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Bladder infections can make life very uncomfortable for those who have them. However, there is a lot you can do at home to make these infections less unpleasant, and get rid of them quickly. The best home remedy is to drink a lot of fluids. This is probably the single most important remedy for immediate relief and comfort. By urinating, you will flush out the bacteria from your blood faster. The longer any amount of urine stays in the bladder, the more bacteria stay in there. It is believed that E coli doubles its population about every 20 minutes. And more bacteria means more discomfort. Taking a hot bath is the next best thing that you can do. Many women vouch for a hot bath to get immediate relief from pain and inflammation caused by bladder infection. Taking anti-inflammatory medicines like aspirin or ibuprofen also provides relief to a lot of people. They reduce the inflammation in the bladder and thereby lessen the burning. About 1,000 mg of vitamin c consumed every day will acidify the urine enough to stop further bacterial growth. This is an especially good idea if you're having problems with recurring bladder infections or if you do not have access to quick medical help. But you must keep in mind that some antibiotics prescribed for bladder infections do not work in acidic urine. It is advisable to inform your doctor if you're taking vitamin C along with the dosage amounts. Cranberry juice is known to help for the same reasons mentioned above. Wiping from front to back after going to the bathroom helps prevent infections from occurring. It helps to move bacteria away from, not toward, the vagina and the opening of the urethra. Going to the bathroom before intercourse helps flush out bacteria that may be present in the vagina and otherwise might get pushed into the bladder by intercourse. You must also visit the bathroom after intercourse. A man's penis can massage bacteria present in the opening of the urethra into the bladder, and a rinse will help you clean yourself. Bladder infections can be prevented if you use pads instead of tampons for the same reasons mentioned above. Lastly, good hygiene always helps to keep bladder infections away. This means wearing cotton underwear that keeps you dry, avoiding tight jeans that decrease ventilation, and most of all, keeping clean. does vigrx work plastic surgery penis enlargment penis enlargment tip penis enargement pic truth about penis enlagement pills manual penis enargement exercise penis girth enhancement guide to pennis enlargement

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Why does God need a gender? Can’t we, as creative beings come up with something more majestic than biological anatomy? Doesn’t the Holy Spirit transcend flesh? I thought that is what the resurrection was all about. It makes me feel like we are children playing with dolls. Here is the mommy, here is the baby and here is daddy whom we obey and who punishes us when we are bad. Isn’t that a rather limiting concept? I like to think that the Grace which generates healing and love is a bit more universal, resplendent and powerful than that. Do I believe that the Holy Spirit manifested as a human man 2,000 years ago and showed us a perception which expanded our earth-bound senses? Yes. For humans to incarnate, we have to come up with either a male or female body. I believe the Holy Spirit could just as easily be a female and in many cases has and still does reveal itself as exactly that. The point is, Spirit itself is universal, so the gender of the vessel it travels in is not even relevant. Once again, we are feeding earthly values into our understanding of the Divine. When we do this, such values become as transitory and vulnerable as we humans are.They are further interpreted and reinterpreted by more humans who all have different earthly interests. They become superficial symbols to represent whatever a person’s own self interest is at the time. Therefore, we are back into the mire of fleshly helplessness from which the Spirit came to set us free. Gender is a superficial aspect of an entity, almost an afterthought. Maleness (testosterone) does not even inhabit the fetus until after the fourth week of development. Our biological system is set up so that we need two opposing sexes to produce a zygote from which the fetus starts to multiply itself. End of story about gender. It has nothing to do with the soul, with the spirit, with the capacity to love, with the goodness, energy and power of the Holy Spirit. The latter is exempt from such a very carnal aspect of being. Personally, I don’t feel comfortable with God having a penis any more than I do with God using a toilet. Also, there is no need for God to go around procreating a bunch of little offspring Gods. I understand that the notion of a mighty loving Source needs to be compared, at times, to a concept that is recognizable. It is like feeding strained food to a baby, it is reaching people at their level of understanding. Fair enough. But are we really that creatively impaired? Can’t we conceive of a force more closely related to what it really is? The Christians have always been hung up on male supremacy, so it makes sense that they would push the idea of God being a male. (Notice that the human, perishable, fleshly aspect of Christ is contributed by the woman.) I understand that for their particular culture at the time of incipient Christianity, the patriarchal society was considered to be most preferable. Okay. But here we are talking only of a social configuration. We are not talking about the Spirit which moves and breathes in us and in all living and non living things. We are talking about the energy which we know before we even incarnate, and which we will know after our incarnation has run its course. That seems vast and awesome to me. It seems greater, more nurturing, more loving, more dependable and more Present than the human male ever will be. But maybe that is just my own opinion. herbal pnis enlargement pills real penis enhancement vimax penis enlargement excersizes manual penis enlargment exercise penis enlagement review natural penile enlargement cheap pennis enlargement pennis enlargement testimonials penis enlargment tip

Since the dawn of civilization the culminating point of a love relationship between two lovers was described as making physical love, or in a raw language ‘having sex’. Ancient and modern literature from most of the cultures have taken the concept of love making to the level of ecstasy and art. Psychologists found out through analysis that sex plays most important role in a love relationship, within lovers as well as between husband and wife. State laws have allowed divorce on the basis of inability to have sex in either of the married couple. Sexuality is an important part of life, and the impact is undeniable, both mentally and physically. To both sexes, male and female, sexual prowess and sexual ability to have sex is associated with their inner ego. But what happens when your ego is hurt at the bottom? Erectile dysfunction is something that hits a man below the belt and leaves the man hopeless and extremely frustrated. The consequences of ED do not wait for my explanations; I know you can very well understand. May be some of you, who are reading my article, have actually gone through this phase of life, or presently going through. Until recently, erectile dysfunction was a hush-hush matter and men were ashamed of discussing their penile weakness even to their doctor. Avoiding sex night after night giving meaningless excuses, on the other hand, leads to making the wives doubtful of their husbands’ fooling around. Men were leading life as if there were no solution to it; this conclusion was drawn after going through all the “operation impossible” s. I know it is a long story of pain and suffering. Hold it before you lose the last hope, there is a spark of light at the end of the tunnel…Viagra. You have heard about it but never tried it, am I right? Are you expecting any kind of assurance from a trusted source that you will not be blind after taking Viagra pill? Let me tell you that its not Viagra that caused the blindness but it was the reaction and the outcome of taking Viagra without prescription and not abiding by the restrictions given on the label. Again, Sildenafil, the main ingredient of Viagra, not only gives you strong erection per pill, it actually treat Priapism, a disease related to painful erection for more than 6 hours without any sexual stimulation or desire. At the same time, Viagra can slowly correct mechanism of the blood flow to the penis. If you were reluctant on the issue of discussing your ED with your wife, just go and see your physician and talk to him about your physical condition, ask him if you can take Viagra and get back to normal sexual life. I do not consider the idea of living with ED as a good one. Since the introduction of Viagra, things have changed so fast that people are no longer referring to male erection problem as impotence, but a new term has popped up for it, ‘erectile dysfunction’ that is more scientific and less ego-hurting. Impotence is no longer a male characteristic or image, rather a name of a disease that is treatable. The impossible was made possible only by Viagra, the pioneer pill in treating erectile dysfunction. Why do not you try and enjoy even better sexual life? penis elargement surgery cost vimax free penis enlargement exercise penis enlagement pills product penis enlargement system penile enlargement device natural penis enlargment penis enlagement traction device sex vigrx penis enlargment tip

A typical day at the inbox Today, I received 374 emails total. A pretty light day considering some days I get more than 1,000. To clarify what they were35 were for business, 4 were personal in nature, 11 were from groups I asked to get information from like Neiman Marcus and Urban Outfitters, VH1, and a PR Newsletter. The balance of 324 was unsolicited (UCEunsolicited commercial email)in other words spam. If I extrapolate the UCE I’ve gotten in the last six hours alone, I find I must be missing something about myself on some spiritual level.. I am a balding, fat man with a small penis that doesn’t work. I am in debt. I am looking for a lower interest rate on my mortgage while at the same time making thousands of dollars with no effort on my part in the privacy of my own home—filling out surveys, stuffing envelopes and not selling something that miraculously sells itself. Even better, I can be a travel agent without wrinkles; obtain a college degree while waiting for my 1500 advance to show up in my bank account; I can restore my credit rating legally while watching my free satellite TV and munching on my drugs sent courtesy of an offshore pharmacy that has a doctor who will write me a prescription… HMMM…definitely something to consider. NOT. I’ve also discovered that I am a prime candidate to help an African Prince transfer funds into the US. He trusts me. All I have to do is give him my bank account information. The problem is that I am a woman who doesn’t suffer those ills. Someone thinks I do…There is something wrong with this picture. The future of bulk email and why it is likely to remain dead Now, you might be asking why I, who was dubbed the “Spam Queen” in the “Wall Street Journal” three years ago, am even bothering to say anything about email? Just to set the record straight, I have never advocated spam or sending spam. One reporter said to me, "Some people consider all bulk email as spam. What do you have to say about that?" to which I replied, "Then I guess you'd call me the spam queen," as a joke. In our sound byte media world, one editor turned this little quip into a buzzword and I became known almost instantly, all over the world, as representing what everyone, including myself, hates about email. The media as usual emphasized sensationalism and missed the point. I am not complaining because my marketing business skyrocketed as a result. At that time I advocated email as a very effective medium for small business, which because of its low cost lets small businesses level the playing field against big corporations. At no small personal risk, I visited the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, DC, and spoke my peace about small businesses and not throwing out the baby with the bathwater before even the very term spam could be legally agreed upon and defined to the satisfaction of marketers, ISPs and the government jointly. Small businesses are the lifeblood of the US economy, and entrepreneurs with their dreams are what have made the US the economic powerhouse it still is today. Email that is sent to people who WANT to receive it, and that is in accordance with their preferences, still gets a high response. It allows many small businesses to get ahead. I didn't want to see big corporations or the government take over email and bar entry, filter, and extort everyone else while still sending their own advertising messages freely. And then came the CanSpam act, which I and many other legitimate marketers welcomed, because it had a great promise of getting rid of the noise while keeping the signal. As it turned out, the opposite happened. Email filters from ISP's now block a large amount of legitimate messages, which they call "false positives". Marketers can't send the text they would like to send to their subscribers, so they have to resort to filter tricking tactics such as spelling the word spam as sp@@@M so that they can get past the filters that were intended for another purpose entirely. In a climate like this, legitimate companies that had been diligently following best practices, and keeping their lists clean for years, suddenly did not want to stay in business with ambiguities in the law and the potential litigation that might ensue even if all the rules WERE followed, so many companies just folded. However the people that continue to send email illegally did not fold. Often times sending from outside the US borders, they stepped up their operations even more, to the point that there is almost no truly legitimate bulk email left. In other words, the signal has become lost in the noise. The simplicity is this — bulk commercial email has gotten to the point where it isn’t effective. We just don’t do it anymore. What’s the point? It doesn’t get a response, and we found people are overloaded with advertising messages and no longer willing to receive more, especially in their inbox, unless they specifically asked for it. As a marketing professional, the only thing that should count for you at the end of the day is effectiveness. Bulk commercial email has turned into the above, a bunch of unprofessional, ineffective scams. In other words, Spam is a fourletter word. Legitimate marketers are staying away in droves and it’s easy to see why. First of all let’s look at some facts. In the United States, it is legal to send unsolicited commercial email. The CAN SPAM act allows for this. You have to provide a way to optout and not hide who you are, and a few more simple but ethical rules. Although it is legal, there isn’t an internet service provider in the United States who will allow you to send unsolicited commercial email. Larger mailers have optin information from lists they purchase which imply consent but those lists aren’t originated from the mailer, but from other submailers—you get a free thing or access to a particular site and the user checks a box that it is okay to get information from their “affiliates and partners.” The “affiliates and partners” they are referring to are those who pay for the email addresses and optin information. These guys are sending you mail legally, but the fact is, they are not getting into your email box for the most part. Blocking, filtering, and doing it the “legal” way bulk wise, is just not working. Not to mention, there is no way to prove that the recipients opted in or are willing to get the message since they opted in at someone else’s site, not yours. The response rate is pathetic and when that mail does get through, you have many disgruntled individuals who never remember opting in, so in their view, the mail is unsolicited. The only way to get email into inboxes en masse is by not following the rules, so the only messages getting through are the scams, including the pornographic, illegal, and objectionable. It is ironic that the very thing people want to rail against, they are getting more of in the aftermath of CanSpam. So where does that leave us? What can a small businessperson do to get their message out, and not break their bank? How to market effectively in the new internet wave If you are a small businessperson, there are 3 alternatives that you should consider, which are described in this next section: What is effective you might ask? (Ask away, it’s kind of the point here..) 1) First party offers that impart some value added (a tip; some information, something the consumer is interested in.) Lets say John Q. Consumer gave his email address for a newsletter, or for more information on a particular subject, or to play a game. Chances are he probably would not be angered to get an email from your company especially since he asked for you to contact him. He would recognize your domain name since he spent enough time on your site to actually ask the info. Additionally, your internet service provider would not shut you down for violations and you’d start to build a small but effective list of people who are actually interested in what you, as a business owner, have to say. This has been effective since the beginning of the internet. The only problem is, how do you reach people the first time, to get them to your site? How do you find a target market for your products that is likely to be interested in what you have to offer and sign up for your newsletter, visit your site, and hopefully buy your stuff? Is there anything less costly than television, radio, and (ugh!) banner ads? Yes there is. Drum roll please…..Search Engine Marketing. If you write good ads, and compete with the right keywords, people who are already searching for an answer to a question, doing research, comparison shopping will go to a search engine and type in their parameters. If you know how to market well, only people who are interested will go to your site. If you have a web site that is compelling and you are offering a value added, they will ask for more information or sign up for your newsletter, or get your free download. Now, getting to this point can sometimes take a little time, but if you are persistent, and know how to interpret your statistics, you can do this. If you want the result without the learning curve, hire a Search Engine Marketing Firm. So the new tools for small businesspeople to stampede traffic to their websites in 2005 and beyond are going to be: 1) Search Engine Marketing 2) Publicity, including press releases that provide meaningful news 3) Providing quality content and expert commentary for radio, TV, and internet hubs in your field You can be successful on the internet and these tools help to establish you as an expert in your field, as well as attract the very people who are looking for your product or service at the same time. These are the tools of a new form of marketing, which people are calling "In Touch" Marketing, or "intelligent marketing" and is one way to cut through and actually get you the most possible business, at the lowest possible cost, with laser precise targeting. In future articles I will teach you how to use them with deadly precision. This is the new way for small businesses and entrepreneurs to succeed in 2005 and beyond. 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If you’ve ever witnessed someone suffer a stroke, you understand the humbling nature of this disease. It can reduce the mightiest human being to an immobile, helpless creature. Impairment of crucial functions like speech, walking, and control of bowel and bladder can wrench control from the body in a moment. Even perpetually youthful TV personality Dick Clark was struck down by stroke at age 75, despite the outward appearance of perfect health. Clark’s stroke resulted in a six-week hospital stay and, judging from fragmented reports, significant disability. Stroke can be like a devastating fire that strikes without warning, leaving only smoldering rubble. Stroke can so ravage basic bodily functions that often all you can hope for is to regain a portion through rehabilitation. The disease process that underlies stroke requires decades—30 or 40 years—to develop. With that much lead time, why aren’t we better able to detect or stop this crippling disease? The truth is that we are able to predict many, if not most, strokes. Advances in imaging technology allow detection of atherosclerotic plaque that cause stroke years before it becomes a threat. Progress in deciphering the causes of stroke has also leapt forward. Unfortunately, your neighborhood physician still focuses on diagnosing the crisis rather than anticipating it. Physicians prefer to deal with catastrophes and are just not that interested in prevention. Most physicians ask: “Is it time to operate or not?” The medical community obsesses over procedures like carotid endarterectomy (surgical removal of plaque) or carotid stents. Even when a person is afforded the warnings of a “mini-stroke”, or transient ischemic attack (TIA), little more is done once it’s determined that surgery is not necessary—even though this person has high risk for future stroke (50% over 10 years). Let’s flip-flop this approach to stroke. Procedures represent a failure of prevention! Where do strokes come from? Stroke develops when some portion of the brain is deprived of blood. This usually results from a tiny bit of debris that dislodges from an atherosclerotic plaque along the walls of an artery (the same sort that accumulates in coronaries causing heart attack). The sources of debris have been a subject of controversy, but new imaging technologies have settled the question. Any blood vessel that leads from the heart to the brain can be a source. The two carotid arteries on both sides of your neck are a frequent source, as these arteries are prone to develop plaque. (Our discussion will be confined to what are called thromboembolic, or ischemic, strokes, i.e, strokes that occur from plaque that fragments, sending debris to the brain, and will not include the far less common hemorrhagic strokes due to rupture of small vessels in the brain, nor will we discuss atrial fibrillation and other heart causes of stroke. The thromboembolic strokes we discuss cause around 88% of all strokes.) Over the last 10 years, the aorta has been recognized as another important source of stroke. The aorta is the main artery of the body whose branches go to the head, arms, and legs. Atherosclerotic plaque is a live tissue that, through poor diet, inactivity, high cholesterol, overweight, etc., grows and becomes progressively more unstable. At some point, plaque fragments. Little bits break away, traveling to the brain. Fractured plaque also exposes its deeper structures to flowing blood, triggering blood clot formation, which in turn can also fragment and go to the brain. Atherosclerotic plaque is a prerequisite for the most common causes of stroke. If the majority of strokes originate from plaque, why not measure plaque to determine if you’re at risk for stroke? How can we easily, safely, and accurately measure plaque in the carotid arteries and aorta? And if plaque can be measured, can it be shrunk or inactivated to reduce or eliminate risk for stroke? How can plaque be measured? Just 20 years ago, the only practical method of identifying plaque in the carotids or aorta was through angiography, requiring catheters inserted into the body to inject x-ray dye. Angiography was impractical as a screening measure. CT scanning and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are emerging as exciting methods of imaging both carotids and aorta. Unfortunately, most centers and physicians are much more focused on the diagnostic uses of these technologies for people who have already suffered stroke or other catastrophe, and application of these devices for preventive uses is still evolving. One exception is when aortic calcification or aortic enlargement is incidentally noted on the increasingly popular CT heart scans; this is an important finding that can signal presence of aortic plaque. The one test that is widely available and can be performed in just about any center is carotid ultrasound. It’s simple, painless, and precise. Two basic observations can be made: 1. Plaque detection—Atherosclerotic plaque can be clearly visualized. If plaque blocks more than 70% of the diameter of the vessel, or if there are “soft” (unstable) elements in plaque, then stroke risk may be high enough to justify surgery or stents. However, if there are plaques that are less severe, substantial risk for stroke may still be present that can be reduced with preventive measures. 2. Carotid intimal-medial thickness—This is a measure of the thickness of the lining of the carotid artery in areas not involved by plaque, but often precedes the development of mature plaque. Carotid intimal-medial thickness also provides an index of body-wide potential for atherosclerotic plaque that can place you at risk for stroke. The aorta, for instance, cannot be well imaged by surface ultrasound but can still be a source for stroke. Increased carotid intimal-medial thickness and carotid plaque are closely associated with likelihood of aortic plaque. The Rotterdam Study of 4000 participants demonstrated that if carotid intimal-medial thickness is greater than normal (1.0 mm), then you can be at risk for stroke (and heart attack), even if no carotid plaques are detected. Carotid ultrasound is the one test you should consider that provides the most information with least effort. Ultrasound is harmless, painless, and can be obtained just about anywhere. Even if your doctor disagrees with your request for a carotid ultrasound, an increasing number of mobile services are popping up nationwide that make this test available for around $100. One important point: many scanners and interpreters will only report whether plaque is present or not. While this is important information, you should request that the carotid-intimal medial thickness be made as well. Not all centers can make this simple measure (because of software requirements), but it doesn’t hurt to try. Any amount of carotid plaque is reason to follow a preventive program, even if the plaque is insufficient to justify surgery. Can plaque be reduced? Can we shrink plaque in carotid arteries and aorta and thereby reduce, perhaps eliminate, these sources of stroke? That question is gaining momentum as effective therapies become available that pack real punch for reducing plaque. Study after study has now documented that plaque can be reduced and, with it, risk for stroke. Reduction in plaque of 10–20% is possible within a year or two. Let’s consider the most potent influences on carotid and aortic plaque growth that need to be considered in a plaque-reducing program. (I assume that you are a non-smoker—if you are a smoker, you first need to concentrate on quitting.) Hypertension Considerable experience documents the power of blood pressure-lowering for prevention of stroke. The most recently updated guidelines, the JNC–VII, recommends a blood pressure of 407 mg/dl heightens stroke risk six-fold. C-reactive protein (CRP) This measure of inflammation is proving to be a useful marker for identifying people at risk for stroke, with increased risk beginning at a level of 0.5 mg/l. High CRP also predicts more rapidly growing carotid plaque. Homocysteine Homocysteine is an important marker of increased likelihood of both carotid and aortic plaque, as well as stroke. In 1997, the European Concerted Action Project reported more than a doubling of stroke when homocysteine levels exceeded 12 mol/l. As homocysteine increases to 20 μmol/l, risk for stroke and heart attack increases an amazing 10-fold over that at a level of 9 μmol/l. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) ADMA is recently discovered amino acid whose blood levels can skyrocket up to 10-fold in the presence of hypertension, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high cholesterol and triglycerides, obesity, and high homocysteine levels. ADMA blocks the action of the amino acid, l-arginine. This mimicry reduces the availability of nitric oxide, a powerful dilator and protector of arteries. ADMA levels in the top 10% predict a six-fold heightened risk for future stroke, and ADMA levels in people with strokes are double that in other people. A carotid ultrasound study in 116 subjects showed that higher blood levels of ADMA are associated with more severe carotid plaque. Because of ADMA’s shared role across a variety of abnormal conditions, correction or blocking the action of ADMA has been suggested as a unique therapeutic tool to reduce stroke risk. Cholesterol Data suggest that lowering cholesterol with statin cholesterol-lowering drugs slows carotid plaque growth and reduce stroke risk approximately 22%. An interesting study from the Cardiovascular Institute at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York using the precise measuring ability of MRI of the carotids and thoracic aorta showed an impressive 20% regression of plaque area with simvastatin (Zocor®) taken for two years. Although guidelines for cholesterol treatment recommend reduction of LDL cholesterol to 100 mg/dl in high-risk persons, a report from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, showed that carotid plaque was more effectively reduced when LDL cholesterol of 70 mg/dl or lower was achieved with statin cholesterol drugs. Lower LDL cholesterol may, therefore, be better. Treatment Strategies to Reduce Carotid and Aortic Plaque The essential question: How do we reduce carotid and aortic plaque? If we make this the focus of our efforts, many pieces begin to fall into place. If you’ve had any measure of carotid or aortic plaque such as a carotid ultrasound or aortic calcification on a CT heart scan, you know that you’re at increased risk for stroke. You also have a baseline for future comparison to gauge whether your program is working or not. Because most people have not one but several causes of carotid and aortic plaque, there is no one single treatment that effectively eliminates risk for stroke. Instead, most people require a comprehensive program of healthy diet, exercise, supplements, and medication when indicated. Here, we focus on the nutritional supplements that can be critical components of your plaque-reduction program. Fish oil Fish oil is a cornerstone of your stroke prevention program. Epidemiological observations suggest a strong relationship of fish intake and reduction of stroke risk. Carotid ultrasound studies demonstrate less carotid plaque with greater intakes of fish. A cleverly designed University of Southampton study made the fascinating observation that fish oil transforms the structure of carotid plaque. 150 people with severe carotid plaque scheduled for carotid endarterectomy (surgical removal of the plaque) were given fish oil, sunflower oil, or no treatment over several months while waiting for their procedure. (Delays in the British health system permitted this unique design.) Plaque was removed at surgery and examined. Participants taking fish oil had reduced inflammation in plaque and thicker tissue covering the fatty core, markers of more stable plaque. Those taking sunflower oil or no treatment had unstable plaques with greater inflammation and thinner, less sturdy covering tissue. This suggests that fish oil stabilizes carotid plaque, making it less likely to rupture and fragment. A standard capsule of fish oil (containing 300 mg of EPA + DHA) contains the same amount of omega-3s as a 3 oz serving of cod or halibut; three capsules (900 mg DHA + EPA) contain the equivalent of a serving of farm-raised salmon. The dose that seems to provide greatest protection from stroke, lowers triglycerides (that form abnormal lipoproteins; see above), and reduces fibrinogen, is four capsules per day (1200 mg EPA + DHA). Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) Although there are no data specifically addressing whether CoQ10 reduces plaque, it is a marvelously effective way to reduce blood pressure, one of the crucial factors causing carotid and aortic plaque growth. A pooled analysis of eight studies showed that, on average, CoQ10 in daily doses of 50–200 mg reduced systolic blood pressure by 16 mm Hg, diastolic pressure by 10 mm Hg. Data suggest that CoQ10 can reverse abnormal heart muscle thickening (hypertrophy), another manifestation of high blood pressure, strongly suggesting that CoQ10 has benefits beyond just reducing pressure. Supplements to correct the metabolic syndrome Weight loss is, without question, the most immediate and direct path to correction of this dangerous pre-diabetic condition. A drop of even 10–20 lbs yields improvements across the board: increased sensitivity to insulin, increased HDL, and reductions in triglycerides, CRP, fibrinogen, small LDL particles, and blood pressure. Diet and exercise are fundamental components of an effort to lose weight; low carbohydrate or reduced glycemic index diets (e.g., South Beach or Mediterranean) rich in fibers are clearly effective. Several supplements can amplify weight-reduction efforts and be useful adjuncts to your lifestyle program. Among them: White bean extract White bean extract blocks intestinal absorption of carbohydrates by 66%. 1500 mg twice a day with meals yields, on average, 3–7 lbs of weight loss in the first month of use. The only side-effect is excessive gas, due to unabsorbed starches. Glucomannan This unique fiber taken prior to meals absorbs many times its weight in water and thereby fills your stomach. You consequently take in less food. Most people lose around four lbs per month using 1500 mg prior to each meal. Interestingly, glucomannan also blunts the rise in blood sugar after meals, an effect that, by itself, may lead to weight loss. Be sure to take with plenty of water. DHEA This adrenal hormone is key to maintaining physical stamina, mood, muscle mass in men, and libido in women. A recent randomized, placebo-controlled study at Washington University in 56 subjects showed a 13% decline in abdominal fat (fat that drives resistance to insulin) measured by MRI with 50 mg of DHEA per day at bedtime, along with improved sugar control and lower insulin levels. Pectin, beta-glucan Pectin is the soluble fiber in citrus rinds, green vegetables, and apples, also available as a supplement. Beta-glucan is the soluble fiber of oats and is also available as a supplement. Both are wonderful fibers that provide feelings of fullness, lower cholesterol, slow release of sugars, and can yield modest weight reduction. A USC study in 573 subjects using carotid ultrasound showed that greater intake of healthy fibers like pectin and beta-glucan is associated with less carotid plaque growth. Folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12 Dr. Daniel Hackam at the Stroke Prevention and Atherosclerosis Research Centre in Ontario conducted a study using carotid ultrasound in 101 participants treated with folic acid 2.5 mg, vitamin B6 25 mg, and B12 250 mcg per day. Treatment resulted in plaque reduction, especially when homocysteine levels exceeded 14μmol/l at the start, compared to untreated participants who experienced substantial plaque growth. An attempt to clarify the role of homocysteine treatment was made through a National Institute of Health-sponsored study of stroke prevention. 3680 participants with a prior history of stroke were enrolled and given either a “low-dose” (20 mcg folic acid, 0.2 mg B6, 6 mcg B12) or a “high-dose” (2.5 mg folic acid, 25 mg B6, 400 mcg B12) regimen. Although starting homocysteine levels showed a graded association with stroke risk (higher homocysteine levels predicted greater stroke risk), the treatment groups experienced, on average, only a 2 μmol drop in homocysteine levels and no reduction in stroke risk over two years. The study investigators as well as critics have suggested that the study failed due to an insufficient treatment period and that the doses were too low. (The doses we use in our plaque reduction program are folic acid 2.5–5.0 mg, B6 50–100 mg, B12 1000–2500 mcg.) L-arginine L-arginine can be used to overpower the adverse effects of ADMA. L-arginine is emerging as an important carotid plaque-reversing tool. Early reports in animals showed that l-arginine completely halted growth of aortic plaque, and did so more effectively than lovastatin (a cholesterol-lowering drug). In humans, L-arginine reduces blood pressure, abnormal constriction of carotid and coronary arteries, blocks entry of inflammatory cells into plaque, increases sensitivity to insulin, and heightens exercise capacity. Following coronary angioplasty or stent placement, l-arginine results in up to 36% reduction in plaque growth. The average American takes in 5400 mg of l-arginine through food every day. Supplementing with doses of 3000–12,000 mg per day has proven useful to correct many of these phenomena. (We use a dose of 6000 mg of l-arginine powder, twice a day on an empty stomach, dissolved in water, for our plaque regression program.) Does this result in a reduction of stroke risk? The emerging data suggest that l-arginine is likely to exert a powerful plaque-reducing and stroke-preventing benefit, but we await more clinical trial data. Conclusion Reducing stroke risk by reversing carotid and aortic plaque is becoming an everyday reality, with better tools becoming available. To know whether you’re at risk, the best and most available imaging tool is carotid ultrasound, aiming to identify intimal-medial thickness >1.0 mm, or carotid plaque. Any degree of calcification of the aorta, such as on a CT heart scan, is another useful measure of risk. Treatment to reduce risk is multi-faceted but is based on examining all your sources of risk, including metabolic syndrome, small LDL, lipoprotein(a), and C-reactive protein. Fish oil is the one absolutely crucial ingredient in any stroke prevention program. Other supplements can be used in a targeted fashion, depending on the causes identified for your carotid or aortic plaque. Ideally, repeat scanning of your carotids should be done sometime after your program has begun to assess whether you’ve successfully achieved reversal of plaque growth.