Cardiovascular Health Archives - Today's Practitioner

New Study Shows Certain Food Combinations Lower LDL-C as Well as Statins

Seventy million Americans are eligible to take cholesterol-lowering statins. Yet as many as 20% of outpatients receiving HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) experience treatment reluctance because of side effects. This leaves a large population at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). One solution is foods to reduce LDL-C. A study, presentedRead …

Blue Light Decreases Systolic Blood Pressure, Arterial Stiffness & Improves Endothelial Function

This study shows a novel method to decrease systolic blood pressure. During this study, published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology, participants were exposed to 30 minutes of whole-body blue light at approximately 450 nanometres, a dose comparable to daily sunlight – followed by exposure to a control lightRead …

Podcast – Who Is Right, the U.S. or European Hypertension Guidelines?

Within the last 2 years, major guidelines have been issued from U.S.-based and European organizations that differ in their recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. In 2017, the American College of Cardiology in United States issued new guidelines for hypertension. They are as follows: In Europe, The TaskRead …

Nitrate-Rich Fruit and Vegetable Supplement Reduces Blood Pressure in Healthy Individuals

beets, fruits and vegetablesblood pressure

In the past decade nearly 30 studies have shown that beet root juice is highly effective in reducing cardiovascular risk factors, such as blood pressure. The primary reason dates back to a 2008 study showing that the bioactives in nitrate-rich foods are primarily responsible for their ability lower blood pressure.

Is Aspirin Beneficial? That Depends on Dosage and Body Weight, says Lancet study

It is well known that aspirin can inhibit the aggregation of platelets and reduce the risk of certain cancers such as colorectal cancer, thus the commonly prescribed recommendation of 81mg baby aspirin (one quarter the dose of 325 mg adult aspirin). This Lancet study explored the one-dose-fits all approachRead …

Omega-3 Consumption and Hypertension

Omega-3 intake could be the easiest line of defense for hypertension. New research published in the July edition of Hypertension shows that a high Omega-3 Index — a newly established risk measure for heart disease — is inversely related to blood pressure levels in healthy young adults. This study shedsRead …

A Retrospective Look at Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Coronary Disease

The commentary published on Today’s Practitioner from Jeffrey Bland PhD and Alex Vasquez, DO was met with widespread interest. In light of the response and the scientific flip flopping regarding Omega-3 fatty acids and coronary disease, it’s important to take retrospective look at a significant 2016 study, Polyunsaturated Fatty AcidRead …

JAMA: Folic Acid Reduces Risk of Stroke in Hypertensive Adults

Folic acid may reduce the risk of stroke in hypertensive people by as much as 21% when taken with enapril, according to a study released this week in JAMA. Study commentators from Harvard surmise that there is no reason to doubt the same results with non-hypertensive people. The study authorsRead …

Endovascular Therapy Dramatically Improves Stroke Outcomes

When Pamela Nelson suffered a stroke last June, she was treated at Denver’s Swedish Medical Center by Donald Frei, MD, a neuro-interventional surgeon. Dr. Frei used endovascular therapy on Nelson, who is now fully recovered. Frei’s work is outlined in a new study published in the New England J ofRead …

Dark Chocolate Improves Walking in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease

This interventional study measured the acute effect of dark chocolate on walking distance autonomy (WDA), artery dilatation and NOX2‐mediated oxidative stress in a population affected by moderate‐severe. Previous studies with antioxidant infusion provided evidence that oxidative stress is implicated in impairing WDA, while its inhibition was associated with maximal walking distance (MWD) improvement. In PAD patients dark but not milk chocolate acutely improved walking autonomy with a mechanism possibly related to an oxidative stress‐mediated mechanism involving NOX2 regulation.