A Study of the Effects of Diet, Supplements and Supplements on Heart Disease in the Low-LDL Cholesterol Population
He says not everyone with a family history of heart disease should be on a statin. The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association developed some prescription guidelines. Typically, if a person’s LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) is 190 or higher, they’re often advised to start a statin. Health care professionals use a risk calculator to estimate the chance of having a heart attack or stroke over the next 10 years. If the risk is high enough, based on factors including age, blood pressure and smoking status, then a statin may be recommended.
Some people fret over potential side effects such as leg cramps, which may be – or may not be – linked to the drug. As an alternative, dietary supplements, often marketed to promote heart health, including fish oil and other omega-3 supplements (Omega-3’s are essential fatty acids found in fish and flaxseed), are growing in popularity.
The researchers designed and ran a statistical analysis after they were given the funding by the maker of Crestor.
For this study, which was presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2022 and simultaneously published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers compared the impact of these particular supplements to the impact of a low dose of a statin – a cholesterol-lowering medication – or a placebo, which does nothing.
Honingberg recommends that people with elevated cholesterol who aren’t at high risk for a statin use diet and exercise rather than taking supplements. “I tell my patients to save their money and instead spend that money on eating heart healthy, high quality food.” He points to studies that show heart-healthy diets, including Mediterranean diets which emphasize healthy fats, lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains and the DASH diet, significantly reduce the risk of heart disease. “I think a formulation that we perhaps don’t use enough is that food is medicine and is probably a more effective medicine than supplements,” says Honingberg.
Omega 3 supplements are linked to a reduced risk of heart disease but eating fish is related to a reduced risk, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. This suggests that you should eat a healthy diet with Omega-2 and Omega-3 fatty acids. And it’s worth noting that the NIH review concludes that omega-3 supplements may help relieve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Omega 3’s are also added to baby formulas to promote brain development. The NIH review also concludes that omega-3 supplements can lower triglycerides, a type of fat found in the blood. But Dr. Honingberg says this may be recommended for a “small subset of patients” with very high triglyceride levels.
Why aren’t dietary supplements good for the heart? Evidence from a double-blind investigation of possible side effects of a statin
There’s a chance that someone with a high risk of heart disease could benefit from a statin prescription.
He says that there is an excellent safety profile and a low risk of side effects. He describes the risk of serious side effects as “vanishingly small.”
Some patients stop taking a statin because they believe it is causing a certain side effect. But Honingberg points to a double-blind research study that showed when patients were given a placebo in place of a statin, patients reported feeling most of the same side effects. There is a trial going on and people blame the vastatin for side effects that aren’t really causing.
Many people believe that common supplements like fish oil, garlic, cinnamon, Turmeric, plant sterols and red yeast rice will lower their cholesterol. “Bad” cholesterol, known in the medical community as low-density lipoproteins or LDL, can cause the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries. The fatty deposits can block the flow of oxygen and blood that the heart needs to work and the blockage can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Dr. Steven Nissen, a cardiologist and researcher at the Cleveland Clinic and a co-author on the study, said that patients often don’t know that dietary supplements aren’t tested in clinical trials. He calls the supplements 21st century snake oil.
In the United States, the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act of 1994 sharply limited the US Food and Drug Administration’s ability to regulate supplements. Unlike pharmaceutical products that have to be proven safe and effective for their intended use before a company can market them, the FDA doesn’t have to approve dietary supplements before they can be sold. They need to be on the market in order for the FDA to regulate them.
What do tricts can do for cancer? A report from the Bethe Ansatz Project at the University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute
Statins have been studied in over 170,000 people for more than 30 years. There are studies that show that the risk of cancer is lower with tricts.
The researchers acknowledged some limitations, including the study’s small sample size, and that its 28-study period might not capture the effect of supplements when used for a longer duration.
Dr. James Cireddu, an invasive cardiologist and medical director of University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute at University Hospitals Bedford Medical Center, said the work is going to be helpful.
The chair of the programming committee at the AHA did not work on the research but thought it was important to include in the presentations this year.