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Postmenopausal women with higher testosterone levels
"Postmenopausal women who have higher testosterone levels may be at greater risk of heart disease, insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome compared to women with lower testosterone levels, according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). This new information is an important step, say researchers, in understanding the role that hormones play in women's health."
Effects Of Vitamin D Deficiency Amplified By Shortage Of Estrogen
"Researchers at Johns Hopkins are reporting what is believed to be the first conclusive evidence in men that the long-term ill effects of vitamin D deficiency are amplified by lower levels of the key sex hormone estrogen, but not testosterone.
In a national study in 1010 men, to be presented Nov. 15 at the American Heart Association's (AHA) annual Scientific Sessions in Orlando, researchers say the new findings build on previous studies showing that deficiencies in vitamin D and low levels of estrogen, found naturally in differing amounts in men and women, were independent risk factors for hardened and narrowed arteries and weakened bones. Vitamin D is an essential part to keeping the body healthy, and can be obtained from fortified foods, such as milk and cereals, and by exposure to sunlight.
Health benefits of eating fish far outweigh risks from contaminants, report concludes - theheart.org
October 17, 2006 | Steve Stiles
Boston, MA - A review of the literature on the health effects of dietary fish or fish-oil intake has a reassuring message for seafood lovers, anyone eating fish for health reasons, and perhaps most everyone else [1]. Levels of mercury and other contaminants in commercially bought fish are low, and their potential risks are overwhelmed by likely reductions in cardiovascular mortality, according to a report in the October 18, 2006 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"The main message is really that everybody should be eating one or two servings of fish or seafood per week for their health," Dr Dariush Mozaffarian (Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA) told heartwire.
In his analysis, coauthored with Dr Eric B Rimm (Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA), regular "modest" intake of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the two long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) abundant in finfish and shellfish (collectively referred to as "fish" in the article), is associated with a 36% drop in coronary disease mortality (p<0.001) and a 17% fall in total mortality (p=0.046). The n-3 PUFAs, they also conclude, appear to be important to early brain development.
"Potential risks of fish intake must be considered in the context of potential benefits," according to Mozaffarian and Rimm. "Avoidance of modest fish consumption due to confusion regarding risks and benefits could result in thousands of excess CHD deaths annually and suboptimal neurodevelopment in children."
Those potential benefits are immense compared with the highly publicized but apparently low health risks associated with methylmercury, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that have been found in some fish species, they write. The evidence suggests a potential for neurodevelopmental deficits from early exposure to methylmercury, but the risk is likely diminished by limiting intake of fish with high methylmercury concentrations
Omega-3 fatty acids enter plaque, resulting in increased stability and less inflammation - theheart.org
"June 21, 2006 | Michael O'Riordan
Rome, Italy - One of the possible ways in which long-chain omega-3 fatty acids play a role in decreasing cardiovascular events is by entering advanced atherosclerotic plaques. According to the results of a new study, investigators were able to show that the incorporation of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) into advanced plaque was associated with a decreased expression of various matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) involved in causing plaque instability, as well as with decreased plaque inflammation.
These are results of the Omacor Carotid Endarterectomy Intervention (OCEAN) study, presented here this week at the International Symposium on Atherosclerosis by Dr Philip Calder (University of Southampton, UK).
"By increasing the availability of omega-3 fatty acids, they appear in advanced atherosclerotic plaques, indicated in this study by the carotid artery, and this results in lower numbers of macrophages, foam cells, and T cells, as well as the lower expression of inflammatory markers," said Calder. "Histologically, this results in a plaque that appears to be less inflamed and more stable. This may contribute to reduced mortality in patients consuming omega-3 fatty acids, for example, in the GISSI Prevenzione trial.""
Alpha-linolenic acid reduces risk of nonfatal MI - theheart.org
"July 9, 2008 | Michael O'Riordan
Boston, MA - The consumption of a diet containing vegetable oils rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is associated with significant reductions in the risk of nonfatal MI, a new study has shown [1]. Investigators say the protective effect of ALA is evident among individuals with low intakes, suggesting the greatest benefit might be in developing countries, where fatty-acid consumption is limited.
"The potential for benefit is great when the baseline intake is low," said lead investigator Dr Hannia Campos (Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA). "In countries where people eat very little fish—and some of these countries have almost no sources of omega-3 fatty acids because they cook with corn or sunflower oils—the consumption of vegetable oils with ALA could have a major impact on heart disease."
In an editorial accompanying the published study [2], Dr William Harris (University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls) said that the data are suggestive and would be good news for individuals who will not or cannot eat fish, but more studies are still needed. "If ALA were able to do the same 'heavy lifting' that [eicosapentaenoic acid] EPA and [docosahexaenoic acid] DHA do, this would be welcomed news, because the capacity to produce ALA is essentially limitless, whereas there are only so many fish in the sea," he writes. "
Mediterranean Diet Helps Control Diabetes
"Aug. 31, 2009 -- Eating a Mediterranean-style diet may help people with type 2 diabetes keep their disease under control without drugs better than following a typical low-fat diet.
A new study from Italy shows that people with type 2 diabetes who ate a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables and whole grains with at least 30% of daily calories from fat (mostly olive oil) were better able to manage their disease without diabetes medications than those who ate a low-fat diet with no more than 30% of calories from fat (with less than 10% coming from saturated fat choices).
After four years, researchers found that 44% of people on the Mediterranean diet ended up requiring diabetes medications to control their blood sugars compared with 70% of those who followed the low-fat diet.
It’s one of the longest-term studies of its kind, and researchers, including Katherine Esposito, MD, of the Second University of Naples, say the results “reinforce the message that benefits of lifestyle interventions should not be overlooked.""
Low-Carb and Mediterranean Diets Beat Low-Fat for Weight Loss, Lipid Changes at 2 Years - Medscape
July 16, 2008 — Both a low-carbohydrate diet or a Mediterranean-style diet may be "effective alternatives" to a low-fat diet, with more favorable effects on lipids and/or glycemic control, new research suggests [1]. The two-year study, which managed to keep almost 85% of the 322 study participants on one of the three diets for the entire period, offers the hope that weight-loss diets can be tailored to personal preferences, without sacrificing efficacy, researchers say.
"Several recent one-year dietary studies have led the American Diabetes Association to state in January 2008 that low-carb diets should be considered for a maximum of one year," lead author on the study, Dr Iris Shai (Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel), told heartwire . "The current two-year study suggests that one low-fat diet doesn't fit all, meaning that the old paradigm should be reconsidered."
Shai and colleagues publish the results of the Dietary Intervention Randomized Controlled Trial (DIRECT) in the July 17, 2008 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine
Low-carb and Mediterranean diets beat low-fat for weight-loss, lipid changes at two years - theheart.org
July 16, 2008 | Shelley Wood
Beer-Sheva, Israel - Both a low-carbohydrate diet or a Mediterranean-style diet may be "effective alternatives" to a low-fat diet, with more favorable effects on lipids and/or glycemic control, new research suggests [1]. The two-year study, which managed to keep almost 85% of the 322 study participants on one of the three diets for the entire period, offers the hope that weight-loss diets can be tailored to personal preferences, without sacrificing efficacy, researchers say.
"Several recent one-year dietary studies have led the American Diabetes Association to state in January 2008 that low-carb diets should be considered for a maximum of one year," lead author on the study, Dr Iris Shai (Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel), told heartwire. "The current two-year study suggests that one low-fat diet doesn't fit all, meaning that the old paradigm should be reconsidered."
Shai and colleagues publish the results of the Dietary Intervention Randomized Controlled Trial (DIRECT) in the July 17, 2008 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine
Sham vs. Wham: The Health Insider: Selenium Supplements and High Cholesterol
"New research study published in a peer-reviewed publication Nutrition indicates that selenium may be linked to higher cholesterol readings in those who supplement. This one may push it over the edge for me on taking selenium supplements . . .
Scientists at the University of Warwick Medical School said consuming too much selenium can have adverse effects. While it has strong antioxidant properties, and the above-mentioned perception that it can reduce cancer risks, there is now an apparently legitimate concern that higher quantities of selenium found in some supplements may be a bad thing.
The scientists reached this conclusion after examining the relationship between plasma selenium concentrations (levels of selenium in the blood) with blood lipids (fats in the blood). A cross-sectional study of the1042 participants in the 2000-2001 National Diet and Nutrition Survey (United Kingdom) revealed that among those with higher plasma selenium (more than 1.20 µmol/L) there was an increase in the average total cholesterol level of 8 per cent (0.39 mmol/L (i.e. 15.1 mg/dL). Researchers also found a 10 per cent increase in non-HDL cholesterol levels, which is the bad cholesterol most closely linked to heart disease."
Lack of vitamin D may increase heart disease risk
"DALLAS, Jan. 8 — The same vitamin D deficiency that can result in weak bones now has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, Framingham Heart Study researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
“Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, above and beyond established cardiovascular risk factors,” said Thomas J. Wang, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass. “The higher risk associated with vitamin D deficiency was particularly evident among individuals with high blood pressure.”
In a study of 1,739 offspring from Framingham Heart Study participants (average age 59, all Caucasian), researchers found that those with blood levels of vitamin D below15 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) had twice the risk of a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack, heart failure or stroke in the next five years compared to those with higher levels of vitamin D."
Low vitamin D levels associated with several risk factors in teenagers
"• Low levels of vitamin D were associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, high blood sugar and metabolic syndrome in teenagers.
• The highest levels of vitamin D were found in whites, the lowest levels in blacks and intermediate levels in Mexican-Americans.
PALM HARBOR, Fla., March 11, 2009 — Low levels of vitamin D were associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, high blood sugar and metabolic syndrome in teenagers, researchers reported at the American Heart Association’s 49th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention."
Low Vitamin D Levels May Raise Heart Risk
"Study Shows Vitamin D Supplements May Be Useful in Preventing Heart Disease
Nov. 16, 2009 (Orlando, Fla.) -- Some men with low levels of vitamin D in their blood are at particularly high risk of developing heart disease and weakened bones that can lead to osteoporosis, researchers report.
In a study of more than 1,000 men, those with low levels of both vitamin D and the sex hormone estrogen were at significantly increased risk of having cardiovascular disease, says study head Erin Michos, MD, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins.
"They were also at dramatically increased risk of osteopenia," or bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis, she says.
"Our results suggest that vitamin D supplements, which are already prescribed to treat osteoporosis, may also be useful in preventing heart disease," Michos tells WebMD.
Men with low levels of vitamin D and testosterone, on the other hand, were not at heightened risk for heart disease or osteopenia."
Japan EPA Lipid Intervention Study (JELIS) - Дискуссионный Клуб Русского Медицинского Сервера
"18 645 patients with a total cholesterol of 6·5 mmol/L or greater were recruited from local physicians throughout Japan between 1996 and 1999. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 1800 mg of EPA daily with statin (EPA group; n=9326) or statin only (controls; n=9319) with a 5-year follow-up. The primary endpoint was any major coronary event, including sudden cardiac death, fatal and non-fatal myocardial infarction, and other non-fatal events including unstable angina pectoris, angioplasty, stenting, or coronary artery bypass grafting. Analysis was by intention-to-treat.
Findings
At mean follow-up of 4·6 years, we detected the primary endpoint in 262 (2·8%) patients in the EPA group and 324 (3·5%) in controls—a 19% relative reduction in major coronary events (p=0·011). Post-treatment LDL cholesterol concentrations decreased 25%, from 4·7 mmol/L in both groups. Serum LDL cholesterol was not a significant factor in a reduction of risk for major coronary events. Unstable angina and non-fatal coronary events were also significantly reduced in the EPA group. Sudden cardiac death and coronary death did not differ between groups. In patients with a history of coronary artery disease who were given EPA treatment, major coronary events were reduced by 19% (secondary prevention subgroup: 158 [8·7%] in the EPA group vs 197 [10·7%] in the control group; p=0·048). In patients with no history of coronary artery disease, EPA treatment reduced major coronary events by 18%, but this finding was not significant (104 [1·4%] in the EPA group vs 127 [1·7%] in the control group; p=0·132)."
JELIS: Adding fish oil to low-dose statin therapy reduces major coronary events - theheart.org
"Nov 14, 2005 | Michael O'Riordan.
Dallas, TX - The addition of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to low-dose statin therapy significantly reduced the incidence of major coronary events, largely driven by a reduction in unstable angina, when compared with patients taking statins alone. A subgroup analysis of the study, which involved a large number of primary-prevention patients, revealed that statin-treated secondary-prevention patients gained the most benefit from fish-oil supplementation.
Dr Mitsuhiro Yokoyama
Presenting the results of the Japan EPA Lipid Intervention Study (JELIS) during the late-breaking clinical-trials session at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2005, Dr Mitsuhiro Yokoyama (Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan) said that the mechanism of benefit with EPA, a seafood-based, long-chain, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, appears to be unrelated to the effects of cholesterol lowering.
Commenting on the results of the study for heartwire, Dr Lawrence Appel (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD) said the findings are impressive given that the benefit of fish oil was observed on top of a regimen of statin therapy. He added that there are still some unknowns about which patient population would benefit most from fish oil."
JELIS - Japan Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) Lipid Intervention Study - Medscape
The first large-scale, prospective, randomized trial of combined treatment with a statin and an omega-3 fatty acid originally derived from fish, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), has shown that the addition of EPA to statin therapy provides additional benefit in preventing major coronary events, apparently through lipid-independent mechanisms.[1] The Japan eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) Lipid Intervention Study (JELIS) tested the effects of long-term use of EPA 1800 mg/day in addition to a statin in Japanese patients with hypercholesterolemia. The results add support to previous evidence of the beneficial effect of omega-3 fatty acids in patients with known coronary heart disease, and show that that effect can extend the benefit of statins, the JELIS investigators believe
Netbooks are dead. Long live the notebook. | Tech Sanity Check | TechRepublic.com
"Netbooks — those underpowered mini laptops with 7-inch screens and unusable little keyboards — are a dying fad. However, the legacy of the netbook will be that inexpensive notebook computers are here to stay, and they are lighter and thinner than ever.
Analysts and pundits will continue to use the term “netbook” but I’m going to argue that the device that we originally called the netbook is being phased out — and thankfully so.
It’s important to remember that the netbook had its origins in the OLPC and the original ASUS Eee PC. Those little computers were designed for school children in the developing world (hence the little keyboards, which weren’t so bad for tiny fingers). These machines cut corners on hardware in order to create super-cheap PCs in the $100-$300 range that could be widely deployed overseas in places that had extremely limited budgets."
Smoking trumps omega-3s to drive up atherosclerosis rates in Alaskan Eskimos - theheart.org
"July 10, 2008 | Shelley Wood
New York, NY - Despite eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, Alaskan Eskimo are developing subclinical atherosclerosis at an early age, likely due in large part to heavy smoking, a new study shows [1]. According to investigators, in a paper published online July 10, 2008 in Stroke, rates of carotid atherosclerosis in the mostly young to middle-aged subjects participating in the Genetics of Coronary Artery Disease in Alaska Natives (GOCADAN) study were significantly higher than those reported in US population-based studies of other ethnic groups.
But as Dr Alexis Cutchins (Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY) and colleagues report, rates of current smoking among the Eskimo population studied were also four to six times higher than that of other US populations in similar studies.
"I don't think there's anything very surprising here, but I guess what is novel is that the findings relate to a population that has not been studied much, if at all, in this regard," study coauthor Dr Mary J Roman (Weill Cornell Medical College) told heartwire. "And I think that the message is one that has public-health implications for everybody else: this is basically a reiteration of the fact that smoking is a very potent cardiovascular risk factor, and I think the indoctrination that most of us have received about the ills of smoking have clearly not penetrated the Alaska Eskimo population.""
Omega-3 rather than genetics is key to lack of CHD in Japanese? - theheart.org
July 28, 2008 | Sue Hughes
Pittsburgh, PA and Shiga, Japan - The low rate of atherosclerosis and heart disease in Japanese people may be related to their very high levels of marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids rather than genetic factors, a new study suggests [1].
The study, published in the August 5, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (available online July 28), was conducted by a group led by Dr Akira Sekikawa (University of Pittsburgh, PA, and Shiga University of Medical Science, Japan).
They found that compared with white or Japanese American men living in the US, Japanese men living in Japan had twice the blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids—a finding that was independently linked to low levels of atherosclerosis.
"The death rate from coronary heart disease in Japan has always been puzzlingly low. Our study suggests that the very low rates of coronary heart disease among Japanese living in Japan may be due to their lifelong high consumption of fish," Sekikawa said."
Results showed that the Japanese men had the lowest levels of atherosclerosis, whereas whites and Japanese Americans had similar higher levels. The Japanese men also had twofold higher levels of marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids than white and Japanese Americans.
In addition, the significant differences between Japanese and American men in multivariable-adjusted IMT and CAC prevalence became nonsignificant after adjustment further for marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 Rather Than Genetics Is Key to Lack of CHD in Japanese? - Medscape
July 29, 2008 — The low rate of atherosclerosis and heart disease in Japanese people may be related to their very high levels of marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids rather than genetic factors, a new study suggests [1].
The study, known as Electron-Beam Tomography, Risk Factor Assessment Among Japanese and US Men in the Post-World War II Birth Cohort (ERA JUMP) included 868 randomly selected men aged 40 to 49. Of these, 281 were Japanese men living in Japan; 306 were white men living in the US, and 281 were third- or fourth-generation Japanese American men from Hawaii. All study participants had a physical examination, completed a lifestyle questionnaire, and had blood tests to measure cholesterol levels and levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Atherosclerosis was assessed by measuring carotid intima-medial thickness (IMT) and coronary artery calcification (CAC).
Results showed that the Japanese men had the lowest levels of atherosclerosis, whereas whites and Japanese Americans had similar higher levels. The Japanese men also had twofold higher levels of marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids than white and Japanese Americans.
The study, published in the August 5, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (available online July 28), was conducted by a group led by Dr Akira Sekikawa (University of Pittsburgh, PA, and Shiga University of Medical Science, Japan).
They found that compared with white or Japanese American men living in the US, Japanese men living in Japan had twice the blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids — a finding that was independently linked to low levels of atherosclerosis.
High doses of vitamin D could cut relapse rate among MS sufferers - Times Online
"Powerful new evidence about the ability of vitamin D to stem a wide range of diseases has brought the prospect of a nationwide programme to prescribe it in Scotland as a dietary supplement significantly closer.
Reports at the weekend suggested that experts were increasingly convinced that the so-called sunshine drug — whose significance was first revealed in detail by The Times last year — could make a difference to the country’s appalling health record.
New research suggests that high doses of vitamin D could dramatically cut the relapse rate in people with multiple sclerosis. According to scientists in Canada, more than a third of sufferers taking high levels of supplement
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