The altered homeostatic theory: a holistic approach to multiple diseases, including atherosclerosis, ischemic diseases, and hypertension

The altered homeostatic theory proposes that multiple acquired and genetic factors (risk factors) move the basic homeostatic balance in an ‘action’ direction which ‘inappropriately’ activates defense mechanisms and thus favors multiple diseases; factors which improve these disorders move the homeostatic balance in the opposite ‘rest’ direction. Diseases include hypertension, atherosclerosis, and ischemic disorders as ischemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, migraine, and Raynaud's disease. The theory has its origins in the premises of the spasm-of-resistance-vessel (S-RV) concept of ischemic diseases (which attributes symptoms in ischemic diseases to S-RV), and in a study designed to provide more evidence for this concept. The study showed that multiple risk factors for IHD express the combination of S-RV and a tendency toward thrombosis, and are risk factors for hypertension, migraine, Raynaud's disease, and stroke, factors which ameliorate IHD express vasodilation of resistance vessels and are anti-thrombotic, and ameliorate the other disorders.