By Dr Amtul Qudoos Farhat, MBBS, DCH (UK), FCPS (Pakistan) Assistant Professor, Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Pakistan

The Brick to Bridge the Cell Wall Damage!

Plaquex is a generic product isolated from soy beans. It is a mixture of essential phospholipids (lecithins or Phosphatidyl Cholines) and resembles the Phosphatidyl Cholines produced in our body.

Phosphatidyl Choline is the essential component of cell wall of EVERY cell in the body. A healthy cell wall is essential for all the major cellular functions and therefore total body health. As we age, Phosphatidyl Choline is lost from the cell walls where as synthesis is decreased. Therefore it becomes important to replace the missing block to repair the constant damage to the cell wall and maintain healthy cell activities.(1)

With this unique position in our body chemistry, Plaquex has a wide range of clinical applications. The most significant and well studied is its role in the Cardiovascular Health.

Plaquex and Cardiovascular Health:
Plaquex has remarkable ability to reduce Plaque deposition which is the mixed fatty deposit in the arterial wall.(2)

Plaquex actually appears to reverse cholesterol transport by increasing HDL or ‘the good cholesterol ‘in the circulation. Higher amounts of HDL in circulation help remove the excess of LDL or the bad cholesterol ‘from the Plaque. It is interesting to know that the main constituent of HDL is Phosphatidyl Choline which is Plaquex.(3)

Plaquex also appears to lower the level of a lipoprotein called aka Lp(a). This protein expedites the Plaque formation.(4)

Plaquex helps patients to withstand cardiac stress better(5)

Plaquex lowers the Homocysteine level in our blood 6. Higher level of Homocystein increases the tendency of blood clots. Homocystein is a risk factor for heart disease and strokes, just as cholesterol is a risk factor and it should be checked for determing the risk of heart attack.

Reports have shown improved perfusion on follow up Thallium Studies of patients who have had a course of Plaquex therapy(7).

It has been shown to increases the life span in lab animals by up to 36%(8).

Plaquex therapy has special application in Carotid Artery Blockage. Up to 100% patient experience subjective improvement and many of them reflect the change in subsequent Doppler studies of the carotids(9).

By virtue of these effects, Plaquex therapy has been used in patients with Coronary Artery Disease, Angina, Myocardial Infarction and Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD), Carotid Blockage and Strokes.

It has shown to increase the walking distance in patients with PVD (10).

Other Effects of Plaquex;

1. Plaquex therapy has been seen to improve the kidney functions in patients with higher levels of Creatinine which reflects poor kidney function (11). It has been safely used in dialysis patients.
2. It also helps to improve sexual potency(12).
3. Improves memory and cognition (13).

Plaquex Therapy may be combined with Chelation Therapy if the kidney function is normal. A patient may require up to 30 treatments. Each treatment is given intravenously over a period of two hours. Patient may take 2-3 treatments per week.
The side effects are mild and are seen only in few patients. Diarrhea may occur especially in patients without a gall bladder.
Liver enzymes may rise in the initial period of treatment. They normalize as the treatment course go on.
Patient may experience fatigue after first few treatments.