The brain detects defects in other people much easier than our own defects (bias blind spot). In this way, we think that other people are much more impressionable than ourselves, for example, with publicity. The self-serving bias is related to the blind spot bias, making us attribute more responsibility to successes and hits than to mistakes.
—2.5.2012, 20+ popular heuristics and cognitive biases, BitBrain
Sitting in the cardiologist’s testing center waiting for a treadmill test to evaluate a Premature Ventricular Complex or Contraction (#PVC), a form of arrhythmia, I glance about me and all the other folks (including the receptionist) are obese or morbidly so. I start doing the odds, — me or them? In some cases I’m at least twice their age, but what’s the underlying condition of our hearts?
Are #PVCs normal or abnormal? Well, as this typical snippet from an online medical resource, it depends:
PVCs are common, and the cause is not always clear. They can happen in healthy people on occasion. But more frequently, they occur in people with underlying heart disease.
—R N Fogoros, MD 29.9.2021, What Are Premature Ventricular Complexes (PVCs)? verywellhealth
My “3rd heart beat” palpitations first became apparent when I was a submarine department head in the 1980’s without any definitive cause or resolution; but then a battery of tests at the US Army War College (#USAWC) in 1998 with a zero Coronary Artery Calcium (#CAC) score (no detectable calcium build-up) eased my mind.
The #USAWC started including #CAC evaluations after the test became available and a routine screening tool for astronauts.
“We’ve probably underestimated the impact of deep-space radiation on not just cardiovascular disease but health in general”, said lead author of the study, exercise physiologist Dr. Michael Delp of Florida State University.
Of the 24 Apollo astronauts who flew around the moon on nine missions, eight have died. Of the 7 included in the study, 43 percent died from cardiovascular disease.
Dr Samuel Sarmiento 28.7.2016, Deep Space Radiation Caused Heart Problems For Apollo Astronauts, — The rate of heart disease is greater among the astronauts of the Apollo space program.
In 2019 I met Ivor Cummins (@FatEmperor) a root-cause Irish engineer while at LowCarbUSA, Boca Raton FL. His work examining complex medical issues and digging through data is exceptional, as well as his advocacy for #CAC scores, — The Widowmaker - it could save your life ! #KnowYourScore #CAC.
If you want to go to the source himself, then Dr Arthur Agatston is the individual with over 40 years of experience preventing coronary disease.
Dr. Agatston worked with Dr. Warren Janowitz to develop the Agatston Score (the Calcium Score), a method of screening for coronary calcium as an indicator of atherosclerosis. Used throughout the world, it is considered by most experts to be the single best predictor of a future heart attack.
Dr A Agatston (2020) Integrating Imaging & Advanced Blood Testing for Treating Chronic Disease
I first heard Dr Agatston speak at the March 2020 Denver Low Carb conference (Denver Diet Doctor). The conference was in progress as covid pandemonium spread throughout the US. As you can imagine, an audience filled with informed doctors, intelligent medical practitioners and low-carb advocates remained unfazed, but permission from the governor of Colorado was obtained to continue with the proceedings. We dutifully spaced the chairs 6” from each other.
In any event, Dr Agatston’s presentation was additional information that indicated the importance of placing cardiovascular health in the context of genes, diet and lifestyle and getting a #CAC.
When my family physician noticed a “3rd heartbeat” we considered it prudent to do a full evaluation of the condition and he referred me to a cardiologist. The cardiologist scheduled me for a battery of tests, but only included the #CAC screening upon my insistence.
To stay young requires unceasing cultivation of the ability to unlearn old falsehoods,
— Robert A Heinlein
I have the aches & pains of a 71 year old man, but it appears that my heart age is half of my biological years. It appears that I may be spared the strokes and heart attacks being experienced by my contemporarily aged friends.
This is my living faith, an active faith, a faith of verbs: to question, explore, experiment, experience, walk, run, dance, play, … and seek. To seek: to embrace the questions, be wary of answers.
— Terry Tempest Williams
Dr Stephen Hussey (2022) Understanding the Heart: Surprising Insights into the Evolutionary Origins of Heart Disease—and Why It Matters
“With simple prose, and sprinkled with many entertaining personal stories, Dr. Stephen Hussey reveals the magic in biology and dispels a number of myths about heart disease. You will learn that the heart is a vortex, not a pump, that its preferred fuels are fats and ketone bodies, that the blood flows through the vessels via electromagnetic energy driven by exclusion zone water, and much else. This book will make you think of your heart in a totally new way.”
— Stephanie Seneff, PhD, author, Toxic Legacy
So, how’s your N=1 experiment unfolding? What are you betting on?
Some suggestions that I think improve the odds:
1. 🌞 => NO dilation, activation of aromatic amino acids, 25(OH)D3, etc...
2. ❤️ ≠ 💪 pump, we're more tree-like than we think. Lean muscle mass matters.
3. Water is a complex substance, not the H2O cartoon, — further complicated by hemoglobin, glucose, insulin, hormones, minerals, etc... interactions.
4. Exogenous sugar glycates hemoglobin & insulin, additionally chronic O-GlcNAcylation of proteins leads to epigenetic, pleiotropic modifications.
5. Ø = #CAC is a good goal.
6. High cholesterol with low triglycerides for the long-haul.
7. Quarterly phlebotomy.
8. β-OH for the ❤️ & 🧠 (consider time-restricted eating & fasting)
9. Take your #MEDS, — (Pastured or Wild):
• Meat: 🐖🐏🐑🐐🦃🦤🐇🥓🥩🍗🍖
• Eggs: 🦃🐓🦢
• Dairy: 🥛 (raw milk, aged cheeses, goat milk, &c.)
• Seafood: 🦑🦐🦞🦀🐡🐠🐟 [ + Minerals: 🧂]
10. Stay young at heart, — keep learning!
I happened to reread this today. It is much more ... it has much more meaning for me this time. Really interesting. I'm going to order that book. My heart's fine (I believe!) but I can't resist after Stephanie Seneff's review you posted. Thank you!