The Biggest and Worst Pandemic?

There is a CURE. We can stop the Catastrophic Unseen Reversible Epidemic of Cardiometabolic Disease.

Arterial and cardiometabolic disease is the chronic condition with acute manifestations most responsible for destroying our population of INDIVIDUALS. It continues to shorten and ruin more lives than COVID and all cancers combined.

It starts (earlier than we tend to think) as arterial injury leading to inflammation and plaque formation.  It becomes symptomatic as a stroke, heart attack, dementia, kidney disease and peripheral vascular disease.   It is preventable, reversible and yes Curable in the sense of long term stable remission.

Forty years of practicing medicine has taught me that most of us are NOT MOTIVATED TO CHANGE TO BECOME MORE HEALTHY, especially when addicted to toxic food and behaviors that are highly promoted and subsidized by cultural propaganda and public policy.  Public health recommendations are making the problem worse, not better, by incompetence and corrupting industry influence. 

We are more often and more urgently motivated by pain, suffering and fear of loss to seek help and make sacrifices, giving up the “good” to get something better.  This is why we buy life and disability insurance.   We should be investing in health assurance.  We improve not by a transformation but by a series of nudges. This is the strategy of those who would change our culture for the worse. Why not use it for the individual and common good?

While prevention is the best approach to any problem, most of us are past the point of prevention.  We need to see it, measure it and stop progression to achieve/sustain remission by healing the injury for a long-term CURE, individually and as communities. 

The contribution of oral inflammation (infected teeth/inflamed gums) is almost universally overlooked.  Dental professionals have the opportunity to offer a medical home alternative when working in collaboration with proactive medical professionals who look beyond the traditional risk factors of hyperlipidemia, smoking and hypertension.  These include insulin resistance (a feature, not a bug for our hunter gatherer optimization), exposure to oxidative stress from the environment, vitamin D deficiency, homocysteine elevation, lipoprotein(a) and others. 

This should be an option for anyone, for those making a living as well as those with the luxury of living a “lifestyle.”  Success comes most often not from a radical change in behavior.  Instead, it comes from a series of nudges to improve reinforced by seeing measurable progress in response to change: 

• Body Composition measures of insulin resistance: Visceral/% Body Fat 

• Blood test indicators of inflammation: hsCRP, LpPLA2, Microalbumin/Creatinine ratio 

• Ultrasound measured arterial intima media thickness/age/inflammation 
  

Case in point:  Recently, I performed carotid ultrasound scans with a Butterfly iQ+ point of care ultrasound and body composition analysis using the InBody 570 on 39 employees of a rural business.  This took place in my motorhome office parked in their parking lot. 

The CEO, a patient in my proactive medicine practice, leads by example.  He invested an average of $172/employee to offer the opportunity to see their individual threats (arterial plaque and inflammation) and pursue the opportunities to heal.   This is consistent with providing his employees with free access to vitamin D, C, zinc and other supplements and letting each employee decide whether they would benefit from COVID mRNA injections.

These are hard working skilled blue collar and agricultural workers with less than average access to mainstream healthcare.   The majority have no college education.  This does not predict lower intelligence or insight.  Quite to the contrary, there is a preservation of common sense and critical thinking skills

The age range was 18-79.  Job descriptions ranged from CEO to janitor.   

With the support of our CureCoach.app, the Butterfly ultrasound cloud archive, templated reports and my office manager, reports were out in 1 day digitally and securely on CureCoach.App with email and text reminders to access their report on the secure CureCoach.app. 
 

Findings are typical of the population at large:

• 23 of the 39 (59%) have visible arterial injury that can be healed, postponing indefinitely disabling strokes and life ending/changing heart attacks, rehabilitation, stents or bypass surgery.   

• 20 of the 37 (54%) tested on the InBody 570 (pacemakers and pregnancy not allowed) had a visceral fat level consistent with inflammatory insulin resistance.  This is the metabolic derangement that is the most prevalent driver of chronic inflammation and progresses to prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes with all its complications. 

• Everyone with arterial injury or elevated visceral fat has been offered an opportunity to have a 30 minute video appointment to review reports and discuss process of further testing and lifestyle/supplement/medical intervention, including cost.  Most cost of further evaluation and treatment/monitoring are covered by third party payers.   

Discovery Zoom Calls can be scheduled by clicking here.   

Discovery Zoom Calls are being scheduled and completed and most are pursuing further lab assessment and consultation.  Arrangements have been made to have the Quest and Cleveland Heart Lab blood tests drawn for Quest pickup at the local health department within five minutes from the business.   

Labs are billed to insurance or to the practice if direct payment is preferred and then billed to the patient at a significant discount off list prices.  We meet with them to review results by video conference when they are ready, and reminder emails and texts can be sent to the procrastinators. 
 
Lessons learned: 

• We TALK about prevention but we ACT to intervene when motivated by pain, suffering or visible or palpable evidence of injury or illness.    

• We need less talk and more action.  Scan and measure first, address questions later. Replace the risk model with a measurable disease model.

• Risk calculation is replaced by disease revelation, measurement and monitoring of the changes from intervention.  A proactive lifestyle and medical intervention strategy outperforms a prevention or intervention strategy for those already afflicted by silent but deadly progressive arterial injury. 

• A small efficient team with digital cloud-based tools can accomplish more at a lower cost (time and treasure) than the current bloated reactive system that depends on chronic disease and its complications for revenue to support bloated facilities, teams and bureaucracies that have nothing to do with care and everything to do with optimizing profit/margins.

• The key to success is motivation provoked by awareness and concern, open mindedness, and coachability, not education, wealth or social status.  Many highly educated, wealthy and high-status individuals lack the qualities for success described above. 

• A picture is worth a thousand words; a video is worth far more.  Personally seeing ultrasound images of arterial injury with an opportunity to heal it motivates change.  Simply seeing reduces risk scoring for heart attack and stroke by 50% in 1 year.  https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)32818-6/abstract Talk about a blockbuster intervention! 

• Population improvement can begin organically, one individual at a time, then at scale.   

• We should not wait for the government or other authorities to act.  They won’t change themselves. We don’t have the time.  People are needlessly suffering and dying for lack of access to optimal but achievable remedies and results. 

• Focus on arterial injury (Inflammation and plaque) and reduction of visceral fat (insulin resistance) is achievable and improves general wellness by measuring reliable indicators of chronic inflammation due to oxidative stress.   

• Rural and blue collar workers deserve this as much as urban executives and the laptop class.  They are just as, or perhaps more, likely to succeed with the right kind of coaching. 

• Rural communities are more likely to succeed than urban and suburban populations because they are less controlled by the current mainstream health care system controlled processes and incentives. 
   

This is just the start.  This is scalable, effective and far more affordable than the alternatives.

Finally, in the past 10 years with well over a thousand patients, NO PATIENTS FOLLOWING OUR PLAN for arterial disease remission have suffered a stroke or heart attack. The only medically beneficial stent was needed to correct the failure of a stent placed for no good clinical indication 18 months earlier. And the one patient who needed coronary bypass deteriorated after 3 or more COVID mRNA injections. Compared to historical control experience, this is dramatic evidence of efficacy and a huge threat to the medical industrial pharma payer business model.

What is Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM). How is it used at the CureCenter?

At The CureCenter, we understand that dealing with insulin resistance, prediabetes and diabetes can be an ongoing struggle that comes with a wide range of issues, including:

• Trying to reach A1C goals

• Experiencing low blood sugar 

• Not being able to control highs after eating

• Wondering how food is affecting your blood glucose

• Find the right medication and dosage if lifestyle optimization needs help

This is why we support Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) for our patients with Type 2 Diabetes, prediabetes and those who exhibit chronic inflammation from insulin resistance.

A CGM is a device that continuously measures the levels of glucose in the blood. It works through a small sensor that is inserted through the skin and is connected to a transmitter which sends glucose readings to a receiver or app. It can provide real-time reporting about an individual’s blood-glucose levels.

Insights from these reports make a real difference in the management of our patients with insulin resistance. They help us learn the impact of everyday decisions about diet and exercise and gain insights into the effects of medication changes.

CGM is a very powerful tool to optimally manage and control insulin resistance, one of the most common root causes for arterial disease.

What type of CGM do you use at the CureCenter?

At the CureCenter, we prescribe the devices most available to you. It is a cost-effective alternative to ketone metering and finger sticks for blood glucose monitoring for those who want to reduce their risk of diabetes and other chronic diseases. 

For about $4-5 per day for 28 days, you can continuously measure your blood glucose response to your food and other behavior choices with a Continuous Glucose Monitor CGM.

You will need a prescription for this CGM. If you are not taking insulin, your insurance will not cover it. However, it is affordable and the benefits of the data are priceless.

Interested in learning more? Request a complementary Discovery Zoom Call with Dr. Backs to get started.

What is visceral fat and how do I reduce it?

There are two types of fat that our body stores: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat.

Subcutaneous fat is stored just under the skin. We can feel it in our arms, legs, and hips. Think of it as the fat that you are able to pinch with your fingers.

Visceral fat, or visceral adipose tissue, is the fat that is stored inside the body cavity and wraps itself around and infiltrates our internal organs, such as the heart, liver, or intestines. This fat is metabolically active and functions as if you had another organ in your body which produces negative hormonal effects. We call it “angry” or “inflammatory” fat.

Why is visceral fat dangerous?

Visceral fat is also referred to as “active” or “inflammatory” fat because it produces substances that contribute to insulin resistance, leading to Type 2 Diabetes. Insulin resistance is the prediabetic state where your body is losing its ability to properly balance insulin and regulate blood glucose. 

Visceral fat secretes a protein called retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) that increases insulin resistance in the body. It also releases inflammatory substances called cytokines, which leads to chronic inflammation.

High levels of visceral fat are associated with increased risk for:

• Type 2 Diabetes

• Heart disease

• Breast cancer

• Colorectal cancer

• Alzheimer’s disease

• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

It is very difficult to be healthy with high amounts of visceral fat. Lowering visceral fat eliminates a major driver of chronic diseases.

What are the sources of visceral fat?

The root causes of visceral fat are refined carbohydrates, processed foods, and artificial sweeteners ingested without periods of fasting. This type of diet is typical in Western cultures. In order to eliminate visceral fat, the secret is to minimize the five S’s: Sweets, Starch, Snacks, Seed oils, and Sitting.

How do you test for visceral fat?

There are many ways to estimate your visceral fat. MRI, DEXA, and CT scans are accurate but costly and inconvenient. A cheaper way to estimate visceral fat is to measure your waistline. A healthy waistline in women is typically 35” or lower, and 40” or lower for men. However, these measurements are prone to variability. They are inexpensive, but not precise.

At the CureCenter, we have a simple, non-invasive, and cost-effective way to measure and monitor visceral fat. We use the InBody 570 analyzer to obtain accurate body composition data on our patients repeatedly over time. This data allows us to monitor not only visceral fat, but percent body fat, skeletal muscle mass, and hydration levels. This information is crucial in monitoring the benefit of our treatment and demonstrating optimal results. The InBody data goes far beyond the scale and helps us provide motivation for ongoing lifestyle improvements.

Body composition tests using the InBody 570 only take a few minutes and are completely painless and non-invasive. The process is similar to stepping on a scale - only this machine measures much more than your average at-home device. If you have a pacemaker or defibrillator, or you are pregnant, we don’t use the InBody, even though the risk is not high.

How do I eliminate visceral fat?

• Reduce your sugar intake, especially sugary drinks, refined white carbohydrates, and processed foods.

• Avoid artificial sweeteners. They raise insulin in the same way as sugar, even though they are lower in calories. They also perpetuate cravings for real sugar by feeding your sweet tooth, like a “gateway” drug.

• Restrict eating to a window of time (ideally 6-8 hours) and devote time every day to fasting (drinking only water or non-sugary drinks). At least 16 hours of fasting, including sleep, is a goal we promote to our patients. We call it “window feeding.”

• Exercise as much as you can most days.

• Eat a low-glycemic diet. Low-glycemic foods consist of green vegetables, whole fruits (in moderation), beans, and lentils. 

• Get a good night’s sleep. Too little sleep or too much sleep on a regular basis can lead to more visceral fat storage.

• Manage stress. Mindfulness practices like prayer, meditation, or yoga can help manage your body’s stress response and lower cortisol levels.

• Limit alcohol. When your liver is processing alcohol, it is not processing fat.

• Quit smoking. Tobacco use can negatively affect your ability to deal with glucose and increase insulin resistance.

• Targeted supplements and medications can improve insulin sensitivity for some individuals with stubborn visceral fat.