What Other Women Say

I recently lost 40 lbs and started to get in shape. I joined a gym and really started paying attention to what I ate. My mother died of a heart attack at 54 and I was headed the same way. My doctor told me about Heart Health and how important it was to make sure I was doing all I could to protect myself. I started taking Heart Health last month and feel good that I am doing all I can to live a long life. PS It was really easy to order online and your staff were great. Keep up the great work!

Shelley
New York, NY

Omega-3-fatty acids
Intake of omega-3 fatty acids, whether from dietary sources or fish oil supplements, should be increased, especially in those with or at risk for coronary artery disease.
March 2008 Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2008; 83(3): 324-332).

The American Heart Association recommends one gram (1000 milligrams) of fish oil daily for patients with coronary heart disease.

EPA & DHA help optimize heart health
Two major components of fish oil are EPA and DHA.
EPA, known as eicosapentaenoic acid, is required by the body to produce prostaglandins that control blood clotting and lower serum triglyceride levels.
DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, has been found benefical as well for the human brain and eye health. The proper ratio of these two, as found in the formula, help optimize heart health.

Both DHA and EPA should be consumed. Target DHA and EPA consumption levels are about 1 g/d for those with known coronary artery disease and at least 500 mg/d for those without disease. Patients with hypertriglyceridemia benefit from treatment with 3–4 g/d of DHA and EPA, a dosage that lowers triglyceride levels by 20–50%.
March 2008 Mayo Clinic Proceedings (2008; 83(3): 324-332).

Low Betaine levels may represent an unfavorable cardiovascular risk factor
Betaine is a naturally occurring compound found in beets and other foods. It is a methyl donor in a separate homocysteine pathway to B vitamins.

In one study of population-based study of 7074 men and women aged 47–49 and 71–74 years, women were found to have lower betaine levels than men. Betaine was inversely associated with serum non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, BMI, percent body fat, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.0001 for all), and smoking (P < 0.05) and positively associated with HDL cholesterol (P < 0.01) and physical activity (P < 0.0001). Thus, an unfavorable cardiovascular risk factor profile was associated with low betaine concentrations.
Konstantinova et al, J Nutrition 2008 138:5

CLA may benefit cardiovascular health
CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid, has a positive alteration on fat oxidation and energy expenditure during sleep. Other studies suggest that CLA, derived from safflower oil, has benefit in the maintenance of cardiovascular health.
Close et al, Am J Clin Nutr 2007 86:3
Lee et al, Atherosclerosis 1994 108:1
Sakano et al, Lipids 1999 34:9
Truitt et al, Biochim Biophys Acta 1999 1438:2
Rudel et al, British J Nutrition 1999 81:3.

Co Enzyme Q10 helps provide fuel to every cell in the body
Co Enzyme Q10 levels are reported to decrease with age and are low in patients with chronic diseases such as heart conditions. CoQ10 is found in virtually every cell of the body, including the heart, and functions as a carrier that helps produce ATP, the fuel that energizes cells. The heart muscle has the greatest concentration of mitochondria at five thousand per cell.
Low levels have been found, for example, in patients with hypertension. In one randomized, double blind placebo-controlled trial of coenzyme Q10 in systolic hypertension, 46 men and women reduced levels by an average of 17.8 mmHg.
Burke et al, South Med J 2001 94.
Statin drugs, used for elevated cholesterol levels, deplete the body and heart of CoQ10 suggesting supplementation to counteract the deficiency may be useful. No interactions have been noted in several studies.
Other studies have noted benefit for reducing damage from stroke, preventing heart muscle damage during chemotherapy, and before heart surgery for better outcomes.
Singh et al, J Human Hypertens 1999 13:3
Berman et al, Clin Cardiol 2004 27:5
Hodgson et al, Eur J Clin Nutr 2002 56:11
Baggio et al, Mol Aspects Med 1994 15
Lansjoen et al, Int J Tissue React 1990 12:3
Khatta et al, Ann Int Med 2000 132:8

Vitamin B6 also plays a key role in cardiovascular health.
In one study with 468,472 person years follow-up, higher levels of B6 reduced cardiac risk by 50%.
Ishihara et al, J Am Coll Nutr 2008 27:1.

Thiamine, or B1 deficiency plays a key role in acute heart failure.
Klein et al, J Emerg Med 2004 26:3
Thiamine deficiency may occur in a substantial proportion of patients with congestive heart failure.
Brady et al, J Am Diet Assoc 1995 95:5.
Other studies show that one third of patients hospitalized with congestive heart failure were thiamine deficient. Hanninen et al, J Am Coll Cardiol 2006 47:2

Folic acid may serve to reduce overall risk of heart attack and stroke.
Folic acid, as mentioned above, helps the detoxification of homocysteine to methionine. It plays a role preventing atherosclerosis, risk reduction after first stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension and peripheral vascular disease.
Serum homocysteine levels due to deficiency of folates or cobalamins serve as a predicator of risk for ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction.
McNulty et al, Proc Nutr Soc 2008 67:2
Stanger et al, Z Kardiol 2004 93:6

In another study of 22,245 patients aged 35-64 followed for 4.6 years, elevated folate levels were proportional to decreased myocardial infarction.
Drogan et al, Public Health Nutr 2006 9:4

Vitamin B12 may decrease risk of cardiovascular disease.
Vitamin B12 acts as a co-enzyme in the conversion of homocysteine to methionine, and activates folate to its active form tetrahydrofolate. B12 and folic acid help regulate homocysteine levels associated with decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. It is also associated with risk reduction after first stroke, hypercholesterolemia.