In This Issue….

· Industry slams B vitamins trial

· More calcium may lead to fewer strokes

· Aspirin non-responsiveness predicts thrombosis

· Zinc deficiency promotes inflammation

· Study links Lp-PLA₂ to oxidative stress

 

#1 CLINICAL UPDATE – Industry slams B vitamins trial

A clinical trial that concluded B vitamins do not reduce the risk of cardiovascular events or death among patients wiwth coronary heart disease has been criticized by industry for being poorly designed

(Journal of the American Medical Association, July 2008)          

LINK to FULL STORY 

LINK to ABSTRACT Mortality and cardiovascular events in patients treated with homocysteine-lowering B vitamins after coronary angiography: a randomized controlled trial.

 

 

#2 CLINICAL UPDATE – More calcium may lead to fewer strokes

An increased intake of calcium may reduce the risk of stroke by 30%, according to a new study from Japan

(Stroke, July 2008)

(Archives of Internal Medicine, March 2008)                    

LINK to FULL STORY 

LINK to ABSTRACT Dietary calcium intake and risks of stroke, its subtypes, and coronary heart disease in Japanese: the JPHC Study Cohort I

LINK to ABSTRACT Magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium intakes and risk of stroke in male smokers.

 

 

#3 CLINICAL UPDATE – Aspirin non-responsiveness predicts thrombosis

Study showed that patient non-responsiveness to both aspirin and clopidogrel independently predicted the likelihood of whether a stent would eventually become re-blocked

(Journal of the American College of Cardiology, August 2008)   

LINK to ABSTRACT Incidence and clinical impact of dual nonresponsiveness to aspirin and clopidogrel in patients with drug-eluting stents

 

 

#4 CLINICAL UPDATE – Zinc deficiency promotes inflammation

Scientists demonstrate how zinc-deficient cells increased secretion of several inflammatory compounds due to the disruption in the cell membrane barrier, which did not happen in cells replete with zinc

(Journal of Nutrition, September 2008)    

LINK to ABSTRACT Zinc deficiency induces membrane barrier damage and increases neutrophil transmigration in caco-2 cells

 

#5 CLINICAL UPDATE – Study links Lp-PLA₂ to oxidative stress

Markers of oxidative stress were elevated in patients that also had higher Lp-PLA­_2­, supporting the proatherogenic role of Lp-PLA₂ in coronary artery disease_­­

(American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, September 2008)         

LINK to ABSTRACT Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity is associated with coronary artery disease and markers of oxidative stress: a case-control study