‘Magical Thinking’ About Vitamin D’s Effect On Cancer And Fish Oil’s Effect On Heart Health Upended In Sweeping Study
Although both Vitamin D and fish oil drugs have gained popularity recently, a massive study found that healthy people who take the supplements do not lower cancer rates nor do they reduce the rate of major cardiovascular events. Meanwhile, new guidelines recommend a more tailored approach to treating high cholesterol.
The New York Times:
Vitamin D And Fish Oils Are Ineffective For Preventing Cancer And Heart Disease
In recent years, many Americans have embraced vitamin D and fish oil pills, their enthusiasm fueled by a steady trickle of suggestive research studies linking higher levels of vitamin D with lower rates of cancer and other ills, and fish consumption with reduced heart disease. Now a large and rigorous government-funded randomized trial — the only such study of omega-3 fish oils ever carried out in healthy adults, and the largest trial ever done of high-dose vitamin D — has found the supplements do not lower cancer rates in healthy adults. (Rabin, 11/10)
The Washington Post:
Fish-Oil Drugs Protect Heart Health, Two Studies Say
The large, multiyear research efforts tested different formulations and quantities of drugs made with Omega-3 fatty acids on two groups of people: one that suffered from cardiovascular disease or diabetes and another that represented the general population. Both studies found that people who took the drugs every day enjoyed protection against some heart and circulatory problems compared with those given a placebo. In a look at another commonly consumed supplement, vitamin D, researchers found no effect on heart disease but saw a link to a decline in cancer deaths over time. (Bernstein, 11/10)
Reuters:
New Drug Options, Risk Factors Added To U.S. Heart Guidelines
Updated U.S. guidelines on heart health advise more personalized assessment of risk as well as two newer types of cholesterol-lowering drugs for people at particularly high risk of heart attack or stroke. The recommendations from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, last issued in 2013, acknowledge recent research showing the benefit of very low levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol, which contributes to fatty plaque buildup and narrowing of arteries. (Beasley, 11/10)
The Wall Street Journal:
New Guidelines For Treating High Cholesterol Take A Personal Approach
“Risk is more of a process than a calculation,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, chair of the department of preventive medicine at Northwestern University and a member of the panel that wrote the guidelines. “We can help personalize the decision. ”Nearly one in every three American adults has high levels of LDL, the AHA says, which contributes to buildup of fatty plaque and narrowing of the arteries. Research shows that people with LDL of 100 or lower have lower rates of heart disease and stroke, according to the AHA. (McKay, 11/10)
Los Angeles Times:
With Better Drugs For High Cholesterol, Doctors Become More Ambitious With Their Treatment Goals
When recommending the more aggressive treatment of those who are at highest risk of heart attacks and strokes, “it helps patients and providers when you give them numbers and targets,” Nissen said. “Because if you’re constantly checking, you keep patients staying focused on compliance, what it takes to stay healthy.” Nearly 800,000 people die of heart attacks, strokes and other manifestations of cardiovascular disease in the United States each year, making it the country’s leading cause of death. But while 78 million Americans — close to 37% of the adult population — either take or should consider taking medication to lower their cholesterol, close to half don’t do so. (Healy, 11/10)
The Associated Press:
Heart Meeting Features Fish Oil, Vitamin D, Cholesterol News
Good news for everyone: You no longer have to fast before a blood test to check cholesterol. Don't stop at the doughnut shop on your way to the clinic, but eating something before the test is OK for most folks, the guidelines say. They're from the Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology and are endorsed by many other doctor groups. No authors had financial ties to drugmakers. (11/11)
Stat:
Generic Arthritis Drug Comes Up Short Against Inflammation In Heart Disease
The trial, called the Cardiovascular Inflammation Reduction Trial (CIRT) and sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, tested methotrexate in people who had previous heart attacks or strokes in addition to having diabetes or metabolic syndrome, which can lead to inflammation. Methotrexate was an attractive option because people who took the relatively inexpensive, oral drug to treat their rheumatoid arthritis also appeared in observational studies to have lower rates of heart disease. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the meeting of the American Heart Association in Chicago. (Cooney, 11/10)
The New York Times:
Too Much Caffeine May Stress The Heart
As my brother neared the end of a smooth, swift recovery from open-heart surgery to bypass an 80-percent blockage in his heart’s most important artery recently, he reverted to a longstanding habit of downing many cups a day of strong coffee. I objected, but he insisted that the caffeine doesn’t affect him, meaning it doesn’t disturb his sleep. (Brody, 11/12)