arteries.

Besides exercise, lowering cholesterol and quitting smoking are among the ways to reduce the progression of PAD, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Nutritional supplements containing gingko are also believed to help manage the discomfort associated with the disease.

Researchers in London say the matrix metalloproteinase-8 enzyme (MMP8) has been shown to play a crucial role in raising blood pressure and causing abnormal build-up of cells in the arteries—both of which increase the risk of heart disease.

"Our research tells us that this enzyme plays a crucial role in the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries which causes heart disease," said Shu Ye from the University of London.

The study, appearing in the journal Circulation Research, tested two groups of mice—one of which was genetically altered to not produce the MMP8 enzyme. Both groups were fed a Western-style diet high in fat and cholesterol. The mice which lacked the enzyme had clearer arteries and lower blood pressure.

Tests on humans found that out of 2,000 patients undergoing artery testing, 25 percent had a similar version of the gene for MMP8. They also had more clogged arteries.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the U.S.

The Mayo Clinic says supplements containing blond psyllium, coenzyme Q10, flaxseed and omega-3 fatty acids may be effective in lowering cholesterol and preventing some types of heart disease.

I often get questions from worried patients and readers with heart concerns and I’ve made it my mission to spread the word that this doesn’t have to happen to you… even if you have a long history of heart-related concerns and bad cholesterol in your family. You simply don’t have to be stuck with the bad genetic hand you’ve been dealt.

Readers often ask, what causes the plaque and toxins to deposit on the walls of the blood vessels? A typical Western diet, stress, prescription drugs, excess weight, cigarette smoke and environmental toxins are all to blame.

Now you might be saying to yourself… many of these things are simply beyond my control. And you’d be right. But please keep reading because I want to tell you about a safe and simple amino acid that can promote healthy circulation and help sweep your arteries clear so you never again have to worry about poor circulation.

For more than 50 years, scientific studies have proven this amazing and safe amino acid can help reduce toxin deposits… promote healthy blood flow… and help support strong and supple arteries. Simply known as EDTA (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid), this amino acid attaches itself to harmful toxins. Since your body recognizes EDTA as a foreign substance, it is quickly eliminated from the body—carrying with it the heavy metals and toxic deposits.

As toxins and gunk are flushed away, healthy blood flow can once again nourish the heart, brain, muscles and every organ in the body. And then, with healthy circulation, full of oxygen-rich blood, you can help reduce scores of annoying health problems and experience genuine improvements to your health.

Here are several health benefits many users report experiencing once improved blood flow is restored…

• Healthy cholesterol, homocysteine and blood pressure levels
• Less swelling in your legs and ankles
• Easier breathing
• Warmer hands and feet
• Renewed energy—enough to keep you going all day and night
• A stronger immune system
• Renewed sexual potency—to perform and enjoy a healthy love life again
• Healthy vision
• Improved memory and mental powers—razor-sharp thinking at any age
• Fewer wrinkles—and a healthy, radiant glow to your skin
• Better hearing

EDTA can be delivered intravenously (I.V.) or orally in the form of a dietary supplement. However, expect I.V. chelation to be time consuming… require the supervision of a medical professional… to involve needles… and come at a high cost requiring repeat procedures.

Thankfully EDTA is also available in a safe oral supplement providing many of the same benefits over time without the high costs, needles or doctor’s visits.

If you are more than 40 years old—and especially if you have a family history of heart problems—I recommend you consider adding oral EDTA to your daily regimen to help promote healthy cholesterol, blood pressure, smooth circulation and to help reduce your toxic exposure.

Yours for healthy living,

Dr. Michael Cutler
Medical Advisor, True Health™

Food and nutritional supplements do provide the fuel your body needs. But that fuel can’t produce energy until your cells generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP). And to generate ATP, your cells need the Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) “spark” to turn nutrients into energy!

Hundreds of major scientific studies have proven the health benefits of CoQ10 since it was discovered more than 50 years ago. It’s one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants—it gives your body the ability to repair damaged cells and replace dying ones.

But that’s not all! CoQ10 also…

• Rejuvenates your aging brain, liver, lungs and other organs.
• Destroys free radicals before they can prematurely age and damage your skin, hair, eyes, muscles, bones and organs.
• Can significantly improve heart function—and cause no harmful side effects or drug interactions.

A German medical journal indicated that cardiologists treating patients for weakening hearts and loss of blood flow said the patients’ symptoms greatly improved after being given CoQ10.

CoQ10 also helps in reducing high blood pressure, chest pain and irregular heartbeat. Findings published in Pharmacotherapy show 51 percent of patients with high blood pressure were able to stop taking as many as three blood pressure drugs after supplementing with CoQ10 for less than four and a half months.

And according to the Cardiovascular Drugs Therapy, CoQ10 may improve the condition of 91 percent of patients who have suffered a major interruption of blood flow to the heart within 30 days after starting CoQ10.

CoQ10 users had less than one-third as much chest pain and 72 fewer heart rhythm disturbances than non-users. And total cardiac events—including cardiac deaths in the CoQ10 group—were about half that of the other study participants.

Years of research have even proven that the more CoQ10 you have in your body, the longer you’ll live. CoQ10 is one “spark” that must never go out—your life literally depends on it!

And although heart disease is considered by many to be a “man’s disease,” it really is no respecter of gender—it is the leading cause of death for both American men AND women. Scary? You bet it is!

But take heart! There are things you can do to protect your all-important organ. I’ve mentioned to you how to understand the risk factors for a heart attack—and how to zero in on the risks that you can do something about. And now we’re going to look at another way to determine your risk category for a heart disaster—getting your blood tested.

In order to do that, you need to visit your doctor regularly, depending of course, on your health status. Why? Because there are certain heart markers in your blood that can tell you if your arteries are already hardening.

If your doctor finds the following in your blood results, you should immediately take action to protect your heart and prevent a heart disaster:

• High fibrinogen—This could be an indication that your blood is clotting too much.
  High C-reactive protein—This is an indication that acute inflammation is occurring somewhere in your body—possibly inside your blood vessels.
• High glucose—This condition can cause a heart attack indirectly by the weakening of blood vessels, a familiar condition of a long-term case of diabetes.
• High insulin—This occurs with Type 2 diabetes.
• High iron—This is an indication of problems with your liver.
• High triglycerides—This condition is tied to high insulin levels and high sugar intake over time.
• Low testosterone—This is a sign that because of aging, youth hormones are decreasing.
• Metabolic syndrome—One in four people over age 30 are believed to already have this syndrome, which is mainly characterized by high insulin levels. Too much insulin causes “inflammation” in your blood and can initiate clotting in your arteries, including inside your heart and brain.

Now you can see there are many things going on inside your body that can affect your heart negatively. So I encourage you to see your doctor regularly and have your blood tested. This way you can get a heads-up on hidden problems that can put you at risk for a heart disaster.

You’ve probably heard of a Type A personality. This person is a perfectionist who gets upset easily and always needs to be right. On the other hand, a Type B personality is relaxed and non-competitive.

Then there’s one you might not have heard of—the Type C personality. The people with this personality type are outwardly pleasant, yet they are suppressing their feelings. According to medical literature, a Type C is more prone to developing cancer and heart disease than either Type A or Type B.

Finally, there’s a Type D personality. This person has the unhealthy characteristics of all the other three personality types. These include anxiety, irritability, hopelessness and a lack of self-assurance. No surprise, the Type D personality has the strongest link to high blood pressure, heart disease and other chronic illnesses.

In fact, in a study conducted in the Netherlands, heart patients who scored highest for Type D personality traits on a distress questionnaire were found to have four times more heart attacks and deaths than other heart patients who took the questionnaire.

So it’s obvious from looking at the personality types—stress relief is crucial to reduce the occurrence of heart problems. In a study reported in Circulation, men with heart disease who learned stress reduction techniques were four times less likely to die over a nine-year study period. They also enjoyed a better mood and quality of life.

Have you ever considered what’s stopping you from being stress-free all the time? It really boils down to how you think and feel about everything in your life. For so many people, it’s about negative thoughts… faulty beliefs… and the habit of thinking the worst when circumstances go in an unexpected direction. This keeps stressed-out people from seeing the beauty in their life experiences.

Now closely examine your personality type and how it reflects on your enjoyment of life… and your health. Consider ways to smooth the sharp edges of your personality that injure both your quality of life and your emotional and physical well-being.

To aide you in bringing your life into balance, drink plenty of water containing my Ultimate pH Balance™ drops which contain a miracle heart nutrient… a nutrient to help regulate your metabolism… a nutrient critical for a healthy nervous system… as well as a nutrient that regulates nerve behavior and reduces irritability.