Heart Disease
Research
Diet & Lifestyle
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Fruits and
vegetables &
Heart Disease
Researchers at Harvard Medical School monitored 832 men
between the ages of 45 and 65 to try and find out more about the relationship between our
diet and the risk of stroke. Analysing the results they discovered that a diet rich in
fruits and vegetables offered significant protection against strokes. They concluded that
for every three servings a day of fruit and vegetables, the risk of stroke is reduced by
22 per cent.
JAMA, April 12, 1995
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Garlic
& Heart Disease
Regular consumption of garlic can considerably lower
triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood and, at the same time, increase levels of high
density lipoproteins (HDL).Garlic also offers beneficial effects to the liver without the
side effects associated to aspirin. It may also be similar to aspirin by helping blood
platelets to remain single (where otherwise excessively sticking together) and reducing
the chance of a stroke.
Atherosclerosis 1977;28:155-159
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Vitamin C
& Heart Disease
Researchers at the Evans Memorial Department of Medicine at
the Boston University Medical centre, USA investigated whether vitamin C has any
demonstrable beneficial effect on patients with coronary heart disease.
Forty six patients with a history of coronary artery
disease participated in the study. A high resolution vascular ultrasound recording was
used to monitor the brachial artery dilation in response to hyperaemia (excess blood)
prior to and at two hours following oral administration of either 2 grams of vitamin C or
a placebo tablet.
The results showed that those patients who took vitamin C
tablets had a marked improvement in dilation of the brachial artery whereas those patients
who were given a placebo tablet showed no improvement. No adverse effects were observed in
any of the patients in the vitamin C group.
The researchers concluded that vitamin C has specific
beneficial effects on arterial dilation in patients with coronary artery disease and that
the results of their study suggest that patients with atherosclerosis and endothelial
dysfunction would particularly benefit from vitamin C supplementation.
This was a detailed, controlled study with clear objective
data and adds weight to the growing body of evidence associating therapeutic benefits of
vitamin C supplementation. Hopefully, it will initiate further research in this field into
the role of other antioxidants , in particular vitamins A and E.
Levine GN. Ascorbic acid reverses endothelial vasomotor
dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease. Circulation 1996; 93:6,1107-1113.
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Coenzyme Q10
& Heart Disease
Coenyzme Q10 is known to be a soluble
antioxidant and recent research has shown that it is particularly helpful to patients
suffering from congestive heart failure
In 1995 a review of the results from pooled randomised
double-blind trials including more than 1,000 patients confirmed that Coenzyme Q10 may
have an important role to play as an adjunct therapy for patients suffering from
congestive heart failure. The review found that Coenzyme Q10 is safe, well tolerated and
it improves symptoms, exercise capacity and patients’ quality of life.
Mortensen S.A., Soja A.M., Leth A, Agner E, Rohde M.
Coenzyme Q10 - clinical overview: potential roles in prevention and as adjunctive therapy
of cardiovascular disease.
9th International Symposium on Biomedical and Clinical aspects of Coenzyme Q10.
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Folic Acid
& Heart Disease
There has been a lot of publicity relating to the importance
of folic acid for pregnant women in preventing spinobifida and folic acid supplements are
now commonly prescribed by doctors for their pregnant patients. However, recent research
has revealed that a lack of folic acid may also be a major cause of heart disease along
with smoking, diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure) and cholesterol. Researchers
from Health Canada in Ottawa believe that they have found a direct link between heart
disease and low levels of folate (folic acid) in the blood. Monitoring over 5,000 men and
women between the ages of 39 and 79, the researchers found that the 165 who died from
heart disease had the lowest levels of folate in their blood.
Their findings seem to confirm earlier reports which
associated high levels of the amino acid homocystine can adversely affect the heart and
blood vessels. Homocystine is lowered by folic acid and it is known that most people in
the UK consume low amounts of folic acid.
The research paper has been praised as being "an
important advance" by members of the Harvard School of Public Health as it suggests
that increasing the dietary intake of folic acid may help reduce the incidence of heart
disease. Folic acid is mainly found in fresh fruits and vegetables.
JAMA June 26 1996.
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Water
& Heart Disease
Over the years many studies have been published on the relationship
between drinking water and cardiovascular mortality. Two beneficial
factors continually stand out -hardness and total dissolved solids. Both
have been associated with lower mortality from heart disease. Hardness
refers to the amount of calcium and magnesium, or calcium carbonate in the
water. The more calcium carbonate, the harder the water; the less, the
softer the water.
The first major study on drinking water and heart disease was in 1960
by Schroeder. In his paper, "Relation Between Mortality from
Cardiovascular Disease and Treated water Supplies,’ the water in 163
largest cities in the United States was analysed for 21 constituents and
correlated to heart disease. He concluded that "some factor either
present in hard water, or missing or entering in soft water is associated
with higher death rates from degenerative cardiovascular disease."(1)
In 1979 after reviewing fifty studies, Cornstock concluded, "there
can be little doubt that the associations of water hardness with
cardiovascular mortality are not spurious. Too many studies have reported
statistically significant correlations to make chance or sampling errors a
likely explanation." (2) He suggests that the reason for this
association is due to a "deficiency of an essential element or an
excess of a toxic one." Certainly a combination of both is also
possible.
Today after thirty years of research we are left with Schroeder’s
initial conclusion-drinking hard water results in less cardiovascular
disease than drinking soft water.
Yet over the years there have been several published reports analysing
specific elements in drinking water and their possible relationship to
heart disease. One researcher studies zinc, another copper; another
selenium, and so on. And as you read this material, you find an
inconsistent and confusing picture. But, if you look at the broader
picture, if you look at the studies on hardness, you will find very
consistent results: namely, the harder the water the less heart disease
deaths.
Before highlighting some of the major studies let’s discuss
TDS,
total dissolved solids. TDS is a measurement of all the minerals in
drinking water TDS not only includes calcium and magnesium (the hardness
factors), but also zinc, copper chromium, selenium and so on. Sauer
analyzed 23 drinking water characteristics in 92 cities
("Relationship of Water to the Risk of Dying") and found people
who drank water higher in TDS had lower death rates from heart disease,
cancer and chronic diseases than people who drank water with low amounts
of TDS. (3)
Frequently, where the water is hard the water is also high in
TDS.
Although most studies on heart disease have not looked at TDS but at
hardness, this factor has been ever present and may be playing a very
significant role.
The more we try to isolate and study the effects of individual minerals
the more we can lose sight of the unifying, comprehensive, beneficial
factors present in water like hardness, TDS, and pH. Perhaps one of the
main reasons there are inconsistencies in the water story is simply
because we are obsessed to locate a specific isolated element that is
responsible for the beneficial effects of healthy drinking water.
Lets look at some of the major studies. In Great Britain, the British
Regional Heat Study analyzed 253 towns from 1969 to 1973. They found 10%
to 15% more cardiovascular deaths in soft water areas than in hard water
areas. They suggest that the ideal amount of hardness is approximately 170
mg/L (or ppm-parts per million).(4)
In the United States, Greathouse and Osborne studied 4200 adults, ages
25 to 74 in 35 different geographic areas. Their findings? Again, less
heart disease mortality in hard water areas than in soft water areas. (5)
A report by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory found that the calcium and
magnesium in hard water reduces the risks of heart attacks and strokes.
This study compared the health records of 1,400 Wisconsin mate farmers who
drank well water from their own farms. The farmers who drank soft water
suffered from heart disease, whereas, the farmers who drank hard water
were, for the most part, free of the problem. (6)
Sometimes, the best experiments are those nature has been silently
conducting for years. Some of the most revealing water studies are seen
comparing two neighboring towns in which one town alters its hard water to
create a softer water. What has been the effects of this action? A higher
rate of heart disease mortality. We see this in the English towns of
Scunthrope and Grimsby. Both towns drank the same water with 44.4 mg/L of
hardness and had identical heart disease mortality rates. Scunthrope
soften its water to 100 mg/L of hardness and within a few years a striking
increase in cardiovascular deaths occurred. Whereas in Grimsby the rate
was virtually the same as it had been. (7) This pattern has also been
reported in the Italian towns of Crevalcore and Montegiorgio and the
Abruzzo region of Italy. (8) (9)
The National Academy of Sciences concluded "An optimum
conditioning of drinking water could reduce the amount of cardiovascular
disease mortality by as much as 15% in the U.S.’(10)
When looking at the research, two facts stand out there is a definite
relationship, a dear
association between water hardness and heart disease mortality. We
should try to drink water that has approximately 170 mg/L of hardness; the
level found Ideal In Great Britain. Second, there Is a definite
relationship with TDS and heart disease mortality. Higher levels of TDS
results in less heart disease. Proper levels of hardness and TDS are two
of the beneficial properties in drinking water constituting a healthy
drinking water.
Schroeder HA. Relation Between Mortality from Cardiovascular Disease
and Treated Water Supplies. J. Am. Medical Assoc. 1960; (April 23):
98-104.
Cornstock GW. Reviews and Commentary: Water Hardness and
Cardiovascular Disease. Am. J. Epidemology 1979 110 (October): 375-400.
Saurer HA. Relationship of Water to Risk of Dying. In: Manners DX. Int’l
Water Quality Symp: Water, Its effects on Life Quality. Wash. D. C,
Water Quality Research Council, 1974: 76-79.
Shaper AG, Pocock SJ, Walker M, Cohen NM, Wade CJ, Thomson AG. British
Regional Heart Study: Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Middle-aged Men in
24 Towns. British Medical J. 1981; 283 (July): 179–186.
Greathouse DG, Osborne RH. Preliminary Report on Nationwide Study of
Drinking Water and Cardiovascular Diseases. J. Environmental Pathology
and Toxicology 1980; 3:65-76.
Zieghame EA, Drinking Water Inorganics and Cardiovascular Disease. A
Case-Control Study Among Wisconsin Farmers. In: Caiabrese EJ, Tuthill RW,
Condie L ed. Inorganics in Drinking Water and Cardiovascular Disease.
Princeton, NJ: 1985:
Sharrett AR, Heyden S, Masironi R, Greathouse D, Shaper A, Hewitt D.
Panel Discussion: The Relationship of Hard Water and Soft Water in CVD
and Health. J. Environmental Pathology and Toxicology 1980: 4: 113-141.
Leoni V, Fabiiani L, Ticchiarelli L. Water Hardness and Cardiovascular
Mortality Rate in Abruzzo, Italy. Archives of Environment Health 1985;
40: 274-278.
Puddu V, Signoretti P. Drinking Water and Cardiovascular Disease. AM.
Heart J. 1980;99 (April): 539-540
National Research Council. Drinking Water and Health. Vol. 1:477.
Wash, D. C: National Academic Press, 1977.
Source: - Healthy Water, Martin Fox, Ph.D.
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Red wine
& Heart Disease
The health benefits of moderate red wine drinking have been widely
postulated over the past years. Polyphenols, substances found in abundance
in red wine, are thought to block the oxidation of low-density
liproprotein (LDL), a form of cholesterol, which causes furring of the
arteries. However, excessive alcohol has an injurious effect on the body
in other ways, for example, by creating strain on the liver and kidneys
and creating excess acidity in the body.
Researchers Norman Williams, Alan Howard and Shailja Nigdikar of
Papworth hospital, near Cambridge, England carried out a study to find out
whether polyphenols would work in the same beneficial way when isolated
and extracted from red wine. Twenty healthy male volunteers were given
regular daily amounts of red wine, white wine or capsules containing
polyphenol extract. With a gap of 14 days in between the subjects tried
each regime for 14 days.
The results showed that the benefits of the capsules, gauged by blood
levels of substances that show whether oxidation of LDLs is rising or
falling, were very similar to those of red wine.
Presenting their findings at a conference of the Nutrition Society in
London the researchers say that much larger studies over longer time
studies are needed to see whether the oxidation measurements translate
into fewer heart attacks. However Norman Williams and his colleagues are
confident that the results are good news for both teatotallers and those
who do not enjoy red wine. He said ‘I think, personally, that if you
like a drop of claret, carry on, but a lot of people do not like red wine,
so the polyphenol extract could provide them with another way of getting
the benefits.
International Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, March
1997 - Vol 15, No 3
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Cooked
tomatoes & Heart
Disease
According to a report in the
Lancet, eating cooked tomato products can protect men against acute
myocardial infarcation. The beneficial ingredient in tomatoes is lycopene,
a carotenoid, which, apparently, is found more in cooked and processed
tomatoes than in the raw fruit. The report suggested that it would be of
value to add tomato sauce, ketchup and similar products to the daily diet.
The Lancet, Vol 350, p.1229
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Vitamin
E supplements reduce healthcare costs
A
financial analysis made by the Director of the Council for Responsible
Nutrition, who directed his attention on Vitamin E as a
cardioprotective, suggests that 26 per cent of all heart disease could
be prevented simply by daily supplementation of vitamin E (200-400 iu
per day). According to the report, dietary supplements could result in
substantial savings for the National Health Service in the UK,
producing half a million fewer hospitalisations per year at a cost of
£5 million in health care costs in hospitalisation expenses alone.
Source: Alternatives in Health V2, I4
May/June 1997
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Indian
goose berry & cholesterol levels
A study
conducted at the Department of Foods and Nutrition, Lady Irwin
College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India has demonstrated that
the Indian goose berry (amla - Emblica officinalis, Gaertn.) can
reduce high serum cholesterol levels. The effect on total serum
cholesterol and its lipoprotein fractions of supplementation of the
diet with the Indian goose
berry was studied in normal and hypercholesterolaemic men aged 35-55
years.
The fresh goose berry was eaten
(uncooked) for a period of 28 days. Both normal and
hypercholesterolaemic participants showed a decrease in cholesterol
levels. However, two weeks after withdrawing the supplement, the total
serum cholesterol levels of the hypercholesterolaemic subjects rose
significantly almost to initial levels.
Jacob A; Pandey M;
Kapoor S; Saroja R. Effect of the Indian goose berry (amla) on serum
cholesterol levels in men aged 35-55 years. Eur J Clin Nutr (ENGLAND)
Nov 1988, 42 (11) p939-44
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Asprin
While some small
doses of Asprin may protect women from stroke, higher amounts raise the
risk, suggests a large, long-term study in the U.S. According to the
Nurses' Health Study, women who took one to six Asprin per week has a
lower risk of large artery occlusive infarction (a non-bleeding stroke)
than women who took no Asprin. But women who took 15 or more Asprin
tablets per week just about doubled their risk of subarachnoid
haemorrhage (a bleeding stroke), compared with those who took no Asprin.
The risk was even higher in older women with high blood pressure who
took more than 15 tablets per week.
The information was
gleaned from questionnaires filled out every two years by the study
patients. Over 15 years, the number of strokes in the group was small.
By 1994, after 999,231 person years of follow up, there were only 503
strokes.
This may be one reason
why researchers suggest that even though small amounts of Asprin appeared
to have some effect against ischaemic (non-bleeding) stroke - the most
common type of stroke - it is too early to make public health
recommendations based simply upon observation. There is still no clear
relation between Asprin use and the total stroke risk (Stroke,
1999; 30: 1764-71)
WDDTY, November 1999, vol
10 no8
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