NYT: Clinton Operation Aims to Restore Blood Flow

[DeepModem Mom]

Clinton Operation Aims to Restore Blood Flow
By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN

Published: September 4, 2004

The major heart operation that former President Bill Clinton is to undergo early next week restores blood flow around blockages that prevent coronary arteries from nourishing the heart, allowing the vast majority of patients to lead normal lives.

In past interviews, Mr. Clinton said he has long been concerned about developing heart disease because it runs in his mother's family. But even people like Mr. Clinton who exercise, adhere to healthy diets, take statin drugs and get regular medical checkups may eventually need surgery because the underlying disease - atherosclerosis - can be relentless.

As Mr. Clinton's case illustrates, the need for such surgery can come unexpectedly at any time. Although it takes years for fatty deposits to build in the arteries, chest pain can come on in an instant if a fatty deposit ruptures and blocks the artery. The blockage can cause the pains of angina, an insufficient supply of oxygen rich blood to the heart, or a heart attack, destruction of heart muscle.

Mr. Clinton and his doctors released no details about what kind of surgery he will undergo or its timing. But one doctor said that his heart function was normal and that he had not suffered a heart attack....

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/04/national/04heart.html

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. Performing bypass surgery... is like replacing someones lungs

because they developed pneumonia.

>>As Mr. Clinton's case illustrates, the need for such surgery can come unexpectedly at any time. Although it takes years for fatty deposits to build in the arteries, chest pain can come on in an instant if a fatty deposit ruptures and blocks the artery. The blockage can cause the pains of angina, an insufficient supply of oxygen rich blood to the heart, or a heart attack, destruction of heart muscle.<<

The plaque that can be seen inside the arteries... very rarely causes the type of sudden pain that they are speaking about here.

The plaque that lies inside the arterial wall called "vulnerable plaque" is the stuff that has been capped off by immune cells... that can rupture and cause a release of chemicals that can cause exaggerated coagulation and blockages.

That is the real villain.

It has already been witnessed in animal models, that an extract of nicotine, can incorporate bodily stem cells... and not only promote the growth of new blood vessels in the damaged heart... but also rejuvenate "dead" tissue. This sort of therapy can't happen fast enough... but since bypass surgery is a 10 billion dollar a year industry... it may receive just a little opposition.

www.endovasc.com
Angiogenesis
Angiogenix Potential Healing Process
>>Very low doses of nicotine may have therapeutic properties, one being the ability to recruit and mobilize adult stem cells to repair, rebuild and replace damaged cells, possibly leading to the development of new blood vessels and other tissue to reverse degenerative heart disease.<<

[blondeatlast]

2. Frist was on Larry King yesterday blaming everything on

President Clinton's diet and the fact that he WASN'T on statins.

What a bunch of crap.

I had a near heart attack at 39 and lived (and still do) a healthy lifestyle.

May God bless him in his recovery. I'm living proof that one can make a full recovery and actually improve on's health.

[LisaL]

3. Exactly.

It could be more genetic than anything else.