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Recent Longevity News for the week ending
11/12/14:
Iodide
protects against dangerous reperfusion injury after heart attack - Science
Daily, 11/7/14 - "When mice with induced
heart attacks were given intravenous
infusions of sodium iodide
five minutes before reperfusion, it reduced myocardial infarction, or MI, damage
by as much as 75 percent. And when mice were given sodium iodide in their
drinking water for two days before the procedure, they showed similar
significant protection against the damage ... only iodide boasts a superior
safety profile. Even in large quantities, iodide is very safe, they noted. And
it's already approved for human ingestion -- and widely available. "You can buy
it on Amazon right now," Roth noted" - See
iodine at Amazon.com.
Statins
reverse learning disabilities caused by genetic disorder - Science Daily,
11/10/14 - "Here's how it works: statin drugs lower
cholesterol by blocking the synthesis of certain fat molecules that Ras requires
to function. The resulting drop in Ras activity allows brain cells to
communicate properly, allowing normal learning to take place ... We were amazed
to see that statin treatment restored the adult animals' cognitive functions to
normal ... UCLA's approach could help the estimated 35 million Americans who
struggle with learning disabilities"
Regular marijuana habit changes your brain, study says - CNN.com, 11/11/14 -
"new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences ... compared to nonusers, people who smoked marijuana starting as early
as age 14 have less brain volume, or gray matter, in the orbitofrontal cortex.
That's the area in the front of your brain that helps you make decisions" -
[Web
MD] [Science
Daily] [Medscape]
DHA Supplements May Reduce
Stress in Pregnant Women - Medscape, 11/7/14 - "The
reduction in cortisol output may improve the
uterine environment for the developing fetus ... Researchers randomly assigned
the women to receive either 450 mg of DHA per day or
a placebo ... At 30 weeks of pregnancy, perceived stress was significantly lower
among participants supplementing with DHA compared with among women receiving
the placebo (P = .029). In addition, cortisol output in response to a stressful
situation was 20% lower in the women who received the supplement than in the
placebo group ... high levels of psychological and environmental stress during
pregnancy are linked to developmental problems in children, including increased
anxiety, difficulty paying attention, and impaired learning" - See
docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com.
New
research adds spice to curcumin's health-promoting benefits - Science Daily,
11/6/14 - "Curcumin
powder was mixed with castor oil and polyethylene glycol in a process called
nano-emulsion (think vinaigrette salad dressing), creating fluid teeming with
microvesicles that contain curcumin. This process allows the compound to
dissolve and be more easily absorbed by the gut to enter the bloodstream and
tissues ... concentrations of the emulsified curcumin in blood were more than 10
times higher than of curcumin powder suspended in water"
25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 and
Renal Cell Carcinoma - Medscape, 11/6/14 - "A
doubling of 25(OH)D3 was associated with
28% lower odds of RCC" - See
vitamin D at Amazon.com.
New
dietary supplement beats calcium, vitamin D for bone strength - Science
Daily, 11/5/14 - "KoACT is a calcium-collagen chelate, a compound containing
calcium and collagen that are bound together ... A group of 39 women were
randomly divided into two groups, with the control group taking a capsule that
was a mix of calcium and vitamin D. The other group took the calcium-collagen
chelate ... The women taking the calcium-collagen chelate saw substantially less
bone loss than the control group over a year's time. The group taking the
calcium-collagen chelate, saw a loss of 1.23 percent in bone mineral density,
while the control group saw a 3.75 percent loss" - See KoACT at Amazon.com.
High-fat
diet postpones brain aging in mice - Science Daily, 11/5/14 -
"Our study suggests that a high-fat diet can postpone
aging processes. A diet high in fat also seems to postpone the aging of the
brain ... The researchers see a particular positive effect when the mice are
given the so-called medium chain fatty acids
-- e.g. from coconut oil"
Effectiveness of Influenza
Vaccinations in Singapore - Medscape, 11/5/14 -
"vaccine effectiveness (VE) ... The crude estimates for the VE of the triavalent
vaccine against both influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and influenza B were 84% (95% CI
78–88%, 79–86%, respectively). Vaccine efficacy against influenza A(H3N2) was
markedly lower (VE 33%, 95% CI −4% to 57%). An estimated 70% (RR = 0.30; 95% CI
0.11–0.84), 39% (RR = 0.61;0.25–1.43) and 75% (RR = 0.25; 95% CI 0.11–0.50)
reduction in the risk of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, influenza A(H3N2) and influenza
B infections, respectively, in the recruit camp during the post-vaccination
period compared with during the pre-vaccination period was observed" - Table form which is easier to read:
Influenza type |
Effectiveness |
Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 |
84% |
Influenza A(H3N2) |
33% |
Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 |
70% |
Influenza A(H3N2) |
39% |
Influenza B |
75% |
Average |
60% |
Abstracts from this week:
Fiber
consumption and all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortalities: A systematic
review and meta-analysis of cohort studies - Mol Nutr Food Res. 2014 Nov 8 -
"Medline and web of science database were searched for
cohort studies ... Compared with those who consumed lowest fiber, for
individuals who ate highest fiber, mortality rate was lower by 23% (HR, 0.77;
95% CI, 0.72-0.81) for CVD, by 17% (HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.74- 0.91) for cancer, by
23% (HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.73-0.81) for all-cause mortality. For each 10 gram/day
increase in fiber intake, the pooled HR was estimated to be 0.89 (95% CI,
0.86-0.93) for all-cause mortality, 0.80 (95% CI, 0.72-0.88) for CHD mortality,
and 0.66 (95% CI, 0.40-0.92) for IHD mortality, 0.91 (95% CI, 0.88-0.94) for
cancer. Dietary fiber and CVD mortality showed a strong dose-response relation" -
See
fiber supplements at Amazon.com.
Vitamin D
deficiency predicts cognitive decline in older men and women: The Pro.V.A. Study
- Neurology. 2014 Nov 5 - "The results of our study support an independent
association between low 25OHD levels and
cognitive decline in elderly
individuals. In cognitively intact elderly subjects, 25OHD levels below 75 nmol/L
are already predictive of global cognitive dysfunction at 4.4 years" - See
vitamin D at Amazon.com.
Dunaliella
salina exhibits an anti-leukemic immunity in a mouse model of WEHI-3 leukemia
cells - J Agric Food Chem. 2014 Nov 7 - "these
results demonstrated that the application of D.
salina had beneficial effects to WEHI-3
leukemic mice by prolonging survival via modulating the immune responses"
- See dunaliella salina at Amazon.com.
Optimal
Serum Selenium Concentrations Are Associated with Lower Depressive Symptoms and
Negative Mood among Young Adults - J Nutr. 2014 Nov 5 -
"A total of 978 young adults (aged 17-25 y) completed
the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale and reported their
negative and positive mood daily for 13 d using an Internet diary. Serum
selenium concentration was determined by
inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry ... The mean ± SD serum selenium
concentration was 82 ± 18 μg/L and ranged from 49 to 450 μg/L. Participants with
the lowest serum selenium concentration (62 ± 4 μg/L; decile 1) and, to a lesser
extent, those with the highest serum selenium concentration (110 ± 38 μg/L;
decile 10) had significantly greater adjusted
depressive symptoms than did participants with midrange serum selenium
concentrations (82 ± 1 to 85 ± 1 μg/L; deciles 6 and 7). Depressive
symptomatology was lowest at a selenium concentration of ∼85 μg/L. Patterns for
negative mood were similar but more U-shaped. Positive mood showed an inverse
U-shaped association with selenium, but this pattern was less consistent than
depressive symptoms or negative mood" - See
Se-methyl l-selenocysteine at Amazon.com.
Coenzyme Q10
Supplementation Decreases Statin-Related Mild-to-Moderate Muscle Symptoms: A
Randomized Clinical Study - Med Sci Monit. 2014 Nov 6;20:2183-2188 -
"The present results show that
coenzyme Q10 supplementation (50 mg twice daily) effectively reduced
statin-related mild-to-moderate muscular
symptoms, causing lower interference of statin-related muscular symptoms with
daily activities" - See
ubiquinol products at Amazon.com.
Low dietary
intake of magnesium is associated with increased externalising behaviours in
adolescents - Public Health Nutr. 2014 Nov 6:1-7 -
"Adequate Zn and Mg
intakes may be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of mental health
problems, such as depression, anxiety and
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ... using a validated FFQ ... Higher
dietary intake of Mg (per sd increase) was significantly associated with reduced
externalising behaviours (β=-1.45; 95 % CI -2.40, -0.50; P=0.003). There was a
trend towards reduced externalising behaviours with higher Zn intake (per sd
increase; β=-0.73" - See
Jarrow Zinc Balance at Amazon.com
and
Magtein at Amazon.com.
Neat Tech Stuff / "How To's":
Give your old smartphone a smart home overhaul - CNET, 11/9/14 -
"Manything is a free app that turns your old
iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch into a security camera. Once you download the
app, you're just a few minutes away from having a decent live streaming
device, complete with motion sensing capabilities, email alerts, push
notifications and an IFTTT channel. The Manything IFTTT channel makes it
possible for you to create recipes for your new security camera and
other IFTTT-compatible devices, like Belkin WeMo products and Philips
Hue LEDs ... The Presence iOS app is very similar to Manything. It also
takes your out-dated iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch and gives it DIY
security camera powers. Although it doesn't have an IFTTT channel, it
does offer in-app rules that let you schedule Home and Away modes,
receive alerts if your device gets unplugged and so on ... Bemo won't
turn your phone into a DIY security camera like Manything, Rico or
Presence, but it will use your spare Android, iOS or Windows device to
create a touchscreen thermostat display. We haven't reviewed one of
these yet, but it appears to be as simple as removing your old
thermostat, hooking up your thermostat wires to Bemo's enclosed
baseplate unit and mounting your old phone to the baseplate"
Netgear’s Arlo wireless security cameras to be the foundation of a new
smart-home platform - PC World, 11/5/14 -
"An Arlo Smart Home Security Camera Kit ($350) includes the base station
and two weatherized cameras with motion sensors ad infrared LED night
vision. Netgear also provides 200MB of free cloud storage for videos
(when you hit the maximum, the oldest clips are deleted first). Netgear
will have free apps for managing the cameras and viewing their video
feeds on Android or iOS smartphones or tablets. You can also access the
cameras and storage from a web browser. Each base station can support up
to four cameras, and Netgear will sell stand-alone cameras for $170
each" - [CNET]
- See Netgear VMS3230-100NAS Arlo Smart Home Security Camera System with 2 HD, 100% Wire-Free, Indoor/Outdoor with Night Vision
at Amazon.com.
Health Focus (Atherosclerosis):
Alternative News:
-
Association
between periodontal disease and its treatment, flow-mediated dilatation and
carotid intima-media thickness: A systematic review and meta-analysis -
Atherosclerosis. 2014 Jun 17;236(1):39-46 -
"Meta-analysis demonstrated that the diagnosis of PD was associated with a mean
increase in c-IMT of 0.08 mm (95% C.I. = 0.07-0.09) and a mean difference in FMD
of 5.1% compared to controls (95% C.I. = 2.08-8.11%). A meta-analysis of the
effects of periodontal treatment on FMD showed a mean improvement of 6.64%
between test and control (95% C.I. = 2.83-10.44%)"
-
Serum free
thyroxine levels are positively associated with arterial stiffness in the
SardiNIA study - Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2014 Jun 23 -
"Like several other known risk factors, serum FT4 levels
are associated with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, suggesting that high
FT4 levels have a detrimental effect on aortic stiffness and may contribute to
aging process of the vascular system. This finding may help to understand the
pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and contribute to improve prevention
therapy" - Note: Yet you talk to a doctor about substituting some
of the T4 with T3 and they think you're crazy. See
T3 at International Anti-aging Systems.
-
'Tomato
pill' improves function of blood vessels in patients with cardiovascular disease
- Science Daily, 6/9/14 - "One component of the
Mediterranean diet thought to play a role in reducing this risk is lycopene, a
powerful antioxidant which is ten times more potent than vitamin E. Lycopene is
found in tomatoes and other fruits, and its potency appears to be enhanced when
it is consumed pureed, in ketchup or in the presence of olive oil ... Thirty-six
cardiovascular disease patients and thirty-six healthy volunteers were given
either Ateronon (an off-the-shelf supplement containing 7mg of lycopene) or a
placebo treatment ... 7mg of oral lycopene supplementation improved and
normalised endothelial function in the patients, but not in healthy volunteers.
Lycopene improved the widening of the blood vessels by over a half (53%)
compared to baseline in those taking the pill after correction for those who
took the placebo" - See
Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
-
The effect
of homocysteine-lowering therapy with folic acid on flow-mediated vasodilation
in patients with coronary artery disease: A meta-analysis of randomized
controlled trials - Atherosclerosis. 2014 Apr 18;235(1):31-35 -
"Our meta-analysis demonstrated that folic acid
supplementation can significantly improve endothelial dysfunction as assessed by
FMD in the brachial artery in patients with coronary heart disease" - See
folic acid products at Amazon.com.
-
Novel
antioxidant makes old arteries seem young again, study shows - Science
Daily, 5/6/14 - "When the research team gave old mice -- the equivalent of 70-
to 80-year-old humans -- water containing an antioxidant known as MitoQ for four
weeks, their arteries functioned as well as the arteries of mice with an
equivalent human age of just 25 to 35 years ... MitoQ completely restored
endothelial function in the old mice. They looked like young mice ...
Biochemists manufactured MitoQ by adding a molecule to ubiquinone (also known as
coenzyme Q10), a naturally occurring antioxidant. The additional molecule makes
the ubiquinone become concentrated in mitochondria ... the MitoQ treatment
increased levels of nitric oxide, reduced oxidative stress and improved the
health of the mitochondria in the arteries of old mice" - See MitoQ at Amazon.com.
-
Effect of
vitamin C on endothelial function in health and disease: A systematic review and
meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials - Atherosclerosis. 2014 Apr
18;235(1):9-20 - "endothelial function (EF) ... Pooling
the data from 44 clinical trials showed a significant positive effect of
vitamin C on EF (SMD: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.34, 0.66,
P < 0.001). Stratification of the analysis by health outcome revealed improved
EF in atherosclerotic (SMD: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.41, 1.26, P < 0.001), diabetic (SMD:
0.52, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.82, P < 0.001) and heart failure patients (SMD: 0.48, 95%
CI: 0.08, 0.88, P < 0.02) after vitamin C supplementation ... The
meta-regression showed a significant positive association between vitamin C dose
and improvement in EF" - See
vitamin C products at Amazon.com.
-
Lower
potassium intake is associated with increased wave reflection in young healthy
adults - Nutr J. 2014 Apr 28;13(1):39 - "Thirty-six
young healthy adults (21 M, 15 F; 24 +/- 0.6 yrs; systolic BP 117 +/- 2;
diastolic BP 63 +/- 1 mmHg) recorded their dietary intake for 3 days and
collected their urine for 24 hours on the 3rd day ... These data suggest that
lower potassium intakes are associated with greater wave reflection and stiffer
arteries in young healthy adults" - See
potassium citrate at Amazon.com.
-
Dietary
Vitamin D Inadequacy Accelerates Calcification and Osteoblast-Like Cell
Formation in the Vascular System of LDL Receptor Knockout and Wild-Type Mice
- J Nutr. 2014 Mar 19 - "Vitamin D insufficiency is
highly associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We have
demonstrated enhanced vascular calcification in LDL receptor knockout (LDLR-/-)
mice fed a diet low in vitamin D ... Collectively, the findings imply low
vitamin D status as a causal factor for vascular calcification and
atherosclerosis" - See
vitamin D at Amazon.com.
-
Erythrocyte
membrane n-3 fatty acid levels and carotid atherosclerosis in Chinese men and
women - Atherosclerosis. 2014 Jan;232(1):79-85 - "A
comparison in the highest and lowest tertiles gave odds ratios (95% confidence
interval) for thickening in the walls of the common carotid artery of 0.58 (0.
34-0.97; P-trend = 0. 037) for DHA, and 0.39 (0.23-0.67; P-trend < 0.001) for
ALA. However, EPA was not significantly associated with carotid atherosclerosis"
- See
docosahexaenoic acid at Amazon.com.
ALA is another omega-3.
-
Habitual
fish intake and clinically silent carotid atherosclerosis - Nutr J. 2014 Jan
9;13(1):2 - "participants were divided into three
groups: non-consumers or consumers of less than 1 serving a week (24.0%),
consumers of 1 serving a week (38.8%), and consumers of >= 2 servings a week
(37.2%). Age-adjusted prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis (presence of plaques
or intima media thickness >= 0.9 mm) was higher in the low fish consumption
group (13.3%, 12.1% and 6.6%, respectively; P = 0.003). Multivariate analysis
evidenced that carotid atherosclerosis was significantly associated with age (OR
= 1.12; 95% CI = 1.09-1.14), hypertension on pharmacologic treatment (OR = 1.81;
95% CI = 1.16-2.82), and pulse pressure (OR = 1.03; 95% CI = 1.01-1.04), while
consuming >=2 servings of fish weekly was protective compared with the condition
of consumption of <1 serving of fish weekly (OR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.26-0.80)"
-
An Increase
in the EPA/AA Ratio is Associated with Improved Arterial Stiffness in Obese
Patients with Dyslipidemia - J Atheroscler Thromb. 2013 Nov 22 -
"88 patients received either highly purified EPA
treatment(1.8g daily, n=45) or treatment without EPA(control, n=43) ... These
findings suggest that EPA improves the arterial stiffness in association with an
increase in the EPA/AA ratio and a decrease in inflammation in obese patients
with dyslipidemia" -
See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
-
Hawthorn
Fruit Attenuates Atherosclerosis by Improving the Hypolipidemic and Antioxidant
Activities in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice - J Atheroscler Thromb. 2013
Oct 11 - "ApoE-/- mice were divided into a control group
(n=10) and hawthorn fruit group (n=10) ... The hawthorn fruit group mice
developed significantly decreased (p<0.05) atherosclerotic lesions. The levels
of serum lipids decreased significantly (p<0.05) and the levels of
cholesterol/triglycerides, including very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and
low-density lipoprotein (LDL), decreased in the hawthorn fruit group ... The
hepatic fatty acid synthase (FAS) and sterol regulatory element binding
protein-1c (SREBP-1c) mRNA levels were reduced by 42% (p<0.05) and 23% p<0.05)
in the mice fed the hawthorn fruit diet compared with that observed in the mice
fed a standard diet" - See
hawthorn products at Amazon.com.
-
Long-term
calcium supplementation may have adverse effects on serum cholesterol and
carotid intima-media thickness in postmenopausal women: a double-blind,
randomized, placebo-controlled trial - Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Sep 18 -
"To our knowledge, no studies have assessed whether the
effects of calcium supplementation on blood lipids are similar between
premenopausal and postmenopausal women ... A total of 190 premenopausal women
(30-40 y old) and 182 postmenopausal women (50-60 y old) with dyslipidemia were
given 800 mg Ca/d or a placebo for 2 y in a double-blind, randomized,
placebo-controlled trial ... Calcium supplementation in postmenopausal women
with dyslipidemia increases serum total cholesterol concentrations and CIMT. In
postmenopausal women with dyslipidemia, calcium supplements should be prescribed
with caution"
-
Effects of
lutein and lycopene on carotid intima-media thickness in Chinese subjects with
subclinical atherosclerosis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
trial - Br J Nutr. 2013 Sep 19:1-7 - "carotid artery
intima-media thickness (CAIMT) ... All the subjects were randomly assigned to
receive 20 mg lutein/d (n 48), 20 mg lutein/d+20 mg lycopene/d (n 48) or placebo
(n 48) for 12 months ... The mean values of CAIMT decreased significantly by
0.035 mm (P= 0.042) and 0.073 mm (P< 0.001) in the lutein and combination groups
at month 12, respectively" - Note: Some studies indicate that
supplementing with just a few of the over 600 carotenoids can cause a deficiency
of the others so I stick with supplements that have a broad array of
carotenoids. See
Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL at Amazon.com,
Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com
and
Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com.
-
Association
between low-dose folic acid supplementation and blood lipids concentrations in
male and female subjects with atherosclerosis risk factors - Med Sci Monit.
2013 Sep 4;19:733-9 - "Folic acid (FA) is one of the B
complex vitamins. It is thought that FA deficiency promotes atherosclerosis
formation in arterial endothelium. FA, acting through reducing homocysteine
(Hcy) levels, may contribute to decreased cholesterol (Ch) synthesis ...
enrolled 124 Caucasian individuals (60 M, ages 20-39; and 64 F, ages 19-39) with
atherosclerosis risk factors ... participants were asked to take FA at a low
dose of 0.4 mg/24 h for 12 weeks ... FA levels increased in females (6.3 vs.
12.5 ng/dL; p=0.001) and males (6.4 vs. 11.4 ng/dL; p=0.001) and Hcy levels
decreased (10.6 vs. 8.3 µmol/L; p=0.001 and 11.5 vs. 9.3; p=0.001,
respectively). A significant reduction in mean concentration of total
cholesterol in females (203.4 vs. 193.1 mg/dL; p=0.001) and in males (209.5 vs.
201.9; p=0.002) was observed. The low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)
levels decreased in females and in males (107.4 vs. 99.9 mg/dL; p=0.001 and
121.5 vs. 115.1; p=0.002, respectively). The apoAI concentrations increased in
smoking women and in men with BMI ≥25 kg/m2 (p=0.032 and p=0.024, respectively)"
- See
folic acid products at Amazon.com.
-
Consumption
of coffee, not green tea, is inversely associated with arterial stiffness in
Japanese men - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013 Jul 17 - "540
eligible men who enrolled in the baseline survey of a cohort study in Tokushima
Prefecture, Japan ... Coffee consumption was inversely associated with arterial
stiffness independent of known atherosclerotic risk factors, and this
association was partly mediated by reduced circulating triglycerides"
-
Salt loading
and potassium supplementation: effects on ambulatory arterial stiffness index
and endothelin-1 levels in normotensive and mild hypertensive patients - J
Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2013 Jul;15(7):485-96 - "The
authors investigated effects of excessive salt intake and potassium
supplementation on ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) and endothelin-1
(ET-1) in salt-sensitive and non-salt-sensitive individuals. AASI and symmetric
AASI (s-AASI) were used as indicators of arterial stiffness. Plasma ET-1 levels
were used as an index of endothelial function ... After 3 days of baseline
investigation, participants were maintained sequentially for 7 days each on
diets of low salt (51.3 mmol/d), high salt (307.7 mmol/d), and high
salt+potassium (60 mmol/d) ... High-salt intervention significantly increased
BP, AASI, s-AASI (all P<.001); potassium supplementation reversed increased
plasma ET-1 levels. High-salt-induced changes in BP, s-AASI, and plasma ET-1
were greater in salt-sensitive individuals. Potassium supplementation decreased
systolic BP and ET-1 to a significantly greater extent in salt-sensitive vs
non-salt-sensitive individuals ... dietary salt and increasing daily potassium
improves arterial compliance and ameliorates endothelial dysfunction" -
See
potassium citrate at Amazon.com.
-
Effects of
watermelon supplementation on arterial stiffness and wave reflection amplitude
in postmenopausal women - Menopause. 2013 May;20(5):573-7 -
"In a randomized cross-over study, 12 postmenopausal
women (mean [SE] age, 57 [1] y; mean [SE] body mass index, 38.1 [2.1] kg/m; mean
[SE] SBP, 153 [4] mm Hg) were assigned to watermelon supplementation
(L-citrulline/L-arginine 6 g/d) or placebo supplementation for 6 weeks ... baPWV
(-1.2 [0.3] m/s, P < 0.001), aortic SBP (-10 [3] mm Hg, P < 0.01), and aortic
diastolic blood pressure (-7 [1] mm Hg, P < 0.001) decreased after watermelon
supplementation compared with placebo ... Watermelon supplementation reduces
arterial stiffness and aortic SBP by reducing pressure wave reflection amplitude
in obese postmenopausal women with hypertension" - Note: A -10 on the
systolic is about what you'd get with prescription medications. - See
Stimulin at Amazon.com
(1,875 mg of L-citrulline) and
L-arginine products at Amazon.com.
-
Supplementation with n3 Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters Increases Large and Small
Arterial Elasticity in Obese Adults on a Weight Loss Diet - J Nutr. 2013 Jan
30 - "carry out a 12-wk randomized, single-blind trial
to test the effect of a 25% energy deficit weight loss diet alone (WL) (n = 12)
or WL plus 4 g/d Omacor (46% EPA and 38% DHA) supplementation (WL+FAEE) (n = 13)
on arterial elasticity in obese adults. Large (C1) and small artery elasticity
(C2) were measured ... Supplementation with n3 FAEEs improves C1 and C2
independent of weight loss in obese adults" - See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
Effects of
Lutein Supplement on Serum Inflammatory Cytokines, ApoE and Lipid Profiles in
Early Atherosclerosis Population - J Atheroscler Thromb. 2012 Nov 15 -
"Early atherosclerosis patients (n= 65) were randomized
to receive placebo (A+P, n= 31) or 20 mg/d lutein (A+L, n= 34) for 3 months ...
An increase in serum lutein after supplementation can reduce inflammatory
cytokines and regulate serum lipids, which may pay important roles in early
atherosclerosis" - See
lutein at Amazon.com or
Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL at Amazon.com
or
Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com.
Note: There are over 600 carotenoids. I read at least one study that claims
that taking large doses of just one carotenoid can cause a deficiency of the
others.
-
Plasma
phospholipid fatty acid composition in ischemic stroke: Importance of
docosahexaenoic acid in the risk for intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis -
Atherosclerosis. 2012 Sep 20 - "intracranial
atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) ... no cerebral atherosclerotic stenosis, NCAS
... Age, coexistence of hypertension/diabetes were significantly different among
the groups. Phospholipid FA compositions were significantly different between
non-stroke control and ischemic stroke patients, and interestingly, between NCAS
and ICAS in stroke patients. Pattern analysis showed that docosahexaenoic acid
(DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), the ω3-polyunsaturated FAs were important
FAs in distinguishing NCAS and ICAS in strokes. Particularly, the risk of ICAS
was inversely associated with levels of DHA contents in phospholipids (OR:
0.590, 95% CI: 0.350-0.993, p < 0.05), indicating that the risk may be increased
at lower levels of DHA contents ... DHA and EPA are important FAs for
distinguishing NCAS and ICAS in strokes. Additionally, the risk of ICAS was
inversely associated with the levels of phospholipid DHA, which indicates that
sufficient amounts of DHA in plasma or in diet may reduce the risk of ICAS"
- See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
New link
between high-fat 'Western' diet and atherosclerosis identified - Science
Daily, 10/8/12 - "endothelial lipase (EL), an enzyme
associated with the development of atherosclerosis ... In the current study, a
strain of mice susceptible to atherosclerosis was fed a normal diet enriched
with either palmitic acid (a common saturated fat) or eicosapentaenoic acid (an
omega-3 fatty acid, or polyunsaturated fat, found in fish oil, among other
foods). After 12 weeks, the mice's aortas were examined for changes in the
expression of EL and inflammatory factors. Aortas of mice fed the saturated fat
diet showed a significant increase in EL and detrimental changes in inflammatory
factors, while those of mice fed the polyunsaturated fat diet showed a
significant decrease in EL and beneficial changes in inflammatory factors ...
when the macrophages were given rosiglitazone, the expression of EL increased
markedly. The addition of omega-3 fatty acids to the cells blocked this
increase. "This would suggest that besides raising LDL cholesterol levels,
rosiglitazone can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease by increasing EL,""
- See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
Effects of
Serum n-3 to n-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Ratios on Coronary Atherosclerosis
in Statin-Treated Patients With Coronary Artery Disease - Am J Cardiol. 2012
Oct 2 - "A low ratio of n-3 to n-6 polyunsaturated fatty
acids has been associated with cardiovascular events ... Coronary
atherosclerosis in nonculprit lesions in the percutaneous coronary intervention
vessel was evaluated using virtual histology intravascular ultrasound in 101
patients at the time of percutaneous coronary intervention and 8 months after
statin therapy ... decreases in serum n-3 to n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid
ratios are associated with progression in coronary atherosclerosis evaluated
using virtual histology intravascular ultrasound in statin-treated patients with
coronary artery disease" - See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
Beneficial effects of
polyphenol-rich olive oil in patients with early atherosclerosis - Eur J
Nutr. 2012 Aug 8 - "Eighty-two patients with early
atherosclerosis (presence of endothelial dysfunction) were enrolled in this
double-blind, randomized trial with 52 completing the study. The aim of the
study was to compare the effect of a daily intake of 30 ml simple
OO, with 30 ml of EGCG-supplemented OO, on endothelial function as well as
on inflammation and oxidative stress after a period of 4 months ... After 4
months, when OO and EGCG-supplemented OO groups were combined, OO significantly
improved endothelial function (RHI, 1.59 +/- 0.25-1.75 +/- 0.45; p < 0.05).
However, there were no significant differences in results between the two olive
oil groups. Interestingly, with OO supplementation there was a significant
reduction in inflammatory parameters: sICAM (196 to 183 ng/mL, p = < 0.001);
white blood cells (WBCs) (6.0 × 10(9)/L-5.8 × 10(9)/L, p < 0.05); monocytes
(0.48 × 10(9)/L to 0.44 × 10(9)/L, p = 0.05); lymphocytes (1.85 × 10(9)/L to 1.6
× 10(9)/L, p = 0.01); and platelets (242-229 × 10(9)/L, p = 0.047)" - [Nutra
USA] - Click here for my method of making
olive oil mayonnaise. Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature.
Note: The so called olive oil mayonnaise you see in the store is mostly
omega-6. If you read the ingredients, it might have olive oil near the beginning
but then you see about three omega-6 oils after it. For example, if it contained
1/3 cup of olive oil and 1/4 cup soy oil and 1/4 cup of palm oil and 1/4 cup of
corn oil you’d have over a cup of oil consisting of 1/3 cup omega-9 oils and 3/4
cup of omega-6 oils. The omega-9 is still the top one.
-
Highly
Purified Eicosapentaenoic Acid Increases Interleukin-10 Levels of Peripheral
Blood Monocytes in Obese Patients With Dyslipidemia - Diabetes Care. 2012
Aug 21 - "Peripheral blood monocytes were prepared from
26 obese patients without and 90 obese patients with dyslipidemia. Of the latter
90 obese patients with dyslipidemia, 82 patients were treated with or without
EPA treatment (1.8 g daily) for 3 months ... This study is the first to show
that EPA increases the monocyte IL-10 expression in parallel with decrease of
arterial stiffness, which may contribute to the antiatherogenic effect of EPA in
obese dyslipidemic patients" - See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
-
Egg yolk consumption almost as bad as smoking when it comes to atherosclerosis,
study suggests - Science Daily, 8/13/12 - "regular
consumption of egg yolks is about two-thirds as bad as smoking when it comes to
increased build-up of carotid plaque ... The study looked at data from 1,231 men
and women, with a mean age of 61.5, who were patients attending vascular
prevention clinics at London Health Sciences Centre's University Hospital ...
The researchers found carotid plaque area increased linearly with age after age
40, but increased exponentially with pack-years of smoking and egg yolk-years"
- Note: See my eggs page. There's a lot of
controversy over this.
-
Lower
lifetime dietary fiber intake is associated with carotid artery stiffness: the
Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2012
Jul;96(1):14-23 - "This was a longitudinal cohort study
among 373 participants in whom dietary intake was assessed between the ages of
13 to 36 y (2-8 repeated measures, median of 5), and arterial stiffness
estimates of 3 large arteries (ultrasonography) were ascertained at age 36 y ...
After adjustment for sex, height, total energy intake, and other lifestyle
variables, subjects with stiffer carotid arteries consumed less fiber (in g/d)
during the 24-y study than did those with less stiff carotid arteries, as
defined on the basis of the highest compared with the lowest sex-specific
tertiles of the distensibility and compliance coefficients (reversed) and
Young's elastic modulus: -1.9 (95% CI: -3.1, -0.7), -2.3 (-3.5, -1.1), and -1.3
(-2.5, -0.0), respectively. Furthermore, subjects with stiffer carotid arteries
were characterized by a lower lifetime consumption of fruit, vegetables, and
whole grains-deleterious associations that could be explained, to a great
extent, by related low fiber intake"
-
Arterial
Stiffness and Vitamin D Levels: the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging -
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Jul 5 - "The aim of this
study is to test the hypothesis that 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH D) is an
independent cross-sectional correlate of central arterial stiffness in a
normative aging study population ... Vitamin D levels are inversely associated
with increased arterial stiffness in a normative aging population, irrespective
of traditional risk factor burden. Further research is needed to understand the
mechanism of this association and to test the hypothesis that vitamin D
supplementation can reduce arterial stiffness" - See
vitamin D at Amazon.com.
-
Effect of
folic acid supplementation on the progression of carotid intima-media thickness:
A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - Atherosclerosis. 2011 Dec
9 - "Our analysis showed that folic acid supplementation
significantly reduces the progression of CIMT (WMD: -0.04mm; 95%CI: -0.07,
-0.02; P<0.001), particularly in subjects with chronic kidney disease (CKD)
(WMD: -0.16mm; 95%CI: -0.26, -0.07; P=0.0006) or high cardiovascular disease
(CVD) risk (WMD: -0.05mm; 95%CI: -0.11, 0.00; P=0.06) but not in subjects who
were generally healthy with only elevated homocysteine concentrations
(WMD:0.00mm; 95%CI: -0.01, 0.01; P=0.35). Furthermore, meta-regression analysis
of the data showed that the baseline CIMT levels (P=0.011) and the percent
reduction of homocysteine (P<0.001) were positively related to the effect size.
Consistently, a greater beneficial effect was seen in those trials with baseline
CIMT levels ≥0.8mm (WMD: -0.14mm; 95%CI: -0.19, -0.08; P<0.0001), and a
reduction in the homocysteine concentration ≥30% (WMD: -0.22mm; 95%CI: -0.38,
-0.06; P=0.009)" - See
folic acid products at Amazon.com.
-
The
association between low 25-hydroxyvitamin D and increased aortic stiffness -
J Hum Hypertens. 2011 Oct 20 - "Subjects in the bottom
25(OH)D quartile (<20 ng ml(-1)) showed the highest aortic PWV (9.04 m s(-1)),
compared with 2nd-4th quartile (8.07 m s(-1), 7.93 m s(-1) and 7.70 m s(-1),
respectively; P for trend <0.0001). The association between 25(OH)D and aortic
PWV remained significant after adjustment for age, gender and other potential
confounders; subjects in the first 25(OH)D quartile had adjusted odds ratio 2.04
(1.26-3.30) for having aortic PWV 9 m s(-1) (top quartile) in multiple
regression. In conclusion, we found a clear significant and independent negative
association between 25(OH)D and aortic PWV. Subjects with lowest vitamin D
status showed the highest arterial stiffness" - See
vitamin D at Amazon.com.
-
Do
long-chain n-3 fatty acids reduce arterial stiffness? A meta-analysis of
randomised controlled trials - Br J Nutr. 2011 Oct;106(7):974-80 -
"A total of ten n-3 trials met the final inclusion
criteria; four using pulse wave velocity (PWV) and six using arterial
compliance, measured as capacitive compliance or systemic arterial compliance,
as respective outcome measures. Meta-analysis revealed that n-3 was
statistically significant in effectively improving both PWV (g = 0.33; 95 % CI
0.12, 0.56; P < 0.01) and arterial compliance (g = 0.48; 95 % CI 0.24, 0.72; P <
0.001). There was no evidence of heterogeneity or publication bias. Results were
not influenced by changes in blood pressure, heart rate or BMI. The findings of
the present study reveal that supplementation with n-3 offers a scientifically
supported means of reducing arterial stiffness. Reduction in arterial stiffness
by n-3 may account for some of its purported cardioprotective effects" -
See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
High serum
level of lutein may be protective against early atherosclerosis: The Beijing
atherosclerosis study - Atherosclerosis. 2011 Aug 10 -
"The case-control study comprised 125 subjects with
early atherosclerosis and 107 controls aged 45-68 years. We simultaneously
measured common carotid IMT and arterial stiffness by carotid ultrasonography,
and serum carotenoids were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatograph
(HPLC) ... In cases of early atherosclerosis, serum level of lutein was
significantly lower than that in controls. Serum lutein was inversely associated
with carotid IMT. Zeaxanthin and β-carotene were both negatively correlated with
right common carotid artery stiffness β, elastic modulus (E(p)), and pulse wave
velocity (PWV). After adjusting for age and gender, the associations remain
significantly (P<0.05). However, there is no significant difference for
zeaxanthin and β-carotene between the cases and controls" - see
lutein at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL at Amazon.com.
-
Low
Vitamin D Linked to Atherosclerosis, Study Finds - Medscape, 7/28/11 -
"They found that 25-hydroxyvitamin D was inversely
associated with both intima-media thickness (beta, -0.01 per 10-ng/mL increase;
P = .05) and maximal carotid plaque thickness (beta, -0.10 per 10-ng/mL
increase; P = .03) ... In a model containing traditional cardiac risk factors
and indices of mineral metabolism, 25-hydroxyvitamin D accounted for 13% of the
variance in both intima-media thickness and maximal carotid plaque thickness"
- See
vitamin D at Amazon.com.
-
Differential
Association of Docosahexaenoic and Eicosapentaenoic Acids With Carotid
Intima-Media Thickness - Stroke. 2011 Jul 14 -
"Japanese compared to U.S. whites had significantly lower IMT (mean+/-SD,
618+/-81 and 672+/-94 μm for Japanese and whites, respectively; P<0.001) and had
>2-fold higher levels of DHA and EPA. DHA, but not EPA, had an inverse
association with IMT in both Japanese and U.S. whites. The inverse association
remained only in Japanese men after adjusting for risk and other factors. The
significant difference in multivariable-adjusted IMT became nonsignificant after
further adjusting for DHA (mean difference, 17 μm; 95% CI, -8 to 43; P=0.177)
but not EPA. In this multivariable-adjusted model, DHA but not EPA was a
significant predictor of IMT (P=-0.032 versus 0.863, respectively) ... These
data suggest that DHA may have a more potent antiatherogenic effect than EPA,
especially in levels observed in the Japanese, independent of risk factors"
- See
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
Association
between yogurt, milk, and cheese consumption and common carotid artery
intima-media thickness and cardiovascular disease risk factors in elderly women
- Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 May 25 - "Total dairy product,
milk, and cheese consumption was not associated with CCA-IMT (P > 0.05), whereas
yogurt consumption was negatively associated with CCA-IMT (unadjusted
standardized β = -0.081, P = 0.008; baseline risk factor-adjusted standardized β
= -0.075, P = 0.015). Participants who consumed >100 g yogurt/d had a
significantly lower CCA-IMT than did participants with lower consumption
(unadjusted = -0.024 mm, P = 0.002). This relation remained significant after
adjustment for baseline, dietary, and lifestyle risk factors (multivariable
analysis = -0.023 mm, P = 0.003) ... Increased consumption of yogurt, but not of
other dairy products, is associated with a lower CCA-IMT, independent of other
risk factors"
-
Amazing acai alleviates atherosclerosis: Study - Nutra USA, 4/6/11 -
"The study, published in Atherosclerosis , presents
evidence to suggest that the athero-protective effect of the açaí juice is in
part due to reduced break down of lipids (lipid peroxidation) – which may be due
to increasing the levels and activity of two antioxidant enzymes ... Markers of
oxidative stress were found to be significantly lower in the serum and liver of
açaí juice fed animals ... Results from analysis of 17 genes related to
oxidation/antioxidant enzymes also showed that expression of two antioxidant
enzyme genes glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione reductase (GSR) –
considered important antioxidant enzymes in vascular systems – were
significantly up-regulated in the aorta of açaí juice fed mice ... The
activities of GSR in serum and liver and GPX in serum were also reported to
increase in açaí juice fed mice ... Hence, these two antioxidant enzymes may act
synergistically to reduce lipid peroxidation ... In further experiments, mice
fed açaí juice for 5 weeks were reported to have significantly lower serum
levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α"
-[Abstract] - See
acai berry products at iHerb.
-
Açaí
juice attenuates atherosclerosis in ApoE deficient mice through antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory activities - Atherosclerosis. 2011 Feb 24 -
"ApoE(-/-) mice were fed AIN-93G diet (CD) or CD
formulated to contain 5% freeze-dried açaí juice powder (AJ) for 20 weeks. The
mean lesion areas in the aorta for apoE(-/-) mice fed AJ were 58% less (P<0.001)
compared to that for CD fed mice. HDL-cholesterol was higher in AJ fed mice.
Biomarkers of lipid peroxidation, including F(2)-isoprostanes and isomers of
hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids and hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids were
significantly lower in serum and in liver of AJ fed mice. Expression of the two
antioxidant enzyme genes, Gpx3 and Gsr, were significantly up-regulated in the
aorta from AJ fed mice. The activity of GPX, GSR and PON1 increased in serum
and/or liver of mice fed AJ. In the second experiment, ApoE(-/-) mice were fed
CD or AJ for 5 weeks. Serum levels, gene expression and protein levels of the
two proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 in the resident macrophages with or
without LPS stimulation were lower in mice fed AJ. SEAP reporter assay
determined that AJ reduced NF-κB activation" - See
acai berry products at iHerb.
-
Vitamin
D levels linked with health of blood vessels - Science Daily, 4/3/11 -
"A lack of vitamin D, even in generally healthy people,
is linked with stiffer arteries and an inability of blood vessels to relax ...
people with vitamin D deficiency had vascular dysfunction comparable to those
with diabetes or hypertension ... It could be strengthening endothelial cells
and the muscles surrounding the blood vessels. It could also be reducing the
level of angiotensin, a hormone that drives increased blood pressure, or
regulating inflammation ... Forty-two study participants with vitamin D
insufficiency whose levels later went back to normal had an average drop in
blood pressure of 4.6 millimeters mercury" - See
vitamin D at Amazon.com.
-
Sleep
duration is significantly associated with carotid artery atherosclerosis
incidence in a Japanese population - Atherosclerosis. 2011 Feb 24 -
"Sleep duration ≥7h correlated significantly with the
incidence of IMT≥1.2mm when compared with a sleep duration of 6h
(multivariate-adjusted odds ratio, 1.263; 95% confidence interval, 1.031-1.546,
P=0.024). Shorter sleep duration ≤5h did not correlate significantly with the
risk compared with a sleep duration of 6h"
-
Bacteria
eyed for possible role in atherosclerosis - Science Daily, 1/5/11 -
"a chronic infection may underlie the process of
atherosclerosis, an infection that can be initiated by the systemic
dissemination of bacteria though different "gates" in the vascular wall -- as in
the case of a septic patient, through intestinal infection. The data support Dr.
Kozarov's previous studies, where his team identified periodontal bacteria in
carotid artery, thus pointing to tissue-destructing periodontal infections as
one possible gate to the circulation"
-
The effects
of dietary and nutrient interventions on arterial stiffness: a systematic review
- Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Dec 8 - "Of the 75 relevant
studies located, we considered 38 studies to be appropriate for review. Results
revealed support for intakes of omega-3 (n-3) fish oils (Cohen's d = 0.21-0.81)
and soy isoflavones (Cohen's d = 0.35-0.39) in the treatment of arterial
stiffness. There was limited but consistent evidence to suggest that salt
restriction (Cohen's d = 0.28-0.37) as well as consumption of fermented-milk
products (Cohen's d = 0.15-0.33) that contain bioactive peptides improved
arterial stiffness. The evidentiary support for intakes of vitamins,
micronutrients, and herbal medicines was insufficient. Limited but consistent
evidence suggested that caffeine intake acutely increased arterial stiffness
(Cohen's d = 0.34-0.51) ... Current evidence from several small studies suggests
that omega-3 and soy isoflavone supplementation provides an effective means of
reducing arterial stiffness" - See
soy isoflavones at Amazon.com
and
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
Lifetime
Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Arterial Pulse Wave Velocity in Adulthood:
The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study - Circulation. 2010 Nov 29 -
"Vegetable consumption in childhood was inversely
associated with adulthood PWV (β=-0.06, P=0.02), and this association remained
significant (β=-0.07, P=0.004) when adjusted for traditional risk factors
(high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,
triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, and smoking). Vegetable
consumption was also an independent predictor of PWV in adulthood when adjusted
for lifestyle or traditional risk factors (β=-0.08, P=0.002 and β=-0.07,
P=0.0007, respectively). Persistently high consumption of both fruits and
vegetables from childhood to adulthood was associated with lower PWV compared
with persistently low consumption (P=0.03 for both). The number of lifestyle
risk factors (the lowest quintile for vegetable consumption, fruit consumption,
physical activity, and smoking) in childhood was directly associated with PWV in
adulthood (P=0.001). This association remained significant when adjusted for the
number of lifestyle risk factors in adulthood ... lifetime lifestyle risk
factors, with low consumption of fruits and vegetables in particular, are
related to arterial stiffness in young adulthood"
-
Protective
effects of dehydroepiandrosterone on atherosclerosis in ovariectomized rabbits
via alleviating inflammatory injury in endothelial cells - Atherosclerosis.
2010 Aug 3 - "The risk for atherosclerosis is increased
in postmenopausal women. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is postulated to have
anti-atherogenic properties ... DHEA administration alleviates efficiently the
early pathologic damage of atherosclerosis, increases the serum NO level, and
up-regulates the endothelial cell estrogen receptor (ER) expression of
ovariectomized rabbits. DHEA in vitro significantly promotes NO synthesis,
suppresses MDA and MCP-1 secretion of endothelial cells, and decreases ICAM-1,
VCAM-1 and E-selectin expression in HUVECs; neither selective ERα antagonist
(methyl-piperidino-pyrazole, MPP) nor ERβ antagonist (R,R-tetrahydrochrysene,
R,RTHC) can abolish these effects. Furthermore, DHEA reduces CCR2, LFA-1 and
VLA-4 expression in U937 cells, which in turn inhibits the adherence of
monocytes to the injured endothelial cells. DHEA significantly decreased the
LPS-induced NF-κB transcription" - See
DHEA at Amazon.com.
-
New evidence
for nicotinic acid treatment to reduce atherosclerosis - Expert Rev
Cardiovasc Ther. 2010 Oct;8(10):1457-1467 - "Emerging
evidence from clinical and basic research studies indicates that novel direct
antiatherosclerotic properties might mediate nicotinic acid-induced
cardiovascular protection. Despite some limitations in its clinical use (mainly
due to the incidence of adverse events, such as cutaneous flushing and
hepatotoxicity), nicotinic acid should be considered as a very potent
therapeutic approach to reduce atherosclerosis. Promising research developments
are warranted in the near future" - See
niacin at Amazon.com.
-
Blueberries help fight artery hardening, lab animal study indicates -
Science Daily, 9/29/10 - "Atherosclerosis is the
leading cause of two forms of cardiovascular disease--heart attacks and
strokes. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of Americans ...
Lesion size, measured at two sites on aorta (arteries leading from the
heart), was 39 and 58 percent less than that of lesions in mice whose diet
did not contain blueberry powder ... The blueberry-spiked diet contained 1
percent blueberry powder, the equivalent of about a half-cup of fresh
blueberries" - See
blueberry extract at Amazon.com.
-
Low serum
magnesium concentrations predict increase in left ventricular mass over 5 years
independently of common cardiovascular risk factors - Atherosclerosis. 2010
Sep 21 - "Mg(2+) at baseline (0.790+/-0.003mmol/l,
mean+/-SEM) inversely correlated with the difference in LVM over 5 years
(p<0.0001, females: p<0.002, males: p<0.024). In the lowest Mg(2+)-quintile
(Mg(2+)<=0.73mmol/l), LVM (187.4+/-3.1g at baseline) increased by 14.9+/-1.2g,
while in the highest Mg(2+)-quintile (Mg(2+)>=0.85mmol/l) LVM (186.7+/-3.4g at
baseline) decreased by -0.5+/-2.8g (p<0.0001 between quintiles). By
multivariable analysis including several cardiovascular risk factors and
antihypertensive treatment, serum Mg(2+) was associated with the increase in LVM
at a statistically high significant level (p<0.0001). LVM after 5 years was
significantly higher in subjects within the lower Mg(2+)-quintiles. This
association remained highly significant after adjustment for several
cardiovascular risk factors including arterial hypertension and diabetes
mellitus" - See
magnesium supplements at Amazon.com.
-
Effects
of acetyl-L-carnitine and oxfenicine on aorta stiffness in diabetic rats
- Eur J Clin Invest. 2010 Jul 29 - "Oxfenicine, but
not acetyl-L-carnitine, increased total peripheral resistance in diabetes,
which paralleled its elevation in plasma levels of free fatty acids. By
contrast, acetyl-L-carnitine, but not oxfenicine, resulted in a significant
increase in wave transit time and a decrease in wave reflection factor,
suggesting that acetyl-L-carnitine may attenuate the diabetes-induced
deterioration in systolic loading condition for the left ventricle. This was
in parallel with its lowering of MDA/TBARS content in plasma and aortic
walls in diabetes. Acetyl-L-carnitine therapy also prevented the
diabetes-related cardiac hypertrophy, as evidenced by the reduction in ratio
of the left ventricular weight to body weight. Conclusion
Acetyl-L-carnitine, but not oxfenicine, attenuates aortic stiffening and
cardiac hypertrophy, possibly through its decrease of lipid
oxidation-derived MDA/TBARS in the rats with insulin deficiency" -
See
acetyl l-carnitine products at Amazon.com.
-
Antioxidants do help arteries stay healthy - Science Daily, 7/5/10 -
"Long-term supplementation with dietary antioxidants
has beneficial effects on sugar and fat metabolism, blood pressure and
arterial flexibility in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors
... receive either antioxidants or placebo capsules for six months. Tests at
the beginning of the trial, after three months and at the six month mark
revealed that the patients in the antioxidant group had more elastic
arteries (a measure of increased cardiovascular health) and better blood
sugar and cholesterol profiles"
-
Effect of
Long-Term L-Arginine Supplementation on Arterial Compliance and Metabolic
Parameters in Patients with Multiple Cardiovascular risk Factors: Randomized,
Placebo-Controlled Study - J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2010 Jun 7 -
"large artery elasticity index (LAEI) ... Although
large artery elasticity index (LAEI) did not differ significantly between the
groups at baseline (10.64.3 vs.11.64.5 ml/mm HgX100, p=0.346), at the end of the
study LAEI was significantly greater in patients treated with L-arginine than in
the placebo group (12.73.4 vs. 8.02.8 ml/mm HgX10, p<0.0001). Systemic vascular
resistance was significantly lower in patients treated with L-arginine than in
the placebo group after 6 months. Small artery elasticity index (SAEI) did not
differ significantly between the groups at baseline or at the end of the study.
Serum aldosterone decreased significantly in Group 1 from 10.76.3 to 8.45.0
ng/ml (p=0.008), but did not change in the placebo group. CONCLUSION::
L-arginine supplementation improves LAEI in patients with multiple
cardiovascular risk factors. This improvement was associated with a decrease in
systolic blood pressure, peripheral vascular resistance as well as a decrease in
aldosterone levels. The results suggest that long term L-arginine
supplementation has beneficial vascular effects in pathologic disease states
associated with endothelial dysfunction" - See
L-arginine products at Amazon.com.
-
Dietary zinc
intake is inversely related to subclinical atherosclerosis measured by
carotid intima-media thickness - Br J Nutr. 2010 May 21:1-10 -
"After adjustment for potential confounders, the
mean carotid IMT in the low Zn intake group was higher than that in the high
Zn intake group. When subclinical atherosclerosis was defined as >80th
percentile value of IMT or >/= 1 mm of carotid IMT, after adjustment for
potential confounders, Zn intake was inversely related to subclinical
atherosclerosis (5th v. 1st quintile, OR 0.64, 95 % CI 0.45, 0.90, P for
trend = 0.069; 5th v. 1st quintile, OR 0.34, 95 % CI 0.16, 0.70, P for trend
= 0.005, respectively). In persons free of clinical CVD, dietary Zn intake
was inversely correlated with subclinical atherosclerosis. The present
findings suggest a putative protective role of dietary Zn intake against the
development of atherosclerosis" - See
Jarrow Zinc Balance at Amazon.com
(zinc supplementation can cause a copper deficiency.
-
Arterial
Stiffness and Wave Reflections in Marathon Runners - Am J Hypertens.
2010 May 20 - "Marathon runners had significantly
higher systolic, diastolic, pulse (both aortic and brachial), and mean
pressures compared to controls (P < 0.05 for all). Marathon runners had
significantly higher PWV (6.89 m/s vs. 6.33 m/s, P < 0.01), whereas there
was no difference in AIx and AIx corrected for heart rate (AIx@75) compared
to controls (13.8% vs. 13.9%, P = 0.985 and 8.2% vs. 10.3%, P = 0.340,
respectively). Marathon race caused a significant fall in both AIx (12.2%
vs. -5.8%, P < 0.001) and AIx@75 (7.0% vs. 0.0%, P = 0.01), whereas PWV did
not change significantly (6.66 m/s vs. 6.74 m/s, P = 0.690). Aortic and
brachial systolic, diastolic, and mean pressures were also decreased (P <
0.05).Conclusions A significant fall in wave reflections was observed after
marathon race, whereas aortic stiffness was not altered. Moreover, marathon
runners have increased aortic stiffness and pressures, whereas wave
reflections indexes do not differ compared to controls"
-
Effects
of continuous vs. interval exercise training on blood pressure and arterial
stiffness in treated hypertension - Hypertens Res. 2010 Apr 9 -
"Continuous and interval exercise training were
beneficial for blood pressure control, but only interval training reduced
arterial stiffness in treated hypertensive subjects"
-
Effects of
Korean Red Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Mayer) and Its Isolated Ginsenosides and
Polysaccharides on Arterial Stiffness in Healthy Individuals - Am J
Hypertens. 2010 Feb 4 - "Although preliminary, this
study is the first to demonstrate that KRG may improve arterial stiffness as
measured by AI" - See
ginseng at Amazon.com.
-
Extended-Release Niacin or Ezetimibe and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness
- N Engl J Med. 2009 Nov 15 - "This
comparative-effectiveness trial shows that the use of extended-release
niacin causes a significant regression of carotid intima-media thickness
when combined with a statin and that niacin is superior to ezetimibe"
-
Independent inverse relationship between serum lycopene concentration and
arterial stiffness - Atherosclerosis. 2009 Aug 13 -
"brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), a
marker of arterial stiffness and markers of oxidative stress and
inflammation ... Subjects in middle tertile (T2) and upper tertile (T3) had
lower baPWV (1263+/-23 and 1265+/-14cm/s vs. 1338+/-21cm/s; p=0.009) and
lower oxidized LDL (oxLDL) (53+/-3 and 55+/-3U/L vs. 66+/-3U/L; p<0.001)
than those in lower tertile (T1). Subjects in T3 showed higher LDL particle
size (24.3+/-0.08nm vs. 24.0+/-0.07nm, p=0.005) and lower C-reactive protein
(hs-CRP) (0.80+/-0.25mg/dL vs. 1.27+/-0.24mg/dL, p=0.015), compared with
those in T1. Logistic regression analysis showed that baPWV decreased with
the increment of lycopene concentration; log baPWV decreased by 0.21cm/s
(95% CI -0.168;-0.045, p=0.001) per unit change in lycopene ... the
estimated effect was attenuated by 35% ... This study supports the presence
of an independent inverse relationship between circulating lycopene and
baPWV. Additionally, reduced oxidative modification of LDL may be one of
mediators on the mechanisms how lycopene reduces arterial stiffness"
- See
Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
-
Broccoli extract’s heart health benefits pinpointed? - Nutra USA, 9/7/09
- "Researchers from Imperial College London (ICL)
report that sulforaphane, a compound most widely associated with broccoli,
may activate a protein called Nrf2 in arteries ... the natural compound
sulforaphane reduced inflammation at the high-risk areas by 'switching on'
Nrf2 ... Atherosclerosis, known as hardening or furring of the arteries is a
key risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the cause of over 50 per cent of
deaths in Europe and the US ... When these cells were exposed to
sulforaphane, a re-activation of Nrf2 in the disease-prone regions of the
artery was observed. This indicated that the cells’ ability to protect
themselves from becoming inflamed was restored" - [Abstract]
- See
sulforaphane at Amazon.com.
-
Activation of Nrf2 in
Endothelial Cells Protects Arteries From Exhibiting a Proinflammatory State
- Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2009 Sep 3 -
"Treatment with sulforaphane, a dietary antioxidant, activated Nrf2 and
suppressed p38-VCAM-1 signaling at the susceptible site in wild-type but not
Nrf2(-/-) animals, indicating that it suppresses EC activation via Nrf2 ...
Nrf2 prevents ECs at the atheroprotected site from exhibiting a
proinflammatory state via the suppression of p38-VCAM-1 signaling.
Pharmacological activation of Nrf2 reduces EC activation at
atherosusceptible sites and may provide a novel therapeutic strategy to
prevent or reduce atherosclerosis" - See
sulforaphane at Amazon.com.
-
How
Much Omega-3 Fatty Acid Do We Need To Prevent Cardiovascular Disease? -
Science Daily, 9/1/09 - "a 200 mg dose of DHA per
day is enough to affect biochemical markers that reliably predict
cardiovascular problems, such as those related to aging, atherosclerosis,
and diabetes. This study is the first to identify how much DHA is necessary
to promote optimal heart health" - See
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
Low-carb Diets Linked To Atherosclerosis And Impaired Blood Vessel Growth
- Science Daily, 8/25/09 - "Even as
low-carbohydrate/high-protein diets have proven successful at helping
individuals rapidly lose weight, little is known about the diets' long-term
effects on vascular health ... mice placed on a 12-week low
carbohydrate/high-protein diet showed a significant increase in
atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque in the heart's arteries and a leading
cause of heart attack and stroke ... our research suggests that, at least in
animals, these diets could be having adverse cardiovascular effects that are
not reflected in simple serum markers"
-
Why
Low Vitamin D Raises Heart Disease Risks In Diabetics - Science Daily,
8/21/09 - "Low levels of vitamin D are known to
nearly double the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with diabetes
... When people are deficient in vitamin D, the macrophage cells eat more
cholesterol, and they can't get rid of it. The macrophages get clogged with
cholesterol and become what scientists call foam cells, which are one of the
earliest markers of atherosclerosis" - See
vitamin D at Amazon.com.
-
Lycopene linked to healthier blood vessels - Nutra USA, 8/13/09 -
"Higher levels of lycopene in the blood are
associated with lower stiffness in the arteries ... women with the highest
average lycopene blood levels (more than 0.0431 millimoles per litre) had
the lowest baPWV values, compared to people with the lowest average lycopene
blood levels (less that 0.0342 mmol/L) ... According to their results, women
with the highest average lycopene blood levels (more than 0.0431 millimoles
per litre) had the lowest baPWV values, compared to people with the lowest
average lycopene blood levels (less that 0.0342 mmol/L) ... these women also
had lower oxidised LDL levels, as well as larger LDL particles ... Levels of
C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, were also lower in the women
with the highest lycopene levels" - See
lycopene at Amazon.com.
-
Resveratrol prevents hyperglycemia-induced endothelial dysfunction via
activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase - Biochem
Biophys Res Commun. 2009 Aug 7 - "Endothelial
dysfunction secondary to persistent hyperglycemia plays a key role in the
development of type 2 diabetic vascular disease ... These results provide
new insight into the protective properties of resveratrol against
endothelial dysfunction caused by high glucose, which is attributed to the
AMPK mediated reduction of superoxide level" -
Click here
for a definition of endothelial dysfunction. See
resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
-
Daily Omega-3s Recommended for Heart - WebMD, 8/3/09 -
"omega-3 fatty acids' strongest protective effect
appears to be in people with established heart disease after a heart attack.
In these people, a daily dose of DHA and EPA is associated with a 30%
reduction in the risk of heart-related death ... But researchers say healthy
people can also benefit from including omega-3s in their diet. Research
shows a diet rich in omega-3s can also reduce the risk of hardening of the
arteries (atherosclerosis), irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), heart attack,
sudden cardiac death, and heart failure" - See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
Influence of conjugated linoleic acids on functional properties of vascular
cells - Br J Nutr. 2009 Jul 22:1-18 - "Based on
these studies, it can be concluded that CLA exert several beneficial actions
in cells of the vascular wall through the activation of nuclear PPAR. These
actions of CLA, which may, at least partially, explain the inhibition of
atherogenesis by dietary CLA, include modulation of vasoactive mediator
release from endothelial cells, inhibition of inflammatory and fibrotic
processes in activated smooth muscle cells, abrogation of inflammatory
responses in activated macrophages, and reduction of cholesterol
accumulation in macrophage-derived foam cells" - See
conjugated linoleic acid at Amazon.com.
-
Daily Glass of Orange Juice Is Heart Smart - WebMD, 7/20/09 -
"An antioxidant in orange juice called hesperidin
improves blood vessel function and helps lower a person’s risk of heart
disease ... An antioxidant in orange juice called hesperidin improves blood
vessel function and helps lower a person’s risk of heart disease" -
See
hesperidin at Amazon.com
or Natural Balance, Great
Legs, 60 Capsules at iHerb.
-
Curcumin May Prevent Clogged Arteries - WebMD, 7/20/09 -
"The current study suggests curcumin may thwart the
development of atherosclerosis, or clogged arteries, a key risk factor for
heart attacks and strokes ... Researchers in France fed 20 mice a diet
supplemented with curcumin or a comparison diet not supplemented with
curcumin. After 16 weeks, mice fed on the curcumin-based diet had a 26%
reduction in fatty deposits in their arteries compared to mice on the
comparison diet ... In addition, curcumin appeared to alter the genetic
signaling involved in plaque buildup at the molecular level" - See
curcumin products at Amazon.com.
-
High
Carbohydrate Foods Can Cause Heart Attacks - Science Daily, 6/25/09 -
"Doctors have known for decades that foods like
white bread and corn flakes aren't good for cardiac health ... foods with a
high glycemic index distended brachial arteries for several hours ...
Enormous peaks indicating arterial stress were found in the high glycemic
index groups: the cornflakes and sugar group ... During the consumption of
foods high in sugar, there appears to be a temporary and sudden dysfunction
in the endothelial walls of the arteries ... Endothelial health can be
traced back to almost every disorder and disease in the body. It is "the
riskiest of the risk factors,""
-
Dietary
fibre intake is inversely associated with carotid intima-media thickness: a
cross-sectional assessment in the PREDIMED study - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009
Jun 24 - "Our results suggest that high fibre intake
is inversely associated with carotid atherosclerosis"
-
Study strengthens Vitamin K1's heart benefits - Nutra USA, 5/26/09 -
"Subjects receiving a daily vitamin K1 plus
multivitamin supplement experienced 6 per cent less progression of coronary
artery calcification (CAC), or hardening of the arteries that leads to
atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease" - [Abstract]
- See
vitamin K at Amazon.com.
-
Vitamin C-rich foods may boost artery health - Nutra USA, 2/17/09 -
"increased intakes of vitamin C and fruit and
berries were associated with less thickening of the carotid artery ... one
mg per decilitre increase in blood vitamin C levels was linked to a 4.1 and
4.0 mmHg in systolic and diastolic blood pressures" - [Abstract]
- See
vitamin C products at Amazon.com.
- Vitamin C
consumption is associated with less progression in carotid intima media
thickness in elderly men: A 3-year intervention study - Nutr Metab
Cardiovasc Dis. 2009 Jan;19(1):8-14 - "Vitamin C
containing foods may protect against the progression of carotid
atherosclerosis in elderly men" - See
vitamin C products at Amazon.com.
-
High-Dose B Vitamin Supplementation and Progression of Subclinical
Atherosclerosis. A Randomized Controlled Trial - Stroke. 2008 Dec 31 -
"high-dose B vitamin supplementation (5 mg folic
acid+0.4 mg vitamin B12+50 mg vitamin B6) or matching placebo for 3.1 years
... High-dose B vitamin supplementation significantly reduces progression of
early-stage subclinical atherosclerosis (carotid artery intima media
thickness) in well-nourished healthy B vitamin "replete" individuals at low
risk for cardiovascular disease with a fasting tHcy >/=9.1 micromol/L"
-
Resveratrol inhibits the mTOR mitogenic signaling evoked by oxidized LDL in
smooth muscle cells - Atherosclerosis. 2008 Nov 24 -
"Smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation is a major
feature in atherosclerosis, since it contributes to the formation of the
fibrous cap, thus to plaque stability, but also to arterial stenosis and
post-angioplasty restenosis ... These data indicate that the mTOR pathway is
activated by oxLDL via PI3K/PDK1/Akt, and is required for SMC proliferation.
Resveratrol blocks specifically this pathway, thereby inhibiting
oxLDL-induced SMC proliferation. These data highlight a new property for
resveratrol that could contribute to the general anti-atherogenic properties
of this polyphenol" - See
resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
-
Anthocyanins battle blood vessel degradation: study - Nutra USA,
12/22/08 - "OPC was found to effectively delay SIPS
(stress induced senescence) caused by exposure to rotenone, a chemical
substance that is known to generate oxidative stress ... The ability of OPCs
to delay senescence was associated with a decrease in the levels of a marker
of DNA damage and DNA terminal ends (gamma-H2AX), suggesting that the
possible molecular mechanism by which OPCs delay senescence in endothelial
cells is through reduction in DNA damage" - See
grape seed extract at Amazon.com.
I've been taking 50 mg three times per day for years.
-
Higher Blood Phosphorus and Calcium Levels in Coronary Arteries -
Science Daily, 11/26/08 - "Higher serum phosphorus
levels, even within the normal range, may be a risk factor for coronary
artery atherosclerosis in healthy young adults"
-
Intakes
of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and fish in relation to
measurements of subclinical atherosclerosis - Am J Clin Nutr. 2008
Oct;88(4):1111-8 - "After adjustment for potential
confounders, intakes of long-chain n-3 PUFAs and nonfried (broiled, steamed,
baked, or raw) fish were inversely related to subclinical atherosclerosis
determined by cCIMT but not by iCIMT, CAC score, or ABI. The multivariate
odds ratio comparing the highest to the lowest quartile of dietary exposures
in relation to subclinical atherosclerosis determined by cCIMT was 0.69 (95%
CI: 0.55, 0.86; P for trend < 0.01) for n-3 PUFA intake; 0.80 (95% CI: 0.64,
1.01; P = 0.054) for nonfried fish consumption; and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.73,
1.11; P = 0.38) for fried fish consumption"
- See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
Pure
dietary flavonoids quercetin and (-)-epicatechin augment nitric oxide
products and reduce endothelin-1 acutely in healthy men - Am J Clin
Nutr. 2008 Oct;88(4):1018-25 - "Dietary
flavonoids, such as quercetin and
(-)-epicatechin, can augment
nitric oxide status and reduce endothelin-1
concentrations and may thereby improve endothelial function"
-
Long-term effects of
resveratrol supplementation on suppression of atherogenic lesion formation
and cholesterol synthesis in apo E-deficient mice - Biochem Biophys Res
Commun. 2008 Jul 5 - "The concentration of
total-cholesterol (total-C) and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) in plasma was
significantly lower in the resveratrol-supplemented groups compare to the
control group over the entire experimental period. The plasma HDL-C
concentration was significantly elevated, and the ratio of HDL-C/total-C was
significantly higher in the CF and RV groups than in the control group.
Plasma paraoxonase (PON) activity was significantly higher in the 0.06%
resveratrol group. The hepatic HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) activity was
significantly lower in the clofibrate and resveratrol groups than in the
control group. Resveratrol supplements attenuated the presence of
atherosclerotic lesions and periarterial fat deposition in the apo E(-/-)
mice. The presence of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and
vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in atherosclerotic vessels was
diminished in the resveratrol-supplemented apo E(-/-) mice. These results
provide new insight into the anti-atherogenic and hypocholesterolemic
properties of resveratrol in apo E(-/-) mice that were fed a normal diet"
- See
resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
-
Lycopene as effective as statins for artery health: rabbit study - Nutra
USA, 7/3/08 - "The results of our experiment in the
high-fat diet rabbit model showed that lycopene and fluvastatin lowered
serum levels of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, improved lipid
metabolism, and reduced the amount of triacylglycerols ... Lycopene
intervention reduced the increase in ox-LDL levels in rabbits on the
high-fat diet, whereas fluvastatin did not show such an effect. The cause of
this difference is at present not known, although the result speaks in
favour of lycopene ... These findings provide a theoretical rationale for
the use of lycopene as a preventive in atherosclerosis" - [Abstract]
- See
Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
-
Comparison of lycopene
and fluvastatin effects on atherosclerosis induced by a high-fat diet in
rabbits - Nutrition. 2008 Jun 26 - "Compared
with the control, levels of total cholesterol, total triacylglycerol,
low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, malonaldehyde, oxidized low-density
lipoprotein, and interleukin-1 were increased and total antioxidant capacity
and nitric oxide were decreased in the animals with a high-fat diet (P <
0.05). Intragastric administration of lycopene counteracted the change in
these parameters (P < 0.05). In this case, the data showed that lycopene in
the used dose was better than the fluvastatin intervention. Morphologic
analysis revealed that lycopene and fluvastatin markedly reduced the
formation of atherosclerotic plaques in the aorta compared with the
situation in rabbits on a high-fat diet alone ... Lycopene, like
fluvastatin, significantly attenuated atherogenesis in rabbits fed a
high-fat diet"
- See
Jarrow Lyco-Sorb (contains Lyco-O-Mato) at Amazon.com.
-
Failure To Bridle Inflammation Spurs Atherosclerosis - Science Daily,
6/18/08 - "When a person develops a sore or a boil,
it erupts, drawing to it immune system cells that fight the infection. Then
it resolves and flattens into the skin, often leaving behind a mark or a
scar ... A similar scenario plays out in the blood vessels. However, when
there is a defect in the resolution response -- the ability of blood vessels
to recover from inflammation -- atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries
can result ... Some natural mediators that 'cool' this inflammation are
derived from omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids" - See
Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
-
Serum DHEA-S Level Is
Associated with the Presence of Atherosclerosis in Postmenopausal Women with
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus - Endocr J. 2008 May 21 -
"intima-media thickness (IMT) ... Although simple
regression analysis showed that log(DHEA-S) and IGF-I in men and log(DHEA-S)
in women were significantly and inversely correlated with baPWV and IMT,
only log(DHEA-S) in women was still significantly and inversely correlated
with these atherosclerotic parameters after multiple regression analysis was
adjusted for age, duration of diabetes, BMI, HbA(1C), systolic blood
pressure, LDL-Cholesterol (C), serum creatinine, and smoking (Brinkman
index). Serum DHEA-S level seemed to be associated with atherosclerosis in
diabetic postmenopausal women independent of age, body stature, diabetic
status, and other atherosclerotic risk factors, and might be a useful
addition to other parameters for assessing the risk of atherosclerosis in
this population" - See
DHEA at Amazon.com.
-
Vitamin C consumption
is associated with less progression in carotid intima media thickness in
elderly men: A 3-year intervention study - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis.
2008 May 7 - "Vitamin C containing foods may protect
against the progression of carotid atherosclerosis in elderly men"
-
Juicing may boost a fruit's antioxidant punch: study - Nutra USA, 5/2/08
-
"The juices also outperformed the fruit for protecting
against atherosclerosis, measured by the aortic fatty streak lesion area or
AFSA. This value was reduced by 93 and 78 per cent for the purple grape
juice and the fruit, respectively, and by 60 and 48 per cent for apple juice
and apple, respectively ... The results show for the first time that
long-term consumption of antioxidants supplied by apple and purple grape,
especially phenolic compounds, prevents the development of atherosclerosis
in hamsters, and that processing can have a major impact on the potential
health benefits of a product"
-
Phenolics from purple
grape, apple, purple grape juice and apple juice prevent early
atherosclerosis induced by an atherogenic diet in hamsters - Mol Nutr
Food Res. 2008 Apr;52(4):400-7 - "The results show
for the first time that long-term consumption of antioxidants supplied by
apple and purple grape, especially phenolic compounds, prevents the
development of atherosclerosis in hamsters, and that processing can have a
major impact on the potential health benefits of a product. The underlying
mechanism is related mainly to increased antioxidant status and improved
serum lipid profile"
-
Omega-3 may boost blood vessel elasticity - study - Nutra USA, 9/21/07 -
"fish oil supplementation improved large artery
elasticity, compared to placebo (15.51.5 versus 12.83.7 ml.mm.Hg-1 x 10,
respectively)" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
-
Comparative effects of quercetin and its predominant human metabolites on
adhesion molecule expression in activated human vascular endothelial cells
- Atherosclerosis. 2007 Sep 17 - "both quercetin and
its metabolites, at physiological concentrations, can inhibit the expression
of key molecules involved in monocyte recruitment during the early stages of
atherosclerosis" - See
quercetin at Amazon.com.
-
Fish oil supplementation improves large arterial elasticity in overweight
hypertensive patients - Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Sep 5 -
"After 8 weeks follow-up, the large artery
elasticity in the fish oil group, compared with its baseline, was
significantly improved (C(1): 15.5+/-1.5 vs 12.8+/-3.7 ml mm Hg(-1) x 10),
whereas no effects were found in the placebo group (C(1): 13.0+/-3.4 vs
13.4+/-3.8 ml mm Hg(-1) x 10), P=0.027, RM-ANOVA across the two groups"
- See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com.
-
Vitamin K may reverse artery hardening, suggests study - Nutra USA,
12/11/06 - "A high-dose vitamin K supplement reduced
calcium precipitates associated with hardening of the arteries by 37 per
cent in rats"
-
l-Arginine, the substrate for NO synthesis: An alternative treatment for
premature atherosclerosis? - Int J Cardiol. 2006 Jul 20 -
"l-arginine administration may be useful in patients
with premature atherosclerosis"
-
Eat Your Veggies, Help
Your Arteries - WebMD, 6/19/06 -
"They found 38% less plaque in the arteries of mice that
had eaten the vegetable-rich diet, compared with mice that had eaten no
vegetables"
-
Veg 'prevents artery
hardening' - BBC News, 6/18/06 -
"US researchers found 38% less build up of fatty
deposits in the arteries of mice who were fed a mixture of vegetables, including
carrots and peas"
-
Combination Treatment Shown for First Time to Cause Regression of
Atherosclerosis - Doctor's Guide, 11/16/05 -
"reversal of atherosclerosis - a primary cause of
stroke and heart attacks - can be achieved with a combination of Niaspan
(prolonged-release nicotinic acid) and a statin ... ARBITER 2 clearly showed
that statins alone are not enough to halt the progression of atherosclerosis
even when the LDL-C target is met. However, the addition of Niaspan 1000 mg
stopped the progression of atherosclerosis in 12 months ... a further 12
months of treatment with Niaspan and a statin actually achieves regression
of atherosclerosis"
-
Why Our Arteries Become Clogged As We Age
- Life Extension Magazine, 10/05 - "Two natural
compounds—propionyl-l-carnitine (PLC) and PEAK ATP™—offer promise in
restoring and maintaining healthy endothelial function while supporting
cellular energy metabolism. PLC provides energy to the heart and vascular
cells by promoting optimal energy metabolism in the mitochondria. PEAK ATP™
boosts energy levels and vascular health by restoring youthful levels of ATP
in red blood cells, tissues, and organs" - See
Ester Carnitine Propionyl at iHerb.
-
Grapeseed extract may stop arteries from hardening - Nutra USA, 6/23/05
- "grapeseed extract stopped cholesterol from
building up in the arteries of guinea pigs, which in turn leads to the
thickening and hardening of the vessels and the resulting condition,
atherosclerosis" - See
iHerb
or
Vitacost
grapeseed extracts.
-
Too Little Magnesium Tied to Artery Troubles - HealthDay, 4/30/05 -
"dietary magnesium intake was inversely related to
coronary artery calcium levels ... Previous research found that changes in
fat metabolism caused by magnesium deficiency are linked to the development
of atherosclerosis and that magnesium intake is an important factor in
controlling fat metabolism in the walls of arteries"
- DHEA May Fight
Heart Disease, But How? - WebMD, 7/23/03 -
"Endothelial dysfunction is known to contribute to
atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries ... men who received 25 mg per
day of DHEA supplements for 12 weeks experienced
significant improvement in endothelial function as well as
insulin sensitivity compared with those who took a placebo" - See
iHerb
or
Vitacost
DHEA products.
-
High Dietary Calcium Intake Associated with Lower Age-Related Hypertension
- Doctor's Guide, 7/16/03 -
"In industrialized nations, SBP increases with age,
whereas diastolic blood pressure (DBP) tends
to decrease with age, thereby increasing pulse pressure (defined as the
difference between SBP and DBP) ... higher
calcium intake was associated with lower rates
of age-related increases of systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure ...
If the calcium intake of the general population were to increase to above
1,200 mg, the incidence of isolated systolic hypertension in the elderly
might be decreased"
- See
drugstore.com/GNC calcium supplements.
- A Drink a Day
Keeps Arteries Healthy - WebMD, 5/15/03 -
"moderate drinkers had increased elasticity in both
small and large arteries as well as lower heart rates compared with
nondrinkers ... Beer drinkers had the highest blood pressure levels,
followed by liquor and wine drinkers"
-
One Glass of Wine Per Day Improves Arterial Elasticity - Doctor's Guide,
5/15/02 -
"Modest alcohol intake
was defined as no more than one glass of wine or beer, or less than 30 mL of
hard alcohol daily ... All drinkers, particularly wine
drinkers, demonstrated increased elasticity in both small and large
arteries, as well as lower heart rates, compared with nondrinkers ... The
only negative effect associated with moderate drinking was a slight increase
in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Beer drinkers showed the highest
blood-pressure elevations ... moderate wine drinking is associated with
higher arterial elasticity, lower pulse rate, and higher stroke volume"
- Protecting
Blood Vessels From Stress - WebMD, 1/15/02 -
"vitamins can improve blood flow and prevent the
long-term development of atherosclerosis -- or hardening of the arteries --
when given in combination with an amino acid known as
L-arginine ... antioxidants might work together with L-arginine to
prevent inflammation in the branch areas of
blood vessels ... although antioxidants may not reverse or repair
pre-existing damage within blood vessels, they may slow the long-term
progression of atherosclerosis"
-
Vitamin C, Fish, And A Gout Drug Target Artery Damage From Smoking -
Intelihealth, 1/7/03 -
"vitamin C
and taurine, an amino acid in fish, reversed
abnormal blood vessel response associated with cigarette smoking - a
discovery that may provide insight into how smoking contributes to
"hardening of the arteries,""
-
Evidence-based Products - Functional Foods & Nutraceuticals, 12/02 -
"3g EPA/d and 3g
DHA/d (ROPUFA) increased systemic arterial compliance in 38 dyslipidemic
men and women, resulting in reduced pulse
pressure and total vascular resistance ... Results showed that ROPUFA
increased SAC—36 per cent with EPA and 27 per cent with DHA—compared with
placebo" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
and
Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
-
Pycnogenol Helps Hypertension - Nutrition Science News, Spring '02 -
"A new study conducted at the University of Arizona
Health Sciences Center in Tucson shows that pycnogenol, an extract of French
maritime pine bark (Pinus maritima) may lower blood pressure in mildly
hypertensive patients"
Other News:
-
Elevation of
HDL-C in Response to Statin Treatment is Involved in the Regression of Carotid
Atherosclerosis - J Atheroscler Thromb. 2014 Jun 13 -
"The administration of statins for 3 years to subjects
with type 2 diabetes resulted in a significant regression of the carotid IMT. An
elevation of the plasma HDL-C with statin treatment was closely related to a
regression of atherosclerosis"
-
Effect of
statin treatment on coronary plaque progression - A serial coronary CT
angiography study - Atherosclerosis. 2013 Dec;231(2):198-204 -
"The study included 100 consecutive patients who
underwent serial Coronary CTA (mean follow up: 406 ± 92 days) for evaluation of
CAD without known prior heart disease or revascularization. We performed
volumetric assessment of low attenuation plaque (LAP < 30 Hounsfield units),
non-calcified (NCP) and calcified plaque volumes at baseline and follow up scans
for vessels >2 mm in diameter ... Statin therapy resulted in significantly lower
progression of LAP and NCP plaques compared to non-statin users"
-
Arterial
Stiffness and Wave Reflections in Relation to Plasma Advanced Glycation End
Products in a Chinese Population - Am J Hypertens. 2013 Feb 28 -
"AGEs accumulate with aging and high cholesterol and are
associated with arterial wave reflections and, in an age-dependent manner, with
arterial stiffness"
-
Effects of
Low-Dose Atorvastatin on Arterial Stiffness and Central Aortic Pressure
Augmentation in Patients With Hypertension and Hypercholesterolemia - Am J
Hypertens. 2013 Feb 28 - "50 hypertensive and
hypercholesterolemic patients were allocated to receive 10mg of atorvastatin or
placebo for 26 weeks ... At study end, aortic PWV (9.0+/-1.5 vs. 10.9+/-2.6
m/sec; P<0.001) and AIx(75) (24.9% +/- 9.7% vs 28.8% +/- 11.8%; P < 0.001) were
significantly lower in the atorvastatin group than that placebo group.
Furthermore, decreases in central aortic systolic blood pressure and pulse
pressure were evident at study-end with atorvastatin but not with placebo
(130+/-8 vs. 138+/-6mm Hg, P < 0.001; 48+/-7 vs. 53+/-6mm Hg, P < 0.05,
respectively). Atorvastatin-induced reductions in aortic PWV during follow-up
showed significant associations with changes in AIx(75) and central aortic
systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure"
-
Increased
arterial stiffness in subjects with impaired fasting glucose - J Diabetes
Complications. 2012 Nov 22 - "The study group consisted
of 1043 subjects, including 683 subjects with NFG and 360 subjects with IFG
(100≤fasting glucose <126mg/dL) ... Arterial stiffness was higher in the IFG
group than in subjects with NFG even after adjustment for all confounding
variables including hs-CRP and oxidative stress markers. In addition, fasting
glucose and insulin were positively and independently associated with the ba-PWV
in non-diabetic healthy adults"
-
Serum
high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and progression to arterial stiffness in
middle-aged and elderly Chinese - Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2012 Sep 22 -
"participants in the highest quartile of HDL-c had an
odds ratio of 0.442 (95% CI 0.268-0.729) for developing high arterial stiffness
compared with participants in the lowest quartile" - See
niacin at Amazon.com.
-
Arterial
Stiffness Is Inversely Related to Plasma Adiponectin Levels in Young
Normotensive Patients With Type 1 Diabetes - Diabetes Care. 2012 Sep 21 -
"Data from 80 patients (age 27.1 +/- 6.1 years, BMI 24.2
+/- 3.1 kg/m(2), HbA(1c) 7.5 +/- 1.6%, 39 men, adiponectin 13.9 +/- 6.7 μg/mL,
and PWV 5.6 +/- 0.9 m/s) were analyzed. Log adiponectin inversely correlated
with age-adjusted PWV (r = -0.291, P = 0.009) and waist circumference (r =
-0.427, P < 0.001). In a fully adjusted model, age, expiration/inspiration
index, and log adiponectin were independently associated with PWV, explaining
39.6% of its variance ... Arterial stiffness is inversely related to adiponectin
concentration in young patients with type 1 diabetes without major
complications"
-
Association
of glycated hemoglobin with carotid intimal medial thickness in Asian Indians
with normal glucose tolerance - J Diabetes Complications. 2012 Jul 11 -
"To assess the association of glycated hemoglobin
(HbA1c) levels with carotid intimal medial thickness (CIMT) in Asian Indians
with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) ... The study group included 1383 NGT
subjects, of whom 760 (54.9%) were women. The mean CIMT value in the 1st
quartile of HbA1c (<5.2%) was 0.65 and it increased significantly to 0.73 in the
last quartile of HbA1c (>5.8) (p<0.001). Regression analysis showed that HbA1c
had a strong association with CIMT after adjusting for age, gender, waist
circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, serum
triglycerides, HOMA-IR and smoking (ß - 0.046, p=0.047) ... Even among subjects
with NGT, there is a significant increase in CIMT with increasing levels of
HbA1c, showing the value of using HbA1c for diagnosis of glucose intolerance"
-
High normal
thyroid-stimulating hormone is associated with arterial stiffness in healthy
postmenopausal women - J Hypertens. 2012 Jan 5 -
"Individuals with serum TSH greater than 2.5 μIU/ml had significantly higher
values of PWV when compared with individuals with TSH levels below 2.5 μIU/ml
(9.68 +/- 1.97 vs. 8.54 +/- 1.83 m/s; P = 0.030). In multivariate analysis, age,
insulin resistance and TSH above 2.5 μIU/ml were the only significant predictors
of PWV (TSH, β-coefficient = 0.222; P = 0.014). No associations were found
between the remaining markers and levels of thyroid hormones, whereas thyroid
antibodies were not associated with any of the arterial markers"
-
Adiponectin
and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in the Northern Manhattan Study - Stroke.
2011 Dec 22 - "Our findings suggest that low adiponectin
is associated with increased IMT in a multiethnic cohort and support a
protective role for adiponectin in atherosclerosis"
-
Arterial
stiffness as a cause of cognitive decline and dementia: A systematic review and
meta-analysis - Intern Med J. 2011 Dec 8 - "Aortic
stiffness was found to predict cognitive decline in both qualitative review and
quantitative analysis"
-
Influence of
low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol on arterial stiffening and left
ventricular diastolic dysfunction in essential hypertension - J Clin
Hypertens (Greenwich). 2011 Oct;13(10):710-5 - "In
univariate regression analysis, HDL cholesterol was inversely associated with
arterial stiffness parameter and E/Em (r=-0.23 and r=-0.27, respectively,
P<.01). The association of HDL cholesterol with arterial stiffness and LV
diastolic function was observed in both men and women. Triglycerides were weakly
correlated with arterial stiffness parameter and E/Em, while low-density
lipoprotein and total cholesterol were not. In multiple regression analysis,
only low HDL cholesterol was found as an independent predictor for both arterial
stiffness and LV diastolic dysfunction. Enhanced arterial stiffness is
associated with LV diastolic dysfunction. Low HDL cholesterol may lead to the
deterioration of both arterial stiffness and LV diastolic function in patients
with essential hypertension"
-
Endothelial
Dysfunction and Low-Grade Inflammation Are Associated With Greater Arterial
Stiffness Over a 6-Year Period - Hypertension. 2011 Aug 22 -
"Biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction and low-grade
inflammation are associated with greater arterial stiffness. This provides
evidence that arterial stiffening may be a mechanism through which endothelial
dysfunction and low-grade inflammation lead to cardiovascular disease"
-
Effects of
telmisartan and losartan on cardiovascular protection in Japanese hypertensive
patients - Hypertens Res. 2011 Jul 28 - "A total of
58 patients were enrolled in the present trial and the follow-up period was 1
year. There were no significant differences in blood pressure (BP) levels
between the telmisartan group and the losartan group throughout the trial. The
percentage of the patients treated with ARB monotherapy was significantly higher
in the telmisartan group compared with the losartan group. In addition, the
progression of intima-media thickness of common carotid artery was significantly
inhibited in the telmisartan group compared with the losartan group. Neither
group experienced significant changes in cardiac function and LV mass index.
There were no differences between the groups with respect to changes in
surrogate markers such as serum adiponectin, creatinine, homeostasis model
assessment index, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and high sensitivity
C-reactive protein. Although BP levels were equal and well controlled in both
groups, telmisartan showed more protective vascular effects than losartan"
- See my
telmisartan as a first line
treatment page.
-
Glycated
Hemoglobin A1c, Fasting Plasma Glucose, and Two-Hour Postchallenge Plasma
Glucose Levels in Relation to Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Chinese with
Normal Glucose Tolerance - J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Jun 29 -
"carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) ... participants
in the highest quartile of HbA1c, as compared with those in the lowest quartile,
still conferred a 68% increased odds of elevated CIMT (≥0.70 mm)"
-
Aortic
stiffness is reduced beyond blood pressure lowering by short-term and long-term
antihypertensive treatment: a meta-analysis of individual data in 294 patients
- J Hypertens. 2011 Apr 23 - "meta-analysis of
individual data from 15 randomized, controlled, double-blind, parallel group
trials ... In the short-term and long-term trials, PWV decreased significantly
by -0.75 and -1.3 m/s in the active treatment group compared with by +0.17 and
-0.44 m/s in the placebo group, respectively. Active treatment was independently
related to the changes in PWV and explained 5 and 4% of the variance in the
short-term and long-term trials, respectively. In the short-term trials, ACEIs
were more effective than calcium antagonists and placebo on improving arterial
stiffness. In the long-term trials, ACEI, calcium antagonists, beta-blocker, and
diuretic reduced significantly PWV compared to placebo ... Our study shows that
antihypertensive treatments improve the arterial stiffness beyond their effect
on blood pressure"
-
Antidepressants linked to thicker arteries - Science Daily, 4/2/11 -
"The study included 513 middle-aged male twins who both
served in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War ... A higher level of
depressive symptoms was associated with higher IMT only in those taking
antidepressants ... One of the strongest and best-studied factors that thickens
someone's arteries is age, and that happens at around 10 microns per year ... In
our study, users of antidepressants see an average 40 micron increase in IMT, so
their carotid arteries are in effect four years older"
-
Periodontal
disease and carotid atherosclerosis: Are hemodynamic forces a link? -
Atherosclerosis. 2010 Jul 29 - "Worse periodontal health
was associated to the presence of carotid atherosclerosis. Patients with carotid
plaques (n=19) had higher periodontal indices compared with subjects without
plaques (n=14) (gingival index: 1.40+/-0.71 vs. 0.69+/-0.64, p=0.006) ... In the
66 examined common carotids, wall shear stress was inversely related to all
periodontal indices (r=0.54, p<0.00001 for peak wall shear stress and gingival
index) ... The present study identifies for the first time a link between
periodontal indices and wall shear stress, suggesting that an alteration of
hemodynamic profile might contribute to atherosclerosis in subjects with
periodontal disease"
-
Association
between alcohol consumption and carotid intima-media thickness in a healthy
population: data of the STRATEGY study (Stress, Atherosclerosis and ECG Study)
- Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010 Jul 28 - "The mean IMT was
significantly higher in men with an alcohol intake above the upper limit of 20
g/day than in men with an alcohol intake <20 g/day (P<0.001). According to a
stepwise linear regression model adjusted for age, conventional risk factors,
nutrition and physical activity, the IMT increases by 0.0253 mm per 21.4 g/day
intake of alcohol in men (P<0.05).Conclusions: The STRATEGY study revealed a
positive association between alcohol consumption and carotid IMT in healthy men
aged 30-70 years. This relationship remained significant after adjustment for
nutrition, physical activity, anthropometry and conventional cardiovascular risk
factors"
-
Searching
for the right outcome? A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled
trials using carotid intima-media thickness or pulse wave velocity to infer
antiatherogenic properties of thiazolidinediones - Diabetes Obes Metab. 2009
Nov 17 - "A composite of combined placebo and comparator
controlled trials demonstrated a significant weighted mean difference of-0.06 mm
for CIMT (95% CI-0.09 to-0.02, p = 0.001) and-0.72 ms(-1) for PWV (95% CI-1.28
to-0.16, p = 0.011) in favour of thiazolidiendione treatment" - Note: I
still take
pioglitazone for
anti-aging. See my
Insulin and Aging page. See pioglitazone at
OffshoreRx1.com.
-
HbA1c
Levels Predict Carotid IMT in Diabetic Adolescents - Medscape, 11/13/09 -
"For every 1% increase in HbA1c, the likelihood of
having a thicker common carotid IMT increased by 35%, after adjustment for sex,
systolic blood pressure z-score, and insulin use ... These data suggest that
poor glycemic control is associated with structural changes in the carotid
artery that are consistent with early atherosclerosis"
-
HbA1c is
associated with intima media thickness in individuals with normal glucose
tolerance - Diabetes Care. 2009 Oct 6 - "normal
glucose tolerant individuals (NGT) ... 1h-glucose and
HbA1c were significantly correlated to carotid IMT in individuals with NGT,
while fasting and 2h-glucose were not informative. Only HbA1c was associated
with IMT independent of other confounders, while 1h-glucose was not informative
... HbA1c was the most informative glycemic marker with respect to IMT in
individuals with NGT"
-
Association
of Kidney Function With Coronary Atherosclerosis and Calcification in Autopsy
Samples From Japanese Elders: The Hisayama Study - Am J Kidney Dis. 2009 Sep
16 - "The autopsy findings presented here suggest that
CKD is associated significantly with severity of coronary atherosclerosis.
Patients with CKD should be considered a high-risk population for advanced
coronary atherosclerosis"
-
Stress Raises Belly Fat, Heart Risks - WebMD, 8/6/09 -
"Even compared to other monkeys with the same body mass
index and weight, CT scans showed that the stressed monkeys had a great deal
more belly fat. And when the researchers looked at the animals' arteries, they
found plaque clogging the arteries of the stressed monkeys ... it's not how much
fat you have, but where it is located ... Over time, high cortisol levels cause
belly fat to accumulate. It also makes individual fat cells get larger ... When
you have lots more fat in visceral fat cells and all the characteristics of the
metabolic syndrome, each of these things promotes atherosclerosis"
-
Pioglitazone Slows Progression of Carotid Atherosclerosis - Medscape, 6/9/09
- "A substudy of ACTOS Now, a diabetes prevention trial
comparing pioglitazone (Actos, Takeda Pharmaceuticals) with placebo on risk and
incidence of diabetes development, showed that active treatment with the
thiazolidinedione slowed the rate of progression of carotid artery intima media
thickness (CIMT) by 38% during a 3-year study period" - See Pioglitazone
at
OffshoreRx1.com.
-
Long-term
pioglitazone therapy improves arterial stiffness in patients with type 2
diabetes mellitus - Metabolism. 2009 Jun;58(6):739-45 -
"pioglitazone improved abnormal arterial stiffness in
patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus via a mechanism beyond the metabolic
improvement" - See pioglitazone at
OffshoreRx1.com.
-
Inflammation Worsens Danger Due To Atherosclerosis - Science Daily, 1/23/09
- "inflammation increases the risk of plaque rupture in
atherosclerosis"
-
High
apoB/apoA-I ratio is associated with increased progression rate of carotid
artery intima-media thickness in clinically healthy 58-year-old men: Experiences
from very long-term follow-up in the AIR study - Atherosclerosis. 2008 Dec 3
-
"The results indicate that apoB/apoA-I
ratio is an important risk factor for predicting atherosclerotic progression
rate during very long-term follow-up in clinically healthy middle-aged men"
-
Salivary cortisol is related to atherosclerosis of carotid arteries - J Clin
Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Aug 5 - "area under the curve
(AUC), which is a measure of total cortisol exposure while awake, and the slope,
which is a measure of diurnal cortisol decline. Results: Total cortisol exposure
while awake (AUC) was associated with higher plaque scores (beta = 0.08 per SD
of AUC, 95% CI; 0.00 - 0.17, p-value = 0.04) in a fully adjusted linear
regression model. Persons with an AUC in the highest tertile had a higher number
of plaques of carotid arteries compared to those in the lowest tertile (3.08
versus 2.80 ... Our results support the hypothesis that increased total cortisol
exposure is independently associated with atherosclerosis of the carotid
arteries" - See my cortisol page for ways
to reduce it.
-
Elevated white blood cell count is associated with arterial stiffness -
Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2008 May 2 - "These
findings indicate that elevated WBC count is associated with arterial
stiffness"
-
Valsartan Improves Arterial Stiffness in Type 2 Diabetes Independently of
Blood Pressure Lowering - Hypertension. 2008 Apr 21 -
"Increased arterial stiffness, as estimated from
aortic pulse wave velocity (Ao-PWV), and albuminuria are independent
predictors for cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) ...
Ao-PWV showed a significantly greater reduction, mean (95% CI), -0.9 m/s
(-1.4 to -0.3) for valsartan/HCTZ compared to amlodipine (P=0.002). AER fell
significantly only with Val/HCTZ from 30.8(20.4, 46.5) to 18.2(12.5, 26.3)
mcg/min, (P=0.01) with between treatment difference in favor of Val/HCTZ of
-15.3mcg/min" - Telmisartan, another ARB and my
first line plug,
will decrease arterial stiffness also. See:
-
Angiotensin II Antagonist Telmisartan Fights Stiffening Arteries In
Hypertensive Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 4/6/01 -
"not only effectively lowered blood pressure
compared with placebo, but also significantly decreased arterial
stiffness"
-
Pioglitazone May Prevent Progression of Atherosclerosis in Patients With
Type 2 Diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 4/2/08 - "Two
TZD agents are currently on the market -- pioglitazone and rosiglitazone.
Both agents reduce inflammatory biomarkers, while pioglitazone also produces
elevation of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and reduction of
triglyceride levels ... Dr. Nissen said the findings of the PERISCOPE study
support the conclusion that treatment with pioglitazone can prevent the
progression of atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes during 18
months of treatment. These finding may have important implications for
defining the optimal strategy for management of patients with type 2
diabetes and coronary atherosclerosis" - See pioglitazone at
OffshoreRx1.com.
-
Elasticity Indices of Large and Small Arteries in Relation to the Metabolic
Syndrome in Chinese - Am J Hypertens. 2008 Jan 10 -
"The metabolic syndrome is indeed a risk factor for
reduced arterial elasticity"
-
Arterial Stiffness and Memory and Concentration - Medscape, 11/23/07 -
"Increasing pulse-pressure levels and higher
baseline pulse-wave velocity — indications of increased arterial stiffness —
were linked to a decline in memory and concentration among aging individuals
who participated in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging"
-
Stiff Arteries May Stifle Aging Mind - WebMD, 11/20/07 -
"A new study links stiffer arteries to lower memory
and concentration test scores as adults age"
-
New Crestor(R) (rosuvastatin calcium) Indication Approved in U.S. to Slow
Progression of Atherosclerosis in Patients With High Cholesterol -
Doctor's Guide, 11/15/07 - "The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has approved Crestor(R) (rosuvastatin calcium) as an
adjunct to diet to slow the progression of atherosclerosis in patients with
elevated cholesterol"
-
Effect of long-term treatment with rosiglitazone on arterial elasticity and
metabolic parameters in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus: a 2-year
follow-up study - Diabet Med. 2007 Aug 24 - "In
patients treated with rosiglitazone for 2 years: the large artery elasticity
index (LAEI) increased from 10.0 +/- 4.6 to 13.9 +/- 4.7 ml/mmHg x 100 after
2 years (P = 0.003). The small artery elasticity (SAEI) index increased
significantly from 3.2 +/- 1.2 to 5.1 +/- 1.9 (P < 0.0001). In patients who
discontinued rosiglitazone: LAEI did not change after 6 months, but
decreased from 12.1 +/- 5.4 to 8.9 +/- 3.9 ml/mmHg x 10 (P < 0.0001) at the
end of 2 years. SAEI increased during the first 6 months of treatment, from
3.9 +/- 1.8 to 5.1 +/- 1.5 ml/mmHg x 100 (P < 0.0001) and decreased after
discontinuation of rosiglitazone (P = 0.042)"
-
Sex differences in the relation of HDL cholesterol to progression of carotid
intima-media thickness: The Los Angeles Atherosclerosis Study -
Atherosclerosis. 2007 May 3 -
"carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) (an indicator
of subclinical atherosclerosis) in middle age ... IMT at baseline was
inversely associated with serum levels of HDL-C and the associations were
comparable in women and men ... Our results suggest that although HDL-C was
protective against progression of carotid atherosclerosis in middle-aged
men, anti-atherogenic effects of HDL may diminish in women around the age of
menopause"
-
Beyond Lipids: Understanding The Mechanics Of Atherosclerosis - Science
Daily, 7/24/06 - "Atherosclerosis, the collection of
deposits such as cholesterol along artery walls, accounts for nearly 75
percent of deaths from cardiovascular disease"
-
Erectile Dysfunction, Artery Problems Linked? - WebMD, 10/11/05 -
"Erectile dysfunction often stems from blood vessel
problems tied to atherosclerosis, the hardening of the arteries"
-
Research Links Coffee to Heart Risks for Some - WebMD, 6/17/05 -
"coffee drinkers had more stiffness of the major
blood vessel of the body than non-coffee drinkers. Decreased elasticity of
major blood vessels is a risk factor for developing heart disease like heart
attack and stroke"
-
Blood Test May Show Heart Attack Risk - WebMD, 5/16/05 -
"White blood cells are infection-fighting cells that
may increase in response to infection or inflammation. Studies suggest that
hardening of the arteries caused by cholesterol plaque -- atherosclerosis --
is linked to inflammation. Therefore, researchers suggest that measuring
white blood cells may help reveal heart disease risk"
-
Atorvastatin Appears to Reduce Arterial Stiffness in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Patients - Doctor's Guide, 10/31/03 -
"They concluded that treatment with atorvastatin
significantly reduced arterial stiffness in patients with RA but did not
reduce serum CRP"
-
Statins Decrease Aortic Stiffness in Hypertensives With High Cholesterol
- Doctor's Guide, 9/30/03 -
"Most significantly, while the PWV remained
unchanged in the pravastatin and non-statin group, it was moderately
decreased in the simvastatin group and remarkably reduced in the fluvastatin
group ... Dr. Ichihara theorized that lipophilic
statins, such as fluvastatin, reduce aortic stiffness via three
mechanisms -- decreasing serum total cholesterol levels without reducing
serum high-density lipoprotein levels, providing powerful scavenging
reactive oxygen species, as well as reducing serum levels of low-density
lipoprotein and C-reactive protein"
-
Rosiglitazone May Improve Small Artery Elasticity in Patients With Diabetes
- Doctor's Guide, 8/19/03 - "Rosiglitazone increased
small artery elasticity significantly, with a mean increase of up to 50% ...
Systolic blood pressure decreased from 144 to 124 mmHg, and diastolic blood
pressure decreased from 80 to 68 mmHg"
-
ACE Inhibitors Prevent Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease by Multiple
Mechanisms - Doctor's Guide, 7/25/03 -
"ACE
inhibitors inhibit the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II ...
Angiotensin II increases the production of reactive oxygen species and has
several vasoconstrictive effects, including opposition of the vasorelaxant
actions of nitric oxide and stimulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1
... Angiotensin II, furthermore, increases arterial stiffness by a variety
of mechanisms ... fewer studies have evaluated the effects of
angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), although these agents may also
exert beneficial effects and may act synergistically with ACE inhibitors ...
The authors note that, regarding the role of ACE inhibitors in diabetic
renal disease, with the exception of
ARBs, ACE inhibitors "have been shown to be more effective in reducing
proteinuria than
any other antihypertensive agents." - See my page on
anti-ACE peptides. Even
Dr. Whitaker has added anti-ACE peptides to his BP formula.
-
Simvastatin May Retard Progression of Severe White Matter Changes -
Doctor's Guide, 5/26/03 -
"Simvastatin may slow
down the progression of severe white matter changes in the brain, and may
therefore retard cognitive decline ... The
most common type of vascular dementia is due to the hardening of the
arteries deep inside the brain which causes white matter changes... and its
been shown that this can lead to executive dysfunction" - Note:
Red yeast rice is a non-prescription statin.
-
Levothyroxine Decreases Risk of Atherosclerosis in Women with Subclinical
Hypothyroidism - Doctor's Guide, 5/18/03 -
"Compared to controls, the
hypothyroid women had significantly
elevated levels of fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), and
factor VII (P<0.0001). They also had lower levels of antithrombin III
activity (P<0.05). When the hypothyroid women were treated with
levothyroxine, they had significant decreases in both PAI-1 and factor VII
... These findings show that subclinical hypothyroidism may play an
important role in promoting both hypofibrinolytic and hypercoagulable
states, and therefore leading to the development of atherosclerosis in
female patients"
- Should Men Get
HRT for Heart Health? - WebMD, 1/15/03 -
"twice as many men with
heart disease have low
atherosclerosis levels compared with men
without heart disease. In fact, low atherosclerosis is linked to a number of
risk factors for heart disease ... if male rabbits have too little
atherosclerosis, they develop more atherosclerosis [hardening
of the arteries] than animals with normal atherosclerosis"
- Finger
Arthritis Predicts Heart Disease - WebMD, 1/15/03 -
"Men with osteoarthritis
(OA) in any finger joint were 40% more likely to die of
heart disease than their counterparts without finger OA. ... While
"hardening of the arteries" was once thought to result from a buildup of
cholesterol, increasing evidence indicates that it's the result of some type
of
inflammation of blood vessels"
-
Just One Cigarette Increases Arterial Stiffness - Doctor's Guide,
1/13/03
- Mystery of
Viagra Deaths Unravels - WebMD, 1/9/03 -
"the drug
may actually encourage potentially dangerous blood clots to form in men with
certain risk factors, such as hardening of the arteries"
- Angiotensin II
Antagonist Telmisartan Fights Stiffening Arteries In Hypertensive Diabetics
- Doctor's Guide, 4/6/01 -
"not only effectively lowered blood pressure
compared with placebo, but also significantly decreased arterial stiffness"
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