Cardiovascular disease is not just about cholesterol. Cholesterol is a natural substance, produced by the body, and one purpose is to line your arteries so that they'll be slick as glass so that your blood can rush around your body at "breakneck" speed and not wash you away! Cholesterol also functions as the precursor to valuable hormones and as a component of healthy cell membranes.

So what is really causing cardiovascular disease (and a host of other diseases): Endothelial injury - which means injury to the lining of your arteries which then leads to the body's attempts to heal the damage by creating plaque. The initial injury is caused by free radicals which come from many sources. One source would be oxidized cholesterol, expecially oxidized LDL and VLDL, but also:

Major Causes of Endothelial Injury

• Shear stress - friction of blood against the lining
• Hypertension (also related to shear stress)
• Sympathetic neurotransmitters - noreipinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine (flight or fight stress response)
• Stress induced hormones such as cortisol, IL-6, ADH.
• Diabetes (glycosylated proteins, insulin resistance)
• Chemical toxins (pesticides, herbicides, etc)
• Air and water pollution/Heavy metal poisoning (mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, etc.)
• Tobacco smoke
• Excess Salt in Diet
• Free Radicals (molecules with unpaired electrons)
• Infectious agents
• Chlamydia pneumoniae
• Helicobacter pylori (as with peptic ulcer lesions)
• Herpesvirus
• Cytomegalovirus
• Candida Albicans (inhibits endothelial relaxation)
• Inflammation/Allergies/autoimmunity
• Homocysteine
• Low dietary calcium (stimulates Hyperparathyroidism and transporting calcium from the bones to the soft tissue)
• Excess alcohol consumption is associated with an increase in free radical damage and increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke.

At Dr. Steenblock's Clinic, when you come in for evaluation and treatment of cardiovascular disease, the ultimate goals are to stop endothelial damage, remove calcified deposits blocking the arteries, and make sure your blood flows freely without clotting. We do this with proper diet, the elimination of catalysts that facilitate peroxidation, powerful supplements, intravenous therapies and hyperbaric oxygen therapy which has actually been shown to inhibit lipid peroxidation.