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Cardiovascular disease risk of dietary stearic acid compared with trans, other saturated, and unsaturated fatty acids: a systematic review1,3. Hunter JE, Zhang J, Kris-Etherton PM. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Nov 25. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19939984 doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.27661 Conclusions: TFA intake should be reduced as much as possible because of its adverse effects on lipids and lipoproteins. The replacement of TFA with STA compared with other saturated fatty acids in foods that require solid fats beneficially affects LDL cholesterol, the primary target for CVD risk reduction; unsaturated fats are preferred for liquid fat applications. Research is needed to evaluate the effects of STA on emerging CVD risk markers such as fibrinogen and to understand the responses in different populations.

Fish consumption and risk of major chronic disease in men. Virtanen JK, Mozaffarian D, Chiuve SE, Rimm EB. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Dec;88(6):1618-25. PMID: 19064523 doi:10.3945/ajcn.2007.25816 Conclusions: Modest fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of total cardiovascular disease, consistent with cardiac mortality benefits but not with total cancer or overall major chronic disease; n-6 fatty acid consumption did not influence these relations.

Expanding the orbit of primary prevention--moving beyond JUPITER. Hlatky MA. N Engl J Med. 2008 Nov 20;359(21):2280-2. Epub 2008 Nov 9. PMID: 18997195

Judging by recent headlines, you might think so. Last week heart researchers reported that millions of healthy people could benefit from taking statins even if they don't have high cholesterol.\n\nAlthough many doctors hailed the study as a major breakthrough, a closer look at the research suggests that statins (like Crestor, from AstraZeneca, and Lipitor, from Pfizer) are far from magic pills. While they clearly save lives in people with a previous heart attack or other serious heart problems, for an otherwise healthy person the potential benefit remains small.