Jane Brody hit the nail on the head again this week with her article “New Thinking On How To Protect The Heart”. After all is said and done; after billions of dollars have been spent on cholesterol lowering drugs, studies are now confirming what has been know anecdotally for decades; Heart attacks are ”caused” if you will by the inflamatory process. The inflamatory process is triggered by infections (periodontal disease, for one) and emotions. Did you ever watch old movies where the angry old guy droped dead of a heart attack? That seems to be more in sync with what really happens.
In my nursing career, I have seen two men I can think of who attributed their heart attacks to emotional events. One man lost a young daughter to an act of violence. During each of the two trials of the perp, this man had a heart attac. Another man I cared for said that on September 11, 2001, he became so angry watching TV reports of the days’ events that he had a heart attack. A woman I cared for went to the hospital to be with her husband of 20 some years who suffered a stroke. There she met his other wife and children. He’d lived a double life for years. She also suddenly had a heart attack.
I plan to continue ding my part in spreading the word by giving my presentation “Turning In When You Are Stressing Out” to groups. I take a didactic approach, share practical, affordable, effective remedies for stress, and end with a wonderful Guided Imagery session. Until Big Pharma comes up with a Meditation drug, the basics will have to do.
