TURNING POINT IN HEART HEALTH
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Press release from Pharma Nord
Turn in heart health:
New treatment reduces by 50% the mortality from cardiovascular disease.
It 'been shown that combination therapy with a special yeast in selenium and coenzyme Q10, a vitamin-like compound, significantly reduces deaths from cardiovascular disease among the elderly by donating to the heart muscle a sort of "natural urge". Swedish scientists have just published the news about the combination of yeast selenium and coenzyme Q10, a vitamin-like compound. This combination can significantly reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease among the elderly. In addition, this natural treatment provides a boost to the heart muscle that allows it to pump more forcefully. These interesting findings are published in the International Journal of Cardiology preview.
The study, a period of five years of prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted in 443 healthy Swedish citizens aged 70 and 88anni, was conducted by researchers at Linköping University and Karolinska University Hospital. The study was led by Professor Urban Alehagen, a cardiologist cardiology center of Linköping University, in collaboration with, among others, Professor Ulf Dahlström.
Alehagen and his colleagues have shown that, among the study participants who were given daily supplements of selenium yeast (200 micrograms) and coenzyme Q10 (200 mg), deaths from cardiovascular disease were 50% lower than those who had assumed identical pills "fictitious" - also known as placebo. In the active treatment group, 5.9% of the participants died of cardiovascular disease at the end of the five-year follow-up, compared to 12.9% in the placebo group. Furthermore, the volunteers in the treatment group (active) had significantly lower levels of a substance known as NT-proBNP, a biochemical indicator of heart failure. High levels of this substance indicates that the heart works under greater pressure. Furthermore, the echocardiographic measurements have shown that treatment with selenium and coenzyme Q10 improves cardiac output. This has been shown, among other things, an increase in EF (ejection fraction), a clinical measure of the force with which the heart contracts.
Previous research confirms it. Previous studies have highlighted the potential role of selenium and coenzyme Q10 in the prevention of heart disease. A Finnish study showed the 'increase of 2.9 times higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease in patients with low levels of selenium, while several studies have shown reduced myocardial levels of coenzyme Q10 in patients with cardiomyopathy (disease of the muscle failure).
The recent Swedish study warrant further examination of two natural substances as a useful preventive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death among the elderly.
Source:
Alehagen U, et al. Cardiovascular mortality and N-terminal-proBNP reduced after combined selenium and coenzyme Q10 supplementation. Int J Cardiol. , 2012. E-pub ahead of print.
General Information
What is coenzyme Q10?
Coenzyme Q10 - also known as ubiquinone - vitamin-like compound is present in human cells. It 'an essential element for the cellular energy metabolism, a process in which fats, carbohydrates and proteins are converted into ATP (adenosine triofosfato) in the mitochondria (cellular power plants). The adenosine triphosphate is stored in its molecular form, ready for use in various processes within the body that need energy.
· Depending on the type of cell, some cells contain more mitochondria than others. This is the case for example of the heart muscle cells since the heart requires a generous amount of energy.·
- Biopsy tissue of the heart muscle in patients with heart failure show that coenzyme Q10 levels are substantially lower compared to healthy individuals.·
- Some published studies have shown that patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) show net signs of improvement after being treated with supplements of coenzyme Q10 (usually at a dose of 100-400 mg / day).·
- Coenzyme Q10 is found naturally in foods such as soybeans, sardines, beef, pork and broccoli.
What is selenium?
Selenium is a so-called trace element, a natural substance required in very small quantities for the maintenance of human health, which supports at least 25-30 different proteins in the organism. These proteins selenium-dependent (selenoproteins) are involved in various functions of the body ranging from immune to fertility and help fight inflammation.
· Research has shown an inverse relationship between selenium status and cardiovascular disease·
- In Finland, where selenium levels in agricultural soil are extremely low, the government has imposed an enrichment of the soil with selenium by fertilization in 1985. In this way, the rate of cardiovascular disease is decreased.·
- The selenium supply an enzyme called glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), which protects cells and their membranes. Prevents, in addition, the oxidation of fats in the blood such as cholesterol.·
- In Northern Europe, the average intake of selenium is known to be reduced compared to the rest of the world. This could be considered a reason for the prevalence of cardiovascular disease among the Scandinavian countries.
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