Richard M Fleming, PhD, MD, JD
The InflammoThrombotic Immunologic Response [ITIR] Disease [ITIRD] Theory - Originally Called The
Fleming Unified Theory of Vascular Disease in 1994.
In 1994 and again in 1995 I presented my theory on what truly causes heart disease - Inflammation & Blood Clotting - in addition to many other diseases including:
Coronary Artery Disease (Heart Disease),
Cerebral Vascular Disease (Strokes),
Diabetes Mellitus (Diabetes),
Obesity,
Cancer,
Many Musculoskeletal Diseases (Joint problems),
Infections (e.g. SARS-CoV-2/COVID),
and various other Immune and Autoimmune Disorders.
HOW DOES THIS ITIR CAUSE THESE DISEASES (ITIRD)?
1. Altering homeostasis - the balance in biochemical pathways that maintain health and life.
2. Altering the flow of ions across cell membranes. Interfering with the electrical homeostais of life.
3. Altering the chemicals responsible for maintaining the creation of life.
4. Altering the biochemical pathways responsible for controlling the function of cells critical for life. Failure to maintain this control results in cancer and death.
WHAT SHOULD WE BE EATING &
MORE IMPORTANTLY,
WHAT SHOULDN'T WE BE EATING?
The importance of the impact of the food we eat, has been both a scientific and emotionally charged discussion.
Today (April of 2025) the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement has demonstrated just how emotionally charged this discussion remains.
The intense emotional attachment many people have to their diets, make it almost impossible to discuss the effect of dietary lifestyles practices without offending someone; but, we must try to have such conversations supported by credible scientific measurement of the effects of different dietary and lifestyle practices, if we are to discover the truth AND stop the chronic disease epidemic produced by the ITIRDs.
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The significance of the ITIRD research has been to determine both WHY heart disease, strokes, cancers, diabetes mellitus, miscarriages, high blood pressure, inflammatory bowel disease and a host of other chronic diseases plague humanity and WHAT we can do to reduce the harm.
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As seen in the above 20/20 interview and the following partial list of publications, resulting from just some of the research I have carried out over several decades of investigation, in addition to my presentations to and for the CDC & USDA, as well as other state and federal agencies, the answers to these questions mean we must do more than simply weigh people or take blood samples.
To know what is actually happening at the TISSUE level, we need to measure the DISEASE itself and not merely look at some by-product or co-factor related to the disease.
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As my research has shown, along with research that I participated in (Ornish, Gould, Atkins, AHA, Keto, et cetera) I have demonstrated that improvement in blood work or weight loss alone, does not mean the person is getting better or healthier. In fact, the research has clearly shown that people can lose weight and/or show improvements in their blood tests, while the ITIRD itself progressively gets worse.
Sadly, too many people who either lost weight and/or showed improvement in their blood tests, ultimately suffered the consequence of their ITIRDs; including heart attacks, strokes, cancer and more.
All of these diseases are happening at the TISSUE level as measured by FMTVDM and it is at the tissue level where insulin resistance, strokes, heart attacks, cancer, et cetera are actually happening.
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The following links to research studies, show just some of the peer-reviewed research I have published, demonstrating why we must make decisions on more than just blood work or changes in someone's weight.
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TO MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN MEANS WE MUST DO MORE THAN SIMPLY FOLLOW THE NEWEST DIETARY FAD, FASCINATION OR DESIRE.
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WE MUST ACTUALLY DETERMINE WHAT THE TRUTH IS AND WHAT THESE DIETS DO TO PEOPLE BEFORE WE POTENTIALLY CAUSE MORE HARM THAN GOOD.
ULTIMATELY, WE OWE IT TO THE PEOPLE WE CARE ABOUT - IF WE TRULY CARE ABOUT THEM - TO DO MORE THAN SIMPLY RECITE A MANTRA.
In 1999 The Fleming Unified Theory of Inflammation and Vascular Disease with its Inflammation and Blood Clotting Components caused by Multiple Factors was published in The Textbook of Angiology. John C. Chang Editor, Springer-Verlag New York, NY. 1999.
Chapter 64. Pathogenesis of Vascular Disease. pp. 787-798. doi:10.1007/978-1-4612-1190-7_64,
In this same Cardiology Textbook are other chapters
I authored for physicians including
"Heart Failure",
"Nuclear Imaging",
"Hyperlipidemias"
in addition to the use of "Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors"
for "Heart Failure".
The figure explaining The Inflammation and Vascular/Heart Disease Theory is reproduced below showing among other things the role that infections play in this InflammoThrombotic Response [ITR] resulting in the ITR Disease [ITRD] known as Corona Virus Disease first reported in 2019; aka CoViD-19, COVID-19.
The 1994 Fleming Unified Theory of Vascular Disease (ITIRD).
This two page drawing of the pathways requires a computer to see.
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Between 1999 and 2003 I Published Several Reseach Papers Showing How Bacteria Can Make Heart Disease Worse. Something I called "Bacterially Aggravated Atherosclerosis" [BAA].
These research findings also revealed the ability to find activation of the thymus gland when cardiac imaging was initiated within minutes of isotope administration - something previously thought not to occur after adolescence - along with the presence of elevated antibody titers showing infection, elevated white blood cell (neutrophil) counts showing bacterial infection, and alterations in homocysteine (Hcy) in some instances. Elevations in Hcy is one of the first markers of a failing or failed immune system.
With appropriate treatment directed at the offending infection, neutrophil counts, Hcy levels and antibody titers normalized showing successful treatment. With this improvement the thymus gland decreased its increased level (T-cells) of activity and the BAA coronary artery disease (CAD) improved, showing improved blood flow to the heart.
One of the published images from the research papers showing thymus gland activation and simultaneous (oral) infections [Fleming RM. Using C-Reactive Protein as a Marker of Bacterially Aggravated Atherosclerosis in Acute Coronary Syndromes. J Amer Coll Angiol 2003;1:165-71], is shown immediately below.
The thymus gland shown in the left upper panel, along with significant coronary artery (CAD) disease (arrows) in the left lower panel (before treatment). Following treatment, the thymus gland is no longer seen (dormant) and the amount of CAD (arrows) has improved.
This Research and its [Measured] findings was made possible by the development of Fleming Method (FMTVDM), making it Possible to Not Only Accurately Measure Changes (improvement) within the Coronary Arteries supplying blood to the heart (Heart Disease), But Also making it possible to Measure changes in the Thymus gland and demonstrate that Treatment of the BAA worked.
In 2004 we published "Stop Inflammation Now! " to help guide people in the types of changes they should consider
https://www.amazon.com/Stop-Inflammation-Now-Richard-Fleming/dp/1583332006
These recommendations and The Inflammation and Vascular Disease Theory were featured on ABC's 20/20.
All Videos
In 2005 The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asked me to present both my ITIR Theory and Fleming Method (FMTVDM) for Diagnostic Measurement of both CAD and Breast Cancer and the Use of FMTVDM to Measure Treatment Response of CAD and Breast Cancer at the CDC Conference being held in Greece.
For Breast Cancer,
FMTVDM was given the Acronym BEST
(Breast Enhanced Scintigraphy Test).
The Two Poster Sessions Presented at the 2005 CDC Conference are shown below.
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