Mar
01
2007

Olive Oil No Magic Elixir

By | Health, Nutrition

Health trends come and go, and some myths need to be demystified, such as the notion that we need a lot of one beneficial food to achieve good health. The Mediterranean diet has become a buzz word in the public, and there is certainly nothing wrong with a diet that emphasizes the benefits of vegetables and fish with omega-3 fatty oil. These figure prominently in foods of the Mediterranean. Olive oil, which is one of the fat sources, has been also touted as a “miracle food”, and the benefits of the healthy fats to which it belongs have received a lot of attention.
Dr. James Kenney, who holds a PhD in nutrition at the at the Pritikin Longevity Centre, questions inflated health claims of olive oil. No matter, which way you look at it, olive oil remains a calorie-dense and nutrient-poor food. Pound for pound, like all refined oils, olive oil has more than 4000 calories, and 13% to 14% of the calories in olive oil come from saturated fat. The good news is that compared to lard (38% saturated fat) and butter (63% saturated fat) olive oil is the better choice. People who switch from butter to olive oil will see a reduction of cholesterol, reports Dr. Kenney. The reason is that they are eliminating a lot of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol that was in the butter. Olive oil itself does not lower cholesterol, as monounsaturated fatty acids do not raise or lower cholesterol. As a result it is not a good idea to freely pour olive oil into salads, over vegetables or to dip white bread into it, transforming it into an oil-dripping calorie bomb.

Olive Oil No Magic Elixir

Olive Oil No Magic Elixir

Olive oil can be compared to rocked fuel: it is a high calorie food, and if you plan to go on a long distance bike excursion across the country, you’ll clearly need more fuel than if you are working at a sedentary job in an office. Olive oil should be used like salt. It is a condiment, and choosing extra virgin olive oil in a spray pump gives us a boost of flavor. The real beneficial food sources in the Mediterranean diet are fruit, vegetables, beans, small amounts of whole grain and omega-3 rich fish. Flavonoids and antioxidants in the fruit and vegetables are some of the main players, but lifestyle and genetics may also play a role.

More about fats, the good, the bad and the ugly here: http://nethealthbook.com/health-nutrition-and-fitness/nutrition/fat-good-bad-fatty-acids/

Reference: The Medical Post, February 2, 2007, page 17

Last edited November 2, 2014

Dec
01
2003

New Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Reduces Inflammatory Marker

By | Heart Disease, Prevention, Stroke

With newer knowledge about the process of hardening of the arteries from the ongoing Framingham study it is not surprising that the drug companies are shifting the development of cholesterol-lowering drugs to those substances that will reduce inflammation of the arteries as well. In previous issues of the health newsletter I summarized a paper that was published on the importance of the C-reactive protein (also called CRP) in connection with the diagnosis of heart attacks and strokes. I also reviewed an article that pointed out that both CRP and LDL cholesterol are important in determining who is at risk for developing a heart attack or stroke.

In a press release to Reuters on Nov. 13, 2003 Merck & Co. Inc. and Schering-Plough Corp. announced that ezetimib (Zetia), a new cholesterol-lowering drug that is marketed by both companies, was found by their researchers to lower C-reactive protein (CRP) significantly. At the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando/Fla. these researchers presented a clinical trial showing that ezetimib when used in combination with small amounts of simvastatin (Zocor) lowered CRP by 33%. However, simvastatin alone lowered CRP only by 14.3%. Dr. Christie Ballantyne, a Baylor College cardiologist, pointed out that this new finding was very important. It was important, because it shows that these drugs do not only lower LDL cholesterol, which according to the Framingham study is a known risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. In addition it has now also been proven to lower CRP significantly at the same time, which is another known inflammatory component produced by the blood vessels also associated with heart attacks and strokes.

New Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Reduces Inflammatory Marker

New Cholesterol-Lowering Drug Reduces Inflammatory Marker

Merck and Schering-Plough are now developing a new formulation containing both of these medications as one pill (Vytorin). This has the advantage to lower the risk on liver cells of Zocor by being able to lower the dose in the pill. The Zocor component will mainly lower the LDL cholesterol in the blood (and the CRP somewhat as well) and the Zetia component will provide the beneficial effect of the CRP lowering (anti-inflammatory component and LDL lowering). There is another advantage of this combination: Zetia works by inhibiting absorption of cholesterol by the gut, Zocor works by inhibiting cholesterol synthesis in the liver cells. Whenever the mechanism of action is different two drugs in combination are usually better tolerated than if both would work through the same mechanism. However, the companies pointed out that more research and clinical trials are needed to check out side-effects of Zetia before it would be submitted to the FDA for approval for general prescription by physicians.

P.S. on Oct. 31, 2012: Read the following article about Zetia and Vytorin (the combination pill): http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/business/14cnd-drug.html?_r=0

Links regarding further information about heart disease (Net Health Book).

Last edited December 9, 2012

Feb
01
2003

CRP Test Better Than Cholesterol Test

By | Heart Disease, Hormones, obstetrics, Weight loss

At the 75th Annual Scientific sessions of the American Heart Association in Chicago several presentations centered around the use of the C-reactive protein test to evaluate risks for heart attacks, strokes and the risk of restenosing after doing a cardiac procedure to reopen stenosed coronary arteries.

I have previously reported about the use of the C-reactive protein (CRP) test in a review regarding Dr. Paul Ridker’s study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

This study is ongoing and is known under the name “Women’s Health Study”. He followed a large group of women and found that an increase of the CRP was closely associated with heart attacks. Other investigators found now that an increase of CRP is closely linked with obesity, with the metabolic syndrome (also known under “insulin resistance”) and hormone replacement therapy.

CRP Test Better Than Cholesterol Test

CRP Test Better Than Cholesterol Test

There appears to be a pivotal shift among cardiologists in that it is now clear that inflammation seems to be at the center of the process of hardening of the arteries, not just in a few cases, but in everybody who has heart disease.  Below I  summarized some of the features of CRP in a table.

C-reactive protein (CRP) and risk for heart disease
Facts: Comments:
CRP is produced by the endothelial cells that line the arteries CRP is intimately involved with arteriosclerosis. It has been identified as the culprit, which produces hardening of the arteries together with LDL cholesterol
CRP interferes with nitric oxide release from the endothelial cells, which is required for normal function this leads to a dysfunction of the lining of the arteries, atheromatous plaque formation and it stimulates scavenger cells, called macrophages, to take up LDL. CRP also causes plaque destabilization and clotting
these factors elevate CRP: obesity, the metabolic syndrome, hormone replacement in menopause with artificial hormones, but NOT with bio-identical hormones
these factors lower CRP: low carbohydrate diet, exercise, statins, rosiglitazone (Avandia), lowering of insulin

There will be a lot of information coming out in the next few years. Two major trials have been started where patients with a normal cholesterol, but an abnormally high CRP, will be followed along.

The JUPITER trial will look at the effect of treating these patients with rosuvastatin (brand name: Crestor). About 15,000 patients will be enrolled in this trial and followed for about 4 years. The Canadian 4R trial (Risk Reduction with Ramipril in patients with high CRP) uses ramipril (brand name: Altace) for 12 weeks to see whether it reduces CRP levels. Much more research is needed, but the doctors already know enough about CRP to state that it is a major player when it comes to hardening of arteries. They also know that LDL cholesterol is not outdated, as both LDL cholesterol and CRP play important roles in this process.

Based on a cardiology update in the Medical Post, Dec. 31, 2002, page 17 to 19.

Comments on Dec. 10, 2012: The 4 R Canadian study showed a tendency towards a lowering of CRP with Ramipril, but it was statistically not significant due to numbers that were too low and the observation period was not long enough. The Jupiter trial had to be abandoned after two years as there was concern of diabetes being caused by Crestor and because the effect of prevention of heart attacks was not seen early enough (the number of treatments required before a beneficial effect could be seen was too high). Here is a review why  rosuvastatin (brand name: Crestor) should be approached with caution.

Here are other links to related topics that won’t have serious side-effects:

Heart disease: http://www.nethealthbook.com/articles/cardiovasculardisease_heartdisease.php

Two things will lead to a normal weight (as you likely have heard before):

Proper nutrition…http://www.nethealthbook.com/articles/nutrition.php

…and proper exercise (fitness): http://www.nethealthbook.com/articles/fitness.php

Last edited December 10, 2012

Nov
01
2002

WAVE Trial Failed To Show Benefits Of Estrogen (Premarine) And Vitamins

By | Health, Heart Disease, Hormones, Prevention, Women’s Diseases

Dr. David D. Waters of the University of California at San Francisco reported in Chicago at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Session 2002 about the WAVE trial. This stands for “Women’s Angiographic Vitamin and Estrogen” trial.

The results of this study were simultaneously published in the Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA 2002;288:2432-2440). It was a “carefully designed randomized study” where 423 women with established blood vessel damage to their hearts (established by angiography) were put on a therapy and then followed for an average of 2.8 years. Essentially the question was whether or not estrogen (Premarine) and vitamins (Vit.E and C) would have a protective effect on the blood vessels. Surprisingly the worst outcome was in the group with estrogen replacement and vitamins. The placebo group (=no estrogen, only vitamins) had the lowest death rate. The authors felt that the beneficial effect of estrogen (speak “Premarine”) on heart vessels could not been verified in this study. The take home message to the physicians at the conference was that they should concentrate on lowering the known risk factors: weight reduction, blood pressure control, cholesterol lowering and increasing exercise. Estrogen should be given in low doses (Premarine 0.625mg per day) only to those women who are symptomatic with hot flashes, but not to every postmenopausal woman.

WAVE Trial Failed To Show Benefits Of Estrogen (Premarine) And Vitamins

WAVE Trial Failed To Show Benefits Of Estrogen (Premarine) And Vitamins

NOTE : This group of postmenopausal women is a selection of women more likely suffering from hyperinsulinism with a higher rate of cardiovascular disease (and also arthritis and possibly a higher risk for cancer as well). The most logical therapy for these women is to work on weight loss, to increase exercise and to change their diet to a zone diet as this is known to lower cholesterol. Hoping to cure these women with estrogen or vitamin manipulation alone does not make “medical common sense” to me. Also, those women who had not had a hysterectomy were not dealt with as a separate group, although they were put on medroxyprogesterone acetate (Prempro). This is called a “confounding bias” and should have been openly discussed, which it was not. This means the WAVE trial made waves, but it was not a properly designed randomized study.

You may want to read these useful related links to chapters of my free Internet based Nethealthbook: For links to arteriosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes see this link: http://nethealthbook.com/cardiovascular-disease/heart-disease/atherosclerosis-the-missing-link-between-strokes-and-heart-attacks/
For a link to hyperinsulinism follow this link:
http://www.nethealthbook.com/articles/hormonalproblems_diabetesmellitus.php

Last edited October 25, 2014