Why does the ATTACK Program work?
Explanation of all the elements involved
Statin drugs have used for years lower cholesterol but have shown to be ineffective in reversing or reducing plaque. It is the plaque that creates heart attacks , not simply cholesterol, and so this is our target. There are ample reliable studies showing us that plaque is reversable when you engage a mult-faceted approach that highlights lifestyle along with other elements to unravel the process of plaque development. That is exactly what we have assembled for you here in our ATTACK The Plaque Program.
The first issue you need to understand is that oxidative stress is what gets the initial inflammation started. We halt the plaque process by addressing the many sources and causes of oxidative stress. This is the lifestyle component that Chelsea will be addressing with you in great detail. You don't have to be perfect to find success, you simply need to be willing to make small changes and find consistency.
The process of plaque formation starts with oxidative stress forcing the wall of the arteries to change which drives a sticky substance called proteoglycans to fill the artery wall. This sticky medium traps small dense LDL particles and drives an inflammatory process that brings the immune system into play which starts to lay down plaque that builds over years. The ATTACK Program unravels these mechanisms allowing your body’s natural “reverse cholesterol transport” system to slowly dissolve plaque build up.
Causes of Oxidative stress:
- Poor diet + obesity – weight loss
- Processed foods & Carbs – guidance
- Chronic stress – better tools
- Blood pressure elevation – resolve
- Sleep apnea – home sleep study
- Alcohol excess – tools for reduction
- Sedentary – exercise guidance
- EMF – iPhone, Laptop, WiFi - education
- Plastics – education and reduction
- Mold exposure – home & body testing
- Heavy metals – testing & detox
- Pesticides & Round Up – avoidance
- Smoking / vaping – help quitting
- Air pollution – HEPA home filter
- Aging – slow the rate of aging
The Key Players in this process
These will be individualized to your own personal needs and tolerances.
Lab tests
- Cholesterol is a small piece of the problem so it needs attention and we will be testing this with multiple labs to not only measure cholesterol but also the inflammation within the vascular beds.
- These labs will offer guidance and show how well your body is responding to treatment and to your lifestyle changes.
CIMT – Carotid Intima Media Thickness
- An ultrasound measure of your arterial wall and the amount of plaque within.
- Measured yearly to gauge progress.
SimplyPERIO – saliva test for oral health
- Harboring bad bacteria in the mouth drives significant inflammation that creates excessive white cell activity. This source of inflammation has been strongly linked to heart disease risk and is very treatable once identified.
Medications
- Statin drug, specifically Rosuvastatin, may be recommended in “low dose” depending on your specific lab findings.
- Red Yeast Rice may be selected as an alternative based on your individual history and needs.
- Pioglitazone (Actos) is an old drug that has a long safety record. It was originally used to treat diabetes but was later found to have a pleotropic effect of removing plaque from arteries.
Supplements – not a comprehensive list. Personalized to your specific needs.
- Niacin is a B vitamin with a strong history in the medical literature showing its ability
to reverse plaque deposits from the artery wall. - Nattokinase is a food product that has been concentrated from fermented soy.
It has the ability to breakdown the fibers that make up the scaffolding of the
plaque thus allowing it to be dissolved. - Grape seed extract has been shown to reduce vascular plaque.
- Green tea polyphenol – powerful antioxidant shown to reduce vascular plaque
- Fucoidan seaweed extract – improves the glycocalyx, lining of the vessels.
- Red Yeast Rice – reduces cholesterol and holds the ability to reduces vascular
stickiness and enhance glucose control. - Curcumin reduces vascular inflammation and stickiness.
- Omega 3 fish oil is a potent anti-inflammatory and supports the healthy lining of the
vasculature as it enhances triglyceride control. - Berberine – multiple mechanisms of action to aid cholesterol reduction, enhance
fat burning and glucose control while reduce vascular stickiness.
Hydrogen inhaled gas
- Inhaled molecular hydrogen gas has shown the ability to stabilize vascular (atherosclerotic) plaque in animal studies.
- H2 gas reduces macrophages and lipid oxidation. Reduces oxidative stress and inflammation
- Enhances antioxidant pathways (like Nrf2), and protects against vascular remodeling.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber
- Improves endothelial function, increases nitric oxide, reduces inflammation, supports glycocalyx integrity, reduces oxidative modification of LDL, and stabilizes plaques.
- It modulates cytokines, oxidative stress, and immune balance, contributing to lower CRP.
IV Therapy - Multiple options here, again tailored to your specific needs and tolerance.
- IV Vitamin C – neutralizes oxidation and enhances endothelial nitric oxide
- Phosphatidylcholine – healthy fat needed to support vascular lining (glycocalyx)
- Ozone – cellular energy, detox and immune balance
- EDTA – removes heavy metals from within the plaque
WatchPAT – home based Sleep Apnea test
- Having apnea while you sleep, associated with snoring, leads to extreme oxidative stress, elevating blood sugar and cortisol.
- There is a strong overlap between those with snoring and sleep apnea and vascular plaque and heart disease. 70% correlation.
Endocrine system
- This includes hormones, thyroid balance, cortisol and of course insulin.
- This is what supports your body’s natural ability to repair.
