As a reader of YMD News you have learned that elevated fibrinogen, hsCRP, a CT heart scan and homocysteine are among the many known risk factors for progressive heart disease.

It now turns out that there is a blood test that is an even a better indicator than any of these, especially if they are all normal. The test is simple and inexpensive and readily available and reliably shows the level of cardiovascular risk you are at.
For one, this test can show if you need bypass surgery or an implantable defibrillator, and whether even without any symptoms, if you are headed for heart failure.
What is so sad is even the most prestigious medical facilities like Cleveland, Mayo, Johns Hopkins, Harvard, etc. as well as from practitioners who claim to practice alternative, state-of-the-art or advanced medicine rarely if ever check this life-saving test.
Levels over 500 of BNP can predict risk of heart attack 5-8-fold within the next four years.
The test? BNP.
It stands for brain natriuretic peptide, mainly because it was first discovered in the brain over 10 years ago. It is actually a hormone made in the ventricles of the heart which is the main pumping muscle of the heart.
It is a well-established marker for the diagnosis of heart failure and a predictor of death in people who have stable coronary disease with no symptoms and are told that they are "doing just fine"
What is most important is there are no drugs that can fix it, only nutrients.
Research shows that people with a level of over 400 are eight times more likely to die in the next 1-5 years than folks with levels under 100 ng/liter.
As noted above, the test is commonly used to diagnose heart failure,  however, it turns out BNP can show if the heart is suffering from ischemia (not enough oxygen delivered to the heart muscle) even though the patient may not be experiencing angina or chest pain or arrhythmia or have any signs of it on EKG, echocardiogram, etc.
No other test comes this close to being as useful a crystal ball since it predicts long and short-term death, independent of other conventional test.
Additional studies show that having a level just over 80 pg/mL of BNP can raise the incidence of death in the next year 5-fold.
And others have confirmed that levels over 500 of BNP can predict risk of heart attack 5-8-fold within the next four years. And rememer this is independent of any other studies, x-rays or blood tests. Remember, these are in people who think they are "stable" and have been told by their cardiologist that they are "doing just fine".
Even though this crystal ball test has been known for quite a while, cardiologists in general do not use it because (1) first there is no drug to correct it. And the (2) second reason they don't use it is because they are not trained in the molecular biochemistry of healing/repairing what is causing the problem in the first place.
by Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., D.A.C.B.N., M.S.
​www.FunctionalMedicineUniversity.com

Meditation has gone main stream. Today, 18 million Americans practice some form of meditation. And with contemporary medical experts claiming that regular practice of this ancient activity improves well-being and health, the trend well continue. But what is meditation; why has it increased in popularity and credibility; and can it be a partner to a physical fitness program? Let’s look at the roots of meditation, some common misconceptions about its purpose, a few examples of meditation techniques, and the benefits of practice. 

The Roots of Meditation
East Asian philosophers have studied the science of mind, consciousness and emotions for thousands of years. Hindu texts dating back more than 4,000 years describe meditation. Buddhist monks formalized ritual meditation about 2,500 years ago. And by 200 AD, Christian monks were meditating to draw closer to God. 
In Buddhist philosophy, the ultimate purpose of meditation is to liberate the mind from attachment to things it cannot control, such as external circumstances or strong internal emotions. The liberated, or “enlightened,” practitioner no longer needlessly follows desires or clings to experiences, but instead maintains a calmness of mind and sense of inner balance. This mental discipline is honed through years of practice and is challenged daily by life’s experiences. 

​It’s not as if I believe that my personal rants on the NFL or other body contact sports will change the perception of the diehard fan, but there is at least the need to give phase to the parents that get up early on Saturday mornings, to allow their young children to be tackled or repeatedly punched in the head. Traumatic Brain Injury and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy are real and not only life affecting, but potentially deadly. The conversation is again in the forefront with the autopsy finding of deceased, 27 year old, New England Patriot tight end, Aaron Hernandez.
I remember football and professional boxing on television in my home as a child, but I was never particularly interested. As an adult, now residing in Bronco Nation, I am of the rare few that just don’t give a rats’ ass about the sport, BUT as a stroke survivor, I do care about TBI and on-going conversations around CTE. Understanding that what researchers have discovered for sure is that:

1. Between the ages of 10 and 12, the human brain is going through extreme growth.
2. Children that participate in contact sports that cause repeated trauma to the head are more likely to develop depression and cognitive issues.
3. The human brain is not fully developed until around age of 25.
4. In 2002, Physician, Forensic Pathologist and Neuropathologist; Bennet Ifeakandu Omalu, published his finding of CTE after the autopsy of NFL player, Mike Webster who had a 16 years in the NFL.
5. CTE is a neurodegenerative brain disease that causes proteins in the brain to clump together and as they move through the brain, kill brain cells.
6. Brain damage and dead brain cells have been shown to present as depression, agitation, aggression, lack of impulse control, suicide, paranoia, memory loss, impaired judgment, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS.
7. In 2016, Jeff Miller, as the VP for Health and Safety for the NFL, stated that the NFL acknowledged the connection between football and CTE.
8. The National Center for Biotechnology Information has published article regarding TBI and CTE among athletes and military veterans that date back decades.
9. We are aware of offenses leading to criminal charges among athletes and veterans who have been affected by brain injury.
10. Participation in contact sports is a choice.

So there we have it. Just as we know who shot JR in the sequel of Dallas, the research on brain injury is proven, and confirmed by some of the best medical minds in the world. Regardless to what we call it, the affects brain trauma and degenerative brain disease are real and should be of considerable concern of parents who allow their kids to play contact sport.  Going forward, adult participants of contact sports should not claim that they did not know the harm being done to their bodies and especially their brains. At the end of the day, the question should be considered… as a child goes from extra-curricular play to high school and college sports with dreams of a professional sports career, is there any amount of possible money for a life cut short and gone to soon?