If you’re listening to Bulletproof Radio, you’re likely interested in improving your health, performance, and longevity. And one of the main drivers of these outcomes is your cardiovascular health. Cardiovascular disease is a complex interplay between lifestyle, environmental factors, and genetics. As Dr. Mansoor Mohammed noted in his recent appearance, inflammation is the bedrock of most body dysfunction, including cardiovascular disease.
So, what does genetics have to do with cardiovascular disease and inflammation? Well, it turns out that genetics can play a significant role in your cardiovascular risk. And as Dr. Mohammed notes, genetics and cellular behavior aren’t as complex as we might initially believe. There are fundamental building blocks recombined and reused in different ways to accomplish cellular function and cardiovascular health. This complexity within the simple concept is essential to understand as we delve into the role of genetics in cardiovascular disease.
The endothelial glycocalyx is the Teflon coating of the blood vessels and is where most of the genesis of the initial formation of cardiovascular disease starts. Genetic factors that contribute to the health of this lining are crucial to understanding an individual’s cardiovascular risk. For example, variations in the NOS3 gene, which codes for nitric oxide synthase and affects blood flow, can impact an individual’s risk of cardiovascular disease.
Additionally, the things in the blood that give rise to inflammation and damage to the endothelial glycocalyx are also influenced by genetics. For instance, variations in the PPAR-gamma gene, which codes for a protein that affects inflammation and insulin sensitivity, can increase an individual’s risk of cardiovascular disease. Other hormonal factors, such as estrogen and testosterone, can also impact cardiovascular health and are influenced by genetics.
But it’s not all about genetics. Lifestyle and environmental factors play a significant role in cardiovascular health as well. Surplus insulin resulting from excess sugars in the bloodstream and toxins from things like mold can contribute to inflammation and damage to the endothelial glycocalyx. Poor diets, lack of exercise, and stress can also impact cardiovascular health.
So, what can you do to optimize your cardiovascular health, taking into account both genetics and lifestyle factors? Dr. Mohammed suggests getting a genetic test to understand your risks and working with a healthcare provider to develop a personalized plan to optimize cardiovascular health. This could include dietary changes, exercise, stress management, and supplements or medications.
In summary, genetics is an essential piece of the puzzle when understanding an individual’s cardiovascular risk. However, genetics are just one piece and lifestyle and environmental factors also play a significant role. By understanding your risks and developing a personalized plan, you can optimize your cardiovascular health and improve your healthspan, performance, and longevity.
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Source Description
Find out how foods you eat trigger inflammation, influence your gene expression signature and compromise cardiovascular health. In this extended episode of Bulletproof Radio, I have a returning guest, medical genomics pioneer and molecular immunologist Mansoor Mohammed, Ph.D.
He’s president and chief scientific officer of The DNA Company, based in Canada. He holds several patents in the general fields of molecular diagnostics and genomics research.
We’ll be talking about how your DNA affects your cardiovascular health. Three significant factors form a triangle of cardiovascular disease, says Mansoor.
“The first thing you must know is that most cardiovascular disease does not start with the heart. It starts with the lining of the blood vessels.”
“Second, what are things in the blood that give rise to inflammation of that lining and do damage?”
“Third, how good is the body at controlling those things that get into the bloodstream that would otherwise be inflammatory? How good is your carb metabolism? Much of what we think of in macronutrients–it’s not about the fats.”
All three of these factors are underlined by one commonality: “Inflammation is pretty much the bedrock of most dysfunction in the body,” Mansoor says.
Enjoy the show! And find more Bulletproof Radio podcasts at https://blog.daveasprey.com/category/podcasts/
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