The Future Of Your Heart Lies In Your Hands

Coronary heart disease (CHD) or cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of modern society’s most discussed medical conditions, together with cancer and diabetes. It has been the subject of much research over the years, and hypotheses for what causes heart disease continue changing in the light of new medical research.

Although heart conditions are varied, heart disease, caused by arterial narrowing, or atherosclerosis, appears to be the most common. Since the 1950s, and the advent of the Lipid Hypothesis, which touted a relationship between saturated fat, cholesterol and the incidence of coronary heart disease, we have been encouraged to reduce our intake of dietary fat. However, these hypotheses of old are repeatedly being ousted by new research that is encouraging us to consume healthy fats. While it is thought that an excess of certain saturated fats like lard and butter may be detrimental to heart health, monounsaturated fats, including olive oil, avocado and nuts, and some polyunsaturated fats found in oily fish, are very beneficial. These fats contain important nutrients and antioxidants needed for proper brain function and stamina; even butter, from grass fed animals, contains the important fat soluble vitamins A, D, K and E.

Doctor David E. Laaksonen, from the University of Kuopio in Finland, conducted research into the effects of polyunsaturated fat intake on 1,551 middle aged Finnish men. He evaluated the intake of linoleic acid (found in flaxseed and other plant oils), as well as total polyunsaturated fat intake. Food records and blood tests were taken over a period of four days to determine their dietary fatty acid intake. After 15 years, the researchers assessed the participants’ medical records to establish the incidence of heart disease and death.

In all, there were 225 deaths, of which, 78 were caused by cardiovascular disease. Those men who consumed the most linoleic acid and the most polyunsaturated fatty acids were found to be 62 % less likely to die from heart disease than others in the study. The researchers concluded that total fat intake was not related to cardiovascular disease, and that the quality of dietary fat was more important than fat quantity, in terms of reducing cardiovascular disease mortality in middle aged men.

While consumption of cholesterol rich foods was once considered the primary cause of heart disease, contemporary research refutes this idea, and research now points to two other substances, c-reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine.

CRP is produced in the liver in response to inflammation in the body. It is now considered to be a more reliable marker for cardiovascular complications than cholesterol, as inflammation is synonymous with atherosclerosis.

In January, 2007 The New England Journal of Medicine published results of new CRP studies in the US; from the Cleveland Clinic, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The Cleveland Clinic tested 500 patients with coronary disease who were given either 80 mg of Lipitor per day or 40 mg of Pravachol per day for a period of 18 months. An ultrasonography technique was used on each participant, and the researchers concluded that atherosclerosis build up was reduced over the period. In addition, CRP levels dropped by 36 % in the high dose Lipitor group, and dropped by 5 % in the low dose group. Researchers discovered that those with the highest CRP levels were at more than twice the risk of experiencing a serious cardiovascular problem than those with the lowest levels.

Furthermore, data comparing high CRP levels with high LDL (bad) cholesterol showed that CRP is a more reliable predictor of possible coronary events. In fact, high CRP patients were considered at higher risk, even when their LDL was low.

Homocysteine is an amino acid that encourages the formation of plaque within blood vessels, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. This amino acid has been studied extensively, and is now believed to be a far more important indicator of atherosclerosis than cholesterol. As we age, homocysteine levels tend to rise, especially in postmenopausal women, so it is important to have your levels tested.

Having identified some of the possible causes of heart disease, there are a number of things you can do to reduce your overall risk of developing it. Giving up smoking will help enormously, as it causes hardening of the arteries, which in turn, inhibits blood flow, and may cause a blockage if a blood clot forms. Even as few as five cigarettes a day can double your risk of heart disease. It is also important to maintain a sensible weight and do some moderate exercise on a regular basis. Obesity, lack of exercise, and high blood pressure increase the possibility of blood clots, as they slow down arterial blood flow.

There are several supplements that have been positively linked to heart health. Researcher, Dr Allan Spreen has found that homocysteine metabolism is dependent on nutrients such as folate, vitamins B6 and B12. Therefore, when folate is consumed in adequate amounts, homocysteine levels drop. If this cannot be achieved by eating folate rich foods such as asparagus, lentils, chickpeas, beans, spinach and liver, supplements of folic acid can be taken.

Another vitamin-like substance that is commonly associated with heart health is Coenzyme Q10. It is a naturally occurring compound that is present in every cell in the body, and plays a vital role in energy production. The highest concentrations of CoQ10 are found in the heart, kidneys, liver, and pancreas, as well as immune system cells, and the best natural food sources are liver, nuts, oily fish and seeds.

Randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trials of CoQ10 have ratified its association with heart health. Researchers discovered that supplementation helps to increase naturally occurring antioxidant enzymes, and endothelial (relating to cells than line the heart) function, in patients with coronary artery disease.

Another study from Italy's Polytechnic University of the Marche region was conducted on CoQ10. 38 patients suffering heart disease were divided into two groups; one of which received 100 mg per day of CoQ10, and the other received a placebo for one month. Heart disease is known to reduce extra cellular superoxide dismutase (ecSOD), which is a major antioxidant enzyme system of blood vessel walls. Those who took CoQ10 in the study had more ecSOD by the completion of the trial than the placebo group. Researchers commented that CoQ10 reduced endothelial dysfunction in patients affected by ischemic heart disease.

A relatively new study has revealed the importance of regulating calcium levels in heart muscle cells, and this is having a positive impact on those suffering congestive heart failure. Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) arises when the heart muscle cells that are involved in the expansion and contraction of the heart are damaged. This reduces the heart's ability to pump blood effectively throughout the body. As previous animal research established the possibility that low levels of vitamin D may influence heart failure, researchers from the Department of Nutrition Science, University of Bonn, Germany, decided to examine the effects of vitamin D on human hearts. 54 patients suffering from congestive heart failure participated in a study over a period of five months. During this time, fasting blood samples were collected and compared to similar samples from a group of 34 healthy subjects.

Sample analysis revealed that those with congestive heart failure had significantly lower levels of vitamin D than the healthy group. In fact, those with the lowest levels demonstrated the most severe symptoms of congestive heart failure.

As vitamin D regulates the absorption of calcium, and impaired calcium metabolism is a known contributor to the dysfunction of heart muscle, the researchers concluded that vitamin D may well regulate the calcium levels of the muscle cells within the heart.

The University of California also conducted research on vitamin D. Their findings suggested that it may cut the risk of heart disease in older women by as much as a third, due to its ability to stop the formation of calcium deposits in the arteries.

Vitamin D can be taken as a supplement, however, it is also present in sunlight, and in foods including, dairy products, most fish and seafood (especially salmon and sardines), liver, cod liver oil and lard.

So, heart disease may well be preventable. If you are keen to avoid drugs and/or surgery, there are a number of proactive measures you can take, in terms of diet and lifestyle, to help ensure the long term health of your heart.

28/11/07 GI