Cardiovascular Disease

Addition of Naturopathic Medicine Boosts CV Risk Reduction

Shelley Wood April 29, 2013 TORONTO — The addition of naturopathic care on top of usual care significantly reduced the 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease among adults with an increased risk for CVD, a small randomized, controlled trial has found [1]. In the study, 10-year risk, based on the Framingham algorithm, was 7.74% among subjects […]

Diets to prevent coronary heart disease 1957-2013: what have we learned?

American Journal of Medicine, 04/28/2014 Clinical Article Dalen JE, et al. – The Mediterranean–style diet, with a focus on vegetables, fruit, fish, whole grains, and olive oil, has proven to reduce cardiovascular events to a degree greater than low–fat diets and equal to or greater than the benefit observed in statin trials. PubMed Reference Journal […]

Healthy Lifestyle Change and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Young Adults

April 28, 2014 TAKE-HOME MESSAGE Healthy young adults were followed for the development of subclinical atherosclerosis over 20 years; five healthy lifestyle factors were assessed in these individuals. After 20 years, having more healthy lifestyle factors was associated with decreased coronary artery calcification and lower carotid intima media thickness. Healthy lifestyle changes, which we often […]

Weight Loss, Glycemic Control, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Response to Differential Diet Composition in a Weight Loss Program in Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes Care, 04/24/2014 Clinical Article Rock CL, et al. – The weight loss program resulted in greater weight loss and improved glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. Methods This randomized controlled trial at two university medical centers enrolled 227 overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes and assigned them to parallel in-person diet and […]

The Questionable Benefits of Exchanging Saturated Fat With Polyunsaturated Fat

Mayo Clinic Proceedings April 2014 Volume 89, Issue 4, Pages 451–453 Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD For many years we have been told that to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD), we must lower our intake of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and instead eat more carbohydrates and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Backed up by the National Cholesterol Education […]

Vitamin D and risk of cause specific death

Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational cohort and randomised intervention studies Chowdhury R, et al. Show all BMJ. 2014 Apr 1;348:g1903. doi: 10.1136/bmj.g1903. Comment in BMJ. 2014;348:g2280. Abstract OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the extent to which circulating biomarker and supplements of vitamin D are associated with mortality from cardiovascular, cancer, or other conditions, under various circumstances. DESIGN: Systematic review and […]

Yogurt and dairy product consumption to prevent cardiometabolic diseases: epidemiologic and experimental studies

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 04/03/2014  Clinical Article  Full Story PubMed Reference Journal Reference Astrup A – Dairy products contribute important nutrients to the diet, including energy, calcium, protein, and other micro– and macronutrients. However, dairy products can be high in saturated fats, and dietary guidelines generally recommend reducing the intake of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) to […]

Glycated hemoglobin measurement and prediction of cardiovascular disease

JAMA, 03/26/2014  Evidence Based Medicine JAMA. 2014;311(12):1225-1233. doi:10.1001/jama.2014.1873. The value of measuring levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) for the prediction of first cardiovascular events is uncertain. To determine whether adding information on HbA1c values to conventional cardiovascular risk factors is associated with improvement in prediction of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. In a study of individuals without […]

Long-Chain ω-3 Fatty Acids and Lutein + Zeaxanthin Supplements in Cardiovascular Outcomes

Research · March 17, 2014 Full Story Journal Reference TAKE-HOME MESSAGE In a randomized clinical trial of 4203 patients between the ages of 50 and 85 years with intermediate/advanced age-related macular degeneration in one eye, daily supplementation with ω-3 fatty acids and lutein + zeaxanthin did not reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or secondary CVD […]

Diabetes in Pregnancy a Risk Factor for CVD

by Elizabeth DeVita Raeburn Contributing Writer, MedPage Today March 13, 2014 A history of gestational diabetes may be a marker for early atherosclerosis, even in women who were not obese before pregnancy and have not gone on to develop diabetes or metabolic syndrome after giving birth, researchers reported. In 777 women without a diagnosis of […]

Long-Term Coffee Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

A Systematic Review and a Dose–Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies Ming Ding, MS Circulation. 2014; 129: 643-659 Abstract Background—Considerable controversy exists on the association between coffee consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. A meta-analysis was performed to assess the dose–response relationship of long-term coffee consumption with CVD risk. Methods and Results—PubMed and EMBASE were […]

Treat Depression to Prevent CVD?

By Todd Neale, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today Published: Feb 6, 2014 Full Story Action Points Note that two studies suggest a causal relationship between depression and cardiovascular events — with one post hoc analysis of a randomized trial demonstrating a lower rate of CVD events among those randomized to a depression intervention. Be aware […]

Too Much Added Sugar May Add to CVD Death Risk

Published: Feb 3, 2014 | Updated: Feb 4, 2014 By Todd Neale, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today Full Story Action Points Most U.S. adults consume more added sugar than is generally recommended for a healthy diet. This prospective study found a significant relationship between added sugar consumption and increased risk for CVD mortality. Through a […]

Frank’s Sign

George Griffing, M.D. N Engl J Med 2014; 370:e15 March 6, 2014 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMicm1213868 A 59-year-old man with long-standing hypertension presented with exertional chest pain. An electrocardiogram and cardiac stress testing were unremarkable. Coronary angiography, however, revealed substantial stenosis, and two stents were placed. The patient’s recovery was uneventful, and he has returned to the clinic with […]

Dietary Fiber Lowers Risk of CVD and CHD

Michael O’Riordan December 27, 2013 LEEDS, UK — Aside from keeping you “regular,” eating fiber also appears to be good for your heart. A new review has shown that increased consumption of dietary fiber is associated with a significantly lower risk of CVD and CHD. For every 7 g of dietary fiber eaten daily—which can […]

Vitamin-D Deficiency Linked to Fatal CVD

Miriam E. Tucker December 23, 2013 Vitamin-D deficiency is much more strongly linked to fatal than nonfatal CV events, results of a large prospective study suggest. “Although our results were able to confirm an approximately 27% increased total CV risk in subjects with vitamin D deficiency, they indicate that the risk is much stronger for […]

Video – Are Pet Owners Healthier?

Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, MD Disclosures | December 17, 2013 Hello. I’m Dr. Sandra Fryhofer. Welcome to Medicine Matters. The topic: pets and heart disease risk, a new study in the journal Circulation.[1] Here’s why it matters. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in this country. But this new study says having a pet, […]

No CVD Benefit With High-Dose Multivitamins

TACT: No CVD Benefit With High-Dose Multivitamins Michael O’Riordan December 16, 2013 MIAMI BEACH, FL — A high-dose regimen that includes 28 vitamins and minerals given to stable patients with a history of MI does not reduce their future risk of cardiovascular events, according to the results of a new analysis[1]. The results, from the […]

Effect of Fruit and Vegetables on Insulin Resistance in Patients at High Risk for CVD

Diabetes Care 2013 Dec 01;36(12)3888-3896, IR Wallace, CT McEvoy, SJ Hunter, LL Hamill, CN Ennis, PM Bell, CC Patterson, JV Woodside, IS Young, MC McKinley Research · January 06, 2014 TAKE-HOME MESSAGE This randomized study evaluated the dose–response relationship between fruit and vegetable intake and insulin resistance in 89 patients at high-risk for cardiovascular disease. Despite […]

Association of Nut Consumption with Total and Cause-Specific Mortality

Ying Bao, M.D., Sc.D. N Engl J Med 2013; 369:2001-2011November 21, 2013 BACKGROUND Increased nut consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of major chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the association between nut consumption and mortality remains unclear. METHODS We examined the association between nut consumption and subsequent […]