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| In This Issue |
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Research Report Says
Low-Fat Diets Don’t Work.
Is there Anything to It?
The report of a major study on the effectiveness of low-fat diets made the front page of the daily newspapers recently and was the lead story on TV news. In one sense, it justified this kind of sensational exposure, because it was an enormous undertaking – more than 49,000 women interviewed at an expenditure of $415 million dollars by the National Health Institute. Its conclusions were sensational as well, because they ran counter to popular nutritional counsel: Low-fat diets do not reduce the risk of heart disease or cancer.
But there is much to consider about the study, and experts have opinions, the most important of which is that “dieters should not just throw up their hands and eat cake.” Even if a moderate low-fat diet – the diet in this study – does not prevent cancer or a heart attack, it may help you in controlling your weight, and there are many benefits to be had from healthy weight management. Heart disease prevention pioneer Dr. Dean Ornish in his comment on the study argues that the low-fat diet trial period was not long enough. The study population was 50 years old and older. It is not a good idea to wait until you are 50 to begin watching your fat intake. Good nutrition is a lifetime pursuit.
If there is one important lesson to take away from a study like this that gets such exaggerated play in the popular media, it is that there is no simple “one-size-fits-all” rule for overall health maintenance and disease prevention. Smart dieting with limits on fat consumption must go along with other strict disciplines: no smoking, regular exercise, stress reduction, and sensible moderation in all things.
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| Product of the Month |
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Blood Pressure Support
Blood Pressure Support contains a combination of nutrients designed by Dr. Vagnini to modulate blood pressure. Its major components are nine amino acids, minerals and herbs that have been proven to help control blood pressure. This formula can be used in conjunction with the Healthy Heart Formula and not only does it help control blood pressure but will enhance heart function. This formula is compatible with all blood pressure medications, heart medications and cholesterol lowering medications.
Supplement Facts:
Serving Size:4 Tablets |
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Vitamin B6
(from 150mg pyridoxine-phosphate) |
100mg
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Chromium
(as chromium dinicotinate glycinate) |
50mcg
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Potassium
(as potassium citrate) |
99mg
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| Taurine |
1,000mg
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| Garlic Bulb |
600mg
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| L-Arginine (HCI) |
500mg
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| Hawthorn berry |
300mg
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Diuretic Blend
(buchu leaf 4:1 extract, juniper berry 4:1
extract, green tea leaf,uva ursi leaf 4:1
extract) |
150mg
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Other Ingredients: Dicalcium,phosphate, microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium, stearic acid, silica, Magnesium stearate and pharmeceutical glaze.
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More on Women and Disease Risks
For the past two years, the American Heart Association has mounted a campaign to raise awareness among women of their heart disease risks. They’re different from men’s. It’s called the Red Dress campaign. The low-fat study discussed here was sponsored by the Women’s Health Initiative of the National Institutes of Health. Its formal title is Woman’s Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Dietary Modification Trial.
Research on the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease has in the past focused on men. Now women are getting equal time. In January, WISE was reported. The Women’s Ischemic Syndrome Evaluation study found that heart disease arterial plaques form in women differently than in men, and for that reason the disease is more difficult to diagnose. A woman’s symptoms of a heart attack can also differ from a man’s. It could be as subtle as a headache or an upset stomach. The Red Dress campaign advises women to be as aware as men of their “numbers.” Have your doctor check these:
Total cholesterol < 200; LDL < 160; blood pressure < 120/80; fasting blood sugar < 100; BMI < 25; waistline < 35 inches; and 30 minutes a day of exercise.
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WCH and Ambulatory
BP Measurement
 “White coat hypertension” may seem an anachronism, since today most doctors do not wear white coats in their offices. I don’t now; although I did for many years. This semi-technical phrase, abbreviated WCH, has an important meaning. It is a fact that for some patients their blood pressure rises when it is measured in the doctor’s office, thus presenting a false reading: higher than it may be in a home setting. I have countered this problem by directing my patients to take their blood pressure at home and report it to me. An even more sophisticated solution is the Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor (ABPM) (Shown in the photo is the cuff and its attachment to the electronic data collection console.), which a patient wears for a 24 hour period like a Holter heart rhythm monitor. Research has shown that readings around the clock using the ABPM provide a more definitive set of blood pressure data, especially for gauging the liability of a patient’s hypertension doing organ damage. The ABPM readings may also give the doctor a better understanding of the efficacy of the antihypertensive medications the patient is taking. Are they controlling the patient’s blood pressure around the clock? Or are there lapses that require an adjustment?
While the ABPM is collecting and storing data on blood pressure, it is also recording heart rate readings – like the Holter. These can be analyzed together with the PB readings to provide useful information for heading off cardiac problems. Some ABPMs on the market – and there are many – have the capability of interfacing with computers and displaying charts of the patient’s 24-hour blood pressure cycle on the monitor for analysis. ABPMs are expensive, with high-end units priced at over $3000.
The latest stats on Hypertension
The federal health report for 2005 shows that nearly 50% of Americans between ages 55-65 have high blood pressure. As this age group expands with “baby boomers,” the incidence of hypertension increases, says the report.
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Controlling Blood Pressure
without Drugs
I have always been a proponent of natural therapies for blood pressure control as well as for treating other cardio-related conditions. Natural therapies include supplements that I have formulated and recommend, such as Blood Pressure Support, which contains a combination of nutrients: amino acids, minerals, and herbs that have been proven to help control blood pressure.
Interesting and curious is another non-pharmaceutical approach. The British medical journal Heart published a report of research finding that “listening to fast music increases blood pressure, whereas listening to slower music has the opposite effect.” The study was done by doctors in Italy and Great Britain. Subjects listened to various types of music, ranging from Beethoven and Vivaldi to Indian raga and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Music with the faster tempo increased heart rate and blood pressure and vice versa for slow rhythms. The type of music didn’t seem to matter. The effect is similar to stress reduction accomplished by deep breathing. I have a whole chapter on “Defeating Stress” in my book, 30 Minutes a Day to a Healthy Heart. The practice of relaxing with deep breathing or music can be as good as a blood pressure pill.
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| About Dr. Vagnini |
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Dr. Frederic J. Vagnini is one of the most unique physicians and health educators in the world. After graduation from St. Louis University School of Medicine in 1963, Dr. Vagnini underwent 8 years of post doctorate
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