5 replies to this topic

[JR7]

With some 23andme genetic testing and the following article:

 

http://blog.23andme....ysm-identified/

 

Ive been able to determine that I am at fairly high risk for an aneurysm. With that said, what supplemental approaches (or any other for that matter) can I take to avoid this?

 

Thank you 

Edited by Jreinhal, 21 March 2015 - 11:26 PM.

[RWhigham]

Make sure your copper, zinc, and vit-C  intake is correct. Google "copper aneurysm".  The copper oxide from plumbing is considered a hazard (perhaps its a fable, smarter people than me might could tell you). I purify the water I drink and need to take supplemental zinc and copper in the proper balance. Too much of either may depress the other.

 

[david ellis]

I, with little evidence, have made a diet choice to support health of the cardiovascular system and hopefully reduce the probability of a stroke.   My support is the evidence in Ray Peat's comments on gelatin.   Ray Peat knows that gelatin is anti-inflammatory.  The anti-inflammatory effect  might help.

 

The anti-inflammatory effect was strong for me.  My sleep was sound(undisturbed by little pains), and my arthritis in the lower back didn't manifest when I awoke.  

 

During the first three of the 5 months I have taken NOW gelatin at 20 grams a day, I had  deep sleep, a dreamless sleep, sleeping 8 hours before BPH woke me, then sleeping 2 hours more.   After 5 months, I may have one or two nights a week when I can remember a dream

   

My first goal was to rebuild my left meniscus using gelatin.   People have found that growth hormone is increased when gelatin is added to the diet so it is possible that the meniscus can improve.     I think because my right leg is shorter, the VMO muscle on the left leg atrophied.     With an atrophied VMO maybe the meniscus was stressed by it's lateral movement causing knee cap displacement doing squats.   When the VMO is much stronger I will risk doing squats again, to verify that I am 100%.    Walking is no problem I do 3 -4 1/2 mile walks a week with an even stride provided by 3/8" extra on my boot sole..   No pain, except for shin splints when I started.

 

Gelatin used to be a large part of our diets.   Nothing was thrown away in the past,   but now bones, skin, and organs are greatly reduced in our diets.  So, I believe my diet is improved by taking gelatin.   I have increased the amount of gelatin, and hopefully my blood vessels will be also a bit more elastic and strong like I think my ligaments and joints are now.

 

(check out controlling homocysteine with supplements - if a doctor thinks it would help)

[niner]

Copper supplementation has pretty bad epidemiology-- generally speaking, people who take free-standing copper supplements (not multis) do worse, rather than better than people who don't take them.   It doesn't really look like copper is a factor in aneurisms anyway:
 

Br J Surg. 1985 May;72(5):352-3.
Is tissue copper deficiency associated with aortic aneurysms?
Senapati A, Carlsson LK, Fletcher CD, Browse NL, Thompson RP.

It has been suggested that patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms are deficient in tissue copper. Levels of copper and zinc in liver and aortic wall were therefore measured in 11 patients with aortic aneurysms and 11 fresh cadavers with normal aortas. The concentrations of copper were similar in both groups. Zinc concentration was higher in the normal aortic wall, probably because of the greater thickness of the media in the normal aorta. We found no evidence that aortic aneurysms are associated with reduced tissue copper concentrations.

PMID: 3995240

 
 

Ann Chir Gynaecol. 1994;83(4):304-8.
Copper and zinc concentrations of abdominal aorta and liver in patients with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm or aortoiliacal occlusive disease.
Jaakkola P, Hippeläinen M, Kantola M.

It has been suggested that low copper concentrations in tissues could be a risk factor in the development of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA). To further elucidate this argument, liver and abdominal aortic specimens were obtained from 19 patients with an AAA and 26 patients with aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD) during an operation. After tissue breakdown and liquefaction, the samples were tested for copper and zinc with atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The mean aortic copper level was 3.8 (microgram/g dry weight) in the AAA-group and 3.2 in the AIOD-group. The liver copper values were 27.7 and 25.9 respectively. The zinc concentrations in AAA- and AIOD-groups were 61.1 (microgram/g dry weight) and 62.8 for the aortas and 207.9 and 191.7 for liver specimens, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding the copper and zinc concentrations found in the aorta or liver specimens. On the basis of our findings, it seems unlikely that copper and zinc in the aortic wall or in the liver would play an important role in the pathogenesis of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms.

PMID: 7733614

[RWhigham]

I have the 23andMe higher aneurysm risk, so I had an ultrasound AAA screening test. The test put my mind at ease.  It cost $50 at a local vascular clinic.

 

You can lower your risk of aneurysm by keeping your blood pressure low, and not smoking.

 

My blood pressure was 120/70 twenty years ago. It is 95/55 today (relaxed) or 108/55 (holding my stomach in) which I attribute to taking 90 mcg/day of Jarrow MK-7 for 20 years. Ultrasound doesn't show any calcification in my arteries.  MK-7 enables calcium to only go where its supposed to.   I also took 8,000 IU/day of vitamin D3 and 1g/daily calcium from calcium hydroxyapatite which perhaps could have caused calcification problems without the MK-7.  I like to think I have the blood pressure of a kid because my arteries are as clean as a kids.

[JR7]

Thank you all for the replies. So, it sounds like gelatin is my best option.