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Seattle's Most Trusted Chiropractor, Dynamic Chiropractic Clinic, also known
as Seattle Chiropractic, as well as your Bellevue Chiropractor, Dynamic Chiropractic of Bellevue, also known as Bellevue
Chiropractic. As he reads a research article, he makes notes of the article and condenses them. These factoids are all researchable, but should not be trusted one way or the other! Please don't make any major life changes as a result of reading these. Enjoy!!
Depression and Heart Failure Researchers from the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta report that the development of congestive heart failure in elderly persons is more likely if the patient is depressed. In this study of more than 4,500 patients with high blood pressure, those that were judged to be depressed were diagnosed with heart failure twice as often. Some suggest that, in borderline cases, stresses created by depression increase the workload on the heart enough to manifest the problem. Reference: Archives of Internal Medicine, July 23, 2001 Bacterial Heart Attacks A study published in the journal Circulation finds that infections by chlamydia pneumonia seem to make men more vulnerable to second heart attacks. Those who tested positive for the infection were four times as likely to suffer a recurrence. Researchers also noted that the germ was seen embedded in fatty plaques lining atherosclerotic arteries. The 18-month study involved 213 heart attack survivors. Twenty-eight percent of the chlamydia-positive men experienced a second heart attack, compared to only seven percent of the non-infected group. The relationship seems to have something to do with inflammation causing scarring or blood clots.2 2. Circulation, July 1997. Arm Waving Signals Heart Problems A study in the British Medical Journal7 concludes that people with coronary artery disease are more likely to use pronounced arm gestures when communicating with other people. This small study of 50 people noted the movements during a 10-minute interview that posed standard questions about the subjects' lifestyle and health. The researchers do not know what the relationship is, nor even if heart disease leads to greater animation or vice versa. 7. BMJ, January 11, 1997. Think Right Now it's official: a positive attitude can make you healthier. A study published in the American Journal of Cardiology10 suggests that high blood pressure and maybe even potential heart attacks may respond to good vibes. It's not just that naturally positive people are healthier. This work examined people who had to force the good feelings. It studied the electrical communication in the autonomic nervous system between the heart and the brain during episodes of perceived mental stress. Volunteers used a technique called "freeze-frame" to divert their attention from the stressor to something more upbeat until the crisis was past. 10. American Journal of Cardiology, November 15, 1995. Breast Cancer and Heart Medications A report in Cancer11 reveals the results of a five-year study of 3,200 women aged 65 and older, many of whom were taking heart medications. The research found that those who took some form of calcium channel blockers doubled their risk of breast cancer. Health officials and pharmaceutical representatives are quick to warn against halting such medications, saying that more research is needed.12
11. Cancer, October 14,
1997.
Cause Stress A new study from Duke University Medical Center will confirm the suspicions that children can cause stress in their parents. Not only that, this study goes so far as to suggest they can cause an early demise. Researchers measured stress hormones, which they say elevates the risk of heart attacks, and found a difference between women who come home from work to houses with and without children. Without the kids, the women's epinephrine and norepinephrine levels decline significantly in the evening. Not so when the little rascals are about. In that case, mom's hormones stay high all evening. Interestingly, the number of children doesn't seem to matter.5 5. United Press, July 22, 1997. New Heart Treatments, Same Mortality A study of two hospitals published in the British Medical Journal may disappoint many who are infatuated with new and high-tech treatments for heart attacks. Researchers looked at patients admitted between 1982 and 1992, a time when a large number of new treatments were developed and implemented. Specifically, they examined beta-blockers and thrombolytic drugs, finding that although their usage increased dramatically, death rates did not change. The authors suggest that heart specialists should re-examine their treatments if they want to improve outcomes.7 7. BMJ, July 19, 1997. Variety Key to French Paradox The people of France, who score very low when judged by American dietary guideline concepts, nonetheless have much lower than expected heart disease rates. Various studies have tried to explain this, most recently attributing the difference to a protective effect by wine consumption. A new study though casts a different light on the situation by examining the variety of foods in their diet. This study by the U-M School of Public Health and the Institut Scientifique et Technique de l'Alimentation in Paris suggests that a diverse diet may have a dramatic influence on your health. Even though the French consume relatively high amounts of saturated fats, a definite no- no according to American wisdom, about 90 percent consistently partake from the five food groups each day and have better cardiovascular health. Only one third of United States citizens have that variety in their diet.1 1. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, June 28, 1996. Cardiac Medication Shows No Effect on Mortality A three year study of digoxin, a cardiac medication derived from digitalis, concludes that the drug has no effect on mortality when used to treat patients with heart failure. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine,1 found that an identical death rate of 35 percent was seen in patients that were given placebos and those given the digoxin. The study did note, however, that there were six percent fewer hospitalizations in the digoxin group. In light of recent studies that correlate risk of injury and death to hospital stays, one could wonder how much better the placebo group would have fared had the researchers adjusted for "hospitalization."
Canadian vs. American Heart Patients A new study of heart attack mortality suggests that bypass surgeries and angioplasties may not offer any significant benefit to patients. This study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine,3 compares Canadian heart attack victims to patients in the United States. While U.S. citizens undergo the high-tech procedures eight times as often, there is no difference in survival rates a year later. The research looked at more than 233,000 patients. 3. NEJM, May 22, 1997
Gum Disease and the Heart A number of researchers are examining the relationship between gum disease and overall health, especially relating to the heart. The hypothesis is that chronic infections in the gums can lead to bacteria spreading throughout the cardiovascular system. Some studies seem to bear out this contention. One study of 1200 men found a doubled risk of death when gum disease was present. A second study that lasted seventeen years found that men who had signs of gum disease before they were 50 years old were dying from heart disease at a 75 percent higher rate by the time the study ended.11 11. Associated Press, June 7, 1997, reporting on a presentation by Raul Garcia, DDS, of the VA Outpatient Clinic in Boston at a conference at the University of North Carolina.
Shift Work Stresses the Heart Researchers evaluating nurses who work rotating shifts have found an effect on their cardiac health. They found a 70 percent increased incidence of heart attacks in this group, attributed to the shift work stress.12 The study looked at women who worked at least three nights per month for six years or more. Results were similar to those found in earlier research on male shift workers.13 12. Circulation, December 1, 1995, published by the American Heart Association. 13. Lancet, 1986. Small Babies and Cardiovascular Disease Research of 13,000 English men over a 23 year period5 suggests that improper maternal nutrition might contribute to heart disease and stroke in their children as adults. Both risks were higher in babies born at below-normal birth weights. Not only do the mothers-to-be need to eat well during pregnancy and immediately before conception; the researchers believe that, in the case of stroke risk at least, the mother's childhood food intake may be a factor. They found that the incidence of strokes was higher in babies born to mothers with a deformed pelvis. They theorize that the deformity was due to childhood malnutrition, which in turn impairs placental and fetal growth. The same group did a second study in India with very similar results: four times the number of babies weighing 5.5 pounds or less at birth developed heart disease later in life when compared to babies 7 pounds or more. 5. The Lancet, November 9, 1996.
Walking for Your Heart A new study7 of over 84,000 women concludes that a periodic brisk walk is enough to significantly increase one's cardiovascular health. Researchers found that three hours per week of walking at a rate of about 4 miles per hour reduced heart attacks and strokes by 40 percent over the eight years of the study. Participants in the study were from 40 to 65 years of age. 7. By Dr. JoAnn Manson of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. The study has not yet been published.
Hope for Hypertension Medical Researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, have decided that a diagnosis of high blood pressure does not necessarily condemn a person to medication for the rest of their life. In fact, this study8 of elderly patients found that 40 percent of them were able to dispense with their medication by making lifestyle changes that they were still maintaining a year later. The modifications they made were losing a mere 8-10 pounds and restricting salt intake, which makes one wonder what is possible with additional methods the chiropractic profession has at its disposal. 8. Presented at the American Heart Association's New Orleans meeting, November 11, 1996, by Dr. Paul Whelton.
Digitalis Investigated For about 200 years or more, digitalis has been used by doctors to treat weakened hearts. Because it has been used so long, it escaped the heavy scrutiny modern medications are supposed to endure. But the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute decided it was about time to do some formal testing. Instead of trying to decide if the drug increased contractility of the heart, however, this work studied their effect on overall mortality. The good news is that digoxin recipients are slightly less likely to die from heart failure. The bad news is that they are more likely to die from cardiac arrest and heart attacks. Overall, there is basically no change in mortality, the study finds.10
Heart Attacks and Vitamin C Deficiency A Finnish study of 1,600 middle-aged men suggests that a lack of vitamin C may be a contributing factor to heart attacks. At the start of the study, all the men were judged to be free of heart disease. However, in the subsequent nine years, 13 percent of those men deficient in vitamin C suffered heart attacks. Only 4 percent of men who had adequate blood levels of the vitamin were stricken. The same researchers also did a smaller study to see if vitamin C supplements would help, but found little effect. They concluded that one probably must consume whole foods to benefit from the vitamins contained therein.14 14. Reuter News, reporting on the work of Jukka Salonen at the University of Kuopio, February 28, 1997.
Women's Top Health Worry Prevention magazine3 recently conducted a survey of American women to find out how threatened they felt by two high-profile and potentially fatal conditions. Most of the women were more worried about breast cancer than heart disease. In fact, women are five times more likely to die from a heart attack than breast cancer. Researchers say that the misconception contributes to many women's lack of motivation to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 3. Prevention, February, 1997.
Unhealthy Screenings Commentaries published in the British Medical Journal14 argue that some health screening programs may be doing more harm than good. People begin to miss more work, become more anxious, and show a lowering health confidence when told they are hypertensive, even if the elevation of blood pressure is too mild for treatment. Patients testing positive for high cholesterol, while reducing their heart disease deaths, seem to die from other causes at an overall higher rate than similar people who were never informed of their status. Britain's National Health Service announced in February that prostate screenings have led to more problems (such as incontinence, impotence, postoperative deaths, and psychological disturbances) than they prevented. Even testing negative for a problem seems to have a detrimental effect, as these people tend to consider themselves immune and feel free to pursue unhealthy lifestyles. 14. BMJ, February 22, 1997.
Vitamin E Cuts Heart Attack Risk Cambridge University scientists were startled to discover that vitamin E supplementation is "far more effective than current heart treatments like aspirin and cholesterol-lowering drugs" in preventing heart attacks.1 The 2,000 patient study2 showed a 75 percent reduction in heart attacks in patients taking vitamin E compared to the placebo group. The researchers say that the findings explain some of the heart benefits of mediterranean-type diets. Further studies are ongoing. 7. Reuter, March 22, 1996. 8. CHAOS, Cambridge University Anti-oxidant study.
More Fish for the Heart
A new study of nearly 85,000 women supports previous studies that concluded that a regular dietary intake of fish helps prevent cardiovascular problems. A 30 percent reduction in heart disease was seen among women who ate fish two to four times per week, compared to those who consumed it rarely.1 The benefits are generally ascribed to fish oil's omega-3 fatty acid content. The findings described by this and other studies include reduction of ischemic strokes, sudden heart failure, irregular heartbeat, and heart attacks. According to this study, taking "an-aspirin-a-day" is apparently statistically inferior to eating more fish.2
1. JAMA, April 10,
2002.
Heart Failure Medication Problems A drug commonly used to treat patients with acute congestive heart failure may cause some very dangerous side-effects, and should probably be used only as a last resort, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.5 The drug, milrinone, was shown to cause an drop in blood pressure and irregular heartbeats in patients who were not as ill as those typically given the medication. Long-term oral use of the drug is associated with increased hospitalizations and death, according to the manufacturer's website.6
5. JAMA, March 27, 2002. Another study finds that vitamin E helps to protect against heart disease. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania saw a 40 percent reduction in cardiovascular lesions in mice given the vitamin over a 16 week period. The findings are published in the October 1998 issue of Nature Medicine.5 5. Nature Medicine, October, 1998.
Heart Drug Withdrawn Roche Laboratories is withdrawing a recently approved heart medication from the marketplace because of safety problems. The drug mibefradil (brand name Posicor) has been found to interact dangerously with at least 25 different medications. The drug is used for medical treatment of angina and hypertension.13 The manufacturer urges patients to consult their prescribing physician for an alternative. 13. United Press, June 10, 1998.
Heart Disease and Women A common misconception in the United States is that women are resistant to heart disease. This is only true until menopause, when they quickly catch up. A study published in the British Medical Journal1 reports that more women die of heart disease than men in the U.S. -- a quarter of a million each year. This is 10 times the number that die from breast cancer. The paper blames this mortality, in part, on being overweight, smoking, and lack of exercise. BMJ, October 23, 1997.
Depression Hard on Bad Hearts A new study at the Montreal Heart Institute tracked 222 men and women for 18 months after a heart attack and found the those who exhibited signs of depression were more likely to die of a second episode during that time period. Those with an irregular heartbeat on top of the depression were even more likely to succumb.13
FDA Warning about Ma Huang and Kola Nut
The FDA has begun warning Americans not to take the Chinese herb called "ma huang" in combination with kola nut. There have been more than 100 reports of symptoms including heart attacks and hepatitis. Several deaths are also being attributed to the combination that was present in a supplement called Nature's Nutrition Formula One. According to an Associated Press report, the FDA was only issuing the warning because it "does not have the authority to force a product's recall."9
Tea for Cardiovascular Health
Research from Boston University suggests that a few cups of tea each day might be helpful in preventing heart attacks. A number of previous studies have indicated that tea drinkers are not as likely to have a heart attack, but this study points to a possible reason. The researchers found that blood vessels were quicker to relax during stressful periods in people who drink tea, allowing for better circulation and therefore decreasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke.1 1. Associated Press, November 13, 2000, reporting on work by Dr. Joseph A. Vita.
Anger-Induced Heart Attacks Researchers for the University of North Carolina have been quantifying the effects of strong emotion on the cardiovascular system recently. In the journal Circulation,7 they have published a study that finds a threefold increase in the frequency of heart attacks in people who are prone to fits of anger. The effect was especially noticeable in persons of normal blood pressure. This study of 13,000 participants suggests that such heart attacks are not caused by a piece of cholesterol-rich plaque breaking off and clogging a smaller artery, but as a result of blood vessel spasms related to strong emotional states. Of course, clogged arteries would aggravate a heart condition. 7. Circulation, May 2000
Theft Sensors May Affect Pacemakers A study from the research center at the Heart Institute of St. Petersburg, Florida, warns that pacemaker patients should not linger in the doorway of stores that use certain theft control systems. Researchers tested systems that set off an alarm if the customer walks through the sensor with a tagged piece of merchandise. The most popular device, called an acustomagnetic detection system, can potentially cause problems. Effects were not generally seen if the patient walked through the device without stopping; but when lingering for two minutes, 96 percent of the patients experienced effects such as dizziness, fainting, or rapid heartbeat. In 24 percent of the patients, the pacemaker was shut off. A variety of pacemakers were included in the study. The acustomagnetic system is different from others on the market in that it uses pulsed, low frequency signals that can induce a relatively powerful magnetic field. Higher frequency devices tested did not seem to interfere with the pacemakers in this study.8 8. Associated Press, reporting on work presented by Dr. Michael E. McIvor, March 11, 1998, at a retail security seminar in London.
Cell Phones Make Pacemakers Skip Beats Two separate studies6 indicate that digital cellular phones may disrupt cardiac pacemakers under certain conditions. Researchers at the Mayo clinic in Rochester and Mt. Sinai Hospital in Miami say that when the phone antenna is placed near the pacemaker (for example, when carrying the phone in a suit jacket pocket), the pacemaker rhythm can change when the phone rings. This can cause skipped beats or temporary changes in the heart rate. The disruption did not occur when researchers tested the older analog type of cellular phones. Studies in Europe have noted similar findings.
Cardiac Treatment Varies by Region An analysis of nationwide Medicare statistics by Dr. Norman Kato of UCLA Medical Center shows that heart treatments in the elderly vary quite widely across the country. For example, for patients with identical conditions, one living in North Dakota is four times more likely to get a coronary bypass operation than one who resides in Wyoming. Your cardiologist is very likely to recommend angioplasty if you are in Missouri, compared to New York cardiologists who suggest the procedure at one-fourth the rate. You might think that this may be due to regional preferences in treatment modalities, i.e., if the angioplasty rate is high, bypass operations are done less frequently. However, this is not the case. The areas with high rates of angioplastic surgery also tend to have a high rate of coronary bypass operations.2 Yet, patients in those areas of high surgical intervention don't seem to fare any better. According to Dr. Kato, himself a surgeon, "Bypass surgery and angioplasty have become growth industries." Another study done by Dr. Louise Pilote of the Cleveland Clinic found similar regional variations, this time in post-heart attack patients. She found that New England cardiologists were much more conservative in their treatment procedures and that those same doctors were also much more likely to prescribe heart medications in accord with current research.
Transplanting Refurbished Hearts Heart transplant surgery is big business nowadays. In fact, there is such a big demand for hearts that surgeons at the University of California at Los Angeles have begun using less-than-healthy hearts in some of their older patients. The doctors patch up the donated hearts by performing coronary artery bypasses before placing them in their new host. About 60 percent of the patients, who range from 50 to 70 years old, survive at least a year after the surgery.6
Television Violence Leads to Coronary Heart Disease At least that's the conclusion reached by an unnamed Duke University researcher.11 Duke did a study of 40 persons while they watched movies and found, unsurprisingly enough, that viewers' blood pressure and stress hormone levels increased during the violent scenes. What is interesting is that they related these increases to the immune system decline one sees in chronically stressed individuals, making a case for diminished disease resistance in persons who spend a large part of their life taking in such films.
Viagra’s Heart Implications
As its popularity increases, more and more male members of the population are experiencing side effects from the new wonder drug ViagraŠ. The New England Journal of Medicine reports mounting evidence of heart rhythm disturbances in men susceptible to fibrillation or who have experienced an earlier heart attack. Nitroglycerine users are already known to risk a dramatic drop in blood pressure when using the drug. Lung problems have been reported, with at least one fatality. Female partners of Viagraassisted men show a higher incidence of bladder infections. About 69 deaths in the United States have been blamed on Viagra, mostly among men with some kind of risk factor for heart problems.1 1. NEJM, September 3, 1998. Heart Catheterization Researchers from Brigham and Women's hospital in Boston say that right heart catheterization, a procedure used more than a million times each year, is not only useless, but may be killing people. Their data suggests a three-fold increase in the number of heart attacks and other cardiac problems when the procedure is used.4 Catheterization is used mainly as a monitoring tool for blood pressure, oxygenation, and a number of other statistics during non-cardiac surgeries (such as hip replacements, gall bladder operations, and other procedures), especially when the patient has a history of heart problems. The researchers are not sure if the increased death rate is from the procedure itself or from doctors overreacting to the data obtained. 4. Journal of the American Medical Association, July 18, 2001. Shift Work Nonadaptation Research from Italy2 suggests that people who work varying shifts do not adapt as well as has been thought. This work looked closely at cardiac nerve function using EKG readings gathered over 24-hour periods. They found that internal organs such as the heart did not appear to change their activity cycles, even though sleep patterns changed dramatically. Cardiac stimulation was lower in workers during the night shift, suggesting that the heart might be less prepared for stressful situations. Other studies suggest that shift workers are less alert and make more mistakes. 2. Circulation, October 2000.
Depression and Heart Disease Another study has linked heart disease and depression. A 10-year work published in Circulation4 of almost 4,500 volunteers finds a significant correlation between depression and the incidence of stroke, heart attacks, and cardiac arrhythmia. The researchers don't have conclusive evidence of the mechanism of the relationship, but note that depressed patients don't exercise and eat properly. Or, it could be that subclinical heart disease makes patients feel so poorly that depression results. 4. Circulation, October 2000.
Heart and Humor Researchers from the University of Maryland Medical Center report that people with a good sense of humor are less likely to have heart disease.12 The study used questionnaires to gather data on 300 people, half of whom had a history of heart disease. Those with the previous heart problems were 40 percent less likely to laugh at a humorous situation, and often did not even recognize humor. They were more likely to display anger and hostility. Unfortunately, it is still not known if humor protects from heart disease, or if heart disease merely causes one to lose his sense of humor. 12. Associated Press, November 15, 2000, reporting on a conference of the American Heart Association in New Orleans, Michael Miller, et al.
Folic Acid for Heart Disease Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association9 suggests that many heart attacks might be averted if people consumed more folic acid. Folic acid helps keep down the levels of homocysteine, implicated in cardiovascular plaquing. Researchers estimate that 35,000 deaths could be prevented each year in American men if the folacin intake was increased. They add their voices to those already calling for mandatory addition of the nutrient to America's food supply. Hypothetically, simple dietary changes would probably produce similar results if someone could figure out a way to persuade people to make them.
Heart Healing and Education A new study from Duke University reports that in some countries, how well patients fare after heart attacks correlates with education levels. In Italy, Sweden, and Britain, patients with only eight years of education were five times as likely to die within a year of a heart attack, compared to those with 16 years of schooling. The difference was much less pronounced in the United States, Australia and Poland. It is not quite clear how education influences survival, though it may be related to socioeconomic status: managers, in general, did better than clerical workers or homemakers.2 2. Presented to the European Society of Cardiology in Amsterdam, August 27, 2000.
Depression and Heart Failure Researchers from the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta report that the development of congestive heart failure in elderly persons is more likely if the patient is depressed.6 In this study of more than 4,500 patients with high blood pressure, those judged to be depressed were diagnosed with heart failure twice as often. Some suggest that, in borderline cases, stresses created by depression increase the workload on the heart enough to manifest the problem. 6. Archives of Internal Medicine, July 23, 2001.
Heart-Rending Relationships
A Swedish study suggests that a woman's cardiovascular health is significantly impacted by the quality of her marriage. In this study, marriage stress was associated with a near tripling of recurrent heart problems. Work stress did not seem to affect these women the way other studies have suggested it does men. The study followed 187 women already diagnosed with heart disease over a five-year period.3 3. JAMA, December 20, 2000.
Listening for Heart Problems A study of over 1,600 people in Massachusetts, spanning several decades, has found that hearing loss may be a greater predictor of heart attacks than high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, excessive weight, and cholesterol. It is currently thought that both the hearing losses and heart attacks stem from the same disease process, instead of one being a result of the other.15 Another phenomenon thought to relate to heart disease, sometimes called the "cardiac crease," appears as an indented line delimiting the earlobe from the rest of the auricle.
Cholesterol Screenings Questionable According to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association,17 governmental cholesterol screening guidelines fail to predict fatal heart disease more than half the time. The study evaluated over 3,600 men and women for 12 years, selecting those deemed at high risk of death from cardiac disease. Forty-five percent of those who died from heart disease were predicted; the rest were not. This seems to add additional weight to arguments suggesting that blood cholesterol levels may not be nearly so important a consideration in heart disease as people think.
Surgery Risks Combine Surgeons treating patients with noncardiac vascular surgery, such as the repair of blood vessels in a leg, will typically order a cardiovascular angiogram beforehand to check the condition of the heart vessels. If a problem is found, cardiac bypass surgery or angioplasty is done before the limb operation. The heart surgeon is justified in his work because the benefit to risk ratio of the cardiac surgery is favorable. The vascular surgeon is happy because complications from his surgery are now half as likely. However, a new study finds that the risk factors of all the surgeries combine to increase the chances something will go wrong to an unacceptable level.1 The researchers conclude that the patient is better off to ignore the cardiovascular condition and just proceed with the one originally planned surgery. They suggest that government agencies would do better to consider success rates of overall treatment plans instead of individual modality statistics when evaluating hospital competency. Perhaps this is another example of focusing on individual areas and losing sight of the overall picture.
New Method to Predict Cardiovascular Troubles A group of doctors in New York, dissatisfied with using risk factors such as cholesterol levels to predict cardiovascular problems, have developed a method they say is more effective.5 They use two tests: the first is a comparison of blood pressures taken at the arm to that at the ankle. The higher the ratio, the more the likelihood of clogged arteries since the blood travels so much farther to reach the ankles. The second test is ultrasound measurement of the blood flow speed. Constriction and hardening of the blood vessels causes the blood to flow faster since the heart is trying to pump the same volume of blood with each beat as it would if the arteries were wide open.
Hot Bath for Heart Failure Dr. Chuwa Tei at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, led a study examining the effects of 15 minute warm baths and sauna treatment for congestive heart failure. He found that cardiac efficiency increased, probably due to blood vessel dilation. He hopes further studies will examine the potential benefits and any dangers of this type of treatment, once thought to be harmful. He says that the warm soaking "may represent a novel nonpharmacological therapy."14
"Devil"-ed Eggs Driven by the fear of cholesterol in egg yolks, American consumption of eggs has dropped by 25 percent per capita since 1960. Now, some nutritionists are suggesting that eggs may not be as bad as a superficial dietary analysis might indicate. In an average individual, about 25 percent of the cholesterol in the bloodstream comes directly from dietary cholesterol. But decrease the intake, and the liver manufactures more. Increase it, and less is produced in the body. "For the majority of people, taking eggs out of the diet does nothing," says the chairman of a recent American Heart Association conference on the links between diet and cholesterol.10 It is thought that in a portion of the population, the liver does not properly regulate its cholesterol output. It seems that dietary gurus may have been applying data from this group across the board to the entire population. A study at Columbia University on medical students consuming low-fat meals found that the addition of eggs to the diet produced three different results in the volunteers' blood cholesterol levels: they either went up, down, or stayed the same. A few years ago, one 88-year-old man who had eaten 25 eggs per day for 15 years tested out at a cholesterol level below 200.11 A few nutritionists are vocalizing the concern that older persons, who may be picky eaters anyway, are being scared away from nutritious meals because of the "cholesterol" word. However, many still maintain that eggs should be excluded from the diet. For example, the chancellor of a medical center in New Orleans recently said, "It's probably prudent not to push eggs. What is the value of eating egg yolks? I don't know of any."12
Bypassing the Brain A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine8 reports that many patients who undergo cardiac bypass surgery appear to lose a significant amount of mental power. Five years after the operations, 40 percent of the patients had lost 20 percent of their mental agility. This research looked at 261 patients who were on heart-lung machines during the surgery. Many did poorly on mental tests immediately after the surgery, improved over the following six months, then declined after that. No cause has been pinpointed; in fact, researchers are not even sure the outcomes were directly caused by the surgical procedures. 8. NEJM, February 8, 2001.
Cholesterol Screens for Children In 1992, the National Cholesterol Education Program (established by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute) published guidelines recommending cholesterol screenings for certain children. Those to be tested had a parent or grandparent diagnosed with coronary heart disease before age 55, or high blood cholesterol levels. This would include about 25 percent of all American children. Researchers at the University of California are taking issue with these recommendations in an epidemiological study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. They say that the heightened sensitivity to cholesterol levels can lead to diets or drugs that are potentially dangerous to the children. In addition, these treatments do not appear to offer any significant benefit. According to one researcher, "Given current evidence, any screening and treatment of children for high blood cholesterol levels is, at best, premature."8
Another Link between Obesity and Heart Disease
A Dutch researcher's work suggests that in addition to being a physical strain on the heart, obesity contributes to arterial inflammation. She contends that a long-term, low-grade inflammation exists inside the arteries of obese women six times as frequently compared to those of normal weight. C-reactive protein was used to measure the inflammation, statistically correcting for other conditions that raise those levels; other studies will likely be required to validate her conclusions. It is hypothesized that the inflammation is caused by a high concentration of a chemical produced by the fat cells (interleukin-6) entering the blood stream.9 9. Associated Press, reporting on work by Marjolein Visser, a weight specialist at Amsterdam's Vrije University, April 21, 1999.
Tea for the Heart A new study from the Netherlands concludes that one or two cups of tea each day helps protect against atherosclerosis. The effect was especially evident in women. Among the nearly 3,500 people who participated, the tea drinkers were 46 percent less likely to develop severe aortic atherosclerosis; if they drank four cups per day, the risk dropped by 69 percent.11 The benefit may be derived from the effect of antioxidant flavonoids. The authors of the study note that the results may be somewhat skewed by their observation that tea drinkers tend to live healthier lifestyles. 11. Archives of Internal Medicine, October 11, 1999.
Baldness and Heart Disease Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston report that there appears to be a link between heart disease and baldness. In a study of more than 19,000 men, they found a 36 percent higher rate of heart disease among those with the most severe forms of male pattern baldness. These men exhibited a receding hairline and a large bald spot at the vertex of the head. Frontal hair loss alone corresponded to a nine percent increase of heart disease.1 The researchers suspect that testosterone level is the common factor, though others might argue that vascular insufficiency is the link. 1. Dr. Paulo Lotufo, reporting to the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in Dallas, November 9, 1998.
Reversing Heart Disease A five-year study led by cardiologist Dean Ornish supports his contention that heart disease can be reversed. He recommends a vegetarian diet with no more than 10 percent of calories from fat; exercise; stress management; and other lifestyle changes. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association,12 reports continuing improvement over the five-year period in the 35 patients following his recommendations. By contrast, those following American Heart Association guidelines and (in some cases) taking cholesterol-lowering drugs continued to deteriorate. Participants in the Ornish regimen suffered half the heart attacks and other adverse cardiac events of the control group. 12. JAMA, December 16, 1998
Fish Oil for the Heart A study published in The Lancet10 reports that fish oil offers a relatively quick benefit to the cardiovascular system. This research involved over 11,000 men and women who had suffered a heart attack during the previous three months. Over the next 3 1/2 years, patients taking one gram of omega-3 rich fish oil capsules were 30 percent less likely to die from a heart-related problem. The study also tried to correlate vitamin E supplementation to cardiac benefits, but no clear relationship was seen during the course of this study. The Lancet, August 7, 1999 Cardiac Arrest Locations of Choice A medical physician from the Medical College of Virginia says that if you must have a cardiac arrest, you will survive better at some airports or casinos than in a hospital.10 The reason, she said, is because such places now keep automatic defibrillators on hand for such emergencies and are training staff on their use. Their average response time in a heart attack emergency is about three minutes-two minutes faster than the average hospital's code team. For every minute a patient in ventricular fibrillation has to wait, survival chances decrease 10 percent. A number of airlines are also purchasing the machines for their planes.11
10. Dr. Mary Ann Peberdy.
Small Loss, Big Gain A Boston University researcher,11 using data from the Framingham heart study, reports that on average, a very small, maintained weight loss can produce large, lasting cardiovascular benefits. Her analysis shows that middle-aged individuals who lost about one pound each year for four years and then kept it off for the following four years had a 25 percent lowered incidence of high blood pressure during the subsequent 40 years. The numbers were drawn from the histories of 1,823 overweight men and women between the ages of 30 and 65. 11. Dr. Lunn L. Moore, in a presentation to a meeting of the American Heart Association, March 3, 2000.
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Dynamic Chiropractic
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