Integrative Medicine Alert – April 11, 2012
April 11, 2012
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Carnitine for Cardiovascular Diseases
L-carnitine is both an amino acid and a conditionally essential nutrient, defined as an organic compound which is usually produced in sufficient quantities by the body. -
Bisphenol A and Canned Soup
This brief but important intervention trial was detailed recently in the pages of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The conclusion was that eating canned soup on a regular basis could rapidly increase the body load of BPA, high levels of which have been associated with a variety of illnesses. -
Vitamin D and Cardiovascular Health
Both vitamin D deficiency and supplementation with vitamin D are significantly associated with several cardiovascular outcomes, including mortality. -
MBSR for Type 2 DM: Does Reducing Stress Reduce Complications?
The first results of a 5-year study of the effects a mindfulness-based stress reduction program on medical complications and psychosocial outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes show prolonged reduction in psychological distress and depression compared to usual care. -
Pycnogenol and Coronary Artery Disease
Results from this small, 8-week crossover study suggest that the antioxidant Pycnogenol, which also possesses anti-inflammatory actions, could help improve endothelial function in people with stable coronary artery disease. -
Aspirin for Everyone?
Aspirin can reduce the risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction, but not mortality, in people without coronary vascular disease, at the expense of increased risk of bleeding. It should not be routinely recommended. -
Niacin and Coronary Heart Disease
Among patients with coronary heart disease and LDL-cholesterol levels less than 70 mg/dL, there is no incremental clinical benefit from the addition of niacin to statin therapy during a 36-month follow-up, despite improvements in HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels.