Vitamin D deficiency associated with cardiovascular disease prevalence

In a large sample of U.S. adults, new research indicates that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease.

Inadequate vitamin D levels are known to be associated with certain cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, but until recently the association between vitamin D levels and the prevalence of CVD had not been comprehensively examined in the general U.S. population.

In a recent study published in Atherosclerosis, researchers examined data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a population-based sample of more than 16,000 U.S. adults.

In the total survey population, 1,308 subjects had some form of CVD. Using the standard definition of vitamin D deficiency (a serum level below 20 ng/mL), participants with CVD had a higher incidence of vitamin D deficiency (29.3%) than those without CVD (21.4%). After adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, season of measurement, physical activity, body mass index, smoking status, hypertension, diabetes, elevated cholesterol, chronic kidney disease, and vitamin D use, the researchers showed that subjects deficient in vitamin D had a 20% increased risk of CVD.

The results of this analysis indicate a significant relationship between vitamin D deficiency and CVD prevalence in a large, highly representative sample of the U.S. adult population.

Source: 25-Hydroxyvitamin D deficiency is independently associated with cardiovascular disease in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Kendrick et al, Atherosclerosis 2009 Jul; 205(1):255-60.

Source: USANA Health Sciences

Internet-based lifestyle program improves body composition & markers of metabolic health

Metabolic syndrome involves a cluster of risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. New research confirms the effectiveness of an Internet-based lifestyle change program in supporting weight loss and improvements in cardiovascular and metabolic health.

Metabolic syndrome involves a cluster of risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. These factors include abdominal obesity, elevated blood pressure, atherogenic dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance or glucose intolerance. Metabolic syndrome has become increasingly common as overweight and obesity rates have risen.

Research published in the August 2009 journal Obesity and Weight Management confirms the effectiveness of an Internet-based lifestyle change program in supporting weight loss and improvements in cardiovascular and metabolic health.

Sixty individuals with metabolic syndrome were studied before, during, and after a 12-week online lifestyle intervention program. The 12-week Healthy for Life program was delivered via the internet but involved using standard weight loss tools, including meal replacements, self-monitoring, behavioral change strategies, and low-glycemic diets.

The nutritional supplements, meal replacement shakes, and snack bars used in this study were supplied by USANA Health Sciences.

The intervention resulted in an average weight loss of 5.4%. Fasting insulin was reduced 32.3% while insulin sensitivity was increased by 31.6%. Triglycerides, total cholesterol, and blood pressure were also significantly improved. Nearly half the subjects no longer met the criteria for metabolic syndrome at the conclusion of the study.

The results of this study show that an Internet-based lifestyle change program can result in meaningful weight loss and improved cardiovascular health in overweight individuals with metabolic syndrome. The researchers noted that given the need for strategies to help large numbers of obese individuals achieve weight loss, these results are significant.

Source: Successful internet-based lifestyle change program on body weight and markers of metabolic health, Wyatt, et al, Obesity and Weight Management 2009 August; 5(4): 150-153.

Source: USANA Health Sciences

Source: USANA Health Sciences

Higher intakes of fibre help prevent weight gain & increases in waist circumference

Newly published research shows that adults with high fibre intakes are less likely to gain weight and inches around the waist.

It is known that dietary fibre may play a role in obesity prevention. The role that different individual fibre sources play in weight change is less certain. In a recent paper published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers investigated the association of total dietary fibre, cereal fibre, and fruit and vegetable fibre with changes in weight and waist circumference.

The prospective cohort study included 89,432 European participants, aged 20–78 years, who were initially free of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Participants were followed for an average of 6.5 years. Adjustments were made for follow-up duration, dietary variables, and baseline anthropometric, demographic, and lifestyle factors.

Total fibre was inversely associated with weight and waist circumference change during the study period. For a 10 gram/day higher total fibre intake, there was an estimated 39 g/year weight loss and waist circumference decreased by 0.08 cm/year. A 10 gram/day fibre intake from cereals results in 77 g/year weight reduction and 0.10 cm/year reduction in waist circumference. Fruit and vegetable fibre was not associated with weight change but had a similar effect on waist circumference as total and cereal fibre intake.

Over a period of 6.5 years, weight gain and increases in waist circumference would be expected in typical adults. The findings of this research may support a beneficial role of higher intake of dietary fibre, especially cereal fibre, in prevention of weight and waist circumference gain.

Source: Dietary fiber and subsequent changes in body weight and waist circumference in European men and women, Huaidong et al, Am J Clin Nutr Vol. 91, No. 2, 329-336, February 2010

Source: USANA Health Sciences

Moderate soy intake improves survival in breast cancer patients

In a large prospective study of female breast cancer patients treated surgically, moderate soy intake was associated with a significant decrease in death and cancer recurrence during a 4 year follow-up.

A recent study published in the December 9, 2009 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association provides more evidence of the safety of dietary soy intake in breast cancer patients.

Researchers found that a higher intake of soy foods was associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer recurrence as well as a lower risk of dying over a four year period following diagnosis.

Participants included 5,033 women in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study who were surgically treated for breast cancer. The women were enrolled between 2002 and 2006 and followed through June 2009. Intakes of soy protein and soy isoflavones were analyzed from several interviews and dietary questionnaires.

Over an average follow-up of about four years, women whose intake of soy protein was among the top 25 percent of participants had a 29 percent lower risk of death during follow-up and a 32 percent lower risk of recurrence compared to those whose intake was in the lowest quarter. When soy isoflavones were evaluated separately, the risk of dying over follow-up was 21 percent lower and the risk of recurrence was 23 percent lower for those whose intake was highest. The use of tamoxifen and hormone therapy were also associated with improved survival.

In this population-based prospective study, soy food intake was found to be safe and was associated with lower mortality and recurrence among breast cancer patients. The association of soy food intake with mortality and recurrence appears to have followed a linear dose response pattern until soy food intake reached 11 g/day of soy protein. No additional benefits on mortality and recurrence were observed with higher intakes of soy food. This study suggests that moderate soy food intake is safe and potentially beneficial for women with breast cancer.

Source: Soy Food Intake and Breast Cancer Survival, Shu et al, JAMA. 2009;302(22):2437-2443

Source: USANA Health Sciences

Fitness reduces the risk of death in men with metabolic syndrome

In a study of over 19,000 men, cardiorespiratory fitness significantly decreased risk of death compared to those who were unfit. Over the 17 years of the study, men with metabolic syndrome who were fit had half the death rate compared to men with metabolic syndrome who were not fit.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of disorders that include abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, and unhealthy cholesterol levels. Up to one in four U.S. adults has metabolic syndrome, significantly increasing their risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

In a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, over 19,000 men were recruited to determine the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and mortality risk in healthy men and those with metabolic syndrome. The study group, which included 3,757 men with metabolic syndrome, were evaluated for fitness and then followed for up to 17 years.

Healthy men who were out of shape at the beginning of the study were three times as likely as their fit peers to die of cardiovascular disease. While men with metabolic syndrome were 89 percent more likely than healthy men to die of heart disease, men with metabolic syndrome who were unfit had twice the death rate as their fit counterparts.

According to the researchers, “This study strengthens the argument for aggressive public health campaigns aimed at increasing physical activity levels.” Fitness, regardless of body weight, can provide a strong protective effect against premature death in both healthy men and men with metabolic syndrome.

Source: Cardiorespiratory fitness attenuates the effects of the metabolic syndrome on all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in men, Katzmarzyk et al, Arch Intern Med 2004 May 24;164(10):1092-7.

Source: USANA Health Sciences