Anyone know of a good forum for discussing heart disease?

[roadglide]

My LPa lab results came back high today which I knew was high from previous tests but it was 200nmol. From what I understand there is nothing I can really do except aggressive LDL lowering.

 

[Guided_by_Voices]

My LPa lab results came back high today which I knew was high from previous tests but it was 200nmol. From what I understand there is nothing I can really do except aggressive LDL lowering.

I don't remember aggressive LDL lowering affecting LP(a), and if done with statins it will do a lot of negative things like blocking CoQ10 production, decreasing insulin sensitivity, calcifying plaque (some argue that's good but I would say that eliminating the plaque should be the goal) and other bad stuff. But here are some ideas...

- Follow Nick Norwitz on youtube. He is a medical researcher with very high LP(a) and LDL and he has a number of videos on the topic. He thinks vitamin C, nattokinase and TUDCA are possible counters to LP(a). While not a forum, he has some civilized value-added commenters on his videos. He recommends at least 1 gram of vitamin c per day in divided doses IIRC. His basic philosophy is if you do other heart-healthy things and avoid major risks like blood-sugar spikes you should be fine.
- The comments section on Dr. Malcolm Kendrick's blog series "What causes heart disease" also has a lot of good commentary and is forum-like. That blog is the basis for the book The Clot Thickens which IMO is essential reading to get fluent in the topic of CVD. It is the single best discussion of the topic I have found. He has been posting on other things of late however.
- Dr. William Davis used to have a subscription forum (Curezone?) and he has a youtube channel as well. He tracked a lot of his patients plaque reversal (IIRC correctly he had a book called Track Your Plaque).
- There is some evidence that both Niacin and Oxandrolone will lower LP(a) however I haven't seen a lot of formal data on the topic and since those are both non-proprietary they are not acknowledged by mainstream medicine, however you can experiment over time.

 

[Guided_by_Voices]

G

Thread '20 Heart-Healthy Actions With Better Risk/Reward Than Statins'

Mar 8, 2020

Here at Excelmale there are frequent posts discussing the pros and cons of statins, and one in particular several weeks ago where a position paper was cited where the assumption was that statins are not only a viable option but should be the first line of defense against heart disease. As I have stated elsewhere, the best evidence seems to be that from a risk/reward perspective, statins may provide a rounding-error level of benefit for some people but come with potentially catastrophic risks. Rather than rehash that here, this post takes a different perspective by compiling a list of...

• Guided_by_Voices
• heart attack heart disease heart health statins
• Replies: 15
• Forum: Health & Wellness

• 

 

[Vince]

Lowering LPa, you probably know all of this.
High-Dose fish oil--to provide 6000 mg per day of EPA + DHA
High-fat intake coupled with no grains, no sugars
Thyroid management, including maintaining ideal free T3 status

other nutritional and hormonal options, including N-acetylcytsteine, DHEA/testosterone, etc. they rarely add much.

Downside: This regimen takes up to two years to show substantial effect.

 

[Vince]

TQJ230 (also known as pelacarsen) has not been approved by the FDA or other regulatory agencies. It is an investigational drug designed to lower lipoprotein(a) Lp(a)and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

In phase 3 trials I believe.

 

[Vince]

Pelacarsen (formerly TQJ230) is an investigational, once-monthly subcutaneous injection designed to drastically lower high levels of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], which is an inherited, independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and aortic valve stenosis. [1, 2]
Developed by Novartis and Ionis Pharmaceuticals, the drug is currently in late-stage clinical trials and not yet available for prescription. [1, 2]

How It Works

• Mechanism: Pelacarsen is an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) directed at the liver. It binds to messenger RNA (mRNA) to prevent the production of apolipoprotein(a), the defining protein in Lp(a) particles.
• Efficacy: In Phase 2b clinical trials, it reduced circulating Lp(a) levels by up to 80% to 90% in patients with established cardiovascular disease. It has also been shown to significantly reduce or eliminate the need for regular Lp(a) apheresis (blood filtering) in high-risk patients. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Current Clinical Trials

• Lp(a) HORIZON Trial: This massive, global Phase 3 cardiovascular outcomes study (NCT04023552) enrolled over 8,300 patients to see if reducing Lp(a) translates to fewer major adverse cardiovascular events (like heart attacks or strokes). Topline data is expected to read out in 2026, with regulatory submissions anticipated shortly after.
• Other Studies: Pelacarsen is also being evaluated in trials targeting the progression of calcific aortic valve stenosis and alongside other cholesterol-lowering therapies like Inclisiran.

Google Search

 

[Systemlord]

LDL particle size is a real measurable factor in cardiovascular disease. No one ever talks about the two types of LDL, large puffy LDL and small dense LDL.
Excess sugar triggers the liver to produce more LDL and prevents the breakdown of triglycerides, contributing to dangerous plaque buildup in arteries.

Small dense LDL is the most atherogenic type. Large fluffy LDL is not atherogenic. Small dense LDL is a response to metabolic dysfunction, and having elevated triglycerides that the body is trying to clear.

The Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) stands as a leading global resource for impactful cardiovascular research, delivering essential peer-reviewed articles and crucial clinical practice guidelines.

https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.05.077

 

[Vince]

LDL particle size is a real measurable factor in cardiovascular disease. No one ever talks about the two types of LDL, large puffy LDL and small dense LDL.
Excess sugar triggers the liver to produce more LDL and prevents the breakdown of triglycerides, contributing to dangerous plaque buildup in arteries.

Small dense LDL is the most atherogenic type. Large fluffy LDL is not atherogenic. Small dense LDL is a response to metabolic dysfunction, and having elevated triglycerides that the body is trying to clear.

The Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) stands as a leading global resource for impactful cardiovascular research, delivering essential peer-reviewed articles and crucial clinical practice guidelines.

https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.05.077

I do get a complete cholesterol panel along with small LDL particles and large LDL particles. Some believe you only need to measure total. LDL. If you do have heart disease and you keep your total LDL very low. It will also keep your small LDL particles very low. Which should prevent further calcify plaque or narrowing of the arteries.

There are two types of shearing of the arteries. One healthy and one unhealthy, the unhealthy type causes the LDL particles to seep into the artery walls and cause plaque growth

Of course, this thread is not about LDL/ particles. It's about LPa a completely different subject.

 

[Nelson Vergel]

You may want to read these posts: Lpa Posts


Here are several active, well-moderated places where people discuss heart and cardiovascular health, including patient-focused and more technical communities.

General heart & CVD communities​

• British Heart Foundation community (via HealthUnlocked) – Large UK-based but international community for people with all types of heart and circulatory disease; good for practical, day‑to‑day questions and emotional support.
• CardiovascularDisease.net Forums – Condition-focused discussion boards covering coronary disease, hypertension, arrhythmias, etc., with structured threads and moderation.

Condition‑specific heart forums​

• Heart-Failure.net Forums – Focused on heart failure; members post about medications, ejection fraction, device therapy, rehab, and prognosis, with a clear forum structure for Q&A.
• Facebook “Heart Failure Forum” page – Historically used as a community sharing tips and resources on worsening heart failure; today it mainly functions as an information stream and support page rather than a classic forum, and notes it is not intended for a U.S. audience.

Demographic‑specific communities​

• WomenHeart community on Inspire – A dedicated forum for women with heart disease (and their families) covering symptoms, treatment choices, and psychosocial issues; good if you want gender‑specific discussion and peer support.

Professional / advocacy‑linked spaces​

These are not classic open forums but can be useful if you like mixing patient and professional perspectives:

• ESC Patient Forum (European Society of Cardiology) – A structured patient group that collaborates with cardiologists and researchers on guidelines and resources; more advocacy and feedback focused, but also a way to interact with others living with heart conditions.
• British Heart Foundation’s broader online support resources – In addition to the main community, they organize local groups and other peer‑to‑peer support channels around heart and circulatory disease.

 

[Melody68]

My LPa lab results came back high today which I knew was high from previous tests but it was 200nmol. From what I understand there is nothing I can really do except aggressive LDL lowering.

I have very high Lp(a), as do my adult children. I've been taking 3,000 - 3500 mg of niacin (nicotinic acid) for 25 years and it's worked very well. It reduces my levels by about 40%. A couple of years ago I added 10mg of Crestor as added insurance . . . it did boost my Lp(a) somewhat, but it also reduced my LDL considerably. I like to view Lp(a) as the sticky coating on LDL particles; you benefit if you reduce the stickiness . . . and you benefit if you reduce the number of LDL particles. Don't use the "no flush" variation, it doesn't work. You need the flush . . . which, for me, was there for a few days when I started, and I never had it again.