#52

Are there any known downsides of the kyolic aged garlic?

Anyone else taking it / or considered taking it? I see that Bryan Johnson has been taking it.

1 Like
#53

Yes, one of the few things I still believe in. I still take 250mg Niacin with meals too. Of course tree bark and gotu cola.

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#54

Do you perceive any benefits from the gotu kola?

#55

No, I’m going on faith in the papers I’ve read. French Maritime pine bark and gotu cola is pretty well researched.

#56

As always, thanks for the info.

#57

Discussed a bit more below - and cheap via labcorp / Marek it seems

#58

Lp(a): Your significantly elevated Lp(a) level (285 nmol/L) is likely a major contributor to your ongoing risk. Lp(a) is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease and is not effectively lowered by statins or lifestyle changes. The Olpasiran trial you participated in, which lowered your Lp(a) to 179 nmol/L, is promising, but levels below 75 nmol/L are considered optimal. Perhaps consider PCK9-i for some additional drop, which can reduce Lp(a) levels by 20–25%.

LDL-C: Your current regimen of high-intensity statin and ezetimibe is a good start, but consider discussing with your doctor whether additional lipid-lowering therapies (such as PCSK9 inhibitors) may be appropriate to further reduce your LDL-C to less than 30. You can try replacing Ezetimibe with this one.

High Insulin and HOMA-IR: Consider insulin sensitizing drugs like metformin, low dose pioglitazone, acarbose etc., which also might be life extending in general.

What tests can I do to catch the progress of plaque proactively?

  • Carotid Intima-Media Thickness Test (CIMT) can be used to measure the thickness of the inner two layers of the carotid artery, giving an indication of atherosclerosis.
  • Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) are two advanced imaging techniques that can provide detailed images of the inside of the arteries, helping to assess plaque buildup and characteristics more accurately than traditional imaging.
  • Regular CT angiograms or stress tests can also help monitor the condition of your arteries and heart function.

Supplements:

  • I’m a big fan of supplements like 3-4g fish oil (to control inflammation), digestive enzymes (to help with loss of proteolysis) – they have some evidence of plaque reversal,
  • Track and control inflammation. Ideal HS-CRP is negligible (<0.2). Anything above can be further treated to bring it lower.
  • I personally take Kyolic Garlic Extract which has some evidence of slowing down plaque buildup.

Many many references in the Facebook group mentioned above (Heart Disease - Optimal Prevention and Management).

Best.

5 Likes
#59

Thx for the rich post

Can you discuss this a bit more

#60

Proteolysis, the enzymatic breakdown of proteins, is vital for cellular health and function. Its decline is linked to several age-related issues. A primary effect is the loss of muscle mass, or sarcopenia, which occurs as damaged proteins in muscle cells accumulate due to reduced proteolytic activity. This leads to muscle weakness and loss (Source 1, Source 2).

Decreased proteolytic activity also contributes to protein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, characterized by the buildup of misfolded proteins. Normally, these proteins are degraded by proteolytic enzymes. A reduction in this activity results in the formation of plaques typical of various neurodegenerative diseases (Source 1, Source 2).

Additionally, impaired cellular function can stem from a reduction in proteolytic activity with age. Proteolysis is crucial for degrading damaged or obsolete proteins, maintaining cellular balance. When this function declines, protein buildup impairs cellular operations, contributing to aging and related diseases (Source 1, Source 2).

Proteolytic activity also impacts atherosclerosis, or arterial plaque formation. Proteolytic enzymes are essential for degrading the arterial wall’s extracellular matrix. A balance disruption in these enzymes can lead to plaque development, arterial thickening, and reduced elasticity, exacerbating atherosclerosis (Source 1, Source 2).

Nattokinase, a proteolytic enzyme, is linked to plaque reversal at high doses and interacts with plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), influencing longevity. Less PAI-1 production correlates with a 7-year increase in lifespan. Overactivation of PAI-1, which inhibits proteolysis, is common in numerous diseases. Inhibiting PAI-1 can significantly alleviate conditions like fatty liver and dyslipidemia, activate the longevity molecule FGF21 fivefold, and reduce PCSK9 (Source 1, Source 2, Source 3).

Success stories about reversing plaque (CAC score) by lowering LDL levels and using high-dose nattokinase supplements have been reported. Moreover, products like Wobenzym have shown potential in lowering elevated TGF-beta, found to be rejuvenating in mice (Source 1, Source 2).

In conclusion, maintaining robust proteolytic activity is essential for managing age-related conditions such as sarcopenia, neurodegenerative diseases, cellular dysfunction, and atherosclerosis. Targeting molecules like PAI-1 and using proteolytic enzymes like nattokinase might offer viable therapeutic strategies to enhance longevity and healthspan.

5 Likes
#61

Human trials of aged garlic have shown no significant side effects, even at high doses. I take 2400mg a day which is on the high side with no issues. I’m hoping that my increases in Calcium Score will be slowed. Will be testing in a year or so. There are big CVD risk reductions if you can keep the CAC score increases to below 15% per year. Aged garlic has been effective at minimizing CAC score increases in multiple trials.

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#62

I have a document here with many many references and ideas for plaque reversal (e.g. high dose EPA, etc):

I meant to put this into a series of blog posts. But raw data itself can be useful.

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#63

There’s a lot to look at here, including quite a few things I haven’t seen before.

Immediate question is how much of this are you personally doing, and what results have you obtained? Have you been doing CAC scans over time to monitor progress of plaque reduction.

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#64

Make sure you are getting enough Vit K2 to make sure your calcium is deposited in the bones and teeth and not in soft tisue like arteries.

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#65

The studies indicate that supplementing with vitamin k2 may help with bone mineral density but not with calcifiation of arteries.

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#66

I’m on ~20 drugs and supplements. I started the Facebook Rapamycin group in ~2020, which everyone is welcome to join (link). Last year I started a heart disease group for those of us who wanted to protect ourselves against CVD or reverse plaque (link). I share most of my research in those two groups as deep-dive posts with citations. I like to do my own research, and also maintain some kind of blog (here). If you check out any of these links, you’ll get more insights into what I’m doing.

Some of my favorites include

  • GLP1 class of drugs for insulin resistance and weight loss (I’ve had it most of my life)
  • Keeping LDL-C below 70mg/dL (what levels to target).
  • ACE inhibitor to keep your SBP below 120
  • Aspirin if it’s indicated for you (I take 80mg x 2)
  • Daily hibiscus tea and green tea (those are fantastic! No brainer life extension supplements)
  • Fish oil (3.2g)
  • Aged Garlic Extract
  • Digestive Enzymes (Wobenzym) to lower TGF-Beta
  • Some anti-inflammatories and anti-oxidants (Singulair, NAC)
  • AKG (to inhibit platelets & epigenetic programming)
  • Green Banana Flour, Oat Fiber, Miyarisan (pre-biotics for C Butyrate)

The heart disease group has a few testimonials from folks who reversed their CAC by maintaining a very low LDL-C, and by using off label drugs and supplements. Fairly unique. (link).

9 Likes
#67

I had two stents 12 years ago and have tried to stay plugged into all things CVD since. Your BP is excellent. ApoB is very good, but lipid experts might suggest being < 50 for high risk patients. Your HbA1c seems less than ideal. Would make a goal of 5%, and confirm fasting insulin is <5. Glucose excursions can damage artery walls. You might try home experiments with glucose meter in which you track glucose every 10 to 15 minutes out to 2 hours or so. Or have Dr prescribe glucose tolerance test. Healthy response is peak around 1 hour of 140 or less and back to baseline (80s to low 90s) at 2 hours. You might try tracking inflammation - hsCRP is a general marker, and there are several related to the vascular system, like La-PLA2. Time restricted eating also gives vascular system time to recover, so might consider eating within 10 hour window (plenty of good research on this). I eat a plant based except a little fish but it is still easy to let simple carbs creep in, so maybe double check your diet for things like excess bread and pasta, again to prevent damaging glucose excursions. Also, good to make sure you move throughout the day and not just during formal exercise sessions. A little walking after a meal can blunt glucose. Your Lp(a) is clearly a problem, so may take a revisit to see if it can be lowered more.

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#68

I have been taking kyolic for some time along with French pine bark. Don’t know if it has any positive effects. My ApoB dropped 30+ points (also am on ezetimibe/rosuvastatin). My BG improved too and is within normal range.

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#69

Peterz54 - Thank you for the detailed response. It is very helpful. Here is my summary of what you wrote:
Risk Factor 1: Lp(a) - Lower it
Risk Factor 2: HbA1c (Glucose) - Go for a goal of 5%
I am currently on Metformin 1000mg twice a day and it comes around 5.4%. I avoid sugar. I am doing strength training and Zone 2/5 exercise. What else can I do to lower it?
Risk Factor 3: Inflammation - I agree as I do get psoriasis/eczema flare ups on my finger tips. I have my dinner before 7PM (generally by 6PM) and will have green tea at 8PM. Nothing else.
I have two questions here: What is the list of tests for inflammation? and What can I do to reduce inflammation?

So the questions are:

  1. What else can I do to lower glucose?
  2. What is the list of tests to determine inflammation?
  3. What can I do to reduce inflammation?

Than you

1 Like
#70

Gokhan - Thank you for the invitation and I have joined your Facebook Group. You have some of the best distilled information for someone like me. THANK YOU.

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#71

Michelle,

I’ll try to answer more completely later, but for time being:

As Lp(a) seems to be your biggest risk, here is a discussion with one of the lipidologists I follow, Thomas Dayspring.
Lp(a): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WRRyG8il4g&t=320s

You might find value in this youtube channel which is very scientific and run by an MD PhD, Gil Carvalho

Another good discussion with lipidologist William Cromwell, which might provide some additional insight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwzNnUhqUzc

There are many inflammatory markers. Aside from hsCRP, Lp-PLA2 seems to have relevance to CVD. May not be relevant, but the Sonnenburg Lab at Stanford has shown that eating fermented foods lowers many inflammatory markers, but unknown if it is very relevant to your situation.

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