Say Yes to Fish Oil!

Cleveland Heartlab cholesterol, diabetes, diet, heart attack and stroke, inflammation, Stroke, vitamins and supplements, women's health

Confused if you should be taking a fish oil supplement? That’s not surprising. Sometimes headlines say the omega-3 fatty acids in them can lower heart risks. Others say the opposite. But the data in favor of fish oil has been growing. Two recent studies show a strong benefit – especially if you don’t like or can’t eat fish itself. The …

Antibiotics and Heart Risk

Cleveland Heartlab diet, heart attack and stroke, lifestyle habits, TMAO, vitamins and supplements, women's health

Can Antibiotics Increase Your Heart Attack Risk? You may have heard that taking too many antibiotics can make them less helpful. This happens because bacteria become resistant to these medications over time. Sometimes, antibiotics may not work at all when you really need them and this can be quite dangerous. But there’s a new reason to be careful about taking …

Can Energy Drinks Harm Your Heart?

Cleveland Heartlab diet, exercise, heart attack and stroke, lifestyle habits, vitamins and supplements

Energy drinks are popular with people who want a power boost, including children and athletes. But these drinks, which contain caffeine, sugar, herbs, and other ingredients, may do more harm than good. A recent study from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston found that having just one energy drink had a bad effect on the flow of …

New Heart Benefits of Vitamin D

Cleveland Heartlab blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack and stroke, vitamins and supplements

Vitamin D plays many important roles in the body—from strengthening your bones to boosting your immune system to help keep you healthy. Research also shows it keeps your heart and blood vessels in good working condition. Here are a few of the ways the so-called “sunshine vitamin” keeps the heart strong and healthy: Preventing stroke A new report from Italy …

How Much Vitamin D Do You Need For Optimal Heart Health?

Cleveland Heartlab heart attack and stroke, vitamins and supplements

Not only are low levels of vitamin D linked to coronary artery disease (CAD), heart attack and stroke, but a new study reveals what specific level of deficiency may raise risk for these conditions.  As we recently reported, up to 75 percent of Americans are low in vitamin D, “the sunshine vitamin”. The study found that that patients with blood …

Inflammation Could Be the Top Threat to Your Health: Natural Ways to Fight It

Cleveland Heartlab diet, inflammation, lifestyle habits, vitamins and supplements

“Acute inflammatory response is often necessary to save your life, and yet chronic inflammatory response could lead to death,” because it’s been linked to everything from heart disease and stroke to Alzheimer’s disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and many other fatal conditions, Dr. Mark Kestner recently reported in an article titled, “Chronic inflammation will probably be what kills you.” New …

CoQ10: What are the Heart Health Benefits?

Cleveland Heartlab heart attack and stroke, vitamins and supplements

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) ranks among the bestselling supplements, with global sales predicted to reach $849 million by 2020, according to a recent study. Researchers report that CoQ10 may have significant benefits for people with cardiovascular disease (CVD), from reducing risk for repeat heart attacks and improving outcomes in patients with heart failure to lowering blood pressure and helping combat side …

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: A Natural Way to Lower Blood Pressure

Cleveland Heartlab blood pressure, diet, heart attack and stroke, vitamins and supplements

Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA–found in fatty fish and fish oil supplements–reduce blood pressure as effectively as lifestyle changes such as exercising more, cutting back on salt, or limiting alcohol, according to a recent meta-analysis published in American Journal of Hypertension. That’s good news for the 70 million Americans who suffer from hypertension (HTN). Defined as blood pressure of …

5 Surprising CVD Risks

Cleveland Heartlab inflammation, lifestyle habits, vitamins and supplements

Intriguing new research is helping solve the mystery of why some seemingly healthy people suffer heart attacks and other cardiovascular events, despite lacking any of the traditional risk factors. Indeed, if the five leading cardiovascular threats–smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and obesity–were entirely eliminated, only half of deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) would be prevented, according …

The Vitamin That Fights Inflammation

Cleveland Heartlab cancer, diabetes, inflammation, vitamins and supplements

A new study is the first to show that combining weight loss with an inexpensive vitamin supplement can reduce chronic inflammation more than weight loss alone. Chronic inflammation has been linked to a wide range of disorders, from cardiovascular disease to type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and even cancer. The findings from a randomized clinical trial at Fred Hutchinson …

Triglycerides May Predict Risk For Repeat Heart Attacks

Cleveland Heartlab biomarkers, cholesterol, heart attack and stroke, vitamins and supplements

Survivors of heart attacks and other acute coronary events are up to 61 percent more likely to suffer repeat events if they have high fasting triglycerides, according to new research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC).  The investigators examined outcomes in two studies of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS): sudden blockage of blood flow …

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help Fight Depression and Inflammation

Cleveland Heartlab diet, inflammation, vitamins and supplements

Omega-3 fatty acids may help treat depression, new research suggests. Found in oily fish, walnuts, flaxseed and other foods, as well as supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fight inflammation, which has been implicated in a wide range of disorders from cardiovascular disease to type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, as we recently reported. Now researchers are examining the link between inflammation …

4 Surprising Causes of High Blood Pressure

Cleveland Heartlab blood pressure, diabetes, vitamins and supplements

About 70 million Americans–one in three adults–have high blood pressure, but only about half of them have it under control.  That’s alarming since a new study by the CDC reports that U.S. deaths related to hypertension (HTN) have soared by 61.8 percent, from 245,220 in 2000 to 396,675 in 2013. The researchers examined files from the National Vital Statistics System …

5 Supplements that Boost Heart Health

Cleveland Heartlab heart attack and stroke, inflammation, vitamins and supplements

Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplements Omega-3 fish-oil supplements may have heart-protective benefits and reduce the “overall atherothombotic risk profile” of patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD), new research presented at the American College of Cardiology 2015 Scientific Sessions suggests. The study, which included 600 subjects with suspected CAD, found that those who took fish-oil supplements had significantly lower levels of …

6 Surprising Heart Health Benefits of Vitamin D 

Cleveland Heartlab heart attack and stroke, inflammation, vitamins and supplements

Getting enough vitamin D could add years to your life, since people with the lowest levels of the sunshine vitamin may have a 57 percent higher risk of early death from both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all causes combined, compared to those with the highest levels, according to a meta-analysis published in British Medical Journal. Despite these potential dangers, up …

5 Benefits Of Fish Oil For Heart And Brain Health

Cleveland Heartlab heart attack and stroke, inflammation, vitamins and supplements

Americans spend more than $1 billion a year on fish oil supplements to support heart health, fight inflammation, prevent diseases, and boost mental functioning. But how significant are cardiovascular benefits? Both supplements and fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna, herring, lake trout and sardines) are rich in two essential omega-3 fatty acids: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Some …