Cardiovascular Health Archives - Today's Practitioner

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

Dark chocolate may hold promise for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). In a small study, people with artery problems in their legs walked a little longer and farther when they ate dark chocolate – a food rich in polyphenols, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart

Diabetes is Five Different Diseases, Concludes a Lancet Study

Diabetes is five diseases, concludes a new study. By separating adult-onset diabetes cases into five different types, rather than just type 1 or type 2, physicians can better tailor early treatment for patients, and could represent a first step towards precision medicine in the disease, according to an analysis ofRead …

One-a-Day Avocado, Reduces Heart Disease Risk

Folklore deemed the avocado an aphrodisiac because of its likeness to the male family jewels. The tortilla chip should be forever grateful to this orb of green velvety pulp, after all it’s really about the guacamole. But until now, the heart has been left out of this love fest. A

Statement from CRN’s Duffy MacKay, N.D. in the Value of Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Heart Health

In Jan. 2018, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study, “Associations of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplement Use With Cardiovascular Disease Risks.” The study received a number of negative media reports citing that Omega-3 fatty acids do little to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. In response toRead …

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Polyphenols Improve HDL

Olive oil polyphenols are know for beneficial properties that reduce cardiovascular risk factors. Consumption is a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet for its ability to produce health high-density lipoprotein profiles (HDL). However, data on polyphenol effects of HDL quality are scarce. This study assessed whether polyphenol-rich olive oil consumption could enhance the HDL main function, its cholesterol efflux capacity, and some of its quality-related properties, such HDL polyphenol content, size, and composition. The results once again show extra-virgin olive oil’s capacity for improved health. This article also give you some healthy advice from Today’s Practitioner editor as to how to tell your patients to buy good quality extra-virgin olive oil. By Alvaro Hernaez et al, published by the American Heart Association, Sept. 2014.