Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
Extension
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1571
Nutrition and Research Updates
January-March 2007
Vol 28 No. 1
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AHA's Year-End Statistics for Cardiovascular Disease Grim
The American Heart Association's (AHA's) 2006 year-end report indicates that cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounted for about 36% of deaths in the US. Stroke, high blood pressure, heart failure and congenital cardiovascular defects are included in CVD. Though the statistics are not encouraging, American hospitals are providing care consistent with professional guidelines. Of hospitals surveyed in 2005, adherence to recommendations for treating CVD was 86.3%; for stroke, 88%; and for heart failure, 82.5%. "Because many cardiovascular risk factors are preventable or easily controlled through healthy lifestyle choices, changes in lifestyle behaviors such as healthy diet and exercise could reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease," stated Dr. Wayne Rosamond who chairs the AHA's Statistics Committee.
Unfortunately, the AHA statistical update suggests many Americans are not practicing preventive measures for CVD. For example, approximately one out of three adults in the US has untreated hypertension and another third have prehypertension. The AHA update also is not encouraging for other CVD risk factors:
- Almost one in four adults and 4.2% of adolescents have metabolic syndrome.
- Seven percent of US adults have known diabetes and an additional 2.4% are unaware they have the disease.
- At least 65% of diabetics die from some form of CVD.
- More than one in five American adults smoke.
- Smokers continue to die more than a decade earlier than nonsmokers and are twice as likely to have a stroke, two to four times more likely to develop coronary heart disease, and 10 times more likely to develop peripheral vascular disease.
Source: http://www.americanheart.org/statistics.
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Nuts Protective for Heart Health
 The cardio-protective effects of nut consumption are presented and reviewed in this epidemiological study. The combined evidence is from four large prospective epidemiological studies including the Adventist Health Study, Iowa Women's Health Study, Nurses' Health Study, and the Physicians' Health Study. Subjects consuming nuts at least 4 times a week showed a 37% reduced risk of coronary heart disease, compared to subjects who never or seldom consumed nuts. Each additional serving of nuts per week was associated with an average 8.3% reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Additionally, a causal cardio-protective relationship between nut consumption and reduced risk of coronary heart disease was found. The results of this review suggest the consumption of nuts may help lower the risk of coronary heart disease.
Source: British Journal of Nutrition, 2006, 96(S2), S61-67 (November).
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Vegetable-Rich Low-Carb Diet Cuts Heart Disease Risk
Low-carbohydrate diets have been popular for weight loss; however, the long-term safety of these diets has not been determined. Using a validated food frequency questionnaire this study evaluated data collected over 20 years on 82,802 women in the Nurses' Health Study. It concluded there is no link between low carbohydrate consumption and an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). "Our findings suggest that diets lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein and fat are not associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease in women," wrote lead author Thomas Halton from Harvard School of Public Health.
"This study suggests that neither a low-fat dietary pattern nor a typical low-carbohydrate dietary pattern is ideal with regards to risk of CHD; both have similar risks. However, if a diet moderately lower in carbohydrates is followed, with a focus on vegetable sources of fat and protein, there may be a benefit for heart disease," he said. When dietary fat was from vegetables rather than animal sources, the low-carb-diet score was associated with a 30 per cent lower risk of CHD.
Source: New England Journal of Medicine, 2006, 355(19), 1991-2002. (November).
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Fish - A Heart Healthy Choice
 Eating seafood regularly has been a primary tenet of good health due to its high quality protein and healthy fats, particularly the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DHA). Two different reports released at about the same time appear to give conflicting information on this practice. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is cautious in their encouragement of the health benefits of eating fish. Its specific advice is to eat a variety of seafood to reduce contaminants from a single source. The JAMA report's lead author states, "Seafood is likely the single most important food one can consume for good health." Both reports do support both the federal dietary guidelines as well as the American Heart Association's recommendation to include fish in the diet twice a week. Though the benefits generally outweigh the risks, it's worth reviewing the recommendations for certain population groups. To view the details of each report see the sources below.
Source: www.iom.edu/CMS/3778/23788/37679/37683.aspx; Journal of the American Medical Association, 2006, 296(15), 1885-1899. (October).
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