Plant sterols, found in Benecol and Flora proactive, are associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease

This study was published in Steroids 2015 Mar 23

Study title and authors:
Increased plant sterol deposition in vascular tissue characterizes patients with severe aortic stenosis and concomitant coronary artery disease.

Luister A, Schött HF, Husche C, Schäfers HJ, Böhm M, Plat J, Gräber S, Lütjohann D, Laufs U, Weingärtner O.
Klinik für Innere Medizin III¸Kardiologie, Angiologie und Internistische Intensivmedizin.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25814070

Phytosterols are present in very small quantities in fruit and vegetables. The phytosterol content of plant sterol-enriched margarines (Benecol, Flora proactive etc) are higher by an order of magnitude of up to 841 times than the average vegetable (see here). Campesterol and sitosterol are types of phytosterols.

Oxyphytosterols are phytosterols that have gone rancid.

Cholestanol is a derivative of cholesterol.

The aim of the study (of 104 patients) was to evaluate the relationship between phytosterols, oxyphytosterols, lathosterol, cholestanol and cholesterol in patients with severe aortic stenosis (artery blockages), some of whom also had coronary artery disease who were scheduled for elective aortic valve replacement.

The study found:
(a) The ratio of campesterol-to-cholesterol was increased by 26% in plasma of patients with coronary artery disease compared to those without coronary artery disease.
(b) Sitosterol concentrations were increased by 38.8% in the tissues of patients with coronary artery disease compared to those without coronary artery disease.
(c) Campesterol concentrations were increased by 30.4% in the tissues of patients with coronary artery disease compared to those without coronary artery disease.
(d) Oxidized sitosterol-to-cholesterol ratios were up-regulated by 22.7% in the plasma of patients with coronary artery disease compared to those without coronary artery disease.
(e) Oxidized campesterol was increased by 17.1% in the aortic valve cusps (the triangular fold or flap of a heart valve) of patients with coronary artery disease compared to those without coronary artery disease.
(f) Neither cholestanol nor the ratio of cholestanol-to-cholesterol was associated with coronary artery disease.

Luister concluded: "Patients with concomitant coronary artery disease are characterized by increased deposition of plant sterols, but not cholestanol in aortic valve tissue. Moreover, patients with concomitant coronary artery disease were characterized by increased oxyphytosterol concentrations in plasma and aortic valve cusps".

Is it wise to consume margarines high in phytosterols (such as Benecol and Flora proactive) when the study suggests that phytosterols are associated with a higher risk of coronary artery disease?

Rhabdomyolysis occurring under statins after intense physical activity in a marathon runner

This paper was published in Case Reports in Rheumatology 2015;2015:721078

Study title and authors:
Rhabdomyolysis Occurring under Statins after Intense Physical Activity in a Marathon Runner.

Toussirot É, Michel F, Meneveau N.
Clinical Investigation Center for Biotherapy, CIC-1431, FHU INCREASE, University Hospital of Besançon, 25000 Besançon, France

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25815236

This paper reports the case of a marathon runner who developed rhabdomyolysis.

(i) A 50 year old man healthy man started to take atorvastatin but soon suffered from severe muscle pain. He then was prescribed rosuvastatin.
(ii) The patient was a regular long-distance and marathon runner. He was preparing for an international competition.
(iii) On the day of the competition and while being still under rosuvastatin, the patient experienced progressively worsening muscular weakness. At the end of the race, he suffered from severe pains in the lower limbs similar to diffuse cramps associated with generalized muscle contraction.
(iv) Muscle enzymes (creatine kinase) were tested two days after the race and were at 2631 IU/L (normal levels 300) and he was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis.
(v) One year later, (without taking the statins), for another marathon, the patient felt no muscle weakness at all or muscle contractions after the race.

Toussirot concluded: "Intense physical activity, as performed by statin treated athletes (whether professional or not and particularly during long-distance races) could have adverse consequences on muscles".

Acute exacerbations and infections increase in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who take aspirin and statins

This study was published in the International Journal of Medical Sciences 2015 Mar 2;12(3):280-7

 

Study title and author:

No Significant Detectable Anti-infection Effects of Aspirin and Statins in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Yayan J.

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Sleep Medicine, Saarland University Medical Center, Homburg/Saar, Germany.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25798054

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the name for a collection of lung diseases including chronic bronchitis, emphysema and chronic obstructive airways disease.

This study examined  the effect of using aspirin and statins in the exacerbation and infection in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The study included 300 patients, average age 69 years, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The study found:
(a) Patients taking aspirin and statins were 40% more likely to develop an infection than not develop an infection.
(b) Patients taking statins alone were 230% more likely to develop an infection than not develop an infection.
(c) Patients not taking either aspirin or statins were 40% LESS likely to develop an infection than develop an infection.
(d) Patients taking aspirin and statins had a 16% increased risk of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease compared to patients not taking either aspirin or statins.
(e) Patients taking statins alone had a 56% increased risk of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease compared to patients not taking either aspirin or statins.

Yayan concluded: "In this study, the number of acute exacerbations and infections increased in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who took aspirin and statins compared with those who took neither aspirin nor statins".

Volunteer with Healthy World Cafe

Just eight days from our grand opening (April 6!), we're excited to invite our community to volunteer with Healthy World Cafe. As a nonprofit, our operations rely heavily on volunteers. We'll have two shifts on each cafe day (Monday through Friday), plus additional times on weeknights and weekends for special events.

Starting March 31, we'll be running final tests on our recipes for the cafe, running through systems, and preparing for our grand opening April 6. So, volunteer slots begin March 31!

We're introducing new online system for coordinating volunteers, called YourVolunteers.com. We love this system because it is non-profit focused and meets our needs — we hope you like it too!

Here's how it works. First, create your username...

1. Follow the link to http://bit.ly/HWCvolunteer and click Register. Enter a username and password. (We recommend writing that down so you remember!) 
2. You will see “Success!” Then, click on Login Now and go back to sign in using your just-created username and password. (Remember to check the box about being human!) Then, click sign in.
3. Scroll to bottom of terms of service page and click I Accept for YourVolunteers.com's Terms of Service. Ta Da! You’re in! 

Once you're logged in, share your contact information...

1. We'd love to get your contact information. Click the tab at the top called You, and complete Your Contact Information. (Don't forget to hit submit!)
2. If you wish to sign up for The Week Ahead emails (the last option on the same dropdown menu under “You”), please do! YourVolunteers.com will then send a reminder email for the shifts you sign up for — just click Change on the Week Ahead emails page.

And sign up for shifts!

1. Go to the Shifts tab in the top menu bar. Choose Scheduled Shifts by Calendar from the dropdown menu. The “forward” and “back” arrows at the top of the calendar will navigate months. You are able to go up to 3 months ahead to select the day(s) you wish to volunteer. (For now, we are scheduling just April shifts as we become familiar with the platform. Please check back in a few weeks for shifts in May and June!)
2. Select the day you wish to volunteer to view the shifts — for a typical cafe day, that will be 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and noon to 3 p.m. Select the one(s) you want, then click Add. If there is availability, you will see assigned appear on the right. You will receive an email a week ahead as a reminder, if you sign up for that form of contact. (See step No. 4 above!)

That's it!

We appreciate in advance your patience with us and the system. We know there’s a learning curve, so please contact us if you need help. We have a new dedicated email account just for volunteers and scheduling of shifts: HWCvolmgr@gmail.com.

Please check out our volunteer guidelines in advance, available at www.healthyworldcafe.org.

See you at the cafe!

Is Meat Unhealthy? Consolidated links

Several people have asked for a consolidated list of links to my series on meat and health.  Here it is!  This should make it easier to share.  

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part I.  Introduction and ethical/environmental considerations.

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part II.  Our evolutionary history with meat.

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part III.  Meat and cardiovascular disease.

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part IV.  Meat and obesity risk.

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part V.  Meat and type 2 diabetes risk.

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part VI.  Meat and cancer risk.

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part VII.  Meat and total mortality.

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part VIII.  Health vs. the absence of disease.

Is Meat Unhealthy?  Part IX.  Summary.

Salted Caramel Oatmeal

Salted. Caramel. Oats. You like the sound of that? Oh yes you do. Having dessert(ish) foods for breakfast is what life is all about. Seriously, if you haven't tried the Creamy Chocolate Oatmeal that I posted some time ago, get on it, NOW! So next up is this sinfully indulgent beast of a breakfast that'll leave you fully satisfied and ready to take on a new day.

This recipe owes its sweetness to date paste, or date caramel as I prefer to call it (see below). I make mine by mashing a few soft dates with a fork but this may not be so easy if you don't have the right kind of dates. The ones I'm talking about here can be seen above; soft, un-pitted ones that are super easy to peel and have a melt-in-your-mouth consistency. If you can't find these where you live, soaking a few of the drier, pre-pitted dates overnight would probably work as well.

Date Caramel

The wonderful, caramel-y flavour comes from the amazing Organic Burst Maca Powder that I've been putting in everything lately. If you don't have any maca at hand then I suggest you sub it for a spoonful of mesquite powder or simply leave it out and let the dates work their caramel magic all on their own.

Salted Caramel Oatmeal

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup rolled oats

- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

- 3-4 soft dates with the pits still in them or 3-4 pre-pitted dates soaked overnight (30 g)

- 1/2 tbsp Organic Burst Maca Powder (could sub for mesquite or omit completely)

- Salt to taste

How to:

1. Bring oats, salt and almond milk to the boil (in a small saucepan) then lower the heat to a simmer.
2. Peel (optional) the dates and mash them to a gooey mess using a fork and a spoonful of water.
3. Add the date paste to the saucepan and stir well until the paste has dissolved in the oatmeal.
4. Stir frequently as you wait for the oats to get to the desired consistency. Add in the maca powder right at the end to preserve its nutrients as much as possible.
5. Add toppings such as banana coins and/or peanut butter and serve immediately.

Women who consume diet drinks have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease

This study was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine 2014 Dec 17

Study title and authors:
Diet Drink Consumption and the Risk of Cardiovascular Events: A Report from the Women's Health Initiative.

Vyas A, Rubenstein L, Robinson J, Seguin RA, Vitolins MZ, Kazlauskaite R, Shikany JM, Johnson KC, Snetselaar L, Wallace R.
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, 200 Hawkins Dr., Int. Med. E316-1 GH, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA, ankurvyas7@gmail.com.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25515135

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between diet drink intake and cardiovascular events. The study included 59,614 post-menopausal women, average age 62.8 years, who were followed for 8.7 years.

The study found:
(a) Women who consumed two or more diet drinks per day had a 30% higher risk of cardiovascular disease events compared to women who consumed 0-3 diet drinks a month.
(b) Women who consumed two or more diet drinks per day had a 50% higher risk of cardiovascular disease deaths compared to women who consumed 0-3 diet drinks a month. 
(c) Women who consumed two or more diet drinks per day had a 30% higher risk of overall deaths compared to women who consumed 0-3 diet drinks a month.

Vyas concluded: "This analysis demonstrates an association between high diet drink intake and cardiovascular disease outcomes and mortality in post-menopausal women".