high blood pressure Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Tap Into Nature’s Power to Beat a SILENT Epidemic

The AHA! Team — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 05:26:53 +0000

News Staff via NaturalHealth365 – High blood pressure or hypertension is one of the most highly diagnosed conditions in American adults. Building on the research of the late Michael J. Gonzalez, DSc, NMD, PhD, whose passing shocked the holistic medical field due to complications from knee surgery, we now know that natural approaches to blood pressure management can be remarkably effective. Dr. Gonzalez’s dedication to understanding the role of natural compounds in health, particularly in his comprehensive research on hypertension, has forever left an impact on the field of nutritional medicine and human health. According to research, approximately one-third of adults in the United States have hypertension. It’s no wonder that hypertensive drugs like ACE inhibitors or beta blockers are among the most highly prescribed medications. While there are many different types of blood pressure medications, all have some form of side effect that is traded off for the benefit of lowering high blood pressure. With that said, there are many natural solutions for blood pressure, and a comprehensive study aimed to determine the most effective ones. Why high blood pressure is a silent threat (and why natural solutions matter) High blood pressure is an epidemic in the United States and most Western countries. Coupled with type 2 diabetes, hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease in adults, and usually not diagnosed soon enough to prevent significant arterial damage. Unfortunately, high blood pressure has no obvious symptoms, even at ‘stage 2,’ and modern guidelines have set healthy blood pressure at or under 120/80, which most people exceed. High blood pressure medication falls into a handful of categories, but they all perform the same role of reducing hypertension. All high blood pressure medication has some manner of side effects: fatigue, headaches, dry cough, water retention, constipation, and more. If there were foods that you could eat that had a profound effect on blood pressure, however, most people would opt for that instead of medication. That was the goal of this study referenced above – to find simple natural compounds with an effect on blood pressure without the side effects of medication. The most effective natural solutions that support healthy blood pressure The study looked at 29 potential blood pressure-reducing supplements and foods. Here are 10 of the most promising: Magnesium Magnesium plays a role in proper sleep, mood regulation, bowel motility, and blood pressure regulation. While observational studies show promising results, it’s important to note that clinical trials have shown varying effects. Magnesium can be found in dark chocolate/cocoa, leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, and various other sources. It’s best to consult a holistic healthcare provider for the proper amount if supplementing. Soy isoflavones Organic, non-GMO soy is a protein-packed alternative that can be consumed as tofu in stir-fry vegetable dishes or added to miso soup. Multiple studies indicate that soy can help reduce blood pressure when eaten regularly. Although, we would strongly recommend that you find a brand that uses “filtered” water – as its main ingredient – due to the chemicals found in most sources of drinking water. Taurine Taurine is an amino acid created in necessary amounts within the human body and through ingesting fish and meat. Research shows it effectively reduces blood pressure, primarily by calming the sympathetic nervous system and enhancing the production of nitric oxide, which helps relax blood vessels. Potassium Potassium is crucial for proper cardiac function and blood vessel relaxation. It’s readily available in spinach, wild caught salmon, avocado, and bananas. However, if you’re already taking blood pressure medication, consult your doctor before increasing your potassium intake, as some medications can affect potassium levels. Pomegranate juice Research shows pomegranate juice can help reduce blood pressure through its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to increase nitric oxide production. Clinical trials have demonstrated meaningful reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure with regular consumption. Melatonin Beyond its role in sleep regulation, melatonin serves as a powerful antioxidant. Studies show it can help lower blood pressure, particularly in people with disrupted sleep patterns. The research suggests this effect comes from its antioxidant properties and ability to improve sleep quality. Garlic Garlic consistently proves its worth in cardiovascular health. Research shows it can help lower blood pressure by increasing nitric oxide production and reducing smooth muscle cell proliferation in blood vessels. It’s also a potent anti-inflammatory agent, contributing to its blood pressure-lowering effects. Fish oil The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil, particularly from fatty cold-water fish like sardines, salmon, and anchovies, show significant benefits for blood pressure. The effect is especially pronounced in people with untreated hypertension. These polyunsaturated fatty acids reduce inflammatory compounds and improve blood vessel function. European mistletoe While less common, clinical research shows that European mistletoe extract, when taken consistently for 12 weeks, can significantly reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension. However, this should only be used under professional guidance. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) This naturally occurring compound, found in grass fed meat, wild caught fish, and nuts, has shown promising results in blood pressure management. Research indicates it reduces oxidative stress and improves nitric oxide availability. Tap into nature’s evidence-based solutions While blood pressure medications may (sometimes) be necessary for a short period of time, nature provides multiple solutions for this common problem. Many whole foods offer profound benefits for blood pressure management and other health advantages. If you can achieve similar results through dietary changes and targeted supplementation, it’s worth exploring these natural alternatives under proper medical supervision. The key is to work with healthcare providers who understand both conventional and natural approaches to create a comprehensive strategy for maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. Dr. Gonzalez’s research helps remind us that the most effective solutions can sometimes be found in nature when properly understood and applied. Always consult with healthcare providers before changing your blood pressure management strategy, especially if you’re currently taking medication. And, always choose organic foods (as much as possible) to avoid unwanted chemicals. Editor’s note: Discover how to naturally eliminate the threat of a heart attack or stroke, own the own the Cardiovascular Docu-Class presented by NaturalHealth365 Programs. Sources for this article include: Restorativemedicine.com To read the original article click here.

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Dark Chocolate & Tea Lower Blood Pressure as Effectively as Medication

The AHA! Team — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 05:34:36 +0000

Cassie B. via Natural News – Decades of research involving over 5,200 adults shows flavanol-rich foods like dark chocolate and tea can lower blood pressure as effectively as medications, without harmful side effects. A major meta-analysis found flavanol consumption reduces systolic blood pressure by 3 mmHg on average — and up to 6 mmHg for those with hypertension — matching prescription drug results. Flavanols boost nitric oxide, improving blood vessel function naturally, with only 0.4% of participants reporting mild, temporary discomfort, which is far safer than pharmaceutical side effects. Experts recommend 400 to 600 mg of flavanols daily, achievable through dark chocolate (70%+ cocoa), black tea, and apples, offering a cost-effective, drug-free health boost. Beyond blood pressure, flavanols enhance cognitive function, insulin sensitivity, and heart health, proving whole foods outperform synthetic drugs for long-term wellness. The medical establishment and Big Pharma have long pushed expensive, side-effect-laden drugs as the only solution for high blood pressure, a condition affecting nearly half of American adults. But groundbreaking research spanning 80 years and involving over 5,200 adults reveals a far safer, more natural alternative: flavanol-rich foods like dark chocolate, tea, apples, and grapes. These everyday delights don’t just slightly improve cardiovascular health; they rival the blood pressure-lowering effects of prescription medications, all without the risks of Big Pharma’s chemical concoctions. The comprehensive meta-analysis, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, examined 145 clinical trials and found that participants consuming flavanol-rich foods saw systolic blood pressure drop by an average of 3 mmHg and diastolic by 2 mmHg. For those with elevated blood pressure, the reductions were even more dramatic—up to 6 mmHg systolic and 3 mmHg diastolic, matching the impact of common hypertension drugs. The science behind nature’s medicine Flavanols, plant-based compounds abundant in cocoa and tea, work by boosting nitric oxide production, which relaxes blood vessels and improves circulation. Unlike synthetic pharmaceuticals, which often come with debilitating side effects, these natural compounds deliver benefits with near-zero risk. Only 0.4% of study participants reported mild, transient discomfort like headaches or digestive issues, which is a pretty big contrast to the dizziness, fatigue, and kidney strain linked to blood pressure medications. Findings are encouraging “The findings are encouraging for those looking for accessible ways to manage their blood pressure and support their heart health through enjoyable dietary changes,” said lead researcher Christian Heiss, a cardiovascular medicine professor at the University of Surrey. Translation: You don’t need a prescription to harness these benefits—just a trip to the grocery store. The implications are explosive. If millions of Americans swapped even a fraction of their blood pressure medications for daily dark chocolate or tea, the pharmaceutical industry would lose billions. No wonder corporate-controlled media and medical gatekeepers downplay these findings. How to harness flavanols without Big Food’s tricks Not all chocolate is created equal. Milk chocolate and alkalized cocoa (common in mass-produced brands) are stripped of flavanols. To reap the benefits, opt for minimally processed dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content or raw cocoa powder. Similarly, black tea outperforms green tea in flavanol content, delivering up to 269 mg per cup. Kristi Crowe-White, a nutrition professor at the University of Alabama, co-authored the first U.S. dietary guideline for flavanols, recommending 400-600 mg daily. this can easily achieved with: 2 cups of black tea (538 mg) 30 grams of dark chocolate (30 mg) 1 apple (12 mg) Compare that to the cost and side effects of a monthly prescription. Nature beats pharmaceuticals… again This isn’t just about blood pressure. Flavanols also enhance cognitive function, reduce insulin resistance, and improve endothelial health—benefits no single drug can claim. While the medical-industrial complex profits from keeping patients dependent, the truth is clear: real food, not lab-made chemicals, holds the key to lasting wellness. As always, the elites would rather you ignore this. But for those willing to think independently, the solution is as simple as a square of dark chocolate and a cup of tea. Your heart will thank you. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com StudyFinds.org SciTechDaily.com To read the original article, click here

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Uncontrolled Hypertension: The Old ‘Silent Killer’ is Alive and Well

The AHA! Team — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 06:53:13 +0000

Florida Atlantic University via EurekAlert! – In the United States and worldwide, cardiovascular disease is the leading avoidable cause of premature death and disability. Primarily heart attacks and stroke, cardiovascular disease accounts for more than 900,000 annual deaths nationally and about 10 million deaths globally. Uncontrolled hypertension or high blood pressure is a major risk factor for stroke and heart attacks. Prevention and management of cardiovascular disease involves therapeutic lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise and adjunctive drug therapies of proven benefit. In a commentary published in The American Journal of Medicine, researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine and colleagues alert health care providers that the old “silent killer” is alive and well. “Health providers should be aware that uncontrolled hypertension is one of the most common, serious and increasing conditions in their patients,” said Stacy Rubin, M.D., senior author and an assistant professor of medicine, FAU Schmidt College of Medicine. “Health providers urgently need to control blood pressure and should be mindful that sudden cardiac death accounts for 50% of deaths from cardiovascular disease and is the first symptomatic event in about 25% of cases. Moreover, for 76% of stroke patients, the initial presenting symptom is the stroke itself.” The authors note that controlling hypertension is effective and, at least in theory, straightforward. Landmark U.S. study in the 1970s, about 50% of patients were aware of their high blood pressure Before the Hypertension Detection and Follow Up Program, a landmark study conducted in the 1970s in the U.S., only about 50% of patients were aware of their high blood pressure. Of those, only 50% were actively treated. Of that group, only 50% received effective treatment. Therefore, only one-eighth of all patients were effectively treated. Today, these figures show that 54% are aware of their high blood pressure, 40% are actively treated and 21% are actively controlled. Guidelines have been developed in many countries worldwide and all tend to emphasize the need for strict control. According to the latest guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, healthy individuals should have a systolic blood pressure of 130 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) or less, and a diastolic blood pressure of 80 mmHg or less. “With these latest definitions, hypertension affects about 45% of the U.S. adult population,” said Panagiota “Yiota” Kitsantas, Ph.D., co-author and professor and chair of the Department of Population Health and Social Medicine, FAU Schmidt College of Medicine. “Another clinical challenge is metabolic syndrome, which includes central adiposity, high triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated fasting blood glucose and hypertension.” Metabolic syndrome is a chief risk factor for heart attacks and stroke in the U.S. The authors caution that metabolic syndrome is a chief risk factor for heart attacks and stroke in the U.S., which is the heaviest society in the world. “For patients with metabolic syndrome, we believe that angiotensin converting enzyme or ACE inhibitors or their more potent next generation drugs, the receptor blockers, are the first drug of choice,” said Charles H. Hennekens, M.D., Dr.PH., co-author, and corresponding author, the first Sir Richard Doll Professor of Medicine, senior academic advisor, and a professor of preventive medicine in the Department of Population Health and Social Medicine, FAU Schmidt College of Medicine. “These drugs have beneficial effects on heart attacks, stroke, and kidney disease, another major consequence of untreated hypertension.” Making positive lifestyle changes like losing weight, being more physically active, and cutting down on salt intake has been shown to be beneficial for managing blood pressure. For those whose blood pressure is above 130/80, a combination of these lifestyle changes along with medications can safely and effectively lower blood pressure. Medications are typically started for individuals whose pressure remains above 140/90 despite these lifestyle changes. The authors suggest that both health providers and patients should be aware of the variability of blood pressure from day-to-day and from morning to night. As such, effective treatment is complicated by the health provider’s need to produce an algorithm to each of their patients. In addition, the patient must take an active role in monitoring their blood pressure. For this reason, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology recommend the Omron blood monitor, which is used to measure blood pressure levels at home. Health providers should counsel their patients to check their blood pressure each morning and night “Health providers should counsel their patients to check their blood pressure each morning and night and whether to administer a particular drug or its dose, which should be adjusted accordingly based on the average of three readings taken about five minutes apart,” said Hennekens. “While uncontrolled hypertension remains alive and well in the U.S. and worldwide, strict attention to these issues by health providers has the potential to ‘kill the old silent killer.’” Co-authors are Barry R. Davis, M.D., Ph.D., professor emeritus of biostatistics and data science, University of Texas – Houston School of Public Health; Jared Greenwald, a high school and pre-medical student; John Dunn and Alexandra Matarazzo, both second-year medical students at FAU; and Katerina Benson, a second-year pre-medical student at FAU. Hennekens served as principal investigator (PI) of the Coordinating Center for the landmark National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) funded Trials of Hypertension Prevention multicenter randomized trials for both phases I and II. Davis served as PI of the Coordinating Center for the landmark NHLBI funded Anti-Hypertensive and Lipid Lowering to Prevent Heart Attack multicenter randomized trials. – FAU – Journal The American Journal of Medicine DOI 10.1016/j.amjmed.2024.07.005 To read the original article click here.

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Does a Beet a Day Keep Heart Disease Away?

The AHA! Team — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 06:45:17 +0000

Penn State via EurekAlert! – Beetroot juice promotes healthy circulation in postmenopausal women, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — After women go through menopause, their risk of heart disease increases dramatically. To improve and support heart and blood vessel health among postmenopausal women, researchers at Penn State studied whether beetroot juice can improve how blood vessels function. Results published today (June 10) in Frontiers in Nutrition indicated that daily consumption of beetroot juice by postmenopausal women may improve blood vessel function enough to reduce future heart disease risk. Beetroot juice contains high levels of nitrate, which the body converts to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps blood vessels expand, making it easier for blood to flow through the circulatory system. The ability of nitric oxide to widen blood vessels is known to be particularly helpful during periods of limited blood flow and oxygen delivery, such as during a heart attack, according to the researchers. David Proctor, professor of kinesiology and physiology at Penn State, and Jocelyn Delgado Spicuzza, who earned her doctorate in integrative and biomedical physiology from Penn State in May, led an interdisciplinary team of researchers who tested how nitrate-rich beetroot juice impacted blood vessel health in 24 postmenopausal women in their 50s and 60s. “After menopause, women no longer produce estrogen, which helps maintain nitric oxide in the body,” said Delgado Spicuzza, first author of the research and current SAFE-T center research project manager. “This loss of nitric oxide production contributes to the substantial increase in heart disease risk for postmenopausal women. Foods that are rich in nitrate — especially beets — are being investigated as a natural, non-pharmaceutical way to protect the heart and blood vessels.” Nitrate is an approved food additive for some animal-based food products, such as processed meats. However, nitrate food additives and preservatives are strictly regulated due to their potential to cause cancer, according to Delgado Spicuzza. In contrast, plants like beets, spinach and lettuce naturally accumulate nitrate from the soil. These plant-based sources of nitrate have cardiovascular benefits because the human body can convert nitrates from plants to nitric oxide, which it cannot do with nitrate added to meats. In this study, participants had their vascular function tested at the Penn State Clinical Research Center and then consumed two 2.3-ounce bottles of beetroot juice as an initial dose, followed by one bottle every morning for a week. All participants consumed concentrated beetroot juice, with each serving providing as much nitrate as three large beets. A few weeks later, the participants drank beetroot juice with the nitrate removed. Neither the researchers nor the participants knew which juice was being consumed at the time of testing. A day after their last dose, participants returned for testing of their vascular function. The researchers compared how well blood vessels expanded for each woman when they were and were not consuming the nitrate-rich beetroot juice. The researchers used an ultrasound sensor to monitor how blood flowed through the brachial artery — which is in the upper arm and supplies blood to the hands — during a stress test in which blood flow was restricted in each participant’s forearm for five minutes. When the restriction was removed, researchers measured how blood flow changed in the brachial artery again. The results showed that consumption of nitrate-rich beetroot juice each day improved blood flow compared to when the participants drank nitrate-free beetroot juice. The researchers said that this level of improved blood-vessel function — if it could be maintained over the postmenopausal years — could significantly reduce the risk of heart disease. They said that long-term health benefits of beetroot juice have not been studied at this point, but the long-term benefits of nitrate-rich vegetables have been confirmed. Women may need to consume beetroot juice daily “Women may need to consume beetroot juice daily — or even more often — to experience all of the potential cardiovascular benefits,” Proctor said. “Still, this research shows that beetroot juice can be very useful in protecting blood vessel health of mid-life women during a period of accelerating heart disease risk.” This study included women considered early postmenopausal, or one to six years post-menopause, and late postmenopausal, six or more years post-menopause. Late postmenopausal women saw the same benefits as the early postmenopausal group. Delgado Spicuzza said the research team was particularly excited to find that beetroot juice improved blood vessel health for women who had gone through menopause years earlier. Some treatments for protecting cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women — like hormone therapy — are only safe during the first several years post-menopause. After that, hormone therapy can increase the risk of cancers and stroke. “Some clinicians are already recommending beetroot juice to men and women with high blood pressure,” Delgado Spicuzza said. “By providing a safe and effective way to improve blood vessel function, beets could help maintain cardiovascular health in postmenopausal women. When you consider that most women are postmenopausal for at least a third of their lives, you can begin to understand the potential significance of these results.” Some clinicians are already recommending beetroot juice to men and women with high blood pressure Delgado Spicuzza won the Mid-Atlantic American College of Sports Medicine 2023 Doctoral Student Investigator Award for her presentation on this research in fall of 2023. She said it is gratifying to see this research resonate with other researchers and especially with the women in the study, who seemed to embrace the potential of beetroot juice. “Several of the participants said that they intended to continue consuming beetroot juice after the study concluded,” she said. “There seems to be a real desire on the part of postmenopausal women to support their cardiovascular health without taking additional medications. In part, I believe beets can be a complimentary food to improve blood vessel health in millions of women as they age.” Jigar Gosalia, graduate student in kinesiology at Penn State; Mary Jane De Souza, distinguished professor of kinesiology and physiology at Penn State; Kristina Petersen, associate professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State; Michael Flanagan, doctor of family medicine at Penn State Health; Liezhou Zhong, postdoctoral research fellow in the School of Medical and Health Science at Edith Cowan University in Australia; Catherine Bondonno, senior research fellow in the School of Medical and Health Science at Edith Cowan University in Australia; Elmira Alipour, clinical research coordinator at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center; Daniel Kim-Shapiro, professor of physics and Harbert Family Distinguished Chair for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship at Wake Forest University; and Yasina Somani, assistant professor of exercise physiology at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, all contributed to this research. The researchers said they are grateful to Cyndi Flanagan and Christa Oelhaf, nurses in the Clinical Research Center, for their contributions to this research. This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Huck Endowment for Nutritional Research in Family and Community Medicine at Penn State College of Medicine and University Park. Journal Frontiers in Nutrition DOI 10.3389/fnut.2024.1359671 To read the original article click here.

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UCLA-Led Study Unveils New Insights and Potential Treatments for Pulmonary Hypertension

The AHA! Team — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 17:48:21 +0000

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences via Newswise – A new study from researchers with UCLA Health and collaborating organizations has found that asporin, a protein encoded by the ASPN gene, plays a protective role in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Their findings, which were published on August 21 in the peer-reviewed journal Circulation, offer new insights into this incurable, often-fatal disease and suggest potential new ways to treat it. “We were surprised to find that asporin, which previously had not been linked to PAH, gets upregulated to increased levels as a response to counteract this disease process,” said Dr. Jason Hong, a pulmonary and critical care physician at UCLA Health and the study’s corresponding author. “This novel finding opens up new avenues for understanding PAH pathobiology and developing potential therapies.” Pulmonary hypertension is a serious medical condition characterized by high blood pressure in the arteries that supply the lungs. It causes these arteries to narrow or become blocked, which, in turn, slows blood flow to the heart, requiring it to work harder to pump blood through the lungs. Eventually, the heart muscle becomes weak and begins to fail. Need for New Therapies According to recent estimates, PAH affects about 1% of the global population, but that number climbs to 10% in people who are 65 or older. There’s no cure for the disease, but medications and lifestyle changes can help slow progression, manage symptoms and prolong life. The urgent need for new therapies, combined with the potential of multiomics – an integrated approach to drive discovery across multiple levels of biology – inspired Hong and research colleagues, including co-first author Lejla Medzikovic and senior author Mansoureh Eghbali to take a deep dive into the disease. Both work at UCLA’s Eghbali Laboratory. Methodology For the study, the researchers applied novel computational methods, including transcriptomic profiling and deep phenotyping, to lung samples of 96 PAH patients and 52 control subjects without the condition from the largest multicenter PAH lung biobank available to-date. They integrated this data with clinical information, genome-wide association studies, graphic models of probabilities and multiomics analysis. “”Our detailed analysis found higher levels of asporin in the lungs and plasma of PAH patients, which were linked to less severe disease,” Hong said. Additionally, Medzikovic noted that their cell and living-organism experiments found that asporin inhibited pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation and a key signaling pathway that occurs with PAH. “We also demonstrated that recombinant asporin treatment reduced PAH severity in preclinical models,” said Medzikovic. Next Steps Hong and colleagues plan to further investigate the mechanisms by which asporin exerts its protective effects in PAH and explore potential therapeutic applications, focusing on how to translate their findings into clinical trials. “Asporin represents a promising new target for therapeutic intervention in pulmonary arterial hypertension,” he explained. “Enhancing asporin levels in PAH patients could potentially lead to improved clinical outcomes and reduced disease progression.” Authors: Jason Hong, MD, PhD,* Lejla Medzikovic, PhD*, Wasila Sun, BS‡, Brenda Wong, BA‡, Gregoire Ruffenach, PhD, Christopher J. Rhodes, PhD, Adam Brownstein, MD, Lloyd L. Liang, MS, Laila Aryan, PhD, Min Li, PhD, Arjun Vadgama, Zeyneb Kurt, PhD, Tae-Hwi Schwantes- An, PhD, Elizabeth A. Mickler, MS, Stefan Graf, PhD, Melanie Eyries, PhD, Katie A. Lutz, BS, Michael W. Pauciulo, MBA, Richard C. Trembath, MD, Frederic Perros, PhD, David Montani, MD, PhD, Nicholas W. Morrell, MD, Florent Soubrier, MD, PhD, Martin R. Wilkins, MD, William C. Nichols, PhD, Micheala A. Aldred, PhD, Ankit A. Desai, MD, David-Alexandre Tregouet, PhD, Soban Umar, MD, PhD, Rajan Saggar, MD, Richard Channick, MD, Rubin M. Tuder, MD, Mark W. Geraci, MD, Robert S. Stearman, PhD†, Xia Yang, PhD†, and senior author, Mansoureh Eghbali, PhD†. Legend: *Joint first authors; ‡ Joint second authors; †Joint last authors Funding: This work was supported by American Heart Association grant 23POST1022457 (L.M.), American Thoracic Society Early Career Investigator Award in Pulmonary Vascular Disease (J.H.), and U.S. NIH grants K08HL169982 (J.H.), R01HL147586 (M.E.), R01HL162124 (M.E.), R01HL159865 (M.E.), R01HL147883 (X.Y.), R24HL105333 (W.N. and M.P.), R01HL160941 (W.N., A.D., and M.P.), British Heart Foundation Senior Basic Science Fellowship FS/SBSRF/21/31025 (C.R.), and funding for the PHBI is provided by NHLBI R24HL123767 and by the Cardiovascular Medical Research and Education Fund (MAA). Disclosures: Drs. Medzikovic, Hong, and Eghbali are coinventors of US provisional patent application No. 63/544,027, “Asporin in Pulmonary Hypertension.” To read the original article click here.

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Fighting Inflammation with Flaxseeds

The AHA! Team — Mon, 27 May 2024 08:04:34 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory, aging-associated oxylipins can be normalized by eating ground flaxseed. I previously explored the “Potent Antihypertensive Effect of Dietary Flaxseed in Hypertensive Patients” study in my video Flaxseeds for Hypertension. That was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial where researchers disguised ground flaxseed in baked goods versus flax-free placebo muffins and saw an extraordinary drop in high blood pressure. As you can imagine, the flaxseed industry was overjoyed, praising the “impressive” findings, as was I. After all, high blood pressure is “the single largest risk factor” for death in the world. High blood pressure is “the single largest risk factor” for death in the world. Yes, we give people medications, lots and lots of medications, but most people don’t take them. Nine out of ten people take less than 80 percent of their prescribed blood pressure pills. It’s not difficult to understand why. “Patients are asked to follow an inconvenient and potentially costly regimen, which will likely have a detrimental effect on health-related quality of life, to treat a mostly asymptomatic condition that commonly does not cause problems for many years.” So, they may feel worse instead of better, due to the side effects. Then, some think the answer is to give them even more drugs to counteract the effects of the first drugs, like giving men Viagra to counteract the erectile dysfunction caused by their blood pressure pills. How about using a dietary strategy instead, especially if it can be just as effective? And, indeed, the drop in blood pressure the researchers saw in the flaxseed study “was greater than the average decrease observed with the standard dose of anti-hypertensive medications.” Flaxseeds are cheaper, too, compared to even single medications, and most patients are on multiple drugs. Plus, flaxseeds have good side effects beyond their anti-hypertensive actions. Taking tablespoons of flaxseed a day is a lot of fiber for people living off of cheeseburgers and milkshakes their whole lives, and your gut bacteria may need a little time to adjust to the new bounty. So, those who start with low-fiber diets may want to take it a little slow with the flaxseeds at first. Flaxseeds have good side effects beyond their anti-hypertensive actions Not all studies have shown significant blood pressure–lowering effects, though. There have been more than a dozen trials by now, involving more than a thousand subjects. And, yes, when you put them all together, overall, there were “significant reductions in both SBP and DBP”—systolic blood pressure (the upper number) and diastolic blood pressure (the lower number)—“following supplementation with various flaxseed products.” But none was as dramatic as what the researchers had found in that six-month trial. The longer trials tended to show better results, and some of the trials just used flaxseed oil or some kind of flaxseed extract. We think this is because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. “Each of the components of interest within flaxseed, ALA, lignans, fiber, and peptides”—the omega-3s, the cancer-fighting lignans, all the soluble fiber, and the plant proteins, for instance—“all contribute towards BP reduction.” Okay, but how? Why? What is the mechanism? Some common blood-pressure medications like Norvasc or Procardia work in part by reducing the ability of the heart to contract or by slowing down the heart. So, might it be that’s how flaxseeds work, too? But, no. In my video Benefits of Flaxseeds for Inflammation, I profile the “Dietary Flaxseed Reduces Central Aortic Blood Pressure Without Cardiac Involvement but Through Changes in Plasma Oxylipins” study. What are oxylipins? “Oxylipins are a group of fatty acid metabolites” involved in inflammation and, as a result, have been implicated in many pro-inflammatory conditions, including aging and cardiovascular disease. “The best-characterized oxylipins about cardiovascular disease are derived from the w-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid,” a long-chain omega-6 fatty acid. These are found preformed in animal products, particularly chicken and eggs, and can be made inside the body from junky oils rich in omega-6, such as cottonseed oil, as noted below and at 3:49 in my video. But, as this study is titled, “Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory oxylipins in older subjects are normalized by flaxseed consumption.” That’s how we think flaxseed consumption reduces blood pressure in patients with hypertension: by inhibiting the enzyme that makes these pro-inflammatory oxylipins. I’ll spare you from acronym overload, but eating flaxseeds inhibits the activity of the enzyme that makes these pro-inflammatory oxylipins, called leukotoxin diols, which in turn may lower blood pressure. “Identifying the biological mechanism adds confidence to the antihypertensive actions of dietary flaxseed,” but that’s not all oxylipins do. Oxylipins may also play a role in the aging process. As we get older, we’re more likely to be stricken with inflammatory conditions like arthritis. However, we may be able to “beneficially disrupt these biological changes associated with inflammation and aging” with a nutritional intervention like flaxseed. Older adults around age 50 have higher levels of this arachidonic acid–derived oxylipin compared to younger adults around age 20, as you can see in the graph below and at 4:56 in my video. “These elevated concentrations of pro-inflammatory oxylipins in the older age group…may…explain the higher levels of inflammation in older versus younger individuals.” As we get older, we’re more likely to be stricken with inflammatory conditions like arthritis. So, this “elevation of pro-inflammatory oxylipins…may predispose individuals to chronic disease conditions.” What if you took those older adults and gave them muffins, like the ones with ground flaxseed? That’s just what a group of researchers did. Four weeks later, the subjects’ levels dropped down to like 20-year-olds’ levels, as seen in the graph below and at 5:32 in my video, “demonstrating that a potential therapeutic strategy to correct the deleterious pro-inflammatory oxylipin profile is via a dietary supplementation with flaxseed.” What about flax and cancer? See the related posts below. I also have a video on diabetes: Flaxseeds vs. Diabetes. If you’re interested in weight loss, see Benefits of Flaxseed Meal for Weight Loss. What about the cyanide content of flax? I answered that in Friday Favorites: How Well Does Cooking Destroy the Cyanide in Flaxseeds and Should We Be Concerned About It?. What else can help fight inflammation? Check out in related posts below. Key Takeaways A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial found that, compared to placebo, dietary flaxseed consumption resulted in an extraordinary drop in high blood pressure, which is “the single largest risk factor” for death globally. Nine out of ten people take less than 80 percent of their prescribed blood pressure pills, due in part to inconvenience, cost, and potential side effects “to treat a mostly asymptomatic condition that commonly does not cause problems for many years.” The drop in blood pressure seen in the flaxseed study exceeded the average drop observed with typical doses of anti-hypertensive drugs, and flaxseeds are cheaper, too, and have other good side effects, such as increased fiber intake, which may be beneficial for those transitioning from low-fiber diets. Although not all studies showed significant blood pressure–lowering effects, the overall analysis of more than a dozen trials with more than a thousand subjects found significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure with flaxseed supplementation, and longer trials tend to show better results. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and every component of interest in flaxseed—including the omega-3s, cancer-fighting lignans, soluble fiber, and plant proteins—contributes to lowering blood pressure. Norvasc, Procardia, and some other common blood-pressure drugs work by slowing down the heart or reducing its ability to contract, but that’s not how flaxseeds work. It’s thought that consumption of flaxseeds reduces blood pressure in hypertensive patients by inhibiting the enzyme that makes pro-inflammatory oxylipins, fatty acid metabolites that are involved in inflammation and, as a result, are implicated in aging, cardiovascular disease, and other pro-inflammatory conditions. Elevated levels of pro-inflammatory oxylipins dropped after four weeks of flaxseed consumption, suggesting that supplementing with flaxseed is “a potential therapeutic strategy to correct the deleterious pro-inflammatory oxylipin profile.” To read the original article click here.

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7 Pine Bark Extract Benefits, Including for Skin, Hearing & Diabetes

The AHA! Team — Mon, 06 May 2024 18:04:27 +0000

Kyra Oliver via Dr. Axe – We all know the power of antioxidants to improve health and the high-antioxidant foods we should eat regularly. But did you know that pine bark extract, like pine oil, is one of nature’s super antioxidants? It’s true. What gives pine bark extract its notoriety as a powerful ingredient and super antioxidant is that it’s loaded with oligomeric proanthocyanidin compounds — OPCs for short. The same ingredient can be found in grapeseed oil, the skin of peanuts and witch hazel bark. While OPCs found in this extract are mostly known for their antioxidant-producing benefits, these amazing compounds exude antibacterial, antiviral, anticarcinogenic, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties. As such, pine bark extract can help reduce muscle soreness and may help improve conditions relating to: poor circulation high blood pressure osteoarthritis diabetes ADHD female reproductive issues skin erectile dysfunction eye disease sports stamina It addition, the OPCs in this extract may “inhibit lipid peroxidation, platelet aggregation, capillary permeability and fragility, and to affect enzyme systems,” which basically means it may be a natural treatment for many serious health conditions, such as stroke and heart disease. What Is Pine Bark Extract? Pine bark extract comes from the inner bark of the Pinus pinaster tree, most commonly found in Europe. A popular variety is the pinus maritime or the maritime pine that grows exclusively along the coast of southwest France. In 1534, a French ship led by the famous explorer Jacques Cartier became stranded in ice near Quebec, Canada. The crew fell extremely ill from scurvy, an extreme lack of vitamin C. Cartier’s crew crossed paths with a Quebec Indian who encouraged them to drink a tea made from pine bark and needles. Four hundred years later, a French researcher named Jacques Masquelier did some studies to understand why this natural remedy was so effective. He learned about the seemingly omnipotent antioxidant within it and how those antioxidants increase the absorption of vitamin C. Continued research showed that the pine bark contained flavonols and bioflavonoids, which hold tissue-repairing properties. Masquelier was easily able to create a pine bark extract from materials that were otherwise known as waste. Health Benefits 1. Lowers Glucose Levels, Improving Diabetic Symptoms Pine bark extract has been studied in regard to its ability to help diabetic patients. A study was conducted by the Guang An Men Hospital of Chinese Medical Science Research Institute with 77 diabetes type II patients to determine if the extract of the French Maritime pine bark provided anti-diabetic effects. Patients were given 100 milligrams of Pycnogenol®, a branded version of pine bark extract, for 12 weeks, with continued anti-diabetic treatment. The effects of the pine bark extract showed significantly lower levels of blood glucose and improved endothelial function when compared to placebo, concluding that supplementation of Pycnogenol for treating conventional diabetes may be beneficial. 2. Helps Prevent Hearing Loss and Balance Ototoxicity is ear poisoning and can occur when exposed to certain drugs or chemicals, such as cisplatin, that damage the inner ear or the vestibulocochlear nerve. This nerve affects our balance and hearing by sending signals to the brain. This condition can be temporary or permanent — however, some studies have indicated that pine bark extract may help alleviate these symptoms due to its high presence of antioxidants. Thus, this powerful extract may work as a natural ear infection remedy while improving balance and preventing hearing loss. 3. Staves Off Infections Studies have been conducted to review the effects of pine bark extract on pseudomonas infectious wounds. These wounds occur most frequently in hospitals or in those with weakened immune systems, such as after surgery. However, healthy people are not immune and can also develop mild infections, in particular after being in improperly chlorinated hot tubs or swimming pools. In one particular study published in Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences, researchers investigated the antibacterial activity of pine bark extract essential oil on staph infections, E. coli and pseudomonas infections. The antibacterial activity was assessed indicating that the essential oil of pine bark, specifically the proanthocyanidins, were effective against P. aeruginosa, significantly inhibiting its growth. Additionally, the results showed that the extract has significant “anti-pseudomonas activity,” making it a potential natural remedy and possible preventive measure for infections. 4. Protects the Skin from Ultraviolet Exposure Who doesn’t want amazing skin? Pine bark extract may be the perfect treatment since it’s an antioxidant dynamo. There is a seemingly growing problem with skin exposure to ultraviolet radiation and the confusion of how to get vitamin D from the sun while avoiding these skin-damaging rays. A review was conducted of French maritime pine bark extract, specifically using the nutritional supplement Pycnogenol. The study provided clear evidence that Pycnogenol does, indeed, offer photoprotection — however, it came out even better than expected, showing that it may be used to reduce hyperpigmentation of human skin while improving the “skin barrier function and extracellular matrix homeostasis.” 5. Decreases Erectile Dysfunction If you knew you could resolve your erectile dysfunction and, therefore, naturally remedy impotence issues, wouldn’t you? Erectile dysfunction has increased over the past decade or two, creating a pathway for various medications to land on the shelves of numerous medicine cabinets, but as you know, going for the natural approach can make a huge difference in overall health. According to a Japanese study, the combination of Pycnogenolt and L-arginine may produce the results you’re looking for, making the bedroom a much happier place. Forty-seven Japanese men with mild erectile dysfunction were given supplements with L-arginine and French maritime pine bark extract over four months. The research revealed that the sperm concentration greatly increased after about eight to 16 weeks of treatment, to include improved orgasmic function. No side effects were noted, unlike its synthetic counterpart. 6. Reduces Inflammation Pine bark extract’s antioxidants scavenge damaging free radicals in an effort to eliminate them, ultimately preventing disease. Studies were conducted in Turkey on subjects who underwent abdominal surgery to determine if the pine bark extract could help reduce the inflammation. They were given Pycnogenol for a period of 10 days. The outcome showed significant healing compared to those subjects who were not given any drug or remedy, concluding that Pycnogenol may be an effective remedy for healing of surgery-related lesions. 7. Helps Increase Athletic Performance Pine bark extract has been studied regarding its relationship to exercise performance, oxidative stress and inflammation to body that has been imposed by exercise. Research indicates that Pycnogenol provides an increase in endurance performance of trained athletes. It does this by improving the time it takes the body to reach a fatigued state through increased serum NAD+ levels. Additionally, athletes have endured less cramping and muscle pain when using the extract. It’s likely that muscle recovery time improved as well due to the high antioxidants pine bark extract contains. Risks and Side Effects While most studies do not indicate major side effects, pine bark extract may cause irritability and fatigue, and could interact with other drugs. Make sure to seek out the advice of your physician prior to using pine bark extract or the branded name, Pycnogenol. If you are taking blood thinners, do not take pine bark extract or Pycnogenol unless approved by your doctor. It’s been noted that taking OPCs and vitamin C supplements at the same time could increase blood pressure if you have hypertension. How to Use Pine bark extract can be found in liquid, tablet or capsule form containing 85 percent to 90 percent OPCs. It can also be found as creams, lotions or ointments, typically containing 0.5 percent to 2 percent pine bark extract. If you choose to use Pycnogenol, follow the dosage instructions on the label. It’s best to check with your doctor about the dosage, based on the symptoms you have and other possible conditions, prior to taking either pine bark extract or Pycnogenol. Final Thoughts Pine bark extract offers some amazing benefits since it’s so high in powerful antioxidants. From diabetes and sexual function to sports performance and beautiful skin, pine bark extract may be worth exploring to provide results you’re looking to achieve. Consider pine bark extract by having a conversation with your physician or a functional medicine doctor. You may want to start slow, taking smaller amounts, to ensure that your body works well with the OPCs found in pine bark extract. Once you’re sure that you don’t have any negative reactions, you may be able to increase your dosage according to the label. To read the original article click here.

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Women with Endometriosis May Have Higher Risk of Stroke

AHA Publisher — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 07:00:54 +0000

American Heart Association (AHA) via Newswise – DALLAS, July 21, 2022 — A large, prospective study found that women with endometriosis may have a higher risk of stroke compared to women without the chronic inflammatory condition, according to new research published today in Stroke, the peer-reviewed flagship journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association. Endometriosis (abnormal growth of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus) is estimated to affect approximately 10% of reproductive aged women in the U.S., according to study authors. Previous research found that women with endometriosis are at greater risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. “These findings suggest that women with a history of endometriosis may be at higher risk of stroke,” said Stacey A. Missmer, Sc.D., study senior author and professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “Clinicians should look at the health of the whole woman, including elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol and other new stroke risk factors, not only symptoms specifically associated with endometriosis, such as pelvic pain or infertility.” In this study, researchers led by first author, Leslie V. Farland, Sc.D., assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at University of Arizona in Tucson, examined the association between endometriosis and the development of ischemic stroke (caused by blood clots blocking blood flow) or hemorrhagic stroke (caused by bleeding in the brain) among women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study II. The analysis involved 112,056 women who were nurses between the ages of 25 and 42 years old from 14 U.S. states at the start of the study in 1989. The current study ended in 2017. A laparoscopy (surgical procedure in which a fiber-optic instrument is inserted through the abdominal wall to view the organs in the abdomen or to permit a surgical procedure) was used to make the diagnosis of endometriosis. Endometriosis was reported in 5,244 women and most of the participants (93%), including those diagnosed with endometriosis, were white women. Researchers analyzed data collected every two years for many possible confounders or risk factors, including alcohol intake, current body mass index, menstrual cycle pattern in adolescence, current oral contraceptive and postmenopausal hormone exposure, smoking history, diet, physical activity, aspirin use, race/ethnicity and income. Additionally, researchers investigated if the link between endometriosis and risk of stroke could be explained by other mediating factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hysterectomy (removal of the uterus), oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries) and postmenopausal hormone therapy. During the 28 years of follow-up including medical record confirmations, researchers documented 893 strokes. The analysis found: Women with endometriosis (5,244) had a 34% greater risk of stroke, compared to those without the condition (106,812). The largest proportion of the stroke risk associated with endometriosis was linked to hysterectomy and/or oophorectomy (39%) and postmenopausal hormone therapy (16%). No significant differences were seen in the relationship between endometriosis and stroke across multiple factors – such as age, infertility history, body mass index or menopausal status. “There are circumstances when a hysterectomy and/or oophorectomy is the best choice for a woman, however, we also need to make sure that patients are aware of the potential health risks associated with these procedures,” Missmer said. “Other research also suggests that hysterectomy is associated with elevated stroke risk even if there is no history of endometriosis.” “These results do not indicate that women who have endometriosis will have a stroke. Instead, these findings signify only an association of moderate relative risk. The absolute risk of stroke in women is low,” Missmer said. “Women with endometriosis should pay attention to their whole body and discuss added risks and preventive options with their health care team.” “While we know that adverse pregnancy outcomes are associated with increased risk of premature cardiovascular disease, this study sheds light on the association of gynecological issues such as endometriosis with stroke, which could impact both patients and clinicians,” said American Heart Association Go Red for Women volunteer Garima Sharma, M.B.B.S., who is director of cardio-obstetrics and assistant director of medicine at Johns Hopkins Cardiology in Baltimore. “Most importantly, this study underscores the importance of understanding reproductive and gynecological history.” The study had several limitations. Data detailing subtypes of strokes was not available. As a result, the relationship between subtypes of strokes and endometriosis could not be evaluated. Another limitation of the study is that researchers were unable to determine the impact of time from endometriosis-associated symptom onset and age at endometriosis diagnosis. To read the original article click here.

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Salt Substitute Is a Cost-Effective Intervention for Stroke Prevention and Improved Quality of Life

AHA Publisher — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 07:00:38 +0000

Northwestern University via News-Medical – A salt substitute that contains less sodium was a cost-effective intervention for prevention of stroke and improved quality of life, according to an analysis published in the journal Circulation. A previous study found the substitute was effective at preventing stroke and heart attack, so these findings further cement this intervention’s usefulness, according to Darwin Labarthe, MD, PhD, MPH, professor of Preventive Medicine in the Division of Epidemiology and a co-author of the study. “Because hypertension is so highly prevalent, and costs of its morbidity and mortality outcomes are so great, a cost-saving intervention has huge implications for national health expenditures.” Darwin Labarthe, MD, PhD, MPH, Professor of Preventive Medicine, Division of Epidemiology Reducing salt intake reduces blood pressure, which is a primary contributor to disease and death from heart attack or stroke. As many as one billion people around the world have uncontrolled high blood pressure, Labarthe said, and that number only continues to grow. Salt substitutes — in this study, a salt made of a mix of sodium chloride and potassium chloride — have been shown to reduce blood pressure. A previous study of more than 20,000 individuals in 600 villages in northwestern China found rates of stroke, major cardiovascular events and death were all lower in participants using salt substitutes when compared to participants using regular salt. In the current study, investigators performed a cost-effectiveness analysis of the previous study, measuring health outcomes in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Healthcare costs were identified from participant health insurance records and estimated using figures from previous studies. Over the nearly five-year follow-up period, replacing regular salt with salt substitute reduced the risk of stroke by 14 percent. The salt substitute group had on average 0.054 more QALYs per person. The average annual costs were lower in the salt-substitute group: 1,538 Chinese yuan (about $241) for the intervention group and 1,649 Chinese yuan (about $259) for the control group. This means the intervention was dominant — a term used in cost-effectiveness denoting better outcomes at lower cost — for prevention of stroke. Sensitivity analyses performed by the authors showed these conclusions held even when the price of salt substitutes was raised, only losing cost-effectiveness when the price was increased to the highest market prices identified in China. “This presents powerful ‘hard outcome’ evidence long demanded by sodium reduction skeptics who failed to see the value of interventions that would lower blood pressure itself, despite it being an immense health and public health problem,” Labarthe said. This intervention holds promise, especially in countries such as China where large segments of the population consume home-prepared rather than commercially with processed food, in contrast to Western countries such as the United States, according to Labarthe. “Governments and health systems would benefit and would serve their beneficiaries by implementing salt substitution as an important means to reduce blood pressure and risk of stroke,” Labarthe said. “This will be impactful to the degree that individual behavior determines how much salt is consumed; it will be less so where the processed or manufactured foods predominate, until the food industry adopts the use of salt substitute in its products.” To read the original article click here.

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