Nutrition vs Safety: Omega 3 Oils and Mercury in Seafood

Heart Disease and HIV- What to Do?

Some HIV+ people have emailed me worried about this report:

Heart Attacks Found Early and Frequently in HIV Positive People

Calculate your 5 year estimated cardiovascular risk: D-A-D Cardiovascular Risk Equation for HIV+ People

My suggestions to minimize heart disease (not in any other of importance):

1- Do not smoke

2- Keep your cholesterol and triglycerides within normal ranges (with exercise, diet, HIV medication change, fish oils, even medications)

3- Exercise 4 times a week for an hour

4- Take a baby aspirin every day (81 mg)

5- Take 200 mg of Coenzyme Q-10 and 2000 mg of carnitine per day

6- Get a stress test every two years 

7- Have one to two glasses a day of red wine, no more.

8- Controversial topic: avoid abacavir (Ziagen, Epzicom), D4T, AZT, Crixivan.

9- Control your HIV to under 50 copies all the time

10- Manage stress: meditate, take a hobby, do pleasurable things every day, let go of what you cannot control, etc

11- Avoid street drugs, except moderate pot for pain or appetite.

12- Get your blood pressure under control 

13- Keep your weight down

14- Keep your gums healthy

15- Eat cold water fish (salmon, sardines, etc) at least once a week

16- Have a hand full of nuts once a day

17- Keep your testosterone and thyroid hormones within healthy ranges.

18- Know the symptoms of a heart attack and call 911 immediately if you ever have them. Do not deny them or "sleep them off".  Do not have a friend take you to the hospital. Call 911 and paramedics will pre-treat you right when they are driving you to the hospital. Read about symptoms: Symptoms of a heart attack

How Can I Lower Cholesterol Without Drugs?

Lower cholesterol without drugs
Jun 6, 2008
My cholesterol levels have crept above 200 after three years on Reyataz & Epzicom. I'm in good condition with my aerobic exercise routine, take supplements that should help my cholesterol (like omega-3s and green tea extracts), and have a small glass of red wine most evenings with dinner. I avoid fried and overly-processed foods for the most part. How much can I reasonably expect my eating and exercise habits to be effective in lowering my cholesterol? Is there anything you recommend I add to my supplements to help (e.g. l-carnitine)?



Response from Mr. Vergel

It seems that you are doing everyting you can to lower cholesterol but I have a few suggestions:

Just make sure that you are taking at least 3000-4000 mg a day of Omega 3 capsules, that you sweat while doing cardio for at least 20 min a day, that your sweet consumptions is low, that you are eating oatmeal daily , and that you do not exceed two glasses of wine a day. L-Carnitine at 2000 mg a day can also help bring triglycerides and cholesterol down, specially taken with Omega 3 fatty acids. Niacin has also been shown to be effective decreasing cholesterol. In some studies, niacin at daily doses of 2-3 grams can lower LDL and total cholesterol by approximately 20-30%, lower triglycerides by 35-55%, and increase HDL cholesterol by 20-35%. It can cause "flushing" of the skin in some patients for 20-30 minutes that may make it uncomfortable for them to take it. Slow adjustment of the dosage, administration with food, and giving a baby aspirin before niacin may minimize these reactions. Niacin is available as an over-the-counter supplement and also as a prescription drug called Niaspan.

Some people do all they can to lower cholesterol naturally but are yet to get down to recommended levels. There are genetic factors involved in many cases. For those, taking lipid lowering meds is a good idea.

Keep up with the great work!

Nelson