I was 100% convinced that if I ate right, exercised, and didn’t drink or smoke, I had zero chance of ever having a heart attack. And yet I had one. How could I have made such a cataclysmic mistake? As a teacher of truth I was upset, angry and aghast that I held such a mistruth or half-truth. When I experienced chest pains, my wife had the presence of mind to give me a dropperful of Dr. Schulze’s “Cayenne” in some water, so my pains subsided and I walked into the urgent care facility 10 minutes later.
The same weekend I had a heart attack, Cheryl, my administrative assistant, had a pastor friend die while exercising. He felt something wrong, called his associate, and when the associate arrived 4 minutes later, the pastor was dead in the gym in their church. This pastor preached on healthy living and exercise, and practiced what he preached!
Yet I had another pastor friend who went into the hospital with chest pains and they told him he had 95% blockage and immediate surgery was required or he would die. He stayed in a couple of days under their watchful care while he researched heart disease and then decided to go home and make some lifestyle changes. He chose no surgery and is doing fine today.
So maybe I could have gone with his option and not had surgery, but I was so startled by the fact I had chest pains, when I believed it could never happen to me, that I chose to let them do heart bypass surgery on me. Both Patti and I have peace that we made the right decision.
Clinical studies have found that from 40 to 50 percent of the time, the first recognized symptom of heart disease is a fatal heart attack. It is the number one killer of people between the ages of thirty-five and sixty.
Apparently, the belief that if you eat healthy and exercise you will not have a heart problem is not totally correct. So can we get to the bottom of this? I began researching, seeking counsel from wise RN’s and PA's, and journaling intensely about heart attacks.
Links which overview heart disease
- Specialized information for women concerning heart attacks
- This link provides an introduction to heart attacks. Below are the nine causes they list for a heart attack.
- A diet high in saturated and trans fats, salt, and processed foods
- Lack of exercise
- Stress
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Cigarette smoking
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Genetics
Six of the above nine I didn’t have and while my body naturally produces higher levels of cholesterol, it is debatable if that was a contributing factor as I have seen evidence that cholesterol is NOT the issue. (Note: Experts Review of 107 Scientific Studies: Cholesterol Does Not Cause Heart Disease – Statin Drugs are Useless.)
Genetics, yes, that is present in my family line and yes, stress. I normally abide in Christ but I do seem to live with internal stress. So according to this list, there is really very little reason for me to have had a heart attack with me NOT having 7 of the 9 contributing causes for a heart attack. If you weight each of the nine items evenly, at 11% each, then I had a 22% chance of heart disease. This is why I believed I did not need to worry about having a heart attack. (If you consider the order as an indication of the weight of the factor, my probability is even lower.) However, maybe this is NOT the proper list of factors which cause heart disease.
The book, The Great Cholesterol Myth, has only four items on the list: inflammation, oxidation, sugar, and stress. So stress on this list would potentially be 25% of the cause of a heart attack - a much higher percentage than the above list of 9 items. And I could concede that I had oxidation which leads to inflammation also, so now my chance of a heart attack just rose from 22% to 75%! On the author's website, he offers a free download of 100 heart-healthy recipes and other free reports.
In the hospital, the Lord spoke to me about where I had allowed stress into my life. He showed me how to repent and remove it. Concerning oxidation, about a month earlier our main H2 gas injection into our drinking water had begun leaking (for a second time), and did a lot of damage to our home so I returned it to the manufacturer. I had not yet gotten my portable H2 unit out of the closet and into use. (By the way, the portable unit puts just as much H2 into water as our main, under-the-sink model did.) The main function of H2 gas injected into water is the tremendous health benefits it provides as it gives drinking water anti-oxidant properties which have been shown to positively influence 170 different diseases.
Reflections on what led up to my heart attack
I believe the cause of my heart attack was stress, emotional and spiritual. I loved what I was doing and was going overboard with it. Plus God had given me some directions about curtailing some of these activities, and I was bargaining with Him about stretching those rules. Then, heart attack.
So now I must learn to live more relaxed, taking more time to express the different kinds of energy available to me - not just mental energy, but energy from my heart (love) toward my wife and those I touch, and spiritual energizing as I play my autoharp and sing in worship unto the Lord.
Cardiac Event Series
- How Could I Have Been So Wrong?
- Biblical Truths Related to Heart Disease
- Causes of Heart Disease: Inflammation, Oxidation, Sugar and Stress
- Drugs, Nutrition and the Lord
- Is Stress The Number One Cause Of Heart Attacks?
- Ever So SLOWLY Learning About Blood Pressure
- Common Denominators of Great Diets
- God Says I’m Healed Yet Symptoms Persist
- Symptoms Go into Remission as I Speak to My Body
- Does Heart Surgery Cause the Heart to Pick Up A Spirit of Fear
- Must I Work Hard To Be Successful?
- Which of The 10 Commandments Can You Break And No One Raises An Eyebrow?
- Experience Rest By Learning How To Delegate
- Living In Rest Requires Living At Peace With Myself and Others
- For Heaven’s Sake, Celebrate!
Comments
Causes of heart attack
by Dr Stephen Dobbins
Hi Mark, thank you so much for your teaching. I am a family doctor in the UK and have recently had heart investigations myself. This has motivated me to do a lot of research of the most up to date and best literature. Non-hdl cholesterol IS a big factor that should not be ignored! I am a big proponent of life medicine which can greatly improve many risk factors. Even so you should check your lipid profile and aim to get your no- hdls down to less than 70 if possible. You may require a small dose of Statin to attain this. Can I recommend Dr Caldwell Esselstyn's book as well as Dr Dean Ornish who have both successfully reversed heart disease in their patients. Do not fall for the myth that cholesterol is irrelevant. It just isn't true.
Blessings
Steve
From Mark,
Steve, thanks, I agree and I am having my cholesteral checked every 6 months. Taking a scoop of fiber daily and Cholesterol Care from Restorative Formations. A month ago the tests put me in the "A" catagory which the doc said was perfect. So I shall stay there with the things I am doing.
Sincere greetings!
by Abigail Taylor
Hi Dr. Mark, God bless you and your family. I am being inspired and blessed by your blog, and your sharing of others who ate healthily. God is using you in a great way, by your research, and giving us the facts and help that will benefit to every reader. I see the enemy of our souls being defeated, as such great truths are shown forth in the blogs. When you and your wife were at peace making the decision for the surgery, God knew it, and that is okay!. When you are in connection with our Father, all will go well, regardless. Thank you also for the great information you sent in part 2.
Don... thoughts on Vitamin K
by Mark Virkler
Don,
I read your comment with interest and spent the day doing some research. Below is what I have found. Thank you.
Natural Approaches for Heart conditions
Vitamin K2
Vitamin C
Blood Thinners
Clean your Arteries
Heart attacks
by Dcn Samuel
I am one who does considerble medical reading, but am definitely not a doctor, etc. Two insights of amazing importance have surfaced in recent years, but have not filtered down throughout the medical profession. Firstly, the beginning of atherosclerosis is usually due to chronic vitamin C deficiency. Collegen cannot be made by the body without vit. C; thus, around 30% of us are in a state of subclinical scurvy. Lesions form on arteries due to lack of collegen, and then the body pastes lipoprotein (a) from the inside to seal the leak. Secondly, a full 90% of us are seriously deficient in vit. K2. This set of micronutrients activates 17 different proteins, whose functions are otherwise idle. Two of these, gamma Matrix and osteocalcin direct calcium to the bones and teeth; however, if they are not activated, the calcium drops all over the soft tissue of the body: pituitary gland, heart valves, arteries kidneys, etc. Therefore, calcification of soft tissue has dire consequences in the long run as you might surmise. What's really wonderful, though, is that as soon as vit. K2 is ingested, the reverse process sets in. A study was published recently showing vit. k2 reversing hardening of the arteries. Since I began using it 2 years ago (as a necessary co-factor for vit D3) the dentist noticed that my teeth are whiter, and the enamel is harder, and they are much less sensitive. So between vit. C and vit. K2, I believe that these account for 60% or more of heart disease. Credible references can be found by an internet search.
Heart attack
by Nadean
Pastor Mark, even men of God are human. This morning I was in my beautiful God grown garden and burst into song, “I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses”. It was a beautiful peaceful time before I start my busy day. Yes, I have risk factors and will do repenting today. God is with you sweet friend as you continue to heal and grow in Him. I bless you in the name of Jesus. Thank you for your authenticity in sharing.
Your post on your heart attack
by Ann Musico
I so appreciate your thorough and prayerful explanations here. I am in a weekly call with your daughter and so have been praying for your complete and speedy healing and restoration and I am thrilled to know God has accomplished that! I am a health coach and I know you can do everything you know to do as well as you can and still have a health challenge. It happened to me 4 years ago. But praise God that He shows us what we can change and improve and I am looking forward to your next post. Blessings to you and your family!
Heart attack
by Judi Rushbrook
Hi Mark - thank you for your thoughtful and thought-provoking article. I've been wondering how you were, and what you were thinking now. Many blessings - Judi (Brisbane, Australia)
Thank you
by Maria S.
Thank you for this blog. I’ve been following your health journey and was very curious to see what Jesus told you about it. We were all shocked of course but praying and believing for a quick and complete recovery.
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