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Fortified Eggs Did Not Raise Cholesterol in Modest-Sized Cardiology Study

The AHA! Team — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 09:04:44 +0000

Duke Health – Further study needed to investigate secondary findings. DURHAM, NC – There are often conflicting headlines about whether certain foods are good or bad for you, and the news about eggs has been especially confusing. Search the topic online and you’ll find a wealth of articles spanning back decades. A study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session and led by researchers at Duke, offers new evidence on fortified eggs, which are eggs enriched with various vitamins or nutrients. In a modest-sized randomized trial, researchers found that fortified eggs did not have a negative impact on bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) or good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) over the course of the four-month study. The study was sponsored by Eggland’s Best The study was sponsored by Eggland’s Best, a company that makes and sells fortified eggs. It also provided the eggs used in the research. The study had 140 participants, all people aged 50 or older, who had experienced at least one cardiac event in the past or had risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as diabetes. Researchers randomized participants into two groups, asking half to eat two or fewer eggs per week for four months. The other half were provided with fortified eggs and asked to eat 12 per week for the same period of time. While no significant changes in bad or good cholesterol were found, a secondary finding hinted there could be some benefit associated with fortified egg consumption for older patients and patients with diabetes. That secondary finding was not statistically significant due to the number of study participants, but senior researcher, Robert Mentz, M.D., associate professor in the Department of Medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine, said it’s an interesting signal that the researchers would like to investigate in future work. “If we can explore this area further, in a larger study, specifically focusing on the type of patients who appear to have potentially experienced some benefit, and over a longer period of time, we could see if it is possible for fortified eggs to improve cholesterol,” Mentz said. The study’s first author, Nina Nouhravesh, M.D., a cardiology fellow at the Duke Clinical Research Institute, said the study can be viewed as a pilot study. “While it was modest in size, it did include a broadly generalized population,” Nouravesh said. “The average age of participants was 66 years, half were women, and more than 25% identified as Black.” Mentz said the enrollment was representative of the community, especially for a study aimed at cardiology patients. He said he would like to move forward with a larger study assessing clinical outcomes, particularly when considering the topic of equity and food access. “There are disparities around access to food,” Mentz said. “Individuals who are the most socially disadvantaged (and likely have more instances of high blood pressure and diabetes), often have less access to healthy foods. Often what we hear described in the community is access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Those are really time-limited foods that may go bad quickly. Fortified eggs can be safely stored in the refrigerator for longer periods of time. Investigating potential health benefits of an easily accessible and less time-limited food is something we should be doing.” “I think we are in this exciting time where people think of food as medicine,” Mentz said. “Some foods are fortified and nutritionally optimized before they’re disseminated, similar to medications, so it’s exciting to use the same rigor that’s applied in medication trials to food science.” In addition to Mentz and Nouhravesh, study authors include Josephine Harrington, Laura H. Aberle, Cynthia L. Green, Kathleen Voss, Dave Holdsworth, Kurt Misialek, Bartel T. Slaugh, Mandee Wieand, William S. Yancy and Neha Pagidipati. To read the original article click here.

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Study Shows How Liver Damage from Stress & Aging Might Be Reversible

The AHA! Team — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 08:48:45 +0000

Duke Health – DURHAM, N.C. – While the liver is one of the body’s most resilient organs, it is still vulnerable to the ravages of stress and aging, leading to disease, severe scarring and failure. A Duke Health research team now might have found a way to turn back time and restore the liver. In experiments using mice and liver tissue from humans, the researchers identified how the aging process prompts certain liver cells to die off. They were then able to reverse the process in the animals with an investigational drug. The finding, which appears in the journal Nature Aging, holds high promise for the millions of people who have some degree of liver damage – livers that are essentially old due to the metabolic stresses of high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes or other factors. “Our study demonstrates that aging is at least partially reversible,” said senior author Anna Mae Diehl, M.D., the Florence McAlister Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine. “You are never too old to get better.” Diehl and colleagues set out to understand how non-alcoholic liver disease develops into a severe condition called cirrhosis, in which scarring can lead to organ failure. Aging is a key risk factor for cirrhosis among those who have been diagnosed with non-alcoholic liver disease, known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD. One in three adults worldwide have the disease. Studying the livers of mice, the researchers identified a genetic signature distinct to old livers. Compared to young livers, the old organs had an abundance of genes that were activated to cause degeneration of hepatocytes, the main functioning cells of the liver. “We found that aging promotes a type of programmed cell death in hepatocytes called ferroptosis, which is dependent on iron,” Diehl said. “Metabolic stressors amplify this death program, increasing liver damage.” Armed with their genetic signature of old livers, the researchers analyzed human liver tissue and found that the livers of people diagnosed with obesity and MASLD carried the signature, and the worse their disease, the stronger the signal. Importantly, key genes in the livers of people with MASLD were highly activated to promote cell death through ferroptosis. This gave the researchers a definitive target. “There are things we can use to block that,” Diehl said. Again turning to mice, the researchers fed young and old mice diets that caused them to develop MASLD. They then gave half the animals a placebo drug and the other half a drug called Ferrostatin-1, which inhibits the cell death pathway. Upon analysis after treatment, the livers of the animals given Ferrostatin-1 looked biologically like young, healthy livers — even in the old animals that were kept on the disease-inducing diet. “This is hopeful for all of us,” Diehl said. “It’s like we had old mice eating hamburgers and fries, and we made their livers like those of young teenagers eating hamburgers and fries.” Diehl said the team also looked at how the ferroptosis process in the liver impacts the function of other organs, which are often damaged as MASLD progresses. The genetic signature was able to differentiate between diseased and healthy hearts, kidneys and pancreases, indicating that damaged livers amplify ferroptotic stress in other tissues. “Together, we’ve shown that aging exacerbates non-alcoholic liver disease by creating ferroptic stress, and by reducing this impact, we can reverse the damage,” Diehl said. In addition to Diehl, study authors include Kuo Du, Liuyang Wang, Ji Hye Jun, Rajesh K. Dutta, Raquel Maeso-Díaz, Seh Hoon Oh and Dennis C. Ko. The study received funding support from the 021 AASLD Pinnacle Award, the National Institutes of Health (R01 AA010154, R01 DK077794, R56 DK134334); and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 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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Cholesterol Savvy? Take Our Cholesterol Quiz: Facts and Myths

AHA Publisher — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 07:00:19 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – Are you cholesterol savvy? For decades, cholesterol risks, numbers, and information have been confusing, misguided, or even downright wrong. We all have cholesterol. A cholesterol measurement is one of the most common laboratory tests ordered, but does it give you the real picture of your heart health and risk? Take our cholesterol quiz to separate facts and myths and find out if you are cholesterol savvy. Cholesterol Quiz Questions Want to test your knowledge before reading the answers? Jot down your thoughts and decide which statements are facts and which are myths. The majority of cholesterol in the blood stream originates from the diet. It is required for the body to synthesize Vitamin D. Cholesterol dissolves into the blood making it thick. Its numbers are primarily altered by diet and exercise. Heart attack sufferers almost always have high cholesterol. High triglycerides are more concerning than high cholesterol. Avocado oil is higher in cholesterol than olive oil. Inflammation is a primary factor in heart condition risk. All LDL cholesterol is harmful. Statins are completely safe and effective. Cholesterol Quiz: Facts and Myths CHOLESTEROL STATEMENT #1: THE MAJORITY OF CHOLESTEROL IN THE BLOOD STREAM ORIGINATES FROM THE DIET. Myth. Only about 20% of the cholesterol in your body comes from your diet. The rest is synthesized your liver and intestines (1). CHOLESTEROL STATEMENT #2: CHOLESTEROL IS REQUIRED FOR THE BODY TO SYNTHESIZE VITAMIN D. Fact. Cholesterol is a waxy, whitish-yellow fat. It is needed to make vitamin D, hormones (including testosterone and estrogen), and fat-dissolving bile acids. It is a vital building block in cell membranes. And Cholesterol can be found in every cell in the body. CHOLESTEROL STATEMENT #3: CHOLESTEROL DISSOLVES INTO THE BLOOD MAKING IT THICK. Myth. Cholesterol doesn’t dissolve in the blood, kind of like how fat won’t dissolve in water. Instead, cholesterol bonds to carriers called lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are made up of cholesterol on the inside with a layer of protein on the outside. These carriers transport cholesterol between cells to be used for various biological functions. When cholesterol is oxidized, it can embed into the artery wall which can lead to plaques and blockages. CHOLESTEROL STATEMENT #4: CHOLESTEROL NUMBERS ARE PRIMARILY ALTERED BY WEIGHT LOSS, DIET AND EXERCISE. Fact. While your absolute cholesterol number is highly influenced by your familial history, age, sex, and ethnicity (2), changes in total cholesterol are primarily achieved by weight loss (if overweight), diet, and exercise (3, 4). STATEMENT #5: ALL LDL CHOLESTEROL CREATES PLAQUES IN ARTERIES. Myth. As most people know, there are two primary types of cholesterol, Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and High-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is taught as “bad,” and HDL as “good.” But there’s more to it than that. There are actually two sub-groups of LDL particles. LDL subtype A is a large fluffy cholesterol particle that is less prone to oxidation and less likely to stick to arterial walls. LDL subtype B is a smaller and denser particle that is easily oxidized and more likely to build up in the arteries. Subtype A LDL cholesterol is not necessarily a threat, and only oxidized LDL cholesterol forms plaques (5). CHOLESTEROL STATEMENT #6: HEART ATTACK SUFFERERS ALMOST ALWAYS HAVE HIGH CHOLESTEROL. Myth. Whilst high LDL cholesterol (specifically, high LDL subset B) is one of many risk factors of heart conditions and heart attacks, many people who have heart attacks have “normal” cholesterol levels (6). When assessing risk, we should look at our heart illness risk overall, including weight, blood glucose, lifestyle, inflammation markers, blood pressure, triglycerides, and specifically LDL Subst B cholesterol numbers. It is not the primary risk factor. CHOLESTEROL STATEMENT #7: HIGH TRIGLYCERIDES LEVELS ARE COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT OF CHOLESTEROL LEVELS. Myth. Interestingly, more and more practitioners are looking at the ratio of triglycerides (TG) to HDL. In fact, when you calculate this ratio, you can infer your health risk of cardiovascular issues, blood sugar issues, inflammation and more. Divide your triglycerides by your HDL cholesterol levels. Studies have found that a number of 1.0 or less is likely indicative of lower risk, and a number of 3.0 or more of highest risk. Interestingly, a lower ratio is also linked to healthier LDL subset particle size (less subset B) (7, 8). STATEMENT #8: AVOCADO OIL IS HIGHER IN CHOLESTEROL THAN OLIVE OIL. Myth. Both avocado oil and olive oil have zero milligrams of cholesterol. Foods derived from plants do not contain cholesterol. STATEMENT #9: INFLAMMATION IS A PRIMARY FACTOR IN HEART CONDITION RISK. Fact. Cholesterol is an active compound in the body. It reacts to oxidative stress and inflammation. Here’s how: As free radicals move throughout the body and damage cells, cumulative oxidative stress rises. Next, the body mounts an inflammatory response and cholesterol comes in to patch things up. When cholesterol can also become damaged and oxidized by free radicals. Oxidized cholesterol is sticky. It can embed into artery walls and potentially form plaques and blockages (9). CHOLESTEROL STATEMENT #10: STATINS ARE COMPLETELY SAFE AND EFFECTIVE. Myth. While statins may be right for some patients, no medication is completely safe, and no medication is completely effective. Even though it is true that statins typically lower overall cholesterol, there are some harmful side effects of which you should be aware. First, statins may lower total cholesterol too much. This can lead to inadequate cholesterol levels for proper brain function (25% of cholesterol is in the brain). It can also interfere with and inhibit the benefits of omega-3 fats. Statins metabolize omega-6 fatty acids which work against omega-3s and can promote resistance to insulin, and elevated blood glucose levels. Like most medications, statins include a risk of damage to organs and systems in the body (10). Lastly, chronic use of statins has also been shown to interfere with the body’s production of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). CoQ10 is critical for immune and nervous system health, and also bolsters heart health, proper muscle function, and healthy blood pressure, among much else. If you are on statins it is very important to supplement with CoQ10. HOW’D YOU SCORE? Are you savvy about cholesterol? Well, if you weren’t before, you are now. And, there’s great news! Most heart condition risk can be strongly influenced by lifestyle. Weight changes, anti-inflammatory foods, diets high in antioxidants, exercise, cessations from smoking, and more can help you reduce triglycerides, LDL subset B cholesterol, blood pressure, and more. What’s more, these can all improve your HDL cholesterol, too! GET CHOLESTEROL SAVVY: WHERE TO START? Unsure where to start? After taking our cholesterol quiz, do you want to improve your knowledge and health? The Keto Zone® can help you achieve your weight and health goals! Get started today with our complete Keto Zone Starter Kit. You’ll get everything you need to get in the Keto Zone! BOTTOM LINE Cholesterol can be confusing. However, the more you know, the more you can make needed changes for heart health. Thanks for taking our cholesterol quiz. From here, focus on whole body health, specific LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, triglycerides, and HDL levels. Eat healthy in the Keto Zone, exercise, and protect your heart! To read the original article click here.

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Statin Use Associated With Increased Survival in Severe COVID-19

AHA Publisher — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 08:00:14 +0000

Columbia University Irving Medical Center via EurekAlert – NEW YORK, NY (Feb. 26, 2021)–People who took statins to lower cholesterol were approximately 50% less likely to die if hospitalized for COVID-19, a study by physicians at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and NewYork-Presbyterian has found. “Our study is one of the larger studies confirming this hypothesis and the data lay the groundwork for future randomized clinical trials that are needed to confirm the benefit of statins in COVID-19,” says Aakriti Gupta, MD, a cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and one of the co-lead authors of the study. “If their beneficial effect bears out in randomized clinical trials, statins could potentially prove to be a low-cost and effective therapeutic strategy for COVID-19,” adds co-lead author Mahesh V. Madhavan, MD, also a cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Why Look at Statins? Gupta, Madhavan, and the study’s leadership group are cardiologists who cared for hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the spring and summer of 2020 when the first wave of the pandemic swept through New York City. “We observed that patients who got very sick and required hospitalization had high rates of hyperinflammation and clotting,” says Elaine Wan, MD, the Esther Aboodi Assistant Professor of Medicine in Cardiology and Cardiac Electrophysiology and a cardiac electrophysiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, one of the study’s senior authors. “As cardiologists, statins naturally came to mind,” Gupta says. “In addition to their well-known cholesterol-lowering effect, statins are known for their anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant and immunomodulatory properties.” Study Analyzed Data from Electronic Health Records Based on their observations, the authors looked at outcomes for 2,626 patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to a quaternary academic medical center in Manhattan during the first 18 weeks of the pandemic. The researchers compared 648 patients who regularly used statins before developing COVID-19 to 648 patients who did not use statins. Patients in each group were matched so that there were no significant differences in demographics, comorbidities, or use of other medications at home. 50% Fewer Deaths among Statin Users Among the statin users, 96 (14.8%) died in the hospital within 30 days of admission compared with 172 (26.5%) of patients who did not use statins. When other differences among the patients were factored in, the researchers found that statin use was significantly associated with a 50% reduction in in-hospital mortality (within 30 days). Patients on statins also tended to have lower levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation. Statin use was not associated with a statistically significant decrease in the use of invasive mechanical ventilation (18.6% in statin users vs. 21.9%), days on a ventilator (13.5 vs 12.8), or length of hospital stay (7 vs 7). Comparison with Other Studies Other studies and meta-analyses from China have also suggested a survival benefit from statins among COVID-19 patients. However, these results may not apply to patients in Western countries who generally have more cardiovascular disease. The current study is one of the larger studies confirming the association. Smaller retrospective studies out of North America and Europe have found similar results. Randomized Clinical Trials Needed Although the study compared closely matched participants and adjusted for other variables, as a retrospective analysis, unknown factors could explain the results. “Only randomized controlled clinical trials can evaluate the benefits of statins in COVID-19 patients,” says senior author Sahil A. Parikh, MD, associate professor of medicine and a cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Several randomized trials are underway, including studies to determine if statins can prevent hospitalization in outpatients, and lower the risk of death when given to hospitalized patients. One of the study’s authors, Behnood Bikdeli, MD, a former cardiology fellow at Columbia now a fellow in vascular medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is leading a randomized clinical trial looking at the impact of statins in hospitalized ICU patients in Iran. To read the original article click here.

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Reduce the Risk of Plaque Buildup in the Arteries With These 2 Plant Extracts

AHA Publisher — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 07:00:29 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – Atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque in the arteries, is a major driver of heart disease. In fact, heart disease claims over 647,000 lives a year in the United States, making it the Number One cause of death in the nation. Clearly, atherosclerosis is a major health threat. And, while Western medicine attempts to “treat” the condition with stents and cholesterol-lowering drugs, these therapies often feature a wide range of unwanted side effects. Fortunately, natural solutions exist! Scientific research (including a clinical study published just this year) has demonstrated that two plant extracts – French maritime pine bark and Centella asiatica – can fight atherosclerosis naturally and safely. Great NEWS: You Can Fight Atherosclerosis Naturally With Appropriate Supplementation, Proper Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle Choices Atherosclerosis – in which cholesterol-laden plaque constricts the flow of oxygen-rich blood – affects the medium and large-sized arteries. Atherosclerosis in the coronary artery can cause shortness of breath and angina (chest pain due to insufficient oxygen). If a complete blockage occurs, a deadly heart attack can result. When atherosclerosis affects the carotid artery supplying blood to the brain and neck, blockages can cause a catastrophic stroke. A growing number of integrative doctors – including world-renowned holistic cardiologist Joel Kahn, M.D. – believe that atherosclerosis is not only treatable but reversible. Dr. Kahn maintains that a routine of supplementation, nutrition and exercise can help reverse the artery-clogging effects of atherosclerosis and prevent life-threatening cardiovascular events. Dr. Kahn has stated that he is “particularly impressed” by studies that highlight the effects of pine bark and Centella asiatica on atherosclerosis. Study Reveals: Pine Bark and Centella Asiatica Significantly Reduced Atherosclerotic Plaque While Improving Stabilization In a 2016 Italian study of 50 patients with high oxidative stress and plaque in the carotid arteries, participants received either a placebo or a combination of pine bark extract and Centella asiatica daily for three months. The researchers used ultrasound imaging to determine that the extract group had less oxidative stress and arterial plaque when compared to the control group. In addition, the stability of their plaque increased. In other words, the atherosclerotic plaques became smaller, denser and less likely to rupture – thereby reducing the chance of a blood clot and subsequent stroke or heart attack. A pretty major pay-off for simply taking two natural plant-based substances! A year later, these encouraging results were reinforced by a larger study of longer duration. In a four-year trial of 391 patients with atherosclerosis of the carotid or femoral arteries, one group was treated with a combination of pine bark extract and Centella asiatica and one was treated with pine bark extract alone. A third group received a placebo. All participants received diet, exercise and lifestyle counseling as well. While the pine bark extract group showed some reductions in markers of atherosclerosis, it was the “combination” group that enjoyed the strongest benefits. The scientists found that this group had the greatest reductions in plaque size and length – and that their incidence of angina was slashed in half. In addition, they experienced a lower rate of heart attacks. Researchers knew they were on to something. But, the most compelling research was yet to come. Bombshell Study: Pine Bark extracts and Centella Asiatica Reduce Risk of Severe Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Atherosclerosis In a three-year trial published in Minerva Cardioangiologica, men with progressive atherosclerosis were randomly divided into three groups. This time, researchers added aspirin (which has been shown to lessen the inflammation associated with atherosclerosis) to the mix. One group received standard counseling on diet, exercise and lifestyle, while a second group received counseling and 100 mg of aspirin a day. A third group received a pine bark/Centella/aspirin combination along with standard counseling. After three years, 22 percent of the patients in the counseling-only group experienced cardiovascular events requiring hospitalization. Those in the aspirin group fared better, with a rate of 12 percent. The real standout, however, was the outcome for the “extracts plus aspirin” group: a miniscule 3.5 percent hospitalization rate. The impressed team concluded that combined supplementation with pine bark and Centella asiatica appears to control both the progression of atherosclerosis and the occurrence of cardiological events. Better Together: Potent Pair of Extracts delivers a “One-Two” Punch Against Atherosclerosis It’s not surprising that these two plant-based therapies can help fight atherosclerosis naturally. Both are rich in antioxidant constituents (such as procyanidins, asiaticosides, phenolic acids and triterpenoids), allowing them to combat the inflammation and oxidative stress that trigger arterial plaque formation. Centella asiatica, known in Ayurveda as “gotu kola,” is available as an extract. Experts advise a formulation standardized to contain 40 percent asiaticosides and 30 percent asiatic acid, with typical amounts of 150 to 450 mg a day. French maritime pine bark extracts are often sold under the brand name Pcynogenol, and are normally advised at levels around 200 mg a day. As an added “bonus:” Pycnogenol has been shown to increase intracellular levels of glutathione, the body’s most important antioxidant. Of course, don’t use these plant extracts to treat atherosclerosis, or any other medical condition, without first consulting your skilled integrative doctor. You can also fight atherosclerosis naturally by quitting smoking, getting moderate exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and consuming a plant-based diet high in antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables and healthy monounsaturated fats. Dr. Kahn declares that he has witnessed powerful results after recommending pine bark and gotu kola to thousands of patients – including arterial age that drops by “decades, after only a year or two of therapy.” Obviously, this plant-based treatment is too important to ignore. Sources for this article include: LifeExtension.com, MayoClinic.org, MSKCC.org, NIH.gov, MerckManuals.com To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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