Cardiovascular / Heart Health

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Increasing intake of certain minerals, particularly potassium, through dietary consumption of fruits and vegetables could improve blood pressure and cardiovascular health in Americans, according to a new review out of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. In a paper published in a supplement to the Journal of Clinical Hypertension (2008 July;10(7 Suppl):3-11), Mark C. Houston, M.D., and Karen J. ...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Levels of cholesterol-lowering compounds vary widely in red yeast rice dietary supplements, according to a report released July 1 by ConsumerLab.com. According to the organization, it tested 10 red yeast rice supplements and found levels of the statin compounds varied by more than 100-fold; in addition, ConsumerLab.com’s tests showed four products contained a potentially toxic contaminant, citrinin.Red yeast ...

In the United States, more than 80.7 million adults have one or more types of cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to the American Heart Association (AHA). The association reported there are 8.1 million incidents of myocardial infarction (MI), also known as heart attack, and 5.8 million stroke incidents reported annually. Further, while men have a higher incidence of MI and women ...

 As the functional food and beverage markets continue to grow, more formulators are looking to increase consumers’ fiber intake, owing in part to USDA’s encouraging Americans to consume at least three or more 1-oz. equivalents of whole grains per day, which can reduce the risk of several chronic diseases and may help with weight maintenance. “Given that there is a ...

“Brother, brother, brother/there’s far too many of you dying.”The brothers, fathers, sons and boyfriends of the world face a challenge in getting and staying healthy. Males’ common fear of knowing about health problems plays into the lack of early diagnosis and treatment, in addition to indirectly limiting preventive intervention based on the connections found between diseases; but, the bulk of ...