Why is heart attack the number one killer in this country? 99 percent of doctors say it's due to atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries) and that cholesterol lowering drugs are the primary way to treat it. But I say it's because cardiologists have closed minds and are ignoring facts that could save thousands of North Americans from coronary attack.

History shows mankind is not kind to new ideas. In 1847 one maternity patient in six who entered the University Hospital in Vienna left in a coffin. Why? Because esteemed professors ridiculed Dr. Semmelweiss, a colleague, for showing that by simply washing hands after doing an autopsy, deaths were prevented.

Years later Dr. Linus Pauling, two-time Noble Prize winner, is ignored for reporting that large amounts of vitamin C and lysine are needed to prevent coronary attacks. 25 years ago Pauling reported that animals make vitamin C and humans do not. That's why sailors died of scurvy during long sea voyages, but the ship's cat survived.

Vitamin C is required to manufacture healthy collagen, the glue that holds coronary cells together, just like mortar is needed for bricks. Lysine, like steel rods in concrete, makes collagen stronger. Pauling claimed it takes a mere 10 milligrams to prevent scurvy, but several thousand to prevent heart attack.

Williams Stehbens, Professor of Anatomy at Wellington University in New Zealand, proved Pauling was right. Stebhens' research showed that coronary arteries closest to the heart are under the greatest pressure. This causes collagen to fracture resulting in the formation of a blood clot and death.

Dr. Sydney Bush, an English researcher, has now proved that vitamin C can reverse atherosclerosis. Bush took retinal photographs, then started his patients on high doses of vitamin C and lysine. One year later additional pictures showed atherosclerosis had regressed in retinal arteries. This also occurs in coronary and other arteries.

So what has happened to these monumental findings? Bush, like Semmelweiss, has been ridiculed by cardiologists. One has to ask whether cardiologists, by ignoring his results, are condemning thousands of people to an early needless coronary heart attack.

Fiften years ago following my own coronary attack, cardiologists claimed it was sheer madness for me to refuse cholesterol-lowering drugs. Instead, I decided to take high doses of vitamin C plus lysine with breakfast and the evening meal, for several reasons.

I knew that Dr. Graveline, a physician and NASA astronaut, had twice developed transient global amnesia from taking Lipitor. I was also aware that patients have died from CLDs. Others have developed kidney, liver and muscle complications. I also believed the research of Pauling and Stehbens irrefutable. Now, the work of Dr. Bush has convinced me my decision was prudent.

But to take large doses of vitamin C and lysine requires swallowing many pills daily. It's a tall order for those who dislike swallowing one pill. So for several years I've been trying to find a company that would manufacture a combination of vitamin C and lysine powder. Now Medi-C Plus is available at health food stores.

The dosage for the Medi -C Plus combination is one flat scoop with breakfast and the evening meal with either water or orange juice. Those at greater risk should take one flat scoop three times a day. If high doses cause diarrhea, the dose should be decreased.

This column does not recommend that those taking CLDs should stop them. This is a decision that can only be made by patients and doctors.

Most of today's, cardiologists are impervious to persuasion. They continue to believe that cholesterol-lowering drugs are the be-all-and-end-all to prevent heart attack. They've been brain-washed by millions of dollars worth of promotion by pharmaceutical companies. It reminds me of the saying that cautions "It's not what you don't know what gets you into trouble, it's the things you know for sure that ain't so!"

It's time for cardiologists to have an open mind and stop ignoring this research. As for me I bet my life on it.

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