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Friday, May 28, 2004Jody Gorran, 53, says that after two years on the Atkins diet his arteries became so clogged he needed surgery. Mr Gorran went on the Atkins diet, which recommends a low carbohydrate, high protein regime, when his weight rose by 8lbs. After two months his cholesterol levels rocketed from 148, which is normal, to 230, which is harmful. After three bouts of chest pain his doctors discovered that he had a 99% blockage in a major artery and had to perform an angioplasty and insert a stent - a small wire mesh tube - to keep it open. 'I came very close to dying and this is from a diet I thought was marvellous,' said Mr Gorran yesterday. 'For two-and-a-half years, I extolled the virtues of this diet to anyone who listened because I was losing weight and I felt great. But when I started, I had no idea I was making a deal with the devil for trying to keep a 32-inch waistline.' Oh please. His cholesterol level may have gone up on the diet, but the idea that it clogged his arteries in a short time, like rice stuck in a drain pipe, is ridiculous. Cholesterol works its damage over years. And it's only one of many risk factors for heart disease. The story doesn't say if Mr. Goran lost weight on the diet, or if he smokes or has a family history of heart disease. But the chances that his diet caused his narrowed arteries are slim to none. posted by Sydney on 5/28/2004 08:11:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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