- 45% of women worry about Breast Cancer --> 3% die from it
- 3% of women worry about Cardiovascular disease --> 45% die from it
A clinical pearl: Something to watch for on your complete blood count (CBC) lab report is not only your LDL/HDL ratio or cholesterol - how about your routine white blood count (WBC)? One would think that the higher your routine WBC the more potent your immune fighting prowess is, yeah?
No.
Studies have shown that women with white blood counts 25% shy of the maximum normal range are twice as at risk as those women with white blood cells counts of 25% of the lower normal range.
That lose you? Let's say the normal range for WBC's is 5,000 - 11,000/MCL (they vary from lab to lab). If your routine WBC came in at 7,000, your risk is lower for cardiovascular disease than someone with a routine WBC of 10,000.
The key word here is routine WBC. Of course one's WBC's rise when one is ill or fending off an infection of some sort. That is needed. What is not needed is elevated WBC's all the time for year after year. What do elevated WBC's mean?
Inflammation.
Inflammation is a huge factor in the cause of cardiovascular disease and numerous others which I will not go into as the topic at hand is - yep - cardiovascular disease. Inflammation must be controlled.
One study states that the neutrophils are the ones to be wary of in high levels while lymphocytes are concerning at low levels.
A study which is free and may be of interest: The role of chronic inflammation in cardiovascular disease and its regulation by nutrients.
We all know how to fight cardiovascular disease but it seems like we don't do it. Why not? Because most do not think there exists a pill for it.
One magic pill does exist.
The magic pill is called Prevention and is found in every store aisle on the planet - for FREE. The problem is the cost is hard work on our own part to remain healthy. We cannot simply swallow a pill and watch our lives lengthen but that is what most of want. Drive through medicine. Heck - why not? We have drive-up banks, pharmacies, photo development, donut shops, coffee, fast food - even liquor stores in Australia are drive up!
We basically have drive thru medicine already given that insurance companies only allow doctors 15 minutes with a patient. Patients already know what they want given all the TV drug ads. So patient walks in. Doc walks in. Patients says I have X and want Z. Doc writes a prescription. Patient walks out, gets in car, drives up to pharmacy. Swallows pill. Better?
That's a bit of soap box. Back to the task at hand.
I understand the fear of breast cancer. The word cancer in of itself is scary. The term cardiovascular disease isn't very scary. If people were told it caused retinal hemorrhoids, sudden death, drooling the rest of your life after a stroke, losing control of your bowel functions or unable to communicate, they may consider it more seriously.
Would you like to wake up one morning blind or unable to talk at the age of 50?
Breast cancer is scary. It can be spotted and successfully treated. Cardiovascular disease can be prevented altogether with proper lifestyle habits. If one lives without smoking, exercising a bit, eating produce and not getting diabetes, then cholesterol and blood pressure levels remain healthy.
Prevent a major silent killer. Breast cancer is more feared as it is in the press more often as it is more dramatic. Cardiovascular disease is not nearly as dramatic - but it is way more deadly.
You can prevent that.
In health,
Ben
