Group items tagged

Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with carotid artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure and LDL oxidation.\nAviram M, Rosenblat M, Gaitini D, Nitecki S, Hoffman A, Dornfeld L, Volkova N, Presser D, Attias J, Liker H, Hayek T.\nClin Nutr. 2004 Jun;23(3):423-33. Erratum in: Clin Nutr. 2008 Aug;27(4):671.\nPMID: 15158307

"The results of the uniquely-constructed ERA JUMP Study were just released, a fascinating study of the relationship of omega-3 fatty acids to coronary and carotid plaque. The study adds insight into why the Japanese experience only one third of the heart attacks of Americans, and why Japan occupies the bottom of the list for least heart attacks among all developed countries. The Electron-Beam Tomography, Risk Factor Assessment Among Japanese and U.S. Men in the Post-World War II Birth Cohort Study (ERA JUMP), a collaborative U.S.-Japanese effort, compared three groups of men: -- 281 Japanese men living in Japan -- 306 non-Japanese men living in the U.S. (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) -- 303 Japanese Americans (having both parents Japanese without "ethnic admixture") living in Hawaii. The last group represents a group that is genetically similar to the group in Japan, but exposed to an American diet and lifestyle. Three main measures were compared: -- Blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA) -- Carotid intimal-medial thickness (CIMT, the thickness of the carotid artery lining that can serve as an index of body-wide atherosclerosis) -- Coronary calcium (heart scan) scores."

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 concentrations and carotid artery intima-media thickness among type 2 diabetic patients. Targher G, Bertolini L, Padovani R, Zenari L, Scala L, Cigolini M, Arcaro G. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2006 Nov;65(5):593-7. PMID: 17054459 CONCLUSIONS: Hypovitaminosis D is highly prevalent in type 2 diabetic adults and is strongly and independently associated with increased carotid IMT. Further investigation into whether vitamin D may play a role in the prevention of atherosclerosis appears to be warranted.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 concentrations and carotid artery intima-media thickness among type 2 diabetic patients. Targher G, Bertolini L, Padovani R, Zenari L, Scala L, Cigolini M, Arcaro G. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2006 Nov;65(5):593-7. PMID: 17054459 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2006.02633.x CONCLUSIONS: Hypovitaminosis D is highly prevalent in type 2 diabetic adults and is strongly and independently associated with increased carotid IMT. Further investigation into whether vitamin D may play a role in the prevention of atherosclerosis appears to be warranted. In conclusion, our results show that type 2 diabetic adults have significant reductions in serum 25(OH)D concentrations (vs matched controls) that predict preclinical atherosclerosis, independent of classical risk factors, renal function tests, inflammatory markers, use of medications and presence of the metabolic syndrome. These findings suggest the need for ongoing evaluation of the possible protective role of vitamin D3 supplementation in the development of atherosclerosis.

Antioxidant Supplementation in Atherosclerosis Prevention (ASAP) study: a randomized trial of the effect of vitamins E and C on 3-year progression of carotid atherosclerosis. Salonen JT, Nyyssönen K, Salonen R, Lakka HM, Kaikkonen J, Porkkala-Sarataho E, Voutilainen S, Lakka TA, Rissanen T, Leskinen L, Tuomainen TP, Valkonen VP, Ristonmaa U, Poulsen HE. J Intern Med. 2000 Nov;248(5):377-86. PMID: 11123502 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2796.2000.00752.x Conclusions. Our study shows that a combined supplementation with reasonable doses of both vitamin E and slow-release vitamin C can retard the progression of common carotid atherosclerosis in men. This may imply benefits with regard to other atherosclerosis-based events.

Extended-release niacin or ezetimibe and carotid intima-media thickness. Taylor AJ, Villines TC, Stanek EJ, Devine PJ, Griffen L, Miller M, Weissman NJ, Turco M. N Engl J Med. 2009 Nov 26;361(22):2113-22. Epub 2009 Nov 15. PMID: 19915217 Conclusions This comparative-effectiveness trial shows that the use of extended-release niacin causes a significant regression of carotid intima-media thickness when combined with a statin and that niacin is superior to ezetimibe. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00397657 [ClinicalTrials.gov] .

Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids is not associated with a reduction in carotid atherosclerosis: the Genetics of Coronary Artery Disease in Alaska Natives study. Ebbesson SO, Roman MJ, Devereux RB, Kaufman D, Fabsitz RR, Maccluer JW, Dyke B, Laston S, Wenger CR, Comuzzie AG, Romenesko T, Ebbesson LO, Nobmann ED, Howard BV. Atherosclerosis. 2008 Aug;199(2):346-53. Epub 2007 Dec 4. PMID: 18054937 doi:10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2007.10.020 Conclusions Dietary intake of omega-3 FAs in a moderate-to-high range does not appear to be associated with reduced plaque, but is negatively associated with IMT. The presence and extent of carotid atherosclerosis among Eskimos is higher with increasing consumption of saturated FAs.

Intima-media thickness of the carotid artery and the distribution of lipoprotein subclasses in men aged 40 to 49 years between whites in the United States and the Japanese in Japan for the ERA JUMP study. Sekikawa A, Ueshima H, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Kadowaki T, El-Saed A, Okamura T, Takamiya T, Ueno Y, Evans RW, Nakamura Y, Edmundowicz D, Kashiwagi A, Maegawa H, Kuller LH. Metabolism. 2008 Feb;57(2):177-82. PMID: 18191046 doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2007.08.022. In men in the post World War II birth cohort, i.e., men aged 40-49, whites in the United States (U.S.) had significantly higher levels of intima-media thickness of the carotid arteries (IMT) than the Japanese in Japan. The whites had significantly higher levels of large very-low-density-lipoprotein particles and significantly lower levels of large high-density-lipoprotein particles than the Japanese, whereas the two populations had similar levels of small low-density-lipoprotein particles. The two populations had similar associations of IMT with NMR lipoproteins. Adjusting for NMR lipoproteins did not attenuate the significant difference in IMT between the two populations (0.671 ± 0.006 for the whites and 0.618 ± 0.006 mm for the Japanese, P=0.01, mean (standard error)). Differences in the distributions of NMR lipoproteins between the two populations did not explain the higher IMT in the whites.

"June 21, 2006 | Michael O'Riordan Rome, Italy - One of the possible ways in which long-chain omega-3 fatty acids play a role in decreasing cardiovascular events is by entering advanced atherosclerotic plaques. According to the results of a new study, investigators were able to show that the incorporation of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) into advanced plaque was associated with a decreased expression of various matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) involved in causing plaque instability, as well as with decreased plaque inflammation. These are results of the Omacor Carotid Endarterectomy Intervention (OCEAN) study, presented here this week at the International Symposium on Atherosclerosis by Dr Philip Calder (University of Southampton, UK). "By increasing the availability of omega-3 fatty acids, they appear in advanced atherosclerotic plaques, indicated in this study by the carotid artery, and this results in lower numbers of macrophages, foam cells, and T cells, as well as the lower expression of inflammatory markers," said Calder. "Histologically, this results in a plaque that appears to be less inflamed and more stable. This may contribute to reduced mortality in patients consuming omega-3 fatty acids, for example, in the GISSI Prevenzione trial.""

Increased intake of vitamin C-rich foods may reduce the risk of hardening of the arteries, and ultimately protect against heart disease, says a new study from Norway.\nWriting in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, researchers from Ulleval University Hospital in Norway report that increased intakes of vitamin C and fruit and berries were associated with less thickening of the carotid artery.

"Orlando, FL - Adding extended-release niacin (Niaspan, Abbott) to statin therapy results in a significant regression of atherosclerosis as measured by carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), whereas the addition of ezetimibe (Zetia, Merck/Schering-Plough) to statin therapy did not, according to an eagerly anticipated study "

Association of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with stability of atherosclerotic plaques: a randomised controlled trial. Thies F, Garry JM, Yaqoob P, Rerkasem K, Williams J, Shearman CP, Gallagher PJ, Calder PC, Grimble RF. Lancet. 2003 Feb 8;361(9356):477-85. PMID: 12583947 doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(03)12468-3 Interpretation Atherosclerotic plaques readily incorporate n-3 PUFAs from fish-oil supplementation, inducing changes that can enhance stability of atherosclerotic plaques. By contrast, increased consumption of n-6 PUFAs does not affect carotid plaque fatty-acid composition or stability over the time course studied here. Stability of plaques could explain reductions in non-fatal and fatal cardiovascular events associated with increased n-3 PUFA intake

July 29, 2008 - The low rate of atherosclerosis and heart disease in Japanese people may be related to their very high levels of marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids rather than genetic factors, a new study suggests [1]. The study, known as Electron-Beam Tomography, Risk Factor Assessment Among Japanese and US Men in the Post-World War II Birth Cohort (ERA JUMP) included 868 randomly selected men aged 40 to 49. Of these, 281 were Japanese men living in Japan; 306 were white men living in the US, and 281 were third- or fourth-generation Japanese American men from Hawaii. All study participants had a physical examination, completed a lifestyle questionnaire, and had blood tests to measure cholesterol levels and levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Atherosclerosis was assessed by measuring carotid intima-medial thickness (IMT) and coronary artery calcification (CAC). Results showed that the Japanese men had the lowest levels of atherosclerosis, whereas whites and Japanese Americans had similar higher levels. The Japanese men also had twofold higher levels of marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids than white and Japanese Americans. The study, published in the August 5, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (available online July 28), was conducted by a group led by Dr Akira Sekikawa (University of Pittsburgh, PA, and Shiga University of Medical Science, Japan). They found that compared with white or Japanese American men living in the US, Japanese men living in Japan had twice the blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids - a finding that was independently linked to low levels of atherosclerosis.

"July 10, 2008 | Shelley Wood New York, NY - Despite eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, Alaskan Eskimo are developing subclinical atherosclerosis at an early age, likely due in large part to heavy smoking, a new study shows [1]. According to investigators, in a paper published online July 10, 2008 in Stroke, rates of carotid atherosclerosis in the mostly young to middle-aged subjects participating in the Genetics of Coronary Artery Disease in Alaska Natives (GOCADAN) study were significantly higher than those reported in US population-based studies of other ethnic groups. But as Dr Alexis Cutchins (Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY) and colleagues report, rates of current smoking among the Eskimo population studied were also four to six times higher than that of other US populations in similar studies. "I don't think there's anything very surprising here, but I guess what is novel is that the findings relate to a population that has not been studied much, if at all, in this regard," study coauthor Dr Mary J Roman (Weill Cornell Medical College) told heartwire. "And I think that the message is one that has public-health implications for everybody else: this is basically a reiteration of the fact that smoking is a very potent cardiovascular risk factor, and I think the indoctrination that most of us have received about the ills of smoking have clearly not penetrated the Alaska Eskimo population.""

Prevalence and correlates of subclinical atherosclerosis in Alaska Eskimos: the GOCADAN study. Cutchins A, Roman MJ, Devereux RB, Ebbesson SO, Umans JG, Zhu J, Weissman NJ, Howard BV. Stroke. 2008 Nov;39(11):3079-82. Epub 2008 Jul 10. PMID: 18617652 doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.108.519199 Conclusions- Alaska Eskimos have similar traditional risk factors for carotid atherosclerosis as other ethnic and racial populations but have higher prevalences of atherosclerosis, possibly attributable to higher rates of smoking.

Six-year effect of combined vitamin C and E supplementation on atherosclerotic progression: the Antioxidant Supplementation in Atherosclerosis Prevention (ASAP) Study. Salonen RM, Nyyssönen K, Kaikkonen J, Porkkala-Sarataho E, Voutilainen S, Rissanen TH, Tuomainen TP, Valkonen VP, Ristonmaa U, Lakka HM, Vanharanta M, Salonen JT, Poulsen HE; Antioxidant Supplementation in Atherosclerosis Prevention Study. Circulation. 2003 Feb 25;107(7):947-53. PMID: 12600905 doi: 10.1161/01.CIR.0000050626.25057.51 Conclusions- These data replicate our 3-year findings confirming that the supplementation with combination of vitamin E and slow-release vitamin C slows down atherosclerotic progression in hypercholesterolemic persons.

Marine-derived n-3 fatty acids and atherosclerosis in Japanese, Japanese-American, and white men: a cross-sectional study. Sekikawa A, Curb JD, Ueshima H, El-Saed A, Kadowaki T, Abbott RD, Evans RW, Rodriguez BL, Okamura T, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Nakamura Y, Masaki K, Edmundowicz D, Kashiwagi A, Willcox BJ, Takamiya T, Mitsunami K, Seto TB, Murata K, White RL, Kuller LH; ERA JUMP (Electron-Beam Tomography, Risk Factor Assessment Among Japanese and U.S. Men in the Post-World War II Birth Cohort) Study Group. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2008 Aug 5;52(6):417-24. PMID: 18672160 Conclusions Very high levels of marine-derived n-3 FAs have anti-atherogenic properties independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and may contribute to lower burden of atherosclerosis in Japanese in Japan, which is unlikely due to genetic factors.

Pittsburgh, PA and Shiga, Japan - The low rate of atherosclerosis and heart disease in Japanese people may be related to their very high levels of marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids rather than genetic factors, a new study suggests [1]. The study, published in the August 5, 2008 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (available online July 28), was conducted by a group led by Dr Akira Sekikawa (University of Pittsburgh, PA, and Shiga University of Medical Science, Japan). They found that compared with white or Japanese American men living in the US, Japanese men living in Japan had twice the blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids-a finding that was independently linked to low levels of atherosclerosis. "The death rate from coronary heart disease in Japan has always been puzzlingly low. Our study suggests that the very low rates of coronary heart disease among Japanese living in Japan may be due to their lifelong high consumption of fish," Sekikawa said." Results showed that the Japanese men had the lowest levels of atherosclerosis, whereas whites and Japanese Americans had similar higher levels. The Japanese men also had twofold higher levels of marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids than white and Japanese Americans. In addition, the significant differences between Japanese and American men in multivariable-adjusted IMT and CAC prevalence became nonsignificant after adjustment further for marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids.