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Obesity, IL6, and the Cause of Heart Failure

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Byron Richards, CCN

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Extra fat does a lot more than clog arteries.  Inflammatory proteins coming from fat directly damage the heart – whether you feel just fine or not.  That is the conclusion of new John Hopkins Medicine research tracking 7000 obese men and women across the United States – watching them descend from no heart disease into poor cardiovascular health.

About 30% of cells within fat are immune cells.  When fat grows as you gain weight the immune cell population not only grows but the immune cells themselves become hyper-active and start generating excess inflammation in the form of interleukin 6 (IL6). 

The new research shows that as obesity causes IL6 levels to rise to twice their normal level the risk for heart failure doubles.  This is a dramatic finding and proves what I first hypothesized in 2002 in Mastering Leptin – that IL6 from fat itself is damaging the heart and causing cardiovascular disease.

The problem gets worse because the liver also starts getting congested with excess fat as a person gains weight, causing another inflammatory marker named C-Reactive Protein (CRP) to elevate.  IL6 and CRP cause a double inflammatory whammy that stresses metabolism and cardiovascular health in multiple ways

The researchers concluded that compared to any other known risk factor for heart disease the “inflammatory chemicals in the blood of obese participants stood out as key predictors of who got heart failure.”

The best way to lower IL6 is to get leptin under control by following the Leptin Diet and by using nutrients that help you stay on the Leptin Diet and make progress.  CRP will also come down as consistent weight loss occurs.  Gaining weight, yo-yo dieting, or staying stuck at an elevated weight enable these inflammatory markers to weaken your heart over time.  At some point any person crosses the line and serious problems result.

People need to get much more serious and disciplined about their weight management program.  The handwriting is on the wall and time spent carrying around too many pounds of fat is not of any value.

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A new study shows that obese individuals have a 40% increased risk for dementia and an 80% increased risk for Alzheimer’s.  Significant mental decline affects 10% of the elderly population and rates of Alzheimer’s are up 20% - consistent with the increase in obesity.  There is no reason this has to happen.

  • Ghrelin Elevated by Sluggish Thyroid Function,

    When you eat less food, especially on a diet, there comes a time when weight loss slows down.  At this time you will start getting an increase in hunger that is coming from a hormone signal in your stomach called ghrelin.  New research shows that ghrelin levels go up (meaning increased hunger) as thyroid function is impaired and becomes sluggish.

    • Big Pharma Eyes Your Stomach,

      Scientists inject ghrelin (pronounced GRAY-lin) into the blood of normal weight people.  While measuring their brain activity these subjects are shown pictures of food and the ghrelin makes them drool.  Core animal pleasure is activated.  Yes, they must have it.  Stimulus-response, a modern Pavlovian dog experiment.

      Extra fat does a lot more than clog arteries.  Inflammatory proteins coming from fat directly damage the heart – whether you feel just fine or not.  That is the conclusion of new John Hopkins Medicine research tracking 7000 obese men and women across the United States – watching them descend from no heart disease into poor cardiovascular health.

      Impaired coordination may be a first sign of sluggish thyroid function.  Are you bumping into things too often?  If so, you may have sluggish thyroid due to faulty leptin function.

      • Low Thyroid Linked to Fatal Heart Disease in Women,

        A stunning thyroid study has just been published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.  It showed that women whose TSH scores were in the high end of the normal range were at a 69% increased risk for cardiovascular death.

        The data is now in and it is not good for the junk food industry.  The more fast food and convenience store outlets in your neighborhood the more likely you are to be obese and diabetic.  The study, Designed for Disease: the Link Between Local Food Environments and Obesity and Diabetes, was conducted in California but certainly applies though out U.S.

        New research now shows that the drop in a fat hormone called adiponectin is associated with an inflammatory-driven decline in kidney function.  By fixing leptin problems adiponectin can be elevated to natural levels and the risk for kidney disease can be lowered.

        Novel mice experiments carried out by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center are helping to clarify the relationship of fat and disease.  Mice bred not to be able to store fat, which were then fed a high fat diet, became diabetic and diseased much faster than the mice who could store the surplus calories as fat.

        It was just discovered that belly fat cells make an appetite signal which increases as you become overweight, causing you to crave more food, which makes you even fatter in the abdominal area, in turn causing you to crave even more food.

        A new British study links inflammation from the womb (low birth weight babies) through early life weight gain and shows that this issue sets the stage for cardiovascular disease in later life.

        The importance of a mom being healthy body weight prior to pregnancy and having good nutritional status and eating habits has now been driven home by a new autism study.  The study showed that children who develop early autism have significantly higher blood levels of leptin.  Those levels are high because of adverse fetal programming due to a leptin resistant mother.

        A wide range of cutting edge obesity research was presented at a Conference held March 28, 2008 in Great Brittan.  The conference focused on the importance of prenatal, postnatal, and early childhood eating as a determinant for later life food choices and obesity risk.

        • Food Addiction and Stress Eating Mechanism Identified,

          By experimenting with mice that were bred to have no sweet-taste ability, a direct link of food intake to pleasure has been identified for the first time.  This mechanism is important because it links food acquisition directly to addictive or stress-related eating “solutions.”

          • A Fat Stomach Sets the Stage for Cognitive Decline,

            A three decade study looked into the relationship between abdominal fat and the risk for developing dementia.  The findings are not good news for any person with extra weight around the middle.  It was revealed that the larger your waistline in your 40s, the greater the risk for developing dementia in later life.

            Scientists are now linking precise mechanisms showing how immune cells stimulate new fat cells, causing obesity.

            • Obesity Increases Risk for Aggressive Breast Cancer,

              A wake up call has been issued to women.  If you are overweight and you get breast cancer it is more likely to be life threatening, and you have significantly poorer odds of being alive 5 or 10 years following treatment if weight issues are not corrected. 

              A fascinating study shows that children lacking good digestive bacteria at birth were much more likely to become overweight by age 7 compared to children with healthy levels of friendly digestive bacteria. 

              New information helps to explain how breast and prostate cancer are linked to obesity.  Two hormones that come from fat, leptin and adiponectin, are involved in the problem.

              • Cancer Risk Goes Up with Body Weight,

                UK researchers have reviewed 140 studies evaluating body mass index (obesity) and the risk for cancer.  They found that as body weight goes up, cancer risk goes up.  The incidences of various types of cancer were directly linked to progressive obesity.

                Numerous genes are different in those whose ancestors came from more Northern climates, especially changes in the leptin receptors.  This clearly means the stronger your ancestry is linked to colder climates the more you are genetically predisposed to obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease.

                The latest salvo fired off at the multi-billion dollar sweetener industry found that feeding rats zero-calorie saccharin (the main component of Sweet n’ Low), compared to actually eating sugar, caused them to eat more food in general as well as depressed their metabolic response to food – a double negative that readily promoted weight gain. 

                Norwegian researchers found that obese individuals were significantly lacking in vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E.  This lack of nutrients was associated with a mild elevation of C-Reactive protein, an important inflammatory marker.

                • Sleep Problems and Obesity in Children,

                  A February 2008 meta analysis regarding children and their lack of sleep is driving home an important point:  children who do not get enough sleep are much more likely to gain excess weight.  Children with the least amount of sleep had a 92% higher rate of being overweight compared to the best sleepers. 

                  The latest finding in a considerable body of evolving knowledge shows that poor development of leptin-related brain circuitry while in the womb is one common cause of later-life obesity.  Individuals who have this developmental weakness (which is no fault of their own) have little or no margin for error in how they live their life, unless they wish to place themselves on the fast track of accelerated aging and early onset of the diseases of aging....

                  It is about time that mainstream science is beginning to see the light.  A new scientific review of the evidence shows that America’s obesity epidemic is traceable to the shoddy public health policy and bogus nutrition science pushed on Americans by the federal government since 1970....

                  In the January 25, 2008 issue of the Lancet an article appears, which if followed up on, would positively change the health of all Americans for generations to come.  The article is titled Environmental pollution and diabetes: a neglected association.  It is based on a solid scientific link between insulin resistance and pollution, especially compounds like PCBs and many pesticides used on food.

                  A study released today in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association tested 15,660 African-American and Caucasian men over a 7.5 year period to determine if exercise capacity is a specific predictor of mortality.  The study found that very fit individuals had a 70% reduced death rate and highly fit individuals had a 50% reduced death rate. 

                  The circumstantial evidence has been in for quite some time, the larger the abdomen the greater the risk for heart disease…

                  • Higher Dietary Protein Helps Control Appetite,

                    A new study shows that ghrelin, your stomach’s very own appetite signal, is much more under control for a longer period of time in response to a high protein meal.  When carbohydrates are eaten alone ghrelin is temporarily happy, but comes back with a vengeance 3 hours later (causing you to be more hungry).

                    R-Alpha Lipoic Acid is one of the hottest research nutrients, a powerful antioxidant that is also intimately involved in the metabolism of calories.  Researchers from the Linus Pauling Institute and College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University have completed animal studies clearly showing that “lipoic acid can inhibit formation of arterial lesions, lower triglycerides, and reduce blood vessel inflammation and weight gain – all key issues for addressing cardiovascular disease.”

                    It was surprising enough when fat was found making various hormones like leptin and adiponectin and thus became an endocrine organ (hormone secreting).  It is now time to add bones to the list of endocrine organs that have a major influence on the metabolism of calories.  The new discoveries have immediate implications for improved bone health, improved blood sugar levels, and weight management.

                    A variety of new studies regarding the health benefits of whey protein, especially for middle aged and older Americans, are now being reported in the scientific literature.  Whey protein stands out as the very best protein to build muscle strength, even superior to red meat.  A new scientific review finds this is a very important issue for older Americans trying to maintain their health…

                    I have long reported that sleep is the primary fat-burning time, especially when a person does not eat food before bed.  Of course if you exercise you will burn more calories during and following exercise; but in terms of the ideal time of the day to simply burn more fat it is during sleep.  Between meals during the day (assuming you do not snack) you will burn 60% glucose and 40% fatty acids.  After 6 hours of not eating (such as during sleep) this ratio flips around and you begin to burn 60% fatty acids until you wake up, your prime fat-burning time if you have managed your daily eating patterns according to the Leptin Diet.

                    Researchers at Tel Aviv University are the first to identify a link between bad breath and being overweight.  Alcohol intake was also a problem.  While it is well known that poor dental hygiene is a typical factor in bad breath, it can now be understood that poor metabolism and/or poor digestive health may be large factors in this issue.

                    In a study with 27 type II diabetic women it was found that three grams of fish oil per day (containing 1.8 grams of omega 3 fatty acids like DHA) given for two months reduced total fat mass as well as reduced the size of fat cells.  Inflammatory genes operating within fat were also reduced, an important result indicating that leptin status was improved (though not directly measured).  This study shows how fish oil can improve unhealthy body composition even in individuals with significantly disturbed metabolism.

                    Fancy experiments with high tech equipment are now becoming the norm.  Such research is beginning to unravel the complex mystery of genes and related proteins involved in metabolism.  Acetyl-L-Carnitine has long been known to help metabolize fat.  Lipoic Acid has long been known to help metabolize carbohydrate.  A new study with fat cells show that the two used together, better than either alone, work synergistically to increase the metabolic rate of fat cells. 

                    It has been known for a while that dental bacterial infections and gum disease are linked to an increase in heart disease.  Researchers have now shown that obesity suppresses the anti-bacterial defense system leading to bacterial infections in the mouth.  This is the first study of this type to show this correlation.

                    • Fitness More Important than Obesity for Survival in Elderly,

                      An interesting new study in older Americans shows very clearly that those who are the most fit live the longest.  Fit fatter people live longer than thin unfit people.  Of course, those who are overweight have a tendency to become unfit – a bad combination.  It is now also clear that those overweight early in life are more likely to get a variety of diseases.  However, these new findings are quite encouraging to those who are consistently exercising in an effort to improve their health, yet may still be struggling with their weight.

                      Proper health preparation prior to and during pregnancy has a profound affect on the future health of the child.  The “fetal programming” that takes place is especially involved with energy regulation, formation of metabolic “hardware,” and the likelihood of obesity during childhood or even adulthood.

                      It has long been thought that extra body weight, while a risk for many health problems, was not a risk for bone health.  A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is now raising concerns of abnormal bone formation due to obesity.

                      New research is uncovering how hemoglobin behaves within a cell to deliver oxygen to the cell engines so that calories can be burned as fuel.  Oxygen must be present within cells in order for metabolism to work at an optimal rate.  Thyroid hormone is short-circuited at the cellular level if oxygen is not present.

                      • Obesity Drugs are Problematic,

                        Obesity drugs are big business, pulling in 1.2 billion in sales last year.  The British Medical Journal just published a review of the three main weight loss drugs and found that Orlistat increased rates of gastrointestinal side effects and slightly lowered concentrations of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), Sibutramine lowered concentrations of HDL, raised blood pressure, and increased pulse rate, and Rimonabant increased the risk of depression, anxiety, and mood disorders.

                        The use of pine nuts and pine nut oil dates back to Greek and Roman times.  They have a long history of modulating appetite and boosting energy.  The oil contains a unique fatty acid called pinolenic acid, a cousin of the essential fatty acid known as GLA.  Pine nut oil is the only known food with a high amount of this unique fatty acid.

                        • Death Rate from Prostate Cancer Much Higher in Overweight Men,

                          A new study confirms that men who are overweight or obese are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer.  I reported back in 2002 in my book, Mastering Leptin, that leptin problems (overweight issues) are a main risk for developing prostate or breast cancer.  The science was known back then.  Obesity generates highly inflammatory signals that directly induce the cancer risk problem. 

                          Researchers conducted a simple mouse experiment that showed eating a diet too high in fat causes a disruption of the 24-hour biological clock.  While their experiment is simple, and their results not unexpected, the meaning of the results is profound.

                          A new study by researchers at the University of Michigan shows that children who get less than 9.75 hours of sleep in the third grade are 40 percent more likely to be overweight in the sixth grade (whether they were already overweight or not in the third grade).  It was found that the longer the kids slept, the less the chance for obesity.  It is already known that adults lacking sleep (less then 7 hours) are at increased risk for weight gain.  The researchers believe this problem is caused by disruption of healthy leptin function, as well as disruption of one of leptin’s companions, ghrelin (pronounced grel-an).

                          Researchers have uncovered a clear correlation between Down Syndrome and leptin resistance.  Earlier research has linked Autism and its spectrum of disorders with leptin resistance.  While leptin problems are typically considered for their role in obesity, it is important to remember that leptin in the brain is a primary antioxidant that prevents excitotoxic nerve damage.  I explain this in my book, Mastering Leptin.

                          • Obesity, Fatty Liver, and Nutrient Deficiency,

                            The accumulation of fat in the liver is a significant health problem that clogs liver function, setting the stage for diabetes and other issues.  It is typically occurring in direct relationship to one’s expanding waistline.  Researchers just showed that stimulating the metabolism of fat significantly helped mice clear up this problem.

                            The acquisition of food is vital for survival. Due to this important fact the pleasure-related reward circuitry in the brain is designed to make eating and pleasure go hand in hand.  Indeed, when mice have this pleasure circuitry knocked out then they won’t even bother to acquire food in easy reach and starve.  While this principle is vital for survival, it is also fundamental to overeating and almost all other addictive tendencies are founded on food acquisition brain circuitry.

                            A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that men taking fish oil lost the most weight while on a diet, an additional 3 pounds over 8 weeks (for a total of 10 pounds).  Eating salmon was also helpful.

                            A new study echoes numerous earlier studies and explains that signals coming from fat cells, especially extra leptin due to obesity, is intimately involved with diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, and heart failure.  Indeed, fat itself is an active metabolic organ and until individuals learn how to regulate leptin as a life skill they are simply asking for trouble.

                            • Resveratrol Improves Insulin Function and Longevity,

                              Resveratrol is a natural antiseptic compound produced in plants when they are under attack, especially by mold.  It is highly concentrated in red grapes that grow in damp or moldy areas.  It is also contained in roots of plants used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine, such as Polygonum cuspidatum. 

                              The French have always eaten a complex carbohydrate rich diet containing three times the amount of saturated fat as Americans – and never gained weight.  Red wine, garlic, onions, olive oil, home cooking, fresh ingredients, a larger lunch, no snacking, and a smaller dinner were cited as reasons for the success of the French to maintain their proper weight.  Then, in 2000, the unthinkable happened.  French public health officials identified the French were getting fat, 33% were overweight or obese, a rate comparable to Americans back in the in the 70s.  Fast food companies and junk food machines had invaded France, the 30 billion-a-year snacking industry swooped down upon France - a culture that did not know what the word “snack” meant.

                              Almonds, an excellent dietary source of vitamin E, magnesium, fatty acids, and fiber are not only a great part of a healthy weight management program they help lower LDL cholesterol.  A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that when woman who ate 344 calories worth of almonds per day felt more satisfied and did not gain weight.  There is nothing worse for a person than eating a really light lunch thinking they are on a great diet only to have a power outage and food cravings set in by mid afternoon.  Eating enough quality fat at lunch helps prevent this problem.

                              Contrary to much faulty dietary advice, new science shows that fat is required, along with exercise, to stimulate fat cells to break down stored fat in overweight individuals.  It is quite true that eating too much fat, especially in combination with refined sugar, will lead to weight gain.  However, this new information shows that a low-fat diet is not the best way for an overweight person to stimulate weight loss. 

                              • Aerobics and Strength Training Improve Blood Sugar Control,

                                I am often asked what exercise is best for weight loss and health in general.  The answer is: any exercise – and many new studies show a combination of various types of exercise are superior to any one form of exercise by itself....

                                One-third of Americans are obese, two-thirds are overweight.  A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine issues a major wake up call.  The risk for developing heart disease in moderately overweight people is 32%, for obese people it is 81%.  Even if a person has normal levels of cholesterol and blood pressure, being moderately overweight still increases the risk by 17%, compared to 49% for an obese person.

                                A new study shows that the hunger signal ghrelin, as well as leptin itself, enhance the ability of the thymus gland to properly maintain the healthy function of immune cells during aging.  The shrinking of the thymus gland during aging corresponds with a lack of immune cells that want to go out and get the job done.  Instead, there are too many arm-chair generals that would rather sit around and tell war stories than do anything meaningful.  You can learn more about ghrelin by reading chapter 25 in Mastering Leptin.

                                A lack of dietary iron is now linked as a contributing factor to the development of obesity in toddlers.  Instead of adequate iron intake such toddlers often had extra sugar consumption in the form of fruit juice.  Either low iron or high sugar intake will induce obesity and the combination is not good.  Researchers found that obese toddlers had an incidence of 20% obesity, compared to 7% in non-obese toddlers.  Iron is required for the formation of hemoglobin which carries oxygen and the cellular utilization of thyroid hormone, important factors in healthy metabolism.