Summary of Malcolm Kendrick's The Clot Thickens EPUB

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

Book Preview: #1 There have been two main ideas about cardiovascular disease over the past 150 years: the cholesterol hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis. The cholesterol hypothesis has become so dominant that it stands alone, unquestioned and unchallenged.

#2 The alternative hypothesis is that blood clots, and blood clotting, are the key players in cardiovascular disease. From start to finish, the process involves the formation of a blood clot on the artery wall, which is then incorporated into the wall.

#3 The idea that thrombi could play a role in the development of plaque is dismissed, and it is only LDL which causes it. LDL infiltrates the arterial wall to start the process, and a gradual build-up of LDL keeps the plaque growing.

#4 The idea that LDL molecules can enter one side of an endothelial cell and travel straight through to the other side is completely ridiculous. Cells do not allow anything to enter without a reason, and they are extremely careful about what they allow in.