I don’t have a question. I just want to thank you immensely for this clarifying information. I am a subscriber and I send your messages to my family and a group of friends and colleagues. They will all be so grateful for this information. It really does give us not only an understanding of what’s going on in our body but also measures that we can use to monitor and improve.
No, exercise is excellent for reducing the risk for atherosclerosis :)
Intensive exercise will transiently increase skeletal (ie mechanical) inflammation due to wear and tear on muscles, joints, and ligaments, but that is a distinctly different kind of inflammation and reflects the natural response to exercise. I hope that helps!
One of the best discussions I have read on this topic! And at age 81 I have read a lot of medical articles on cardiovascular issues and multiple other subjects Thank you.
Do you do high sensitivity CRP and lipoprotein (a) on everyone? My primary just did the standard CBC, CMP and lipid panel. Should I ask for more? Also- do you do hormone levels at a certain age in women - as I believe hormone changes may also play a role from what I’ve been reading?
I don’t check a hsCRP and Lp(a) on everyone. I often start checking hs CRP in the 50s … but checking CRP and Lp(a) really depends on age, risk factors, genetics and other factors. I’ve written a bunch about hormone testing and their relative lack of utility .. given that perimenopause and menopause are clinical diagnoses. My interview with Dr. Haver last week shines a light on this. :)
This was very helpful, thank you. My question is, what level of CRP would be suggestive of systematic inflammation and a potential sign of inflamed arteries ?
A normal CRP is considered < 3. However a CRP > 3 doesn’t necessarily suggest that your arteries are inflamed. Interpreting a CRP requires a careful and trained physician - especially given that the CRP is a non specific marker of inflammation. I hope that helps!
Thank you! Inflammation really seems to be at the base of many chronic health conditions. I’d really like to learn more about effective ways research has shown to reduce this.
Can you address statins allegedly causing dementia? Also, it's been said that stating don't help women. I'd like evidence-based response to those assertions I hear all the time. Thanks for these discussions.
Thank you for this and all you do, all of which is applicable to someone among your readers and viewers.
My wife suffers from severe Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). One of your recent Friday posts dealt with iron and ferritin. An old friend sent the post to me, and I have been listening and reading you ever since. My wife says she has been tested for that and both are okay. Whether true or not, your post on atherosclerosis/inflammation informs me, but also scares me beyond measure. She also has been diagnosed as having an allergic-type reaction to fillers in some meds, mostly generics. After 3 years of misery for me (2013 through 2015), her discomfort, allergic reaction (severe rashes all over her body) and quality of life were infinitely worse than my situation. When put on 3 name brand maintenance meds, her rashes cleared up and her RLS was much better controlled. Roughly 2 years ago, the name brand med for the RLS (generic is ropinerole I believe) was discontinued and she was prescribed the generic. For the last year or so, in addition to the severe RLS, the rashes have returned "on steroids" as the saying goes. Her misery++ from both and her self-consciousness concerning the rashes mean that she does not socialize, seldom exercises, and does little more than watch TV and moan; her quality of life is in the pits. She is being weaned from her RLS med - but she says 1) she was on the maximum dose for Parkinsons (8 mg/day), twice that for RLS, and 2) the weaning process is about a quarter of a mg every 2-3 weeks, so will take from 64 to 96 weeks at those rates; she is maybe 3 months in.
My concern is the effect all this physical and mental distress must be having an adverse inflammation effect, possibly a severe one. We live about 3.5 hours from DC, 1.25 hours from Charlottesville, (UVA) and 2.25 hours from Durham, NC (Duke). Any ideas where would be a good place to ask her PCP for a referral, whether one of these locations or another one? Sorry, but a desperate situation calls for a desperate request.
Excellent information. Thank you!
I don’t have a question. I just want to thank you immensely for this clarifying information. I am a subscriber and I send your messages to my family and a group of friends and colleagues. They will all be so grateful for this information. It really does give us not only an understanding of what’s going on in our body but also measures that we can use to monitor and improve.
Lynne 🙏🏻
Thank you - and I am so glad!
Is it possible for too much intensive exercise (e.g., marathon training) to create inflammation that contributes to atherosclerosis?
No, exercise is excellent for reducing the risk for atherosclerosis :)
Intensive exercise will transiently increase skeletal (ie mechanical) inflammation due to wear and tear on muscles, joints, and ligaments, but that is a distinctly different kind of inflammation and reflects the natural response to exercise. I hope that helps!
One of the best discussions I have read on this topic! And at age 81 I have read a lot of medical articles on cardiovascular issues and multiple other subjects Thank you.
Thank you, you’re the first one to explain inflammatory disease in a way that makes sense. I guess it’s complicated.....
Thanks so much for this - really informative.
Glad to hear it!
Do you do high sensitivity CRP and lipoprotein (a) on everyone? My primary just did the standard CBC, CMP and lipid panel. Should I ask for more? Also- do you do hormone levels at a certain age in women - as I believe hormone changes may also play a role from what I’ve been reading?
I don’t check a hsCRP and Lp(a) on everyone. I often start checking hs CRP in the 50s … but checking CRP and Lp(a) really depends on age, risk factors, genetics and other factors. I’ve written a bunch about hormone testing and their relative lack of utility .. given that perimenopause and menopause are clinical diagnoses. My interview with Dr. Haver last week shines a light on this. :)
Thanks!
This was very helpful, thank you. My question is, what level of CRP would be suggestive of systematic inflammation and a potential sign of inflamed arteries ?
A normal CRP is considered < 3. However a CRP > 3 doesn’t necessarily suggest that your arteries are inflamed. Interpreting a CRP requires a careful and trained physician - especially given that the CRP is a non specific marker of inflammation. I hope that helps!
Thank you! Inflammation really seems to be at the base of many chronic health conditions. I’d really like to learn more about effective ways research has shown to reduce this.
Can you address statins allegedly causing dementia? Also, it's been said that stating don't help women. I'd like evidence-based response to those assertions I hear all the time. Thanks for these discussions.
Thank you for this and all you do, all of which is applicable to someone among your readers and viewers.
My wife suffers from severe Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). One of your recent Friday posts dealt with iron and ferritin. An old friend sent the post to me, and I have been listening and reading you ever since. My wife says she has been tested for that and both are okay. Whether true or not, your post on atherosclerosis/inflammation informs me, but also scares me beyond measure. She also has been diagnosed as having an allergic-type reaction to fillers in some meds, mostly generics. After 3 years of misery for me (2013 through 2015), her discomfort, allergic reaction (severe rashes all over her body) and quality of life were infinitely worse than my situation. When put on 3 name brand maintenance meds, her rashes cleared up and her RLS was much better controlled. Roughly 2 years ago, the name brand med for the RLS (generic is ropinerole I believe) was discontinued and she was prescribed the generic. For the last year or so, in addition to the severe RLS, the rashes have returned "on steroids" as the saying goes. Her misery++ from both and her self-consciousness concerning the rashes mean that she does not socialize, seldom exercises, and does little more than watch TV and moan; her quality of life is in the pits. She is being weaned from her RLS med - but she says 1) she was on the maximum dose for Parkinsons (8 mg/day), twice that for RLS, and 2) the weaning process is about a quarter of a mg every 2-3 weeks, so will take from 64 to 96 weeks at those rates; she is maybe 3 months in.
My concern is the effect all this physical and mental distress must be having an adverse inflammation effect, possibly a severe one. We live about 3.5 hours from DC, 1.25 hours from Charlottesville, (UVA) and 2.25 hours from Durham, NC (Duke). Any ideas where would be a good place to ask her PCP for a referral, whether one of these locations or another one? Sorry, but a desperate situation calls for a desperate request.