The recent Aspirin for Asymptomatic Atherosclerosis study found that giving healthy people a daily aspirin may not be a wise practice. The study was funded by the British Heart Foundation and presented to the European Society of Cardiology Congress in August of 2009. The subjects were 3,350 men and women between the ages 50 and 75, without history of heart disease or heart attack.
The subjects were divided into two groups, one receiving a placebo and the other receiving 100 mg aspirin per day. After eight years there was no difference in the number of cardiovascular events, including heart attack or stroke, between the two groups. A larger portion of the group receiving the aspirin had GI bleeding when compared to the placebo group (2% compared to 1.2%). Researchers concluded that while aspirin can benefit patients with symptoms of artery disease or blockage, people without cardiovascular problems should not take a daily aspirin because the risk of GI bleeding outweighs the benefits of aspirin therapy. |
|
|
The word endothelium refers to cells that line an organ or blood vessel. The health of the endothelium of blood vessels is pertinent to heart disease. If it is easily damaged, it sets the stage for plaquing and coronary artery disease. A study published in Hypertension Research (2007 Nov 30(11):1029-34) looked at 187 men averaging 47 years of age and at risk for heart disease. The researchers correlated the elasticity of the blood vessels to the testosterone levels in the men and found that low levels of testosterone were associated with poor endothelial function. |
|
A study appearing in the journal Stroke (2005; 36(11): 2404-9) looked at vitamin B12 supplementation and its possible role in preventing heart attack or stroke. The subjects of the study were 2155 men and women with a mean age of 66 years. They were given either a low dose supplement (20 mcg folate, 200 mcg B6 and 6 mcg B12) or a high dose supplement (2.5 mg folate, 25 mg B6 and 400 mcg B12). The supplements are specifically chosen because they are cofactors that help reduce homocysteine levels. The subjects were pre-screened, eliminating those who had high B12 levels or may have malabsorption issues. The group getting the high-dose supplement had a 21% lower risk for stroke than the low-dose group. The authors concluded that vitamin B12 fortification may be valuable in reducing the risk for stroke in certain patients. |
|
 A double-blind, placebo-controlled study appearing in Hypertension Research (2009; 32(6): 433-7) looked at the effect timed release garlic powder had on hypertension. Subjects receiving the garlic supplementation experienced a 7 point reduction in systolic (the top number) blood pressure and a 3.8 point reduction in diastolic (the bottom number) blood pressure. |
|
The pain medication Vioxx was taken off of the market because it increased the likelihood of heart attacks. Vioxx was an anti-inflammatory drug known as a cox-2 inhibitor. It is named for the enzyme it suppresses. The cox-2 inhibitors were popular because they offer effective pain relief without creating the problems with GI irritation caused by other types of pain reliever. Celecoxib (sold under the brand name Celebrex), which is also a cox-2 inhibitor, also increases the risk for a heart attack. Research appearing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (March 3, 2006) showed that celecoxib can increase the risk of a heart attack by two fold. |
|
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 1 of 5 |
