Cardiovascular Disease: In the News, Part I

What causes cardiovascular disease? We are told that high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, tobacco, secondhand smoke, and physical inactivity all increase risk. Some people with some of these "warning signs" develop heart disease, but others don't. “This observation indicates that yet-unrecognized factors must also influence risk.” No kidding! A review of more than 40 trials conducted over a period of 3 decades showed that risk-factor reduction had “limited, if any impact on reducing mortality and morbidity [illness].” Not everybody who is obese or smokes or is inactive has a heart attack. About half of heart attack victims didn’t have high cholesterol. Diabetes does double risk for cardiovascular disease, which kills up to 80% of diabetics. Elevated blood sugar, not only in diabetics, increases risk of heart attack. Elevated blood sugar is often a result of over-consuming refined carbohydrates and trans fats. Could these be causes?