Dr. Ford Brewer discusses his personal experience with removing plaque from his artery walls. Despite living a healthy lifestyle, Dr. Brewer discovered he had plaque buildup, which was surprising given his background in preventive medicine. He attributes this to genetic challenges, high blood pressure, and insulin resistance.
To address the issue, Dr. Brewer made lifestyle changes, including eating salmon daily to increase omega-3s, taking niacin supplements to improve HDL and decrease LDL and triglycerides, and modifying his medications, such as switching to an ACE inhibitor (ramipril) and taking a low dose of a statin (Crestor).
As a result, Dr. Brewer's artery age decreased from 73 to 52 over a period of time, suggesting that it is possible to make significant improvements in cardiovascular health through a combination of lifestyle changes and targeted medical interventions.
Dr. Brewer emphasizes the importance of addressing plaque buildup and inflammation early on, rather than waiting for symptoms to appear, and highlights the role of genetic predisposition, lifestyle, and medical interventions in maintaining cardiovascular health.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Dr. Ford Brewer is a preventive medicine doctor who has worked at Johns Hopkins.
2. Dr. Brewer had a C-IMT (Carotid Intima-Media Thickness) test done in February 2015, which showed plaque in his artery walls.
3. At the time of the test, Dr. Brewer was 57 years old, but his artery age was estimated to be 73.
4. Dr. Brewer has a plant-based diet and a good lifestyle, but still developed plaque in his arteries.
5. He has a genetic predisposition to heart disease, including a 9p21 variant associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
6. Dr. Brewer also has a 4q25 variant, which is associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation.
7. He has a family history of atrial fibrillation, as his mother has the condition.
8. Dr. Brewer had high blood pressure and insulin resistance, which are associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
9. He started taking salmon oil supplements to increase his omega-3 intake.
10. He also started taking niacin, a supplement that can improve HDL and decrease LDL and triglycerides.
11. Dr. Brewer switched from an RBY to an ACE inhibitor (ramipril) to treat his high blood pressure.
12. He started taking a low dose of Crestor (rosuvastatin), a statin medication, to reduce inflammation and improve his cholesterol levels.
13. After making these lifestyle and medication changes, Dr. Brewer's artery age decreased from 59 to 52.
14. Dr. Brewer's C-IMT test results showed a decrease in plaque in his artery walls after making these changes.