Fitness Protecting Your Heart

By Christine MillereDiets Contributor Statin medications, despite being highly prescribed and often recommended as the first choice for treating high

Protecting Your Heart Heart Smart Articles

Statin medications, despite being highly prescribed and often recommended as the first choice for treating high cholesterol, are not the only game in town for reducing cardiovascular risk. More than 15 years since their introduction to the pharmaceutical market, it is clear that statins do indeed block the liver's production of cholesterol and reduce the risk of dying from heart disease. But there's a natural agent, omega-3 from fatty fish or fish oil supplements, that's been shown to be more effective for reducing one's overall risk of death.

Omega-3 fatty acids come from fish, dietary supplements and by prescription in a highly concentrated product called Omacor. Though there are plant precursors of omega-3s in flax seeds, soy and walnuts, only small amounts of these plant precursors are converted into the active forms of omega-3 called EPA and DHA, which are found in fish such as salmon, rainbow trout, tuna, mackerel, sardines and herring.

Statins exist as a family of synthetic drugs including atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor), simvastatin (Zocor) and ezetimibe/simvastatin (Vytorin). Ultimately, both omega-3 fats and statins reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease. For people with diabetes, measures that reduce risk are especially critical since up to 80 percent of the people with diabetes will eventually succumb to this common complication.

In a first of its kind meta-analysis published in 2005 in The Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers set out to determine whether prescription medications (including statins) or omega-3 fatty acids were more effective for reducing the risk of death, particularly from heart-related causes.

Much to the surprise of many pharmaceutical companies, results of this meta-analysis revealed that foods and supplements rich in omega-3 fatty acids were significantly more effective than statin medications at reducing the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and all causes.

Risk from All Causes

Risk from Cardiovascular Causes

Omega-3 fatty acids

23 percent

32 percent

Statin medications

13 percent

22 percent

It is important to note that the design of this particular study, called a meta-analysis, is the highest form of evidence or research because it pools together the results from many (in this case, 97) different clinical studies and crunches all the numbers for more than 275,000 study participants. Furthermore, though it may seem gruesome, evaluating death rates is ultimately the most reliable way to determine how effective a treatment can be.

Although this study confirmed that both omega-3 fats and statin mediations reduce the risk of death, the study did not answer if a person would be better off taking fish oil, statins or both. Additionally, different studies used different amounts of omega-3 fats from various sources, including fish, fish oil and a few plant-based sources. As a result, it is difficult to say exactly how much omega-3 fats specifically would be recommended based on this meta-analysis.

What we do know is that the benefits of consuming two to three fatty fish meals each week is clearly beneficial for promoting a healthy heart for most healthy individuals. For those with pre-existing heart disease, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends 1,000 milligrams of omega-3 fat, preferably from fatty fish. The AHA goes further to recommend that those with high triglycerides consume 2,000-4,000 milligrams of omega-3 fats daily. It is important to note that different products contain differing amounts of EPA and DHA in the same size capsule. To determine the amounts, check the serving size on the bottle and add up the EPA and DHA.

Though statins are far more effective than omega-3 fatty acids for reducing bad cholesterol (LDL) levels, omega-3 fats are significantly more effective for lowering triglycerides. Omega-3 fats can lower triglycerides an impressive 20 to 45 percent while raising beneficial levels of good cholesterol (HDL) 5 to 10 percent. Other protective effects of omega-3 fats include reducing the tendency for blood to clot, reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure and helping to normalize heart rhythms.

We clearly know that both statins and omega-3 fats reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, yet we now understand that nature has created foods that are actually more effective than prescription medications for achieving protection over the long term. Further research is expected to elaborate on ways for determining which therapies, or combination of therapies, are most effective for individuals with specific risk factors.

Christine Miller is a registered and licensed dietitian, as well as a certified diabetes educator.

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Flu vaccine may not provide enough protection
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updated 6:34 p.m. CT, Fri., Feb. 8, 2008
WASHINGTON - The influenza vaccine given to Americans may not protect as well as expected, U.S. health officials said on Friday as the number of flu cases increased nationwide.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said slightly more than half of the influenza virus strains reported to its surveillance system are not good matches against the strains included in this flu seasons vaccine.

The number of states reporting widespread flu activity jumped to 31 this week compared with 11 a week ago, the CDC said. But Dr. Joe Bresee of the CDCs influenza division said there are no indications this flu season is worse than usual.

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Seasonal flu activity was slow to start this year but has increased sharply in recent weeks, Bresee told reporters.

One measure officials use to gauge the severity of the season is the number of flu-related child deaths. Bresee said the CDC has heard of six U.S. children who have died from the flu, a relatively low number compared with recent years.

Flu viruses mutate and change all the time, so every year a different vaccine is created as officials predict which particular strains will circulate.

The vaccine is designed to protect against three influenza strains two from Type A, an H1N1 and an H3N2 version, and one for Type B.

Bresee said about 30 percent of the overall strains of influenza in the United States may be a Type A strain that emerged in Australia called H3N2 A/Brisbane. It emerged too late to be included in the flu vaccine offered in the United States beginning in September and October.

The Type B strain chosen for this years vaccine also was not a good match for most of the B virus strains seen in the United States this flu season, Bresee said.

While a less-than-ideal virus match between the viruses in the vaccine and those circulating viruses can reduce vaccine effectiveness, we know from past influenza studies that the vaccine can still protect enough to make illness milder or prevent flu-related complications, Bresee said.


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Bresee noted that decisions on the composition of the annual vaccine are made about nine months before it is made available to the public in the fall, and it is sometimes hard to know that far in advance which strains will circulate.

Flu vaccines take months to make.

Bresee also said some resistance is being reported to the antiviral drug Tamiflu, made by Switzerlands Roche Holding AG and Gilead Sciences Inc of the United States. Of the viruses tested in CDC flu labs, 4.5 percent are resistant to the drug, Bresee said.

Influenza kills an estimated 36,000 Americans in an average year, and puts 200,000 into the hospital, the CDC said.

Copyright 2008 Reuters. Click for restrictions.
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Answer :
sometimes taking a flu shots give you the flu anyhow because of the pain and the liquid that is inside of it cause some people body s don t like the feel of pain that they get sick from it so i personally don t take any flu shots although they say that it is good and i don t take any for the simple fact that i know i will get sick just by the shot alone