Better late than never?
The latest heart health news could very well save you from a heart attack…But following the advice Dr. Wright laid out three years ago about the same topic could very well save your life. Both have to do with something called C-reactive protein, or CRP. Your body produces CRP as a result of inflammation. And as Dr. Wright told his readers back in 2006, inflammation is an even more important indicator of heart risk than cholesterol or blood pressure. So the higher your CRP levels, the bigger the danger to your heart. Now mainstream medicine is finally catching on to this threat as well. In fact, it made a big splash a few weeks ago when the results of the JUPITER study were released. This study examined whether or not the statin drug Crestor could prevent heart attacks in people who had normal cholesterol but elevated levels of CRP. And the researchers were delighted when they discovered that the drug did slash heart attack risk -- by as much as 44 percent. So delighted, in fact, that they called off the study as soon as they had their positive result (conveniently not waiting around to see if there might be any potentially harmful long- term effects)… And suddenly, statins are in the limelight again. Thanks to the rosy results from the truncated study, the "experts" are recommending that more people than ever should be put on these drugs. But everyone seems to have forgotten all about their fall from grace last year, when news broke that these blockbuster drugs may reduce heart attack risk but they don't increase life span. Dr. Wright actually clued his readers in to that fact two years before it became public knowledge. And in that same article, he offered a better solution. One that lowers your CRP, your heart attack risk, AND your risk of death. Omega-3 fatty acids -- particularly from Dr. Wright's favorite source: fish oil. As Dr. Wright put it, "I've never seen anything reduce CRP to normal as rapidly and effectively as 1 or 2 tablespoons of fish oil daily." And, unlike statins, fish oil DOES help you live longer. According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the risk for cardiac mortality (the death rate from heart-related causes) in subjects taking omega-3 fatty acids was lower than that of the statin group. In fact, the risk for overall mortality (deaths from all causes) was also lower in the omega-3 group. The JUPITER study may have added a bit of polish to statins' tarnished reputation, but the fact is they're still not your best choice for keeping your heart healthy -- and they never will be. Sources:
"Millions more Americans may be placed on statins," HealthDay News (www.healthday.com), 1/13/09
"Effect of different antilipidemic agents and diets on mortality: a systematic review." Arch Intern Med. 2005 Apr 11;165(7):725-30 | 
