For the past 30 years mortality from heart disease has been declining. Whether it’s because Americans are taking better care of themselves or simply more radical medical intervention is unclear. However in the Feb. 11, 2008, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, an ominous warning about the future of heart disease is emerging. This research looked at autopsies of people who died of non-natural causes (like auto accidents) to get a snapshot of the real degree of heart disease by looking at the blockage of the coronary vessels. In the ‘80s and early ‘90s the degree of early indication of heart disease was clearly declining. It stopped falling in the mid-1990s and apparently began to rise after 2000. Since the average age of the people examined was 36, this is a strong indicator that heart disease mortality is likely to be increasing even though total cholesterol levels are declining (primarily due to statin use).
How could coronary vessel blockage increase while cholesterol levels are decreasing? I believe the answer is increased inflammation caused by an increasingly pro-inflammatory diet in America. The good news is that inflammation can be reversed in 30 days with the combination of the Zone Diet and high-dose fish oil.