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A study of almost 400,000 people is the first to indicate, in humans, that the signaling of substances called short-chain fatty acids or SCFAs, released when gut bacteria break down dietary fiber, significantly protects against cardiovascular disease and hypertension by up to 20%. A previous clinical trial has shown these SCFAs—when provided as a supplement—lead to lowered blood pressure. Another trial is underway. The current study used data from the UK Biobank database and found rare genetic variants that profoundly impact the function of receptors that bind to SCFAs essentially prevent people from utilizing the cardiovascular protection offered by their...

A Swedish study found that workplace coffee machines often leave in high levels of cholesterol-raising compounds, unlike drip-filter machines which remove most of them. ==================================================================================== Coffee from workplace machines might be raising your cholesterol more than you think. A new Swedish study reveals that many common office coffee machines fail to filter out cholesterol-elevating compounds found in coffee, sometimes leaving behind even more than espresso or French press. Depending on the machine and brewing method, the amount of harmful diterpenes like cafestol and kahweol can vary widely, and frequent coffee drinkers may be unknowingly boosting their LDL cholesterol levels. Cholesterol-Raising...

Recent research suggests that eating fortified eggs regularly does not negatively impact cholesterol levels or heart health in high-risk individuals, challenging previous beliefs about the risks of egg consumption. ============================================================================================ Subgroup analyses suggest a potential advantage for older adults and individuals with diabetes. Whether you like your eggs sunny-side up, hard boiled or scrambled, many hesitate to eat them amid concerns that eggs may raise cholesterol levels and be bad for heart health. However, results from a prospective, controlled trial presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session show that over a four-month period cholesterol levels were similar...

When and what you eat might play a role in maintaining good mental health, a study suggests. Researchers found that folks with heart disease were more likely to keep depression at bay if they ate a big, calorie-rich breakfast. There's evidence that heart disease patients "are more likely to develop depression when compared to the general population—and dietary factors have been shown to play an important role in depression occurrence and development," noted a team led by Hongquan Xie. According to the researchers, the timing of calorie intake "can regulate circadian rhythms and metabolism," and disruptions in circadian rhythms may...

Warnings against saturated fat on heart health need to be revisited as flaws were revealed in the seminal 1950s studies on which these warnings were based, according to research. In 1953, spurred by an apparent surge in heart disease in the US, physiologist Ancel Keys published a study that introduced the "lipid-heart hypothesis." He claimed without evidence that high saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet raise cholesterol levels in the blood and contribute to heart disease. Newport and Dayrit pointed out that Keys erroneously conflated the saturated fats found in meat and dairy with the harmful industrial trans-fats commonly...

Magnesium is a mineral critical to a wide range of biological functions, and a new study takes aim at how it's transported to address cardiac dysfunction and other diseases, opening new possibilities for treatment. The study charts a new course in explaining how a novel protein called ERMA—a long-time mystery—functions as a precision-engineered pump in guiding magnesium. The investigation reveals how disruptions in ERMA's function can lead to significant disturbances in how heart cells manage calcium, crucial for the rhythmic contractions of the heart muscle. These imbalances can lead to cardiac dysfunctions, particularly affecting the heart's relaxation phase and its...

Healthy diets are rich in antioxidants like amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C, but exactly how beneficial these micronutrients are for cardiovascular health has long been controversial. Now a new meta-analysis provides some clarity. Researchers reviewed 884 studies available on micronutrients taken as dietary supplements. They identified several micronutrients that do reduce cardiovascular risk—as well as others that offer no benefit or even have a negative effect. "We developed a comprehensive, evidence-based integrative map to characterize and quantify micronutrient supplements' potential effects on cardiometabolic outcomes," said Simin Liu, MD. Antioxidant supplementation has long been thought to play a...

A review published in the Journal of Internal Medicine provides convincing evidence that micronutrients—including iron, selenium, zinc, copper, and coenzyme Q10—can impact the function of cardiac cells' energy-producing mitochondria to contribute to heart failure. The findings suggest that micronutrient supplementation could represent an effective treatment for heart failure. "Micronutrient deficiency has a high impact on mitochondrial energy production and should be considered an additional factor in the heart failure equation, moving our view of the failing heart away from "an engine out of fuel" to "a defective engine on a path to self-destruction," said co–lead author Nils Bomer, Ph.D., of...

A study has challenged the view that testosterone is bad for women's hearts, showing that for women aged over 70, having low testosterone levels actually doubles the risk of a cardiac event. Researchers say the findings warrant further research into the potential benefits of testosterone therapies for older women. Before menopause, women's ovaries are the primary source of testosterone circulating in the blood. After menopause, because the ovaries stop functioning, blood testosterone is made from the hormone DHEA which comes from adrenal glands. Using data captured in the longitudinal ASPREE (ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) randomized trial, this...

For many runners with chronic illnesses, managing their condition in order to continue doing the sport they love can be a challenge. But the benefits they gain from it—a calmer mind, a reduction in stress, for instance—help motivate them to keep pushing forward. But for 37-year-old Annabelle Winters, running through chronic illness hasn’t just given her a mental boost: It may have literally saved her life. Winters is a lifelong runner. She started running in third grade, as part of an after-school club in her hometown in southern New Hampshire. While the team competition side of running never quite struck...

Angel Vazquez, 38, of Kissimmee, Florida, vividly remembers the moment last June when he first thought he was having a heart attack. He was working from home that day—his mom was there to take care of his daughters—when suddenly he started to feel terrible. “I started to sweat profusely, I had trouble breathing, my heart was pounding, and I felt like I was about to faint,” he tells Runner’s World. “I didn’t want to freak anyone out, but I just had a gut feeling. My dad had two heart attacks and my uncle had a few as well.” So he...

Avocados are a delicious, rich fruit and a great way to treat your heart—and your taste buds. (Lisa Fotios/Pexels) ========================================================= Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. An estimated 44 million U.S. women are affected by cardiovascular disease, causing 1 in 3 women’s deaths each year. One of the most common forms of heart disease is coronary artery disease which occurs when a buildup of plaque narrows artery walls and restricts proper blood flow to the heart and can lead to a heart attack. Coronary artery disease can be treated or prevented through...

High levels of chocolate consumption might be associated with a one third reduction in the risk of developing heart disease, suggests a study published online in the British Medical Journal.... The findings confirm results of existing studies that generally agree on a potential beneficial link between chocolate consumption and heart health. However, the authors stress that further studies are needed to test whether chocolate actually causes this reduction or if it can be explained by some other unmeasured (confounding) factor.... They analysed the results of seven studies, involving over 100,000 participants with and without existing heart disease. For each study,...

A low-salt diet could damage hearts, according to a new study published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet. However, that research is already under fire from medical investigators who take issue with the authors' methods and conclusions.... While our data highlights the importance of reducing high salt intake in people with hypertension, it does not support reducing salt intake to low levels.

When I was a kid, the milkman came right to our back door. He brought us bright glass bottles of rich whole milk and thick sweet cream. We drank a lot of milk. Nobody had heard of skim. On weekends my dad cooked up breakfasts of eggs fried in butter, piles of bacon, delicious German sausages. For dinner, we had big chunks of fatty meat every night. That was in the 1950s. Nobody was fat, except for one lone girl at school who everybody picked on. Most kids ate like horses and were skinny as rakes. Then the experts came...

"The study looked at 48,986 non-Witnesses who had blood transfusions and 322 Witnesses who refused to have blood transfusions who all underwent cardiac surgery between 1983 to 2011. After matching the patients up by similar cases, researchers found both groups had similar risks for dying at the hospital. However, Witnesses had lower chances of having additional operations for bleeding, renal failure and sepsis compared with non-Witnesses who received transfusions"

Extreme exercise such as marathons may permanently damage the heart and trigger rhythm abnormalities, warn researchers. They say the safe ‘upper limit’ for heart health is a maximum of an hour a day - after which there is little benefit to the individual. A review of research evidence by US physicians says intensive training schedules and extreme endurance competitions can cause long-term harm to people’s hearts.

A study has found that women who use the 'silent treatment' with their spouses during arguments could be on their way to early deaths. "This is the first time we've seen anything this dramatic that predicts death or heart disease that's not physiological," Dr. Elaine Eaker, who authored the study, told CTV's Canada AM. The study found that women who silenced themselves during marital disagreements were four times more likely to die earlier than women who expressed their feelings during arguments with their spouses. However, Eaker found that the health of men who indulged in the same "self-silencing" practice were...

Wine's beneficial effects on heart health depend more on the traditional vintner's art than the wonder molecule resveratrol. Resveratrol, a molecule found in the skin of red grapes, among other places, has been found to have a host of health effects, most recently prolonging the life spans of obese mice. But the natural wonder drug does not play a role in the beneficial effects of wine drinking, according to research published in the November 28 issue of Nature. "There are some fascinating effects of resveratrol in animal systems," notes plant biochemist Alan Crozier of the University of Glasgow. "To get...

In 1980, a man from a small town called Limone Sul Garda in northern Italy went to a doctor for some problem, not heart related. Testing of his blood showed very high levels of triglycerides, and very low levels of HDL, the good form of cholesterol. By all rights, the man should have either been dead from, or in imminent danger of a heart attack. But his arteries were clear. Analysis of his blood showed he had a very special form of Lipoprotein, a type of HDL. And further work with this particular type of Lipoprotein revealed astounding results. In...