cardiac

A study folowing nearly 500 patients with existing cardiovascular disease for more than two decades has found that insulin resistance is linked to faster cognitive decline in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients.

Executive function and memory were particularly affected.

Insulin resistance is a condition in which cells fail to respond normally to the hormone insulin, and so require higher levels of insulin to get the amount of glucose they need. But without sufficient insulin, excess glucose builds up in the bloodstream, leading to prediabetes, diabetes, and other serious health disorders.

Exercising, maintaining a balanced and healthy diet, and watching your weight, will help you prevent insulin resistance.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-03/ip-irm032317.php

Lutski M, Weinstein G, Goldbourt U, Tanne D. Insulin Resistance and Future Cognitive Performance and Cognitive Decline in Elderly Patients with Cardiovascular Disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2017 Mar 10. doi: 10.3233/JAD-161016

Data from 1,588 dementia-free older adults (average age 79.5) from the very long-running Rush Memory and Aging Project found that a higher cardiovascular risk burden was associated with faster decline in episodic memory, working memory and perceptual speed. It didn’t significantly affect semantic memory or visuospatial ability.

Cardiovascular risk was assessed using the Framingham General Cardiovascular Risk Scores (FGCRS).

Brain scans for some of these participants also found that higher FGCRS was associated with smaller volumes of hippocampus, cortical gray matter and total brain, and a greater volume of white matter hyperintensities. Decreases in hippocampal and gray matter are typical markers of Alzheimer’s.

Episodic memory and working memory were related to hippocampal volume, but perceptual speed was associated with white matter hyperintensities.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-05/acoc-mhh051420.php

Song, R., Xu, H., Dintica, C. S., Pan, K.-Y., Qi, X., Buchman, A. S., Bennett, D. A., & Xu, W. (2020). Associations Between Cardiovascular Risk, Structural Brain Changes, and Cognitive Decline. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 75(20), 2525–2534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.03.053

Here are some nut studies that link to benefits in connection with diabetes, heart disease, and inflammation. However, it should be noted that they are often very small, and usually funded by nut organizations. I wouldn't put too much weight on such.

Nuts linked to improved type 2 diabetes health

A 3-month study involving 117 older adults (mean age 62) with diabetes found that 75g of nuts (½ a cup) a day, as a replacement for carbohydrate foods, can improve glycemic control and blood lipids in those with type 2 diabetes.

The nuts used were a mixed lot of tree nuts (almonds, Brazils, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, macadamias and walnuts) and peanuts. improved blood lipid levels and blood sugar levels in individuals with non-insulin dependent diabetes.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-05/mp-itn052218.php

Jenkins, D.J.A., C.W.C. Kendall, B. Lamarche, M.S. Banach, K. Srichaikul, E. Vidgen, S. Mitchell, T. Parker, S. Nishi, B. Bashyam, R. de Souza, C. Ireland, S.C. Pichika, J. Beyene, J.L. Sievenpiper, R.G. Josse, 2018. Nuts as a replacement for carbohydrates in the diabetic diet: a reanalysis of a randomised controlled trial. Diabetologia https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-018-4628-9

Eating pecans had significant effect on biomarkers of heart disease and type 2 diabetes

A very small 4-week study involving 26 overweight and obese adults (average age 59) found that those given a diet with pecans substituted for 15% of the total calories significantly improved insulin sensitivity and had a significant effect on markers of cardiometabolic disease.

Both the control diet and the pecan-rich diet were low in fruits, vegetables and fiber.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-03/kc-n-eph032218.php

The study entitled "A Pecan-Rich Diet Improves Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Overweight and Obese Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial" is available online and was presented at the American Society for Nutrition Annual Conference, Nutrition 2018 held in Boston in June.

A handful of nuts a day cuts the risk of a wide range of diseases

A review of 29 studies involving some 819,000 participants has concluded that people who eat at least 20g of nuts (a handful) a day have a 30% lower risk of heart disease, as well as lower risks of cancer, respiratory disease, and diabetes.

The study included all kinds of tree nuts, and also peanuts. The results were in general similar. There was little evidence of further improvement in health outcomes as a result of eating more than 20g of nuts.

Nuts and peanuts are high in fibre, magnesium, and polyunsaturated fats. Some nuts, particularly walnuts and pecan nuts are also high in antioxidants.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-12/icl-aho120216.php

Link between nut intake and inflammatory biomarkers

Data from 5,013 men and women participating in the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study has revealed that higher nut intake (5 or more times per week) was associated with lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein (CRP) and Interleukin 6 (IL6)).

Research has also shown that nut consumption may be inversely related to body mass index (BMI), which is a strong determinant of inflammatory biomarkers, so it may be that the associations between nut intake and inflammatory markers are mediated in part through BMI.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-07/mp-itn072716.php

Data from more than 25,000 female health professionals who participated in the Women's Health Study has revealed a 25% reduction in cardiovascular risk among those who consumed a diet rich in plants and olive oil and low in meats and sweets.

Changes in signals of inflammation accounted for 29% of the cardiovascular risk reduction), glucose metabolism and insulin resistance 27.9%, and body max index 27.3%. There were also connections to blood pressure, various forms of cholesterol, and other biomarkers, but these were less important.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-12/bawh-rew120718.php

A very small trial involving 10 healthy males aged 18 to 35 found that drinks made from 200g and 400g of frozen raspberries produced improved blood vessel function when tested after 2 hours and after 24 hours.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/wh-nhs070918.php

Istas, G. Feliciano, R. Weber, T. Garcia-Villalba, R. Tomas-Barberan, F. Heiss, C. Rodriguez-Mateos, A. Plasma urolithin metabolites correlate with improvements in endothelial function after red raspberry consumption: a double-blind randomized controlled trial. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics. May, 2018.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003986118302169

An updated systematic review of 25 years of research on the effect of walnut consumption on cardiovascular risk factors suggest that walnut-enriched diets may lead to significantly greater reductions in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and apolipoprotein B, compared to control diets.

Walnut consumption had no adverse effects on body weight or blood pressure.

Most of the trials in this review had relatively small sample sizes, which could limit the ability to determine significant effects, and in some cases, the amount of walnuts consumed was relatively large and might be difficult to maintain in a real-world setting. However, researchers still saw significant benefits when lower amounts of walnuts were consumed (less than 28 grams per day), particularly with total and LDL cholesterol.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/es-sre071218.php

Guasch-Ferré M, Li J, Hu FB, et al. Effects of walnut consumption on blood lipids and other cardiovascular risk factors: an updated meta-analysis and systematic review of controlled trials [published online ahead of print June 21, 2018]. Am J Clin Nutr. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy091

Banel HK, Hu FB. Effects of walnut consumption on blood lipids and other cardiovascular risk factors: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;90(1):56-63.

A six-month study involving 138 overweight and obese older adults (50-75) with Metabolic Syndrome found that eating one cup of blueberries per day resulted in sustained improvements in vascular function and arterial stiffness, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease by 12-15%. There was no benefit of a smaller 75 gram (half cup) daily intake of blueberries.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-05/uoea-ebe053019.php

• Long-known to lower LDL cholesteral, a new study shows oats also impact other markers that may be better measures of cardiovascular risk for those with diabetes or metabolic syndrome.
• An experimental study shows that whole grain foods significantly lower blood pressure compared to eating the equivalent refined grain foods.
• A review of population studies shows that the more whole grains you eat, the lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Eating oats lowers cholesterol on 3 markers

It’s long been known that eating oats can lower cholesterol levels, but the research focus has been on the effect on LDL cholesterol. However, there is growing evidence that two other markers provide an even more accurate assessment of cardiovascular risk:

• non-HDL cholesterol (total cholesterol minus HDL cholesterol)
• apolipoprotein B (apoB) — a lipoprotein that carries LDL cholesterol through the blood.

This is especially true for people with metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes, since they typically don't have elevated LDL cholesterol levels.

In light of this, it’s good to see a review and meta-analysis of 58 clinical trials has concluded that eating oat fibre can reduce all three markers.

The reason is thought to lie in beta-glucan, a viscous soluble fibre, for which oats are a rich source. Oat bran contains twice as much as oat meal.

The review found that overall, LDL cholesterol was reduced by 4.2%, non-HDL cholesterol by 4.8% and apoB by 2.3%.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-10/smh-rse100616.php

Whole grain diet reduces cardiovascular disease risk

A study involving 33 overweight and obese adults who followed a whole grain diet for eight weeks and a refined grain diet during another eight week period, found that those on the whole grain diet saw a more than three-fold improvement in diastolic blood pressure compared to the refined grain diet.

This improvement equates to reducing the risk of death from heart disease by almost one-third, and the risk of death from a stroke by two-fifths.

Participants were under 50. Before age 50, an elevated diastolic blood pressure is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk (diastolic is the bottom number, when you’re given a blood pressure reading).

Overall, there were substantial reductions in body weight, fat loss, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol during both diet periods, but these differences were due to the people changing their normal dietary habits to carefully controlled diets. The order of diets was randomized, and there was a ten week period between them. The 33 participants included 6 men and 27 women.

The finding is supported by a meta-analysis of 45 different population studies that investigated whole grain intake in relation to risk of future illness or death due to specific causes. The review found that eating three more portions of whole grain foods a day was associated with a lower risk for all cardiovascular diseases and for dying of cancer, diabetes, and respiratory and infectious diseases. Three servings would be, say, two slices of whole-grain bread and one bowl of whole-grain cereal.

The benefits were dose-dependent, with the lowest risk found among those with the highest intake of whole-grain products: 7 to 7 ½ servings of whole grain products a day. This corresponds to 210-225 grams of whole grain products in fresh weight and about 70-75 grams of whole grains in dry weight.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-10/cc-ccs101816.php

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-06/nuos-sso061516.php

Ho, H., Sievenpiper, J., Zurbau, A., Blanco Mejia, S., Jovanovski, E., Au-Yeung, F., . . . Vuksan, V. (2016). The effect of oat β-glucan on LDL-cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and apoB for CVD risk reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials. British Journal of Nutrition, 116(8), 1369-1382. doi:10.1017/S000711451600341X

Kirwan, J. P., Malin, S. K., Scelsi, A. R., Kullman, E. L., Navaneethan, S. D., Pagadala, M. R., … Ross, A. B. (2016). A Whole-Grain Diet Reduces Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Overweight and Obese Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of Nutrition, 146(11), 2244–2251. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.116.230508

Aune Dagfinn, Keum NaNa, Giovannucci Edward, Fadnes Lars T, Boffetta Paolo, Greenwood Darren C et al. Whole grain consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all cause and cause specific mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies BMJ 2016; 353 :i2716 http://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i2716