IMPORTANT HEALTH INFORMATION Special edition 1 - 01/2017
Cause of side effects and health complications clarified According to the standards of the World Health Organization, calcium channel blockers are essential medications for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Generating global sales of 6 billion USD, these medications are ranking among the 10 most commonly prescribed drugs in the USA and in most other countries. Typically, calcium channel blockers are prescribed for hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, angina pectoris and other heart diseases. However, serious side effects occur regularly with their use. In many cases, these side effects are affecting the cardiovascular system itself. Regardless of this, the market for calcium channel blockers has been steadily growing for more than 50
years! Millions of patients worldwide take this type of cardiovascular drug on a daily basis, thus following their doctor‘s advice. And with the use of these drugs, new health problems emerge, making it a profitable business for the pharmaceutical industry. Recent studies from naturopathic research have now uncovered the causes of an elevated cardiovascular risk through the use of calcium channel blockers. This special edition of TRUE provides you with further background information on a bestselling drug as well as important research results that may help prevent secondary diseases associated with calcium channel blocker treatment.
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Important information for patients and their doctors!
Background For half a century, a group of drugs has been on the market, widely used in the field of cardiology: calcium channel blockers, also referred to as calcium antagonists or calcium blockers. Calcium channel blockers rank among the world’s 10 most important drug groups. Their range of application extends from high blood pressure to cardiac arrhythmia, angina pectoris and other heart diseases. One of the largest suppliers on this gigantic market is the company Bayer.
What are the characteristics of calcium channel blockers? Basically, calcium channel blockers are drugs that block a channel or an entrance located on the external layer of specific body cells that is used by substances to get into the cells’ interior. About 50 years ago, it was accidentally discovered that this drug group can prevent the calcium molecule from using this entrance and entering the cell. From then on, based on this discovery, these drugs were named calcium channel blockers. If, instead of calcium, the essential vitamin C had been measured 50 years ago, today these drugs would possibly be called vitamin C channel blockers.
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How calcium channel blockers work in detail: Like most other pharmaceutical products, calcium blockers are not intended to heal a disease, but simply to alleviate its symptoms. This is done as follows: The calcium atom (a charged atom is called an ion) is a regulating element for the function of numerous cells, including the cells of the heart and the artery walls. Under normal conditions, most calcium ions are located outside the cells. In order to induce a specific cell function, such as the conduction of electrical signals by the heart muscle cells that make the heart beat, tiny channels open in the walls of these cells, thus allowing a rapid influx of calcium. The function of calcium channel blockers is to slow the influx of calcium ions and, by doing so, to inhibit the relevant cell function. This has the following effects:
Cardiac arrhythmia: The influx of calcium into the electrical heart muscle cells is reduced, thereby slowing down the heartbeat.
High blood pressure: An excessive cardiac pumping action is mistakenly still considered to be the main cause of high blood pressure. Therefore, hypertensive patients are treated with calcium channel blockers in order to reduce the influx of calcium ions into cells that are responsible for the contraction of the heart muscle, thereby aiming at a reduction of the cardiac pumping action as a whole.
Angina pectoris and coronary heart disease: Calcium blockers are used in patients with these conditions to relax the muscle cells of the artery walls and, thereby, to slightly improve blood circulation. Since the primary cause of coronary heart disease is an impairment and narrowing of the artery wall caused by long-term micronutrient deficiencies, the use of calcium antagonists merely alleviates symptoms associated with this disease.
Calcium Channel Blockers increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
In summary: In all these common diseases, the administration of calcium channel blockers merely leads to the improvement of symptoms, i.e. the patient’s impression, but not to the elimination of the underlying causes of the diseases.
Channel blockers inhibit vitamin C intake into the vascular wall cells Vitamin C
Calcium
Calcium channel blockers also prevent vitamin C from entering cells
Cell
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Important information for patients and their doctors!
Side effects of calcium channel blockers Calcium blockers are associated with a number of side effects, such as edema, allergic reactions, gingival swelling and decreased heartbeat (bradycardia). Particularly serious side effects include an increase in arteriosclerosis and, as a result, an elevated heart attack risk. Since the early 1990s, that is, for more than 20 years, this alarming fact has been documented by scientific studies. However, no drug company has yet considered it their responsibility to explore the causes of this issue.
Worldwide sales of these drugs have reached 6 billion USD! 4
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Calcium Channel Blockers increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Patients find themselves in a vicious circle: As a result of their heart complaints they consult a doctor or cardiologist who prescribes them with calcium blockers. The initial subjective improvement of the patients’ symptoms is passed off as a therapeutic success. Nobody tells them that the prescribed drugs they receive do not reduce the coronary heart disease, but accelerate it and even increase the heart attack risk in the long run.
Nifedipine is the best known representative from the group of calcium channel blockers. Fast dissolving dosage forms include warning notices for patients with chronic angina pectoris, amongst others.
Study identifies cause of side effects and health complications Until recently, the cause of the serious health complications associated with long-term calcium channel blocker use remained unexplored, implying that side effects were deliberately accepted. Now a study conducted by the Dr. Rath Research Institute sheds some light on this matter.
Published in the American Journal of Cardiovascular Disease in May 2016, the results were made available to medical doctors worldwide. You can find the study in the world’s largest online medical database: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ 27335688
Drugs from the group of calcium channel blockers Drugs from the group of calcium channel blockers include the following substances: •
Dihydropyridines (drugs ending with “-dipine“): amlodipine (Norvasc®), nifedipine (Adalat®, Procardia®, Nifediac®), nimodipine (Nimotop®), nitrendipine (Baypress®)
•
Phenylalkylamines: Verapamil (Isoptin®, Tarka®)
•
Benzothiazepines: Diltiazem (Dilatrend®, Dilgamma®, Dilzem®)
•
Antivertiginous agents: Flunarizine (Flunavert®, Natil®, Sibelium®), Cinnarizine (Arlevert®) True – Health is a matter of trust
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Important information for patients and their doctors!
There is obviously a contradiction between disease prevention and disease causation in the therapeutic application of calcium channel blockers: At first glance, due to their capacity to alleviate symptoms, calcium blockers seem to improve or even cure the heart disease. In the long run, however, these drugs accelerate the underlying disease, suggesting that a worsening of the condition is willingly accepted. In what way is this a strategic approach? Every medical text book promotes the use of calcium antagonists in the three largest areas of cardiovascular disease: high blood pressure, arrhythmia and heart failure. There is no doctor who has not prescribed tons of calcium channel blockers throughout his life. Apart from calcium channel blockers, there are further known examples that illustrate the principle of
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the pharmaceutical business with disease: cancer patients receive chemotherapy, even though its most common side effect is the development of new cancers. Patients suffering from the immunodeficiency disease AIDS receive anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs, even though they attack the immune system, thus causing an aggravation of the disease. The problem is always the same: symptoms are removed for a short time, new disease markets are created in the long term. To ensure the survival of the pharmaceutical investment business, the market for patented drugs, in other words today’s widespread diseases, must be maintained at any cost. This explains the fact that, among the many thousands of pharmaceuticals worldwide, only a handful of drugs actually manage to control a disease, instead of just simulating its improvement.
Calcium Channel Blockers increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
New scientific findings on calcium channel blockers raise
HEALTH CONCERNS Researchers at the Dr. Rath Research Institute have shown that, in addition to blocking the cellular entry of calcium and other ions (sodium, potassium), channel blockers also obstruct the uptake of vitamin C by the cells. This can generate serious health problems, as vitamin C is an essential nutrient for the production of collagen, the key stability molecule in the body for the blood vessel walls and connective tissue.
Heart patients are given calcium channel blockers for a longer period of time, if not for the rest of their lives. The consequence is longterm vitamin C deficiency, which can cause serious damage to the cells of the artery walls. This is followed by the build-up of atherosclerotic deposits, the cause of heart attacks and strokes.
Chronic vitamin C deficiency is linked to an insufficient production of collagen. Collagen is especially important for stable blood vessels. In consequence of this collagen deficiency, millions of small cracks and crevices develop along the artery walls.
Long-term vitamin C deficiency is accompanied by an insufficient production of collagen. This is especially harmful for the artery walls as damages to their structure lead to the build-up of atherosclerotic deposits.
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Important information for patients and their doctors!
As a result, fat molecules and proteins are deposited inside the artery walls. Their deposition is initially a very useful repair mechanism that prevents blood loss through the structurally impaired walls. However, if vitamin C deficiency becomes chronic, this repair process continues over an extended period of time, resulting in the formation of arteriosclerotic plaques to counterbalance the impairment of the
artery walls. Ultimately, arteriosclerotic plaques occurring in coronary arteries lead to heart attack, or to stroke if they appear in the cerebral arteries. Calcium antagonists never block cell wall channels completely, thus allowing a small portion of vitamin C to enter the cells. However, this portion is not enough to ensure the health and stability of the artery walls.
Calcium channel blockers inhibit collagen production The study shows that collagen production is inhibited by calcium channel blockers. Nifedipine has the most pronounced inhibitory effect on collagen production by the vascular wall cells. Nifedipine is the best known representative from the group of calcium channel blockers.
Collagen type I deposition, compared to vitamin C (%) 100% 80%
100 89
60%
78 28
40% 20%
28
1
0% Nifedipine1 Quinidine2 Lidocaine3 Verapamil1 Diltiazem1 Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)
2
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1 Calcium channel blockers; Sodium and calcium blocker; 3 Sodium channel blocker
Calcium Channel Blockers increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
This important fact that calcium channel blockers weaken blood vessel walls and the heart muscle can now provide the explanation for the increased heart attack risk reported in some clinical studies with these drugs.
Highly magnified collagen fiber. Three chains of collagen, represented here by blue, green and yellow structures, make up one collagen fiber. Collagen plays a similar role in our body to that of iron reinforcement rods in a skyscraper building. The amount of collagen fibers produced in our body is largely dependent on the vitamin C intake from our diet. Thus, an optimum micronutrient intake determines the proper function of collagen.
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Important information for patients and their doctors!
Overcoming collagen blockage with vitamin C supplementation In the course of the study, the Dr. Rath research team was able to show that the blocking of the collagen production by calcium antagonists can be compensated for by higher doses of vitamin C. In this process, vitamin C uses different paths and transport systems to enter the cells: diffusion (entering cells without any transport system), sodium channels or glucose transporters. If vitamin C blood concentrations are significantly increased due to higher uptakes of this vitamin, the influx of vitamin C into the cells via these paths is increased accordingly. The most effective form of vitamin C for overcoming this blockage is its lipid-soluble form, ascorbyl palmitate, a compound of ascorbic acid and palmitic acid. Compared to pure vitamin C, it can overcome the blockage at around 40 times lower concentrations than other forms. Therefore, supplementing with ascorbyl palmitate will ensure that a sufficient amount of vitamin C is taken up by the cells to restore collagen production.
A
B
C
Optimum vitamin C uptake
Chronic vitamin C deficiency
Depletion of vitamin C (scurvy)
Amount of functioning collagen molecules
Cross section of an artery
Many years
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Few months
Consequences for the artery walls Strong artery walls
Pure vitamin C would have to be administered in extremely high doses in order to achieve the same effect. This dosage, however, cannot be achieved through oral ad-
via specific transport systems (e.g. calcium channels, sodium-potassium channels, glucose transporters). Fatsoluble vitamin C, by contrast, is able
ministration. Another advantage of ascorbyl palmitate is its ability to use an additional path into the cell. Water-soluble vitamin C enters the cell
Atherosclerotic deposition (plaque) Heart attack/stroke
Scurvy: Death from tremendous blood loss due to fragile artery walls
Calcium Channel Blockers increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
to pass through the outer cell layer – the lipid bilayer – without transporters. This is due to the fact that fatsoluble substances can move about freely in the fatty lipid bilayer.
0% 0% Collagen synthesis restoration in %
The study of the Dr. Rath Research Institute has shown two remarkable results: firstly, the administration of calcium channel blockers can lead to atherosclerosis and, ultimately, scurvy. Secondly, vitamin C, especially ascorbyl palmitate, is capable of reducing or neutralizing this devastating effect.
Vitamin C Restores Collagen Synthesis In Vascular Cells In The Presence Of Nifedipine
83%
90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 25 µM
Nifedipine only
Needless to say, the present research results do not argue against the use of calcium antagonists, especially in patients with advanced cardiovascular disease. However, it is beyond any doubt that the administration of these drugs should mandatorily be combined with vitamin C and other micronutrients in order to prevent depletion in the cells of the vascular wall and resulting consequences.
89%
100 µM
400 µM
Nifedipine + Vitamin C
2,5 µM
10 µM
Nifedipine + Ascorbyl Palmitate
CONCLUSIONS: In view of these results, it must be concluded that the administration of calcium antagonists is not justifiable without the simultaneous administration of vitamin C or rather ascorbyl palmitate and, therefore, must be referred to as medical malpractice.
This important information should make its way to every medical practice and open a major debate on the questionable use of calcium channel blockers.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Many researchers have contributed to discoveries about the importance of vitamins for health, including numerous Nobel Prize winners. Among the most famous was Professor Linus Pauling. Dr. Rath was a close scientific colleague and personal friend of Prof. Pauling during the latter part of his life. It was Linus Pauling’s express wish that Dr. Rath should continue his life’s work in the field of vitamin research.
Over the past two decades, Dr. Rath and his research team have systematically developed vitamin research, thus laying the foundations for today’s Cellular Medicine. Cellular Medicine plays a leading role in micronutrient research. Thousands of people are now benefiting from the knowledge of Cellular Medicine, which they now implement through a healthy diet and the supplementation of micronutrients in their daily lives.
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IMPORTANT HEALTH INFORMATION Special edition 1 - 01/2017
A Project Conducted by the Dr. Rath Research Institute This information is provided to you courtesy of the Dr. Rath Research Institute. Led by two former colleagues of two-time Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling († 1994) this Institute has become a leader in the breakthrough of natural health research in the field of cancer, cardiovascular disease and other common diseases. The Institute is a 100% subsidiary of the nonprofit Dr. Rath Foundation.
that over the years the drug lobby has attacked Dr. Rath and his research team in an attempt to silence this message, to no avail. During this battle, Dr. Rath has become an internationally renowned advocate for natural health.
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He states: “Never in the history of medicine have researchers been so ferociously attacked for their discoveries. It reminds us that health is not given to us voluntarily, but we need to fight for it.”
Dr. Matthias Rath, M.D., founder of Cellular Medicine
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The groundbreaking nature of this research poses a threat to the multibillion dollar pharmaceutical “business with disease.” It is no surprise
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nally affected by various health issues, it is committed to creating a new prevention-oriented health care system.
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