Exciting news about tocotrienols, inflammatory diseases cardiovascular health

Curr Pharm Des. 2011;17(21):2147-54.

Tocotrienols and cardiovascular health.

Prasad K.

Author information

Abstract

This review emphasizes the effects of tocotrienols on the risk factors for atherosclerosis, plaque instability and thrombogenesis, and compares these effects with tocopherol. Tocotrienols reduce serum lipids and raise serum HDL-C. Alpha-tocopherol, on the other hand, has no effect on serum lipids. Tocotrienols have greater antioxidant activity than tocopherols. Both reduce the serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and advanced glycation end products, and expression of cell adhesion molecules. The CRP-lowering effects of tocotrienols are greater than tocopherol. Tocotrienols reduce inflammatory mediators, δ-tocotrienol being more potent, followed by γ- and α-tocotrienol. Tocotrienols are antithrombotic and suppress the expression of matrix metalloproteinases. They suppress, regress and slow the progression of atherosclerosis, while tocopherol only suppresses, and has no effect on regression and slowing of progression of atherosclerosis. Tocotrienol reduces risk factors for destabilization of atherosclerotic plaques. There are no firm data to suggest that tocotrienols are effective in reducing the risk of cardiac events in established ischemic heart disease. Alpha-tocopherol is effective in primary prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD), but has no conclusive evidence that it has beneficial effects in patients with established ischemic heart disease. Tocotrienols are effective in reducing ischemia-reperfusion cardiac injury in experimental animals and has the potential to be used in patients undergoing angioplasty, stent implantation and aorto-coronary bypass surgery. In conclusion, experimental data suggest that tocotrienols have a potential for cardiovascular health, but long-term randomized clinical trials are needed to establish their efficacy in primary and secondary prevention of CAD.

PMID:

 

21774782

 

[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21774782
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Gary:
My interpretation is as follows:

CRP, as a measure of inflammation, is arguably a better predictor of cardiovascular risk than cholesterol.  You will note that tocotrienols also reduce glycation which is exciting news for diabetics.  Glycation is also one of the best indicators of the decrement in cellular health associated with ageing.

Tocotrienols may be beneficial for other inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and, I suspect, diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Tocotrienols reduce the risk of blood clots such as seen in cases of deep vein thrombosis and reduce and may even reverse the formation of artherosclrotic plague that can lead to heart attack, stroke, poor eyesight and dementia.

Tocotrienols may reduce ischemia-perfusion cardiac injury - better known as angina and the damage it may cause to heart muscle.

They may be a safe alternative to drugs like aspirin and warfarin.

Tocotrienols are more effective for the above as compared to vitamin E.

As per usual, no researcher is ever going to finish their conclusions without recommending more research.  Got to keep the funding coming in to keep employed.  That's fine - we need much more research about nutrition alternatives to expensive and harmful pharmaceutical drugs; but that does not mean we sit on our hands and wait and wait and wait....

Incidentally, I am not aware of any side effects from taking these other than looking good and feeling great!

Conclusion:

If you are one of the 80% of the population who are at risk of suffering cardiovascular-related ailments during your life time, it makes sense to include tocotrienols in your daily diet.

Please contact me if you are interested in learning more about tocotrienols and whether this may be beneficial for you.  If you have a health condition and on medication then you must arrange a consultation before making any changes or adding a supplement such as these:
http://www.garymoller.com/Consultation/Private-Consultation.aspx

More related articles:

http://blog.garymoller.com/2015/01/first-aid-treatment-for-severe-ankle.html

http://blog.garymoller.com/2015/01/my-ankle-fracture-dislocation-two-weeks.html

http://blog.garymoller.com/2008/01/how-to-prevent-deep-vein-thrombosis-in.html

http://blog.garymoller.com/2008/09/do-natural-health-therapies-work.html

About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Candida and Fungal Infections? Gary Moller recommends you explore this programme: Click Here!

Brain damage during heart surgery may be widespread

"Sadly I left Government service after discovering that during the heart surgery that I had developed brain lesions (lack of blood or oxygen during surgery).

I was being regularly tested for 8 years before my psychologist suggested a brain scan and it was then discovered I had the brain lesions.

I had been suffering from short term memory loss, anxiety attacks, and inability to multitask."

(name withheld)

_________________________
Gary:
During heart surgery the brain may be damaged by stroke caused by blood clots.

"In summary, the problem has been reduced to a rather simple one. Stroke, produced mostly by arterial source emboli, is the cause of heart surgery–induced cognitive failure. The clinical syndromes fall on a continuum. A few strokes (<3%) are gross and singular, producing an obvious deficit (eg, hemiplegia), but most are multiple. When the embolic burden is high (&10%), an acute encephalopathy ensues. When the burden is lower, no deficit is noted in the acute period, but if the cerebral reserve is low (ie, there is an inevident premorbid brain disease such as hypertensive cerebrovasculopathy), then the patient suffers a nonprogressive cognitive deficit (&8%). In the subgroup of patients in whom the premorbid disease is an inherently progressive disorder (eg, presymptomatic Alzheimer disease that is made manifest by the stress of cardiac surgery), the patient later undergoes a progressive cognitive decline (dementia). This continuum hypothesis explains the disparate results of many studies, because very much like the aphorism of the wise men and the elephant, each investigator was examining a separate part of the problem, but none could see the problem as a whole. All we have to do to deal with the problem of cognitive failure in cardiac surgery survivors is to reduce the burden of cerebral ischemia in those who are selected to undergo the procedure. OPCAB does not address the major issue, arterial source emboli, and thus, not surprisingly, does not address the problem. By selecting patients more carefully with preoperative cognitive and brain imaging methods and then by minimizing intraoperative cerebral emboli using methods that require less manipulation of the heart and aorta, the neurocardiologists of the future might finally save the mind of the cardiac surgery survivor."
http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/113/24/2784.long 

How common is heart surgery-related cognitive decline?

Official figures are about 8% but be aware that less than 10% of adverse events ever get reported.  Here in New Zealand, cases that I have had involvement with over the last 30 years have never been successfully reported.  My impression is that cognitive decline that is uncomfortably associated with heart surgery is more common than it is not.

Why is it so difficult to report a case of cognitive decline?

I have tried and failed miserably.  For several reasons:

• Because cognitive function was not measured before the surgery, we can not prove that there was any decline after the surgery!  Measuring cognitive function is simple and cheap, by the way and employed in contact sports like rugby.  So why not surgery?
• The initial decline may be put down to post surgery depression, or a temporary reaction to the anaesthetic. By the time a family or individual is convinced something is amiss, several months may have passed and proving a link with the surgery is as good as impossible.
• The surgeon may resist any suggestion that the operation was anything less than brilliant and may even accuse the patient or the family of being ungrateful!  (Yes - really!).
• Following on from the last point, the smart surgeon may avoid recording any exchanges on paper and/or in emails, thus ensuring an absent, or incomplete paper trail for future reference. (Yes - this does happen).
• The GP is reluctant to get involved.  
• It is as good as impossible to have an adverse reaction reported without the support of the patient's doctor.

 

Can anything be done to improve cognition?

Yes, definitely and the sooner one starts the better.  Even if years have slipped by it is still a case of better late than never.  There are various herbal formulas such as bacopa, vitamins and minerals and nutrients such as omega 3 oil and ubiquinol that may improve cognitive function. To be effective it is best to employ the services of a qualified natural health practitioner with access to accurate nutrient testing.

Many heart medications may expedite cognitive decline

Yes, folks, blood pressure and cholesterol lowering drugs are among the chief culprits for rapid decline into dementia!

There are usually safe and effective healthy alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs - alternatives that nourish and vitalise the body, rather than poinsoning it into submission.

But it is not just a matter of suddenly stopping one's heart drugs - no way should you do that!  The process of weaning one off heart drugs is a slow and careful process, best done with the cooperation of your doctor with regular testing to monitor progress.  Rest assured that it can be done!

About this website 

The advice in these articles is given freely without promise or obligation. Its all about giving you and your family the tools and information to take control of your health and fitness.

Is invasive surgery better for treating coronary heart disease than conservative measures?

Before you have your first heart attack, why not take the opportunity to consider the merits of the options that will be offered to you while you lie recovering in the hospital's intensive care unit?

Here is an article by Dr Jeffrey Dach which you must read....

Cardiac Bypass, Angioplasty and Stenting 

by Jeffrey Dach MD

No Reduction in Mortality or Heart Attacks
The following thirty nine medical studies compare invasive treatment with conservative treatment of coronary artery disease. Invasive treatment with bypass surgery, stent or angioplasty is compared with conservative treatment with drugs. These Thirty Nine Studies show that invasive treatment fails to reduce mortality or heart attacks, when compared to conservative medical treatment with drugs.

Brain Damage from Cardiac Bypass
Three studies in 1000 patients found that 50% of patients having bypass surgery have brain damage with permanent loss of memory and mental function.

Here is the rest of this must read article by Dr Dach.

Gary:

As an observation, I am surprised that the report of brain damage from bypass surgery beingjust  50%.  My impression is that the rate is higher.  I guess it comes down to how one observes or measures it.  Whatever the rate - be it 50% or 70% - the odds are not good at all for the patient to come through with all of his or her marbles.

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