Summary Scientific evidence shows that a deficiency of different micronutrients, including vitamin D, is associated with coronary artery disease, which occurs when the heart’s blood supply is blocked or interrupted by a build-up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries. Therefore, this Chinese study researched the effects of vitamin D supplementation on the severity of…
Summary The present study was conducted by Chinese and Swedish research institutes and evaluated whether B vitamins improve various factors related to coronary artery disease. The participants received either a supplement containing B vitamins or a placebo for 12 weeks. Blood tests were performed before supplementation and at the end of the study. The study…
Summary This study aimed to evaluate the effect of vitamin D on the function of the cardiovascular system in patients who underwent a minimal coronary procedure. During this study, 41 coronary artery disease patients were allocated to a group receiving the standard treatment in combination with a vitamin D supplement or a group receiving only…
Summary Researchers from the University of Kathmandu, Nepal, investigated the causal effects of several micronutrients, including zinc, on coronary artery disease. Dietary intakes of 466 male participants were evaluated with a specific questionnaire. Several analyses were performed to determine the relationship between coronary artery disease and the intake of micronutrients. This study showed that zinc…
Summary This Japanese study aimed to evaluate the effects of magnesium and taurine supplementation on oxidative stress and the function of specific cells involved in cellular repair processes. Healthy men and rats received taurine, magnesium, or placebo for 2 respectively 4 weeks during this study. The study showed that magnesium and taurine supplementation increased the…
Summary According to this Australian study, omega-3 fatty acids improve the vascular condition, including the aorta, by decreasing vascular inflammation and preventing the risk of heart attacks due to their anti-inflammatory properties. The study, which involved participants with a high risk for severe cardiovascular diseases, evaluated the impact of omega-3 fatty acids on vascular condition…
Summary Low magnesium levels may increase the risk of arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). A trial, conducted by two American universities, therefore aimed to assess the effect of oral magnesium (400 mg magnesium oxide daily) on atrial fibrillation, an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm. A total of 59 participants received either 400 mg/day magnesium orally…
Summary This trial investigated the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on vascular function and inflammation levels in patients with arterial diseases, which influence the risk of cardiovascular events. 70 patients received 4 grams of omega-3 fatty acids or a placebo daily for 3 months. After treatment with omega-3 fatty acids, a significant improvement was observed…
Summary Iranian researchers aimed to evaluate the effect of L-carnitine administration on atrial fibrillation, a common complication in patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery. Additionally, an inflammation marker (CRP) and the incidence of kidney injury after surgery were assessed. 134 patients were involved and assigned to a supplementation group, receiving 3000 mg of L-carnitine per day,…
Summary According to this study conducted by the University of Wuhan (China), coenzyme Q10 decreases oxidative stress, which supports the development of atrial fibrillation and heart failure. Patients were divided into two groups. The test group received an additional coenzyme Q10 supplement. Simultaneously, patients in the control group only received common drugs. Several measurements were…
Summary This review summarizes literature and studies regarding coenzyme Q10 supplementation in patients with heart failure. For example, a clinical trial demonstrated a reduced number of major adverse cardiovascular events after coenzyme Q10 supplementation in patients with heart failure. Generally, coenzyme Q10 may represent a safe therapeutic option for these patients. For more details, please…
Summary Inflammation plays a critical role in coronary artery disease. In the present study, Taiwanese research departments, therefore, investigated whether L-carnitine supplementation is able to reduce inflammation in patients with this disease. 23 (out of 47) participants were assigned to a test group that received an L-Carnitine supplement (1000 mg/day) for 12 weeks. The other…
Summary Endothelial dysfunction, the impaired functioning of the lining of blood vessels, is associated with a worse prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure. Japanese scientists, therefore, aimed to investigate whether coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinol) can improve the function of heart tissue (endothelium) in patients with chronic heart failure. 14 patients received either 400 mg coenzyme…
Summary Research departments from Italy and South Africa evaluated the effects of ubiquinol (coenzyme Q10) in elderly patients undergoing aortic valve replacement. 50 patients received either 400 mg/day ubiquinol (25 patients) or a placebo (25 patients) from 7 days before to 5 days after surgery. Among others, coenzyme Q10 levels and inflammation parameters were assessed,…
Summary This Taiwanese study aimed to investigate the lipid-lowering effects of L-carnitine supplementation in coronary artery disease patients. During this study, 47 patients were divided into a group receiving 1000 mg/day L-carnitine orally (23 patients) and a group receiving a placebo (24 patients) for 12 weeks. L-carnitine levels and various lipids, including cholesterol, HDL, and…
Summary According to this study by Iranian and Canadian researchers, co-supplementation with vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids improves several factors increasing the risk for cardiovascular diseases in type 2 diabetic patients. The study was executed with 61 vitamin D-deficient diabetic patients with coronary heart disease. The participants were allocated to either a group receiving…
Summary This review, conducted by several research departments from New York, USA, and Naples, Italy, focuses on the functional role of arginine, an amino acid involved in various critical biological processes in, for instance, heart and vascular tissue. Additionally, this review analyzes the beneficial effects of arginine supplementation in cardiovascular disorders, especially in preventing high…
Summary This review by an American and a Korean research department discusses the diverse functions, effects, and mechanisms of taurine as a therapeutic agent. Cells lacking taurine develop several disorders. Various studies show the beneficial functions of taurine as a therapeutic agent in cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, high blood pressure, and atherosclerosis. Further…
Summary This Iranian study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the amino acid taurine in patients with heart failure. 16 patients with heart failure were involved in the study and divided into two groups: a supplementation group (8 patients), receiving 500 mg taurine three times per day for two weeks, and a placebo group (8…
Summary This Iranian study aimed to investigate the effect of l-arginine supplementation on various heart functions and the quality of life in 50 patients with heart failure. During 10 weeks, the patients received either a supplement containing 3 g l-arginine per day or a placebo. Heart function, blood pressure, and quality of life were assessed…
Summary A Chinese research institute aimed to investigate whether a daily vitamin B supply can improve the risk of cardiovascular diseases in healthy elderly. To this end, 390 healthy participants, aged 60 to 74 years, were administered with either vitamin C or vitamin C plus several B vitamins for 12 months daily. A risk predictor…
Summary This Iranian study investigated the effects of a combined omega-3 and vitamin E supplementation in patients with coronary artery disease. Both substances play a critical role in regulating oxidative stress and inflammation processes. 60 male patients with coronary artery disease were involved in the study and categorized into three groups: the first group received…
Summary This Iranian study aimed to investigate the beneficial effect of grape seed extract and vitamin C in oxidative stress and tissue damage induced during coronary artery bypass surgery. Therefore, 87 patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery were assigned to three groups of each 29 patients. The first group was a control group without treatment; the…
Summary L-carnitine blood levels are reduced after coronary artery bypass surgery. Therefore, a Brazilian trial aimed to verify whether L-carnitine supplementation could be beneficial in the recovery of L-carnitine levels in heart failure patients submitted to bypass surgery. The participants were divided into a supplementation group, administered with an oral dose of 50 mg/kg L-carnitine…
Summary This Iranian study investigated the effects of L-carnitine supplementation on the heart function of patients with beta-thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder associated with anemia that may lead to various heart conditions. During this study, 60 beta-thalassemia patients were divided into two groups and were treated with either L-carnitine or a placebo for 6 months.…
Summary This study, executed by an Iranian and a Croatian university, aimed to analyze the effects of magnesium and zinc supplements on glucose levels, oxidative stress, and inflammation in patients with coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes. In this study, 60 patients were divided into either a group receiving a placebo or a group…
Summary Taurine is a common substance in human tissues, which influences cell function, among others. This review, conducted by researchers from the University of Melbourne, gives an overview of the anti-inflammatory effects of taurine on cardiovascular diseases. Taurine has been shown, for instance, to prevent cardiovascular diseases, including coronary artery disease, inducing a prolonged life…
Summary This review, executed by research departments from Romania and China, aimed to elucidate the role of multiple micronutrient supplementation in heart failure patients. For this review, several publications were evaluated, which investigated the efficacy of micronutrient supplementation in heart failure. These publications showed that micronutrient supplementation induces improved health outcomes in heart failure patients…
Summary This study, conducted by the universities of Rio de Janeiro and Glasgow, aimed to evaluate the effects of oral magnesium supplementation on blood pressure and vascular function in women with high blood pressure. The participants were divided into a group receiving a magnesium supplement (600 mg/day) and a group receiving a placebo. In addition,…
Summary This review by researchers from the University of Minneapolis, USA analyzed the results from clinical trials investigating the efficacy of magnesium supplementation for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Low magnesium levels are commonly observed in heart failure, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular diseases. They are also a predictor for cardiovascular diseases and related…
Summary This Canadian review gives an overview of the beneficial effects of taurine in cardiovascular diseases. Studies demonstrate that taurine has a protective role for cells. Additionally, literature also shows the antioxidant properties of taurine. Therefore, supplementation of taurine is necessary and should be considered to treat cardiovascular diseases. More details can be found in…
Summary This review by Russian and Moldavian research institutes gives an overview of studies on the role of coenzyme Q10 in cardiovascular diseases. It shows that coenzyme Q10 supplementation can be a beneficial method to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases, like high blood pressure, ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and heart muscle inflammation.…
Summary This study by Australian researchers investigated the effects of omega-3 fish oil supplementation on cardiovascular health. 20 young and healthy adults were involved in this study. Participants were divided into either a group receiving an omega-3 supplement or a placebo product. Among others, omega-3 levels and heart rate were measured. The results showed a…
Summary This Turkish study investigated the preventive effect of high-dose vitamin D supplementation on the occurrence of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass surgery. 116 patients with vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency were divided into two groups: 58 patients (treatment group) received oral vitamin D 48h before the surgery. The other group, which also included…
Summary This Iranian study aimed to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of dietary antioxidants on several cardiovascular risk factors in patients waiting for coronary artery bypass surgery. In this study, 454 hospitalized patients aged between 35 and 80 years were involved. Vitamin D levels and other parameters and were measured in blood. Also, the level…
Summary This trial was conducted by Iranian researchers who examined the effects of vitamin D on heart cell death and changes in parameters indicating inflammation in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery. 70 patients were involved and divided into two groups. The patients received either a vitamin D supplement or a placebo for 3…
Summary The study aimed to investigate the effect of a dietary supplement on the nutritional status of healthy adults and various biomarkers of heart disease. During the 8-week study period, 60 participants received a dietary supplement consisting of multivitamins, multiminerals, and phytonutrients. It was found that the subjects’ nutritional status improved, and cardiovascular biomarkers were…
Summary Coronary heart disease is a narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries usually caused by the buildup of plaque. In this study, Turkish scientists investigated the vasodilatory effect of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (α-tocopherol) – i.e., their ability to widen blood vessels – in patients with coronary heart disease. For this…
Summary High oxidative stress and chronic inflammation may contribute to the development of coronary heart disease. Therefore, a study from Taiwan investigated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of coenzyme Q10 in patients with coronary heart disease who were taking statins. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups. One group received 300 mg of coenzyme…
Summary In this study from China, subjects with stable coronary heart disease were evaluated for a positive change in their inflammation levels and blood lipids following vitamin B supplementation. After 12 weeks, concentrations of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and HDL levels were significantly improved. A change in homocysteine blood levels, considered a risk factor for numerous…
Summary The present study investigated whether dietary supplementation with vitamin C can reduce the length of ICU and hospital stay after cardiac surgery. The study involved 290 adults who received 2 g of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) intravenously immediately before surgery. Daily oral administration of 1 g of vitamin C was also given for the…
Summary This study addressed the question of whether oral intake of vitamin C can reduce the incidence of atrial fibrillation after on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. One hundred patients were studied and divided into two groups. Group 1 received 2 g of oral vitamin C before surgery and 500 mg of vitamin C…
Summary This meta-analysis was conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the effect of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on coronary heart disease. For this purpose, 18 randomized controlled trials and 16 prospective cohort studies were analyzed. The studies suggest that the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA are associated with a reduced…
Summary This study investigated the effects of an increased dietary intake of vitamin C, carotenoids, and α-tocopherol (vitamin E) on the risk of cardiovascular disease. For this purpose, 69 prospective studies were analyzed that included participants who adjusted their diet according to an increased vitamin intake. The result showed that the intake of vitamin C,…
Summary A systematic review and meta-analysis were used to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with coenzyme Q10 on the lipid profile of patients with coronary heart disease. The lipid profile is considered an important indicator for the development of heart disease. 8 studies were included, with 267 participants in intervention groups and 259 in…
Summary Increased adipose tissue is associated with a higher risk of metabolic disease and arteriosclerosis. This study from the USA investigated whether aged garlic extract can inhibit the progression of arteriosclerosis. Sixty volunteers took part in this study who took garlic extract for 12 months. At the end of the study period, the researchers found…
Summary A meta-analysis examined eight studies that included 267 participants in intervention groups and 259 subjects in placebo groups. The analysis results showed that taking coenzyme Q10 significantly lowered total cholesterol levels and increased HDL (“good cholesterol”) cholesterol levels in participants with coronary heart disease. Please see the study for more information. References Mohammad Vahid…
Summary A clinical study among more than 40,000 Japanese people, investigated the association between the intake of green tea, which is rich in natural polyphenols, and the occurrence of cardiovascular disease and cancer. The consumption of large quantities of green tea was associated with a significant reduction in cardiovascular mortality, including a clear reduction in…
Summary In a clinical study in Stockholm, the association between the use of multivitamin supplements and the occurrence of heart attacks was investigated in almost 3,000 study participants. Participants taking multivitamins had a significantly reduced risk of heart attacks. Further details can be found in the study. References Mary L Fantacone, Malcolm B Lowry, Sandra L Uesugi…
Summary A study involving 11,348 adult Americans aged 25-74 years showed that both overall mortality and mortality from cardiovascular disease were associated with daily vitamin C intake. The subjects with the highest vitamin C intake had a 40% reduced risk of CVD mortality. More details can be found in the study. References Enstrom et al.…