Category Archives: Cardiovascular Health

Swimming Improves Cholesterol in Women

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As we say goodbye to the swimming events for the Rio Olympics we will have one more post on the benefits of swimming.

A group of researchers from Pusan National University in South Korea designed a study to examine the effect of swimming on physical strength as well as lipid profile. Participants were women, ages 40-60, who were either in a swimming group or a control group of non-swimmers.

The swimming group swam for sixty minutes, three times/week, for a total of 12 weeks. Physical composition, strength and blood lipid measurements were taken upon entry to the study as well as at the conclusion at 12 weeks.

At the end of the 12 week study the swimming group showed improvements in total cholesterol, HDL, and triglycerides. On the other hand, the control group (non-swimmers) showed no significant change.

This small study shows the possible benefits of a simple intervention, in this case swimming three times per week, may have upon lipids parameters. It would be interesting to see if these same results would be found in a group of men.

(Source- Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation 2015; 11(5); 266-271)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

More Reasons to Eat Blueberries- Part Two

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Metabolic syndrome is a growing problem, not only in the U.S., but worldwide. Some of the components of metabolic syndrome include increased abdominal fat, high blood pressure, high triglycerides associated with low HDL (“good cholesterol”), and impaired glucose tolerance. Some of you may be familiar with the term “insulin resistance” in the context of metabolic syndrome.

As metabolic syndrome may be a precursor to the development of diabetes there is considerable on-going research on this topic. A study performed at the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University examined the effect of blueberry intake on obese men and women with metabolic syndrome. In particular, cardiovascular risk factors were examined.

Forty-eight participants were randomized to either a blueberry group or control group. Those in the blueberry group consumed a freeze-dried blueberry beverage twice a day, while the control group drank an equivalent amount of water.

Over the eight week course of the study the blood pressure in the blueberry group dropped 6% (systolic) and 4% (diastolic). Biomarkers of oxidative stress were also decreased in the blueberry group. Oxidized LDL dropped 28%, while combined serum malondialdehyde and hydroxynonenal concentrations dropped 17%. Both the decreases in blood pressure and oxidative stress biomarkers were substantially larger in the blueberry group than the control (water) group.

Interestingly this study shows a similar drop in blood pressure to the blueberry study we previously reviewed. This is simply more evidence of the beneficial effects of blueberries on cardiovascular health, in a particularly high-risk population.

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

(Source- The Journal of Nutrition, July 21, 2010)

Blood Pressure Creeping Up? Think Blue(berries)

“When any lagged behind, the cry of “blueberries” was most effectual to bring them up.”
Henry David Thoreau

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July is National Blueberries Month and in honor of this delectable fruit today’s post will examine research on the health benefits of blueberries.

Recent research indicates that daily consumption of blueberry powder lowered both blood pressure and arterial stiffness in a group of post-menopausal women, who were either in pre-hypertension or the earliest stages of hypertension. A research group primarily from Florida State University followed 48 women through the 8 week study. Women were allocated to a blueberry powder group (equivalent to one cup of fresh blueberries per day) or a placebo powder group.

Subjects in both groups were asked to continue their usual diet and exercise regimens (or lack thereof). After 8 weeks of daily blueberry powder the women were found to have a mean reduction of 5.1% in systolic blood pressure, and 6.3% in diastolic blood pressure, while the placebo powder group had no change.

What’s important about this study is that it shows the potential benefits of a simple dietary intervention, eating blueberries, on lowering blood pressure. It would be interesting to know if eating actual blueberries rather than the powder, would offer more blood pressure benefit, or whether eating more than just a cup of blueberries would offer additional benefit. Also, is this blood pressure lowering effect of blueberries extended to the general population?

(Source: Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, March 2015, Volume 115, Number 3)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician. 

Eating Chocolate May Help Prevent Strokes

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“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt”.
Charles M. Schulz

In this installment in honor of Men’s Health Week, today’s post is about chocolate, specifically chocolate and the risk of stroke in men.

Swedish researchers followed a group of 37,000 men for upwards of ten years. The chocolate consumption was assessed at the start of the study using a food questionnaire. Men were grouped according the amount of chocolate consumed per week, and were then followed for incidence of stroke.

This study found that the consumption of chocolate was associated with a significantly reduced risk of stroke, in fact the men who were in the group of largest consumers of chocolate had a 17% lower risk of stroke than those men in the lowest chocolate consuming group.

This was the first chocolate study to look strictly at men, prior studies had looked at groups of men and women. Interestingly the prior studies of men and women showed a 19% decreased risk of stroke between the highest and lowest group of chocolate consumption, which is very similar to the risk reduction showed in this Swedish study.

The researchers noted that they did not differentiate between dark chocolate and milk chocolate. In Sweden, about 90% of the chocolate consumed is milk chocolate. From prior studies on chocolate it is felt that dark chocolate provides more benefits than milk chocolate. Perhaps if the study participants had eaten more dark chocolate than milk chocolate, the benefit would have been even greater.

So, enjoy your chocolate today. Make it dark chocolate if possible and eat in moderation.

 

(Source- Neurology 2012;79:1223-1229)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

Mom Was Right- Eat Your Wheaties

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“Hope makes a good breakfast. Eat plenty of it”.
Ian Fleming

 

In today’s installment in honor of Men’s Health Week I will review a study from Harvard University which examined the relationship between eating breakfast and risk of coronary heart disease, in a group of male health professionals.

Researchers look at data from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS). which is an ongoing study of over 51,000 male health professionals from the U.S. The HPFS began enrolling subjects in 1986, and included men ages 40-75 at that time. After exclusions, nearly 27,000 men were enrolled in the sample. Dieting assessments were made by having the subjects fill out a dieting questionnaire. coronary heart disease (CHD)  was defined as non-fatal MI (heart attack) or fatal CHD, and was assessed by questionnaires as well as review of medical records and autopsy reports.

The results of the study showed that in age-adjusted models men who skipped breakfast had a 33% higher risk of coronary heart disease, compared to those who ate their breakfast.

Also, men who ate breakfast late at night (defined as eating that occurs after going to bed) had a 55% higher risk of coronary heart diseases, compared to men who are not late night snackers.

It should be noted that this study was comprised almost exclusively of Caucasian males, and as such, the results may or may not be applicable to women or other ethnic groups. It would be interesting to see if these same results could be replicated in women or other ethnic groups.

So, for those of us who were told that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”  or to “eat your Wheaties”, it appears that once again, mom was right.

(Source- Circulation 2013;128:337-343)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

Five Things Men Can Do To Help Prevent Heart Attacks

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“The problem with heart disease is that the first symptom is often fatal.” 

Michael Phelps

June is Men’s Health Month, and this month I will write several articles about topics related to men’s health. In this post we will discuss five simple things men can do to help prevent a heart attack in the future.

A research group from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm Sweden enrolled nearly 21,000 men in a study which began in 1997 and ended in 2009. The men were of ages 45-79. In general this was a healthy group of men, with no history of cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.

The researchers looked at five different factors felt to be important in preventing heart attacks- diet, alcohol intake, use of tobacco, exercise level, and waist size. The men were assessed for these five elements by the use of a food frequency questionnaire and a physical activity questionnaire.

Researchers discovered that by following the five healthy diet and lifestyle habits-  quality diet (more fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and fish), moderate alcohol consumption (3 or less drinks per day), no tobacco, exercise (walked/cycled 40 minutes/day with more formal exercise of one hour/week), and with waist size 37 inches or less could prevent 79% of the heart attacks in the study group. This is a profound drop in heart attack risk.

The total reduction in heart attack risk consisted of a 36% reduction in risk for not smoking, 18% reduction for a healthy diet, 12% reduction for a lower waist size, 11% reduction for moderate alcohol intake, and 3% reduction for being physically active.

The 79% risk reduction in heart attacks is substantial, particularly since the participants in the study were considered “healthy” (no cardiovascular disease) at time of enrollment in the study. These five elements of risk reduction would seem to be low impact, with few side effects. If you are a middle age male how many of these elements could you easily incorporate into your lifestyle, to help lower your risk of heart attack in the future?

(Source- Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Vol. 64, No. 13, 2014)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does in create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.