Detour on the road to recovery Those winter bouts with colds and the flu may be more dangerous than anyone realized. But it's not necessarily being sick that can hurt you -- it's recovering. According to a study published last month in the European Heart Journal, the risk of having a heart attack or stroke doubles the week after you've had a cold or any type of respiratory infection. The researchers set out to determine what, if any, link existed between respiratory infections and deaths from coronary heart disease and strokes, all of which occur at higher rates in the winter than other times of year. Not only did they discover that the events were linked and that risks of these potentially lethal events doubled following respiratory infections, but they also found that these risks didn't only appear in people pre-disposed to heart attacks and strokes. According to the report I read "risk did not depend on age or gender and for heart attack was seen at every level of preceding risk." Which means that even if your current risk is low, it still skyrockets dramatically right after you've had a cold. The researchers did find that these risks peak directly following an infection and subside gradually over the course of a month. A month later, your risk levels off again. But a month is a long time to have such an elevated risk for dangerous cardiovascular events. And if preventing colds and the flu from occurring in the first place can save you from a week of misery and a month of danger, it's well worth a little extra effort to keep yourself healthy. Despite what the so-called "experts" will undoubtedly recommend, you DON'T need a flu shot to protect yourself from these newly discovered hazards. There are a number of natural options for preventing colds and the flu. For a complete rundown of the ones Dr. Wright finds most effective, refer back to the October 2007 issue of Nutrition & Healing. Subscribers can download and view this issue for free by visiting www.wrightnewsletter.com and logging on to the archives with the username and password listed on page 8 of your most recent issue. Sources:
"Respiratory infections linked to increased heart attacks and strokes," ScienceDaily (www.sciencedaily.com), 12/6/07
"Recent respiratory infection and risk of cardiovascular disease: case-control study through a general practice database," European Heart Journal 2007; published online ahead of print 12/6/07 | 
