“You’re Going to Die of a Heart Attack
if You Don’t Take This!” by Ray Andrew, MD
Sound familiar? My fellow medical students and I were all taught the five major risk factors for heart attack: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, smoking, and obesity. So it should be no surprise that most American adults have been told to take one or more drugs to address these risk factors with the aim of avoiding the dreaded heart attack.
You might be surprised, then, to learn that taking drugs to address these risk factors will not give you a longer life. In fact, if you want to live longer, you want your total cholesterol to be more than 200, not less, as you’ve been told over and over again. I’m ashamed to admit that I actually prided myself on how low I could get a patient’s cholesterol for my first few years of practice, before I actually learned how important cholesterol is to health, and how dangerous it is to lower it artificially through drugs.
But there’s more; a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study has identified six factors that, when elevated, are most predictive of a shortened lifespan. Cholesterol? Nope. Blood pressure? Nope. Blood sugars? Nope. In fact, chances are good you’ve never even heard of any of them. And there is good reason for this: there is no drug that lowers any of them. Which means that you can have the best insurance in the world, or empty out your piggy bank on the most expensive drugs on the market every month, without adding a day to your life.
What are these mystery factors? GlycA, small HDL particle number, citrate, valine, leucine, and isoleucine. Combined, these six tests make up what is called the Metabolic Vulnerability Index (“MVX”). All it takes is a simple fasting blood draw. Unfortunately, if your doctor is still practicing 20th Century medicine, he or she will not have even heard of this test but will still be telling you that you need to get your cholesterol down.
You may be aware of VO2 max, which many longevity experts and biohackers have been talking about for the last few years as an important marker for longevity. Maybe you’ve heard about telomere length. Or grip strength. Or thigh muscle mass. Each of these indicators has been found to predict either longevity or biological age.
But MVX blows all other indicators out of the water in predicting how likely you and I are to die early. Scores range from 0-100. The higher the score, the shorter your lifespan. For example, if your score is >75, you have close to a 1 in 3 chance of not being around 12 months from now. By contrast, if your score is 49, you have a 90% likelihood of still being around 5 years from now. Below that, much longer, of course.
You might be asking yourself, “Why would I want to learn if I am at high risk of dying within 5 years?” Excellent question. One of the valuable lessons I learned in medical school is that we should think twice about ordering a test if it’s not going to change what we do. I suppose knowing you won’t be around very long can be helpful to your children if it motivates you to get your affairs in order. But people don’t come to Prestige Wellness Institute to learn they are going to die soon. They come to learn what they need to do to restore their vitality and to live as healthy as they can for as long as they can.
Fortunately, you can change your MVX score. Depending on why it is elevated, improvement can be demonstrated in as little time as one month, or as much as a couple of years. In either case, the fact that you can actually improve your function and lengthen your life in so short a time is revolutionary. For more than a century, medicine has been focused on controlling symptoms and managing disease. Now we actually have tools to build health and prolong life beyond the advancements provided by the two most impactful public health interventions of the last century: clean drinking water and public sanitation.
If your MVX is unacceptably high, what can you do? Work out five hours a day? Become a vegan? Take coral calcium from the most pristine reef in the world? Eat Himalayan goji berries? Take a new drug or the latest vaccine? No.
The abnormalities in the MVX test itself tell us what the problems are. They fall into three categories: mitochondrial dysfunction, toxins, and infections/inflammation. For one person, simply taking a vitamin may be all that is needed. Another may need to undergo a detoxification protocol for chemicals, mold, or heavy metals. A third may need to treat hidden parasites, bacteria, viruses, or yeast. A fourth may have to address all three. What you need to do to lengthen your life depends on your particular test results.
If you want to take greater charge of your health, go to www.prestigewellnessinstitute.com to sign up for testing. One of our team members will reach out to you to schedule your blood draw in the office or arrange for you to go to your nearest LabCorp. Once your results are available, you can schedule an appointment with one of our practitioners to discuss what they mean and what you can do about them if you wish. Instead of just hoping for the best, wouldn’t you rather have scientifically-validated information that can help you live a longer and healthier life?
And when you call to schedule your appointment with Prestige Wellness Institute be sure to mention you read about them in Moab Happenings.
Castle Valley Herbalist uses Organic, Wildcrafted Plants in her Products by Sharon Sullivan
Ali Fuller Matz discovered she had an affinity for plants as a teenager while working at the Youth Garden Project in Moab as an AmeriCorps volunteer. At 16, while recovering from injuries sustained in a car accident, she began apprenticing with a local herbalist. She went on to attend herbology school, and in 2008, became a certified herbalist.
Two years later Matz founded Sister Root Medicinals and began offering an array of herbal tinctures, salves, and body care products handcrafted in her herbal kitchen. Many of the herbs are grown in Matz’s organic garden in Castle Valley. She also wildcrafts some of the plants she uses in her remedies, like the juniper berries and the sage that grow wild on her property.
Matz uses many of the products herself on a daily basis, such as the At Last Allergy Relief tincture, which she said “completely knocked out my hay fever.” The tincture also serves as a liver cleanser — it’s the same formula, but for a different use, thus, labeled “Liver Lover” for its liver cleansing properties.
“Keeping your liver healthy and clean can help with your allergies,” Matz said.
Other everyday products include her all-natural herbal Sunbutter sunscreen, a tooth powder, and Sister’s Bitters – a digestive aid.
In 2015, Matz acquired a second herbal business from a friend — called Wise Raven Herbs. She kept the Wise Raven label so people would recognize the products they had come to know and love, and has since added some of her own creations under the brand. Wise Raven Herbs includes teas, herbal salts, salves, tons of tinctures – “a whole apothecary chest,” Matz said. Other herbal products, like the popular Arnica Sore Muscle salve can be found under the Sister Root Medicinals label.
You can find both Sister Root Medicinals and Wild Raven Herbs in Moab at Moonflower Community Cooperative, 39 E. 100 North, and at Moab Made, 82 N. Main St. Matz’s herbal remedies can also be found in Grand Junction at Willow Creek Herbs and Teas, 411 Main St.
To see more of Sister Root and Wise Raven herbal remedies visit the web site: www.sisterrootmedicinals.com
And Be sure to mention you read about Sister Root Medicinals in Moab Happenings.
Tend to Your Health: The Power of a Yearly Physical by Hospital Staff
Just as a garden needs regular tending to thrive, your body benefits from consistent, thoughtful care. An annual physical is not just a checkup; it's a preventive measure that can catch minor issues before they become major health concerns. It's one of the easiest ways to stay healthy throughout life's various seasons.
Despite the benefits, many adults put off their checkups. Half skip routine screenings, and one in four miss their annual visits altogether. Yet in one study, more than half of cancer diagnoses were first detected during routine care, proof that these visits can be life-saving.
At Moab Regional Hospital, the Family Medicine team offers annual physicals for patients of all ages, from toddlers to older adults. These visits are tailored to the individual, making them a smart, proactive step toward lifelong wellness.
So what happens during an annual physical?
It's more than just a blood pressure check. Providers take the time to listen, review medical and family histories, and recommend screenings or lab work based on each patient's age, risk factors, and individual goals. Depending on the patient, this may include:
• Blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar tests Lindsey Shurtleff, RN,
Case Manager for Medicare Annual Wellness Visits
• Skin checks to detect early signs of skin cancer
• Screenings for depression or anxiety
• Cancer screenings like mammograms, Pap smears, or colon cancer tests
• Hearing and vision checks
• Immunization updates
For children and teens, annual physicals ensure vaccines are up to date, track growth and development, and support emotional wellness. For older adults, the focus may shift to fall prevention, memory health, and planning for future care.
Medicare Annual Wellness Visits: Different, but Just as Important
If you're 65 or older, Medicare covers a yearly Annual Wellness Visit—a preventive check-in designed to help you stay ahead of health changes as you age. While it's not a traditional physical exam and usually doesn't include lab work, it focuses on building a personalized plan based on your health history, medications, and lifestyle.
At Moab Regional Hospital, Lindsey Shurtleff, RN, our dedicated Annual Wellness Visit Case Manager, works with patients to make these visits as helpful as possible. She can also help coordinate other needed screenings or services, so you get the most out of every appointment.
Moab Regional Hospital's Family Medicine Clinic offers comprehensive care across all life stages. From pediatrics to geriatrics, from skin cancer screenings to advanced care planning, we've got you covered. All under one roof. All with a team you can trust to provide the best care for you and your loved ones.
Whether it's scheduling a child's back-to-school physical or preparing for another year of hiking, biking, or just feeling your best, now is the time to get that annual visit on the calendar.
Call 435-719-5500 to schedule an appointment.
Your health is worth the visit.
Moab Regional Hospital: Special Clinics & Services at Family Medicine Clinic
Sound familiar? My fellow medical students and I were all taught the five major risk factors for heart attack: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, smoking, and obesity. So it should be no surprise that most American adults have been told to take one or more drugs to address these risk factors with the aim of avoiding the dreaded heart attack.
You might be asking yourself, “Why would I want to learn if I am at high risk of dying within 5 years?” Excellent question. One of the valuable lessons I learned in medical school is that we should think twice about ordering a test if it’s not going to change what we do. I suppose knowing you won’t be around very long can be helpful to your children if it motivates you to get your affairs in order. But people don’t come to Prestige Wellness Institute to learn they are going to die soon. They come to learn what they need to do to restore their vitality and to live as healthy as they can for as long as they can.
symptoms and managing disease. Now we actually have tools to build health and prolong life beyond the advancements provided by the two most impactful public health interventions of the last century: clean drinking water and public sanitation.-sharpened.jpg)
Ali Fuller Matz discovered she had an affinity for plants as a teenager while working at the Youth Garden Project in Moab as an AmeriCorps volunteer. At 16, while recovering from injuries sustained in a car accident, she began apprenticing with a local herbalist. She went on to attend herbology school, and in 2008, became a certified herbalist. -sharpened.jpg)
Matz uses many of the products herself on a daily basis, such as the At Last Allergy Relief tincture, which she said “completely knocked out my hay fever.” The tincture also serves as a liver cleanser — it’s the same formula, but for a different use, thus, labeled “Liver Lover” for its liver cleansing properties.
