HOW FAT GATHERS ON THE HEART

Readers please note that the focus in our blog reports has become the small intestine the centre point of the HIV infection.

Here the nutrients pass from the stomach to be absorbed through the villi of the small intestine. These are the myriads of small protrusions on the gut wall that increase the surface area for absorption.

Inside the villi is a network of blood capillaries that leads to the hepatic portal vein. Along this path the nutrients are carried to the liver.  As well there are lymph capillaries that lead to the vessel that carries lymph to the heart and known as lymphatics.

On absorption through the gut wall, nutrients pass on to the liver through the hepatic portal vein. Fats do not travel along this route but pass to the lymphatics to connect to the major heart vein the vena cava and carried to the heart.

The first major points of accumulation of fats are the lymph vessels, vena cava and heart. People who consistently eat fats will suffer the risk of heart attack as the fat clogs the arteries of the heart.

If we go to a food shop in Papua New Guinea, we will find trays of sheep hearts for sale. On top of each heart and the two vena cava, there is a layer of fat. And sheep only eat grass !!

HIV follows the same path but enters the lymph system lower down at the genitals and travels up to the heart to be shepherded down through the abdominal artery to the CD4 cells that guard the small intestine. Replication takes place in the CD4 cells of the small intestine.

The small intestine is the epicentre of the HIV attack and the loading of fat into the body.