Heart Floss

[Guest guest]

" HSI - Jenny Thompson " <HSIResearch

 

 

HSI e-Alert - Heart Floss

Wed, 23 Mar 2005 06:59:00 -0500

HSI e-Alert - Heart Floss

 

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

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March 23, 2005

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Dear Reader,

 

Want to help prevent heart disease? Then just take your dentist's

advice: brush and floss.

 

In previous e-Alerts I've told you about the growing evidence that

periodontal disease (an advanced form of gum inflammation) may be

linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Although scientists have

been aware of the association for several years, research is still in

the early stages.

 

This past week I came across a relatively large study from the

University of Minnesota (UM) that confirms the link. And although one

of the results doesn't quite square up with previous studies, this is

a welcome addition to the body of research on this important health issue.

 

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Follow the inflammation

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As reported in a February issue of the journal Circulation, the UM

team recruited more than 650 healthy subjects (with an average age of

about 70) who were enrolled in the Oral Infections and Vascular

Disease Epidemiology Study and had no history of stroke or heart attack.

 

Researchers collected more than 4,500 subgingival plaque samples (on

average, about seven samples per subject), and assessed the samples

for 11 types of periodontal bacteria. Cardiovascular risk factors were

also examined, including C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, white blood

cell count, and ultrasound scans of the carotid arteries (the major

arteries in the neck).

 

Analysis showed a significant association between high levels of

periodontal disease bacteria and a thickening of the carotid arteries.

Enlargement of carotid arteries is an indication that plaque may be

building up in other major arteries. In addition, subjects with

excessive bacteria in the gums had elevated white blood cell counts,

which is a marker for inflammation.

 

The UM team reported that elevated CRP (also an inflammation marker)

was not found to be associated with increased periodontal disease

bacteria. This conflicts with the findings of a 1997 study in which

subjects with advanced gum disease had significantly higher levels of

CRP compared to subjects who didn't have the disease. So while gum

disease appears to trigger inflammation, further studies will be

needed before we completely understand the specific links between

periodontal bacteria and an increased risk of obstructed arteries.

 

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Antioxidant shield

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So after you've brushed three times each day and flossed regularly,

there's another step you can take that may help prevent periodontal

disease.

 

A 2003 study from the UK examined 20 subjects - 10 with healthy gums,

and 10 with advanced gum disease. From each subject, researchers took

samples of gingival crevicular fluid, a solution within the gums that

is routinely released from the crevices under the teeth. All of the

subjects with healthy gums were shown to have high levels of the

antioxidant glutathione, while the subjects with periodontal disease

had substantially lower levels of glutathione. When blood serum levels

were tested for glutathione, the same disparity was recorded for the

two groups.

 

In several previous e-Alerts I've told you about glutathione - an

enormously effective antioxidant found in every cell of the body, most

notably in immune system cells. Glutathione has not only been shown to

protect against disease, but may also protect other antioxidants (such

as vitamins C and E) from oxidizing, prolonging and enhancing their

effectiveness.

 

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Get the NAC

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So, what's the best way to raise glutathione levels? One way NOT to do

it is by oral supplement. Taking glutathione orally is regarded as

ineffective because the molecules are too big to pass through the

intestinal walls to the blood stream. There is, however, an important

amino acid I've I've mentioned before called N-acetylcysteine (NAC)

that gives a powerful boost to your body's natural production of

glutathione.

 

The food sources that deliver glutathione precursors are meats and

fresh fruits and vegetables. But even with a diet high in the proteins

that supply glutathione amino acids, one of those amino acids -

cysteine - is more difficult than the others to come by. A natural

food component with high concentrations of glutathione precursors

(including cysteine) is milk-serum-protein concentrate - more simply

known as whey.

 

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....and another thing

 

Here's a recent headline from Ivanhoe Newswire that caught my eye:

 

" Diabetics Warned About Taking St. John's Wort "

 

Uh oh, I thought, that doesn't look good. But the details of the

article don't quite support the scare headline. Turns out, this is not

a warning for all diabetics, only type 2 diabetics, and only those who

are taking Avandia, a medication that helps control blood sugar.

 

The Ivanhoe article details a study from the University of Florida in

which 27 subjects were given eight mg of Avandia daily. In addition,

about half the group received either placebo or 900 mg daily of St.

John's Wort, the popular herbal treatment for mild depression. Blood

and urine samples showed that St. John's Wort accelerated the

elimination of Avandia, reducing its effectiveness.

 

In previous e-Alerts I've noted that St. John's Wort may interfere

with some prescription drugs. So even though the Florida trial was

small, it adds to our understanding of St. John's Wort, which is one

of the most widely used herbals in alternative medicine.

 

What the Ivanhoe article didn't mention is that Avandia has

interaction problems of its own. According to information posted on

the FDA web site, when Avandia is taken with other oral diabetes

medicines, there's a risk of " blood sugar becoming dangerously low. "

 

So it's a no-brainer: If you take Avandia, don't take St. John's Wort

or other oral drugs for diabetes.

 

Ah, but there's more. The FDA also cautions that in the few years

since Avandia was approved by the agency " there have been reports of

inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) and elevated liver enzymes. "

It's not known if these events are directly related to Avandia use,

but the class of drugs that Avandia is in has been associated with

" rare but serious liver injury, including liver failure leading to

transplant or death. "

 

Ouch.

 

No wonder then that the FDA advises doctors to evaluate liver health

before starting patients on Avandia. In addition, the FDA says blood

tests should be taken once every two months for the first year of

Avandia use to monitor liver enzymes, followed by less frequent but

regular blood checks from then on. Why? Because according to the

agency that approved the drug for sale: " Avandia's liver safety

profile is not fully determined yet. "

 

When I read that, I couldn't help but think: If St. John's Wort caused

hepatitis in some users, prompted rare but serious liver injury,

required several blood tests each year, and made blood sugar drop to

dangerously low levels when combined with certain drugs, do you

suppose the medical mainstream would be satisfied to hear that its

safety profile is not fully determined yet?

 

Again...a no-brainer.

 

To Your Good Health,

 

Jenny Thompson

Health Sciences Institute

 

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Sources:

 

" Periodontal Microbiota and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness: The Oral

Infections and Vascular Disease Epidemiology Study (INVEST) "

Circultion, Vol. 111, No. 5, 2/8/05, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

" Care For Gums, Care For Heart? " CBS News, 3/11/05, cbsnews.com

" Diabetics Warned About Taking St. John's Wort " Amanda Jackson,

Ivanhoe Newswire, 3/8/05, ivanhoe.com

" Avandia " Food and Drug Administration, fda.gov

 

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