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Cardiovascular Health

Atkins

Low Carbohydrate Diets Improve Atherogenic Dyslipidemia Even in the absence of weight loss

Because of its effect on insulin, carbohydrate restriction is one of the obvious dietary choices for weight reduction and diabetes. Such interventions generally lead to higher levels of dietary fat than official recommendations and have long been criticized because of potential effects on cardiovascular risk although many literature reports have shown that they are actually protective even in the absence of weight loss. A recent report of Krauss et al. (AJCN, 2006) separates the effects of weight loss and carbohydrate restriction. They clearly confirm that carbohydrate restriction leads to an improvement in atherogenic lipid states in the absence of weight loss or in the presence of higher saturated fat. In distinction, low fat diets seem to require weight loss for effective improvement in atherogenic dyslipidemia.

The Role of Carbohydrate Restriction in Reducing Cardiac Risk Factors

Why Doing Atkins Can Lower Your Cholesterol

Reduce Carbs, Cut Heart Disease

Why Doing Atkins Can Lower Your Cholesterol

Once and for all, it’s time to put an end to the myth that fat alone is responsible for high cholesterol.

What is good for your brain and your heart?

The Importance of the Low Glycemic Impact, Part 2

Research confirms the long-term advisability of eating foods with a low glycemic rating.

The Dangers of Trans Fats

Manufactured hydrogenated oils, which your body cannot digest, are a serious risk to heart health.

The Perils of Sugar

The overconsumption of sweet stuff has ruined our eating habits and contributed to obesity and other major health problems.

Atkins Diet Beats Low-Fat for Improving Metabolic Syndrome

Over the years, thousands of people have turned to the Atkins dietary strategy of reduced sugar and carbohydrates for its demonstrated ability to help people lose weight and keep it off. But in the last decade, emerging research has shown over and over again, that the Atkins diet can actually accomplish even more than that. Studies have shown improvements in cholesterol ratios, lowered inflammatory markers, dramatically improved triglyceride readings and improvement in both insulin sensitivity and glucose control. Now a new study adds to this significant body of research and demonstrates the effectiveness of the Atkins diet for improving measures of a very serious condition called Metabolic Syndrome.

The “Eco-Atkins” Diet

Recently, a new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine received a flurry of media attention.
The study authors started by admitting that low-carbohydrate dieting was indeed effective, not only for weight loss, but for reducing insulin resistance, lowering triglyceride concentrations and for raising HDL (so-called “good” cholesterol). The researchers wanted to see if they could design a low-carbohydrate diet that retained the proven weight-loss benefits of low-carb plans like Atkins and also help people improve their cholesterol while following a vegetarian, vegan approach.

Waist Size Predicts Heart Failure (more reasons to reduce your waist size)

The main reason people over 65 wind up in the hospital is heart failure, also known as “congestive heart failure.” And the very best predictor of whether or not you’re likely to get heart failure might surprise you.

Identifying Independent Risk Factors for Stroke

The December 11, 2001, issue of Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association (AHA), published a study by Tanne et al. of Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel. It reported on more than 11,000 individuals with coronary heart disease but no previous history of stroke or transient ischemic attacks (TIA). All were followed for six to eight years for risk of stroke or TIA. A stroke or TIA occurs when a blood clot or narrowed artery blocks blood flow to the brain. During the study, 487 individuals experienced such an incident. They were found to have triglyceride levels that were higher and HDLs ("good" cholesterol levels) that were lower than those of individuals who did not develop stroke or TIA.
The conclusion of the researchers was that triglycerides greater than 200 mg/dL increased the risk of having a stroke by 30 percent, independent of other risk factors. The authors suggested that physicians should pay closer attention to triglyceride levels. More effective screening and detection of high triglycerides and treatments to modify this stroke risk factor could further reduce the clinical and public health burdens of stroke.

Effects of a carbohydrate-restricted diet on emerging plasma markers for cardiovascular disease

Summary:

Abstract (provisional)

Background

Increasing evidence supports carbohydrate restricted diets (CRD) for weight loss and improvement in traditional markers for cardiovascular disease (CVD); less is known regarding emerging CVD risk factors. We previously reported that a weight loss intervention based on a CRD (% carbohydrate:fat:protein = 13:60:27) led to a mean weight loss of 7.5 kg and a 20% reduction of abdominal fat in 29 overweight men. This group showed reduction in plasma LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides and elevations in HDL-cholesterol as well as reductions in large and medium VLDL particles and increases in LDL particle size. In this study we report on the effect of this intervention with and without fiber supplementation on plasma homocysteine, lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha).

High Carb Link to Heart Attacks

A landmark research study by Dr. Michael Shechter of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine and the Heart Institute of Sheba Medical Center, with collaboration of the Endocrinology Institute, shows exactly how high carbohydrate foods increase the risk for heart problems.

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