19 December 2011
Regular supplementation with eicosapentaenoic acid may be more effective in preventing heart attacks in men than in women, a new Australian study says.
In the randomized controlled trial, 15 healthy men and 15 healthy women with an average age of 44 were assigned to receive either a single dose of 1 gram of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA:DHA 5:1), 1 gram of doco-sahexaenoic acid (EPA:DHA 1:5) or a placebo (sunflower oil) (1). The study results showed that both the EPA and DHA groups had decreased platelet aggregation 24 hours after the dose was ingested, with a reduction of 13.3% and 11.9%, respectively, in comparison to the placebo. Reductions in both microparticles (20%) and platelet aggregation decreased only in the men of the EPA group. Women in the EPA group only displayed reduced platelet aggregation.
The researchers concluded that supplementation with EPA but not DHA inhibits platelet microparticle activity in conjunction with a reduction in platelet aggregation in a gender-specific manner. This may reduce the risk of generating blood clots, which can lead to stroke, heart attack, or add to the risk of cardiovascular and thrombotic diseases (as indicated by mircoparticles, a reliable marker of so-called platelet hyperactivity). The mechanism by which the omega-3 fatty acids affect platelet aggregation and microparticles would not be clear, the scientists said.
The study adds to the growing body of science supporting the potential cardiovascular health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, linking them to improvements in blood lipid levels, blood pressure, heart rate and vascular function, as well as to a reduced tendency of thrombosis.
1 September 2015
A new pilot study treated patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with high doses of the water-soluble vitamin biotin. Improvements were noted in vision and degree of paralysis. The results were encouraging enough to initiate new randomised controlled trials.
1 April 2013
A new review from the UK suggests that sufficient blood vitamin D concentrations may decrease the risk of developing high blood pressure.
7 May 2015
A new meta-analysis of 17 randomized controlled trials incorporating 916 subjects assessed the effect of beta-glucan supplementation on subject suffering chronically elevated levels of cholesterol in their blood (hypercholesterolemia) was conducted by Zhu et al. The pooled data showed beta glucan supplementation significantly lowered the total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels in these subjects, though no differences in HDL-cholesterol, blood triglycerides and glucose levels were observed. The results demonstrate that oat beta-glucans supplemented in the diet under the guidance of a doctor can provide an alternative treatment strategy to statins or stanols/sterols to enable normalization of blood cholesterol levels in subject with hypercholesteroleamia. Oat beta glucan is derived directly from milled oats, and hence can be considered a natural alternative without significant side effects.
