I briefly read some of your posts about cardiovascular disease and death, and you noted the IQ is the strongest predictor of health and more importantly conventional wisdom dietary and lifestyle interventions do not alter mortality rates. If so, this should predict that conscientiousness has no link between mortality rates (as conscientious individuals are more likely to implement the recommended “common sense” interventions). Of course, this supposes that IQ and conscientiousness are not linked. I remember one study showing a negative correlation between IQ and conscientiousness, but it was probably in an academic setting. Perhaps, outside of an academic environment, the correlation may be positive between them,

http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2004-20177-003

Asides from avoiding tobacco consumption, since you do not think behavioral interventions affect health, how can conscientiousness mediate health outcomes?

But I am lazy. I have not done much research to even challenge your conclusions, and I took the conventional wisdom for granted: while I do believe genetics significantly affected health outcomes, I thought moderate lifestyle interventions could exert a significant modest effect.

[…] discussed in my posts on the matter (Trans Fat Hysteria and the Mystery of Heart Disease and Even George W. Bush Has Heart Disease). Of course, we are likely to run into trouble with antibiotics soon anyway (see Imagining the […]

[…] seen in my posts on the topic (the whole category of my posts on health, particularly my posts Even George W. Bush Has Heart Disease and Trans Fat Hysteria and the Mystery of Heart Disease), the “lifestyle” causation […]

[…] at birth across Europe, in 2004 (males top, females bottom, from here). As we’ve seen before, there is a distinct southwest to northeast gradient in life expectancy, following the rate of […]

[…] Even George W. Bush Has Heart Disease […]

[…] if you’ve been following along with this series, you’d know I’m going to say not so […]

[…] See also: 100 Blog Posts – A Reflection on HBD Blogging And What Lies Ahead: Health wisdom and obesity […]

Just pray to God, trust God, have faith.

What a fascinating conversation. I am studying arts in medicine. We look at happiness, relaxation response, and how doing art positively influences the immune system. I wonder if one could study heart disease and those who sing? heart disease in those who consider themselves happy? Perhaps these studies are being or have been done. I’ll look. Otherwise, I agree that there is much more to learn about most things.

The risks for heart disease increase with age and they are greater if a family member developed heart disease at an early age. Fortunately, there are lifestyle changes that one can make to reduce the risks of developing heart disease. You can easily reduce the risk of heart diseases naturally.
The idea being live a healthier, more physiologically-sound lifestyle and drop your risk of not only heart disease but other chronic diseases. So eat to live healthy and always fit.

[…] [H2] JayMan points out everything we pretend to don’t know about exercise, weight, and health. […]

[…] JayMan points out everything we pretend to don’t know about exercise, weight, and health. […]

http://www.eupedia.com/europe/maps_Y-DNA_haplogroups.shtml

It’s genetic. Slavs and nords have higher blood pressure than people who have r1b y-dna, on average. That corresponds perfectly to your map. r1b people have lower blood pressure than EVERYONE on average. Especially basques and irish.

Also, unfortunately, red meat does seem to cause problems, but it’s the actual carnitine in the meat being digested by your gut. So if you eat red meat every day it can be an issue, but if you take occasional breaks it will help because the gut bacteria that digests the stuff in a way that causes an unpleasant side effect will die out.

@OM

Incidentally, before becoming pretty much paleo (I say pretty much because I still occasionally eat good cheese) I was a raw vegan for over a year and was absolutely the sickest I’ve ever been in my life. My allergies and asthma went through the roof, the doctors had to put me on inhaled steroids, it was a living hell.

The funny thing about the Vegans vs the Paleos arguments is how each sees a world where their own diet is the gold standard and all others only get results by virtue of their proximity to perfection. Paleos think Vegans ought to add grass fed meat and natural saturated fat and the Vegans would be on the right road while the Vegans believe the exact opposite about the Paleos. It would be hilarious if it were not so pathetic. Jayman, I ask you: where did western civilization get all these overbearing full of themselves assholes and is there a return policy? (Yes, I know this is the puritan impulse, and I know Europe would give us the finger, but one can dream!)

~S

If it is correct that testosterone has protective effect effects on the heart, then the advice given to eat a low fat diet may be wrong, given that testosterone is made from cholesterol.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23549841

J Endocrinol. 2013 May 7;217(3):R47-71. doi: 10.1530/JOE-12-0582. Print 2013 Jun.
Testosterone: a vascular hormone in health and disease.

Kelly DM, Jones TH.

Source
Department of Human Metabolism, Medical School, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK.

Abstract
“Coronary heart disease is a leading cause of premature death in men. Epidemiological studies have shown a high prevalence of low serum testosterone levels in men with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Furthermore, a low testosterone level is associated in some but not in all observational studies with an increase in cardiovascular events and mortality. Testosterone has beneficial effects on several cardiovascular risk factors, which include cholesterol, endothelial dysfunction and inflammation: key mediators of atherosclerosis. A bidirectional relationship between low endogenous testosterone levels and concurrent illness complicates attempts to validate causality in this association and potential mechanistic actions are complex. Testosterone is a vasoactive hormone that predominantly has vasodilatory actions on several vascular beds, although some studies have reported conflicting effects. In clinical studies, acute and chronic testosterone administration increases coronary artery diameter and flow, improves cardiac ischaemia and symptoms in men with chronic stable angina and reduces peripheral vascular resistance in chronic heart failure. Although the mechanism of the action of testosterone on vascular tone in vivo is not understood, laboratory research has found that testosterone is an L-calcium channel blocker and induces potassium channel activation in vascular smooth muscle cells. Animal studies have consistently demonstrated that testosterone is atheroprotective, whereas testosterone deficiency promotes the early stages of atherogenesis. The translational effects of testosterone between in vitro animal and human studies, some of which have conflicting effects, will be discussed in this review. We review the evidence for a role of testosterone in vascular health, its therapeutic potential and safety in hypogonadal men with CVD, and some of the possible underlying mechanisms.”

KEYWORDS:
Atherosclerosis, Inflammation, Testosterone, Vasoreactivity

Makes sense as Egyptians were huge wheat eaters, and the other cultures consumed it too.

If you research the history of wheat and how it has “evolved” since its first cultivation, its quite interesting.

Sissyphean, I just eat the least processed foods that I can. I grow some of my own food and supplement that with store bought organic fruits, veggies, seeds and nuts and have never felt healthier. Fermenting, soaking and sprouting are key.

Fermented coconut water, coconut vinegar, homemade saurkraut and homemade rejuvelac – all good for the gut.

The so called “paleos” have basically hacked the raw vegan movement and added cooked foods and animal products. Yet its hilarious how they think they re “cutting edge” and “something new” (have you seen that movie Jayman?). And the never give credit to the raw foodists who came before them (probaby because they are vegan). But also because they are such newbs that they don’t even know about the decades old raw began movement.

From what I gather paleos are your typical mainstream Americans, into having mainstream American jobs and consuming mainstream American culture, but think they are somehow unique for eating grass fed beef.

Come on!

Somebody needs to kick their butts and it just may be me who will do that.

This is not very likely but is there any evidence that the populations in the orange and red zones had *less* heart disease before the industrial revolution?

“He’s best known for his book bashing wheat for causing heart disease”

If population genetics is a significant factor then it seems to me the causes may vary with population genetics also i.e. there might be cause 1 for heart disease across all populations plus cause 2 for some populations and cause 3 for other populations. This might make it difficult to pin down the causes if the different populations were studied on the assumption they were the same.

“Yeah, the problem I have with nutrition is that everyone has their own theory…What you end up with is people grouping together into foodie camps more by ideology than by evidence.”

I think there’s a lot of truth in that but i think there is also another possibility which is that a lot of different theories may all be partially true i.e. they’re true for people descended from one particular population but not true generally hence masses of contradictory evidence.

“It’s now verging on the border of gross incompetence to exclude genetic makeup from these studies.”

Yes, and more that not taking it into account is possibly a major cause of death in itself.

[…] This fantastic blog entry by JayMan is a great example. Genetics control probably 90% of what we are. Yes, smart people can get really smart through training. Fast guys can get faster with training. Ussein Bolt spends a lot of time working on various aspects of his sprinting. He maintains a special diet and works his muscles in specific ways. None of it makes him a world class sprinter. He was born with it. His training and diet allow him to move from 1% to .0001% in the 100 meters. For the rest of us, diet and exercise is not going to significantly alter your health. Yet, “medical science” insists having an egg for breakfast or a cheeseburger for lunch is going to kill you. They insist we go in for regular physicals, despite no evidence that prevention does a damned thing. Supplements are a billion dollar industry, even though 90% are nothing more than pica. […]

Well put. Have to agree with you, although wouldn’t necessarily have agreed a few months back. Until I read that up to one third of ancient mummies from Egypt and the Americas show signs of probable or definite atherosclerosis, according to CT scans:-

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)60598-X/abstract

Atherosclerosis across 4000 years of human history: the Horus study of four ancient populations

Interpretation

“Atherosclerosis was common in four preindustrial populations including preagricultural hunter-gatherers. Although commonly assumed to be a modern disease, the presence of atherosclerosis in premodern human beings raises the possibility of a more basic predisposition to the disease.”

In any case:-

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17212707

Human MHC region harbors both susceptibility and protective haplotypes for coronary artery disease.

“[…..]In conclusion, human MHC region harbors genes that protect from and predispose to CAD.”

Outstanding post.

Why the high CVD mortality in Afghanistan? High-velocity lead poisoning?

This may be yet another diversion, but take a look at an article which Mr. Mangan linked to recently:
“Correlation between oxysterol consumption and heart disease”

Yeah, the problem I have with nutrition is that everyone has their own theory with its own countless correlations drawn from gobs of pointless observational studies. What you end up with is people grouping together into foodie camps more by ideology than by evidence. You see militant hippy lefties on the veggie blogs, iconoclastic (and also often caustic) libertarians on the paleo blogs and regular folks making fun of the weirdos while populating the ‘lowfat run from death’ or ‘eat whatever, you’ll die either way’ camps.

I decided to take an experimental approach and try everything and see what worked best. Turns out that for me taking wheat out was an unmitigated good, even though I’m not celiac, I used to have asthma but when the wheat went away so did the asthma (and it comes back when I have some). I’m not going to generalize and suggest everyone must lose wheat, just my own experience. I eat a modified paleo-ish diet and can now maintain a trim, muscular physique in my late 30’s with minor weekly effort. I am currently working on fine tuning my muscles, which even though I have a solid build I never did as a younger man, and it’s going quite well actually. There is heart disease in my family but it’s nearly all late in life, 60’s plus with one outlier who died (ironically due to heart attack on a treadmill) in his late 40’s. I don’t lift so I can live until 80, I do it to look good, be strong, and so I can go and do anything I want. There’s no guarantee that any of us will live to see our 50’s or 60’s, that’s life, enjoy it while you can.

~S

[…] has an excellent blog post in which he discusses how there’s nothing you can do to prevent heart disease. He especially […]

I think it’s premature to rule out a strong dietary component in heart disease. Cardiologist William Davis has been blogging for years about interventions and their outcomes. One thing he’s doing right is using heart scan calcium scores as a measure of heart disease–it’s a far better measure than any kind of cholesterol or blood lipid, and you can more quickly detect the effects of interventions on calcium scores than on CVD death rates. He’s best known for his book bashing wheat for causing heart disease, but there’s other strong evidence for that hypothesis too, including Denise Minger’s reanalysis of the data from the China Study: http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/07/07/the-china-study-fact-or-fallac/

Stunning post. I wonder if similar maps exist for other conditions, e.g., skin cancer. It’d be interesting to overlay that map with the map of average temperatures you provided in the original post you linked.

It’s now verging on the border of gross incompetence to exclude genetic makeup from these studies. It’s only a matter of time, however, before there’s a paradigm shift (a-la Thomas Kuhn) towards taking race and genetics seriously in this area.

I hope.

[…] Even George W. Bush Has Heart Disease – “Contrary to what we’ve been led to believe, it is possible – and indeed quite likely – that heart disease is an inevitable consequence of living. In other words, lifestyle, including what you eat, drink, where you work, how much you work out, etc, may have little to nothing to do with your chances of developing heart disease.” – from jayman. (the most surprising thing that i learned from this post is that george w. bush actually has a heart! (~_^) ) […]

Ooo! Tangerine Dream!