Two Fails for Multivitamin Supplements

Almost 6000 male physicians 65 and older received either a daily multivitamin supplement or placebo. Testing after 8.5 years of follow-up showed no significant difference in verbal memory or global cognition. In yet another study, 1700 adults aged 50 or older were given a multivitamin or placebo beginning 6+ weeks following a heart attack. After…

Shift Work Raises Heart Attack and Stroke Risk

Shift work (defined as any work schedule outside of approximately 9:00-17:00 hours) has been found in a meta-analysis of 34 observational studies to significantly increase the risk of heart attacks and ishemic stroke. Smoking and socioeconomic factors did not alter the results. The increase in risk ranged from 5% for stroke to almost 25% for…

Soda Clogs Arteries Even in Skinny Women

Sugary drinks create heart risks for women even if they are normal weight. This is the finding of a study presented at the American Heart Association meetings in Florida by Dr. Christina Shay.In this study, 4000 women from 45-84 years of age were followed for 5 years. Women who drank two or more sugar-sweetened beverages…

Diet Controls Genes for Heart Attacks

Heart disease kills more people than any other disease. Major causes of heart attacks include cigarette smoking, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. You can also inherit defective genes from your father or mother that will increase your risk of having a heart attack. You can control what you eat but your genetic make up is…

Supplements Fail Again

The British Medical Journal just published results from a study on how B-Vitamins and fish oil affect several cardiovascular diseases. The outcomes were disappointing.Researchers studied 2501 individuals who were sick to begin with. All had experienced a stroke, heart attack or unstable chest pains. The study involved over 400 research physicians throughout France. People were randomly assigned to one of…

Cardiac Risks from Calcium Supplements

Millions of women take calcium supplements. The U.S Government recommends 1200 mg intake of calcium per day for men and women over the age of 50.Recent research, just published in the British Medical Journal, show that calcium supplements actually have no beneficial effect on bone density and are actually harmful because they increase the risk of…

Vitamins Don’t Prevent a Second Heart Attack

One risk factor for first-time heart attacks is an elevated blood level of homocysteine. High homocysteine levels can be lowered by administering vitamin B12 and folic acid. The question has been whether or not this treatment would result in reduced disease and death from heart attacks.

Brushing Your Teeth Prevents Heart Attacks

Brushing your teeth prevents more than just cavities. It can also prevent heart attacks. This news was confirmed by a recently published article in the British Medical Journal.