An Apple a Day: Polymeal vs. Polypill

Image: Abhijit TembhekarScience Daily reports on a new study published in The BMJ: 

"Prescribing an apple a day to all adults aged 50 and over would prevent or delay around 8,500 vascular deaths such as heart attacks and strokes every year in the UK -- similar to giving statins to everyone over 50 years who is not already taking them -- according to a study in the Christmas edition of The BMJ.

The researchers conclude that the 150 year old public health message: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is able to match more widespread use of modern medicine, and is likely to have fewer side effects. The research takes into account people who are already appropriately taking statins to reduce their risk of vascular disease and therefore the authors stress that no-one currently taking statins should stop, although by all means eat more apples."

The study's conclusions:

"The comparison of a medicalised approach to chronic disease prevention with that of a lifestyle one has been previously estimated (polypill versus polymeal), although, in our view, not with any realistic hope of changing population behaviour, despite the suggestion to employ out of work cardiologists as chefs. We offer a simplified version of this: our study suggests that both nutritional and pharmaceutical population approaches to primary prevention of vascular disease have the potential to have a significant effect on population mortality. We find that a 150 year old proverb is able to match modern medicine and is likely to have fewer side effects."

Patient's fatal heart attack turns doctor to Paleo diet

As I drove home I could not get one thing out of my mind.  This gentleman had been to my office to see me just the week before, and I was very encouraging to him about how things were going.  He was in his early 60’s, and suffered from high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and obstructive sleep apnea.  The thing is, they were all VERY WELL CONTROLLED! His blood pressure was perfect, his diabetes numbers mirrored that of a non-diabetic patient, and his cholesterol was well below the goals set by multiple cardiovascular studies.  In addition, his cardiologist had convinced him that his meat based diet was the culprit of his seemingly uncontrollable heart disease, and he had adapted a strict vegan diet for well over a year.  In many parts of the country that’s not too hard to believe, but to a Cajun from the land of boudin and pork cracklins, this was quite the feat! So, I asked myself…how could this skinny, well controlled hypertensive, diabetic, vegan Cajun gentleman in his early 60’s have just died from his fourth heart attack?  Something was wrong!

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Strawberries focus of new research study

According to the Environmental News Network, a new study on the benefits of strawberries will be presented at the Society of Free Radical Research International Biennial Meeting in London this September. David A Gabel of ENN writes:

Besides their fantastic taste, a new study has found that strawberries have other beneficial health effects. Researchers from the University of Warwick Medical School found that strawberries are extremely effective at preventing the development of heart disease and diabetes.

The research team:

... discovered that extracts from strawberries positively activate a protein in our bodies called Nrf2. This protein has shown to increase antioxidant and other protective activities. It also decreases blood lipids and cholesterol, two factors that can lead to cardiovascular disorders.