Pharmacy warns FDA of cancer-causing chemical found in widely used heart pill

A pharmacy warns the FDA that it found a chemical believed to cause cancer in a widely used blood pressure medication, according to a filing.

• Valisure told FDA that high levels of dimethylformamide were found in valsartan, a drug produced by Novartis and other pharmaceutical companies.

PUBLISHED TUE, JUN 18 2019  12:57 PM EDTUPDATED TUE, JUN 18 2019  5:42 PM EDT

A pharmacy warned the Food and Drug Administration that it found a chemical believed to cause cancer in a widely used blood pressure medication, according to a filing from the federal agency.

Valisure, an online pharmacy company licensed in 37 states, told the FDA last week that high levels of dimethylformamide were found in valsartan, a drug produced by Swiss drugmaker Novartis and other pharmaceutical companies. The drug is used to treat hypertension in adults. The World Health Organization classifies dimethylformamide, or DMF, as a probable human carcinogen.

Valisure asked that the medication be recalled and requested that the FDA review and significantly lower the acceptable intake of DMF from its current level of 8,800,000 nanograms to less than 1,000 nanograms. The online pharmacy said it found the cancer-causing chemical in valsartan produced by five companies.

The FDA will evaluate Valisure’s findings and will respond directly to the online pharmacy firm, FDA spokesman Jeremy Kahn said in a statement to CNBC. 

Patients should continue to take their blood pressure medication even if it is recalled until their doctor provides a replacement or alternative treatment, he added. Abruptly discontinuing a medication is risky, he said.

In a statement to CNBC, a spokesperson for Novartis said in general the company’s manufacturing process does not use DMF but it cannot currently fully “exclude the possibility that traces of DMF (within applicable limits) may have been present in materials of other Drug Substances suppliers.”

“The quality and safety of all our products is of the utmost importance to Novartis,” the spokesperson added.

Several blood pressure drugs have already been recalled due to concerns about other cancer-causing chemicals. Earlier this month, Israel-based Teva Pharmaceuticals said it would expand a recall of its heart medication, losartan potassium, after a carcinogen known asN-Nitrosodimethylamine, or NMBA was detected. Torrent Pharmaceuticals in April said it would also recall losartan and Camber Pharmaceutical told the FDA in February it would recall the drug.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/18/fda-warned-of-cancer-causing-chemical-found-in-heart-pill.html

A High Blood Pressure Medication Is Being Recalled After a Potentially 'Life-Threatening' Labeling Mistake

A potentially “life-threatening” labeling mix-up spurred a nationwide recall of a high blood pressure medication, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced.

By JAMIE DUCHARME 

August 29, 2018

TIME Health

Accord Healthcare is voluntarily recalling a single lot of 12.5-milligram hydrochlorothiazide tablets, after a pharmacy reported finding a 100-count bottle that actually contained spironolactone tablets, according to the FDA. The rest of the lot (PW05264) has been recalled due to the “potential mix-up of labeling,” but Accord says the remainder of its drugs are unaffected.



Both hydrochlorothiazide and spironolactone can be used to treat high blood pressure, but because spironolactone causes the body to flush out excess water and sodium and store potassium, the FDA warns that patients who mistakenly take it instead of hydrochlorothiazide could experience hyperkalemia, or elevated potassium levels. The effects of hyperkalemia, according to the FDA, range from “limited health consequences to life-threatening situations in certain individuals.”

No patients have reported adverse effects in connection with the recall, the FDA says. Those who are prescribed Accord’s hydrochlorothiazide tablets should make sure that the pills are a light orange color with a letter H on one side, and a number 1 on the other. Consumers are urged to report any drugs that do not match that description, or check with their pharmacist.


http://time.com/5381366/hydrochlorothiazide-recall/

Common blood pressure pills recalled worldwide: Production of Valsartan is shut down after cancer-causing chemical contaminates medicine

• Valsartan has been widely prescribed across the world for 15 years
• Evidence suggests batches since 2012 have been contaminated by a carcinogen
• The UK and US already banned the drug over safety fears earlier this month 
• Now the Chinese authorities have told all doctors to stop handing it out 

By SAM BLANCHARD and MIA DE GRAAF FOR MAILONLINE 

PUBLISHED: 11:36 BST, 31 July 2018 | UPDATED: 11:44 BST, 31 July 2018

A common blood pressure drug has been recalled worldwide and production has stopped after it was found to contain a cancer-causing chemical.

The drug Valsartan, made in a factory in China, was recalled in 22 countries including the UK and the US earlier in July, but the warning is now worldwide. 

Investigators found a chemical used in rocket fuel, called N-Nitrosodimethylamine, had contaminated the drug's production at Zhejiang Huahai, a Chinese supplier which ships the medicine worldwide. 

N-Nitrosodimethylamine is thought to be carcinogenic, meaning it could cause cancer in humans, so production of the pills has stopped.

China's National Health and Family Planning Commission said yesterday that the drug must not be used for diagnosis or treatment, and the pills have already been banned in the UK and US. 

Experts say the contamination could date back as far as 2012, when the company changed its manufacturing process.   

+1

British pharmacists were today warned a change in how valsartan is manufactured has caused a dangerous impurity in several medications

The US Food and Drug Administration banned Valsartan on July 17, two weeks after the UK recalled the drug, which has been widely prescribed across the world for 15 years.

America's decision to follow suit came on the heels of a warning from European regulators earlier that day that the drug's dangers may have been present in batches as far back as 2012.

Valsartan was originally developed by Novartis and the Swiss company marketed it as Diovan, but it is now off patent and is used in a number of generic medicines supplied by various companies. 

In addition to tackling high blood pressure, it is also prescribed to treat heart failure.

The main manufacturer in China is Zhejiang Huahai, which was founded in 1989 and listed on the Shanghai stock exchange in 2003, was one of the first Chinese companies to get drugs approved in the US market.

Company also makes ingredients for HIV and depression drugs 

That same firm makes active ingredients for a number of different medicines to treat heart problems, depression, allergies and HIV, according to its website.

Overall, more than two-thirds of all active drug ingredients originate in China and India, industry experts estimate, with China accounting for the lion's share. 

The revelation that the problem with Valsartan likely dates back to changes in manufacturing processes at Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical six years ago suggests many patients could potentially have been exposed to cancer risk. 

The European Medicines Agency (EMA), which first raised the alarm over the Chinese supplied Valsartan on July 5, said it was working to establish how long and at what levels patients might have been exposed to the impurity known as NDMA.

Chemical thought to cause cancer in humans 

NDMA, or N-nitrosodimethylamine, is classified as a probable human carcinogen. Based on results from laboratory tests, it may cause cancer with long-term use.

'It is still too early to provide information on the longer term risk NDMA may have posed for patients. 

'EMA has made this aspect of the review a priority and will update the public as soon as new information becomes available,' the agency said.

EU authorities recalled medicines containing Valsartan from Zhejiang Huahai, and the EMA said such medicines should no longer be available in pharmacies.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also took action to recall affected valsartan-containing medicines.

Zhejiang Huahai has already acknowledged that there was an impurity in some of its Valsartan, which it said had sales of $50 million in 2017.  

The EMA said NDMA was an unexpected impurity that was not detected by routine tests carried out by Zhejiang Huahai, adding that the manufacturing changes introduced in 2012 were believed to have produced NDMA as a by-product.

EU and US depend on Asia for drugs - but don't pay enough attention to safety 

The case shows the reliance of consumers around the world on medicines containing active pharmaceutical ingredients made in China.

Regulators have been stepping up oversight of foreign factories in recent years to try and ensure the quality of drugs made in China and India, which is another major supplier to global drug markets.

But it remains a work in progress, as highlighted by the EMA's Executive Director Guido Rasi, who wrote recently in the agency's annual report:

'We need to think globally and work strategically with partners from around the world to make best use of our inspection capacity, so that patients can rely on the quality, safety and efficacy of all medicines, no matter where they have been manufactured.'

WHAT ARE THE VALSARTAN CONTAINING DRUGS THAT ARE AFFECTED? 

Product name	Marketing Authorisation Holder	PL Number
VALSARTAN 40MG CAPSULES, HARD	DEXCEL PHARMA LIMITED	PL 14017/0192
VALSARTAN 80MG CAPSULES, HARD	DEXCEL PHARMA LIMITED	PL 14017/0193
VALSARTAN 160MG CAPSULES, HARD	DEXCEL PHARMA LIMITED	PL 14017/0194
VALSARTAN 40MG FILM-COATED TABLETS	ACTAVIS GROUP PTC EHF	PL 30306/0109
VALSARTAN 80MG FILM-COATED TABLETS	ACTAVIS GROUP PTC EHF	PL 30306/0110
VALSARTAN 160MG FILM-COATED TABLETS	ACTAVIS GROUP PTC EHF	PL 30306/0111
VALSARTAN 320MG FILM-COATED TABLETS	ACTAVIS GROUP PTC EHF	PL 30306/0405

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6010077/Blood-pressure-pills-recalled-worldwide-contaminated-cancer-causing-chemical.html

Here's the Latest on Nattokinase

If you're ever given a blood thinner, you may first want to explore nattokinase, a supplemental derivative of natto, referred to in a recent study as a 'versatile and potent' fibrinolytic enzyme to combat blood clots far better than conventional medications. But this enzyme goes further, improving your heart function and more.

February 12, 2018

Story at-a-glance

• Nattokinase, an enzyme isolated from natto (the bacterium Bacillus subtilis, a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans that has been eaten for millennia), has been found to have unique health benefits
• A recent study shows that nattokinase relieves nasal inflammation, chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and related problems like nasal polyps, which is good news since conventional interventions have proven ineffective
• Nattokinase has been shown to break down and dissolve fibrinogen, a component of blood clots and atherosclerotic plaque, which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and has no side effects
• Consumption of nattokinase is linked with lowering systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as viscosity, which in turn improves blood flow and subsequently, lowers blood pressure

By Dr. Mercola

If you’re not familiar with nattokinase, you’re not alone. CliffsNotes on the term might describe it as an enzyme that’s purified and extracted from the bacterium Bacillus subtilis (aka natto), a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans and eaten for millennia. How is nattokinase significant for health? The answer is multifaceted, as it’s been found to be significant in both disease treatment and prevention.

Benefits include a dramatic effect on blood clots; more recently, research has revealed how the enzyme impacts persistent sinus conditions. Especially during colder times of the year, a common malady is nasal-related problems, which can turn into a number of variants, including sinus inflammation. The symptoms are not pleasant (few nasal problems are) and can lead to chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and/or nasal polyps.

But a recent study1 indicates that nattokinase is an effective way to deal with these and related symptoms. Natural health proponent Dr. Michael Murray says nattokinase has the ability to produce powerful effects to improve CRS, far better than conventional drugs. He explains how nattokinase is produced:

“The enzyme nattokinase is produced by adding the bacterium Bacillus natto to boiled soybeans. The bacteria try to digest the soybeans by secreting nattokinase. The most popular and scientifically studied application for nattokinase has focused on its potent fibrinolytic (‘clot-busting’) activity.

What that means is that it breaks down fibrinogen, a component of blood clots and atherosclerotic plaque. Elevated fibrinogen levels are another clear risk factor for cardiovascular disease.”2

One of the most common ways high fibrinolytic levels manifest in the body is via the development of nasal polyps, as it settles in the nasal mucous. That’s also the reason why researchers decided to determine how nattokinase might be beneficial for this condition.

What Is a Mucolytic Agent?

A mucolytic is an agent that renders mucus — the thick substance that makes spit difficult to rid your throat of when you have a cough, and often contributes to an “unproductive” cough as well —  looser and thinner, making it easier to get rid of. Most mucolytics are prescription form because they’re chemically concocted rather than being a natural substance. Further, you’ll note that drug companies producing them make it clear that taking the drugs regularly is needed for them to work properly.

Murray noted that for healthy nasal passages, sinuses and airways, it’s important for secretions to maintain elasticity and fluidity in your respiratory tract. If your mucus is too thick, it’s hard to get rid of, which promotes inflammation, blocked airways, difficulty breathing and, as a result, polyp formation. That’s where nattokinase comes in, improving these secretions and the resulting inflammation and other issues. In addition:

“This effect is similar to other enzymes such as bromelain and serrapeptidase. And, indicates that nattokinase is a strong consideration in conditions beyond CRS such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, and sinusitis.”3

Background on Nattokinase: What It Is and What It Does

In 1980, Hiroyuki Sumi from Chicago University Medical School was researching the clot-busting aspects of conventional drugs and tried placing natto in a petri dish with a blood clot. In 18 hours, the blood clot dissolved — far less time than occurs with drugs prescribed for the same purpose. Later clinical studies have determined nattokinase also:

• Dissolves excess fibrin in blood vessels, which improves circulation, dissolves blood clots and reduces the risk of serious clotting, aka atherothrombotic prevention
• Increases HDL (good cholesterol), optimizes cholesterol levels and has no side effects
• Decreases blood viscosity, which in turn improves blood flow and, subsequently, lowers blood pressure
• Exerts “considerably stronger thrombolytic activity” comparable to that of another well-known blood thinner: aspirin, a remedy known to trigger bleeding and gastric ulcers 
• Can be absorbed by your intestinal tract when taken orally

Nattokinase and Decreased Blood Pressure

In 2016, researchers observed a link between the consumption of nattokinase and both lowered blood pressure and von Willebrand factor, which helps stimulate blood clotting and control bleeding after an injury. Von Willebrand disease is an inherited condition that impedes this factor (related to another clotting disorder known as hemophilia). According to the study,4 nattokinase consumption was associated with a decrease in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Incidentally, the reduction in systolic blood pressure was seen for both sexes but was more robust in males consuming nattokinase. Significantly, the researchers also noted that while a number of pharmaceutical options are available for these conditions, notably “thiazide-type diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers and beta-adrenergic blockers,”5 adverse effects can include:

• Contraindications, aka possible harm
• Synergistic effects, which can exacerbate the effects of protocols, making all combined greater than the individual effects
• Increased risk for certain individuals, such as those with diabetic nephropathy, aka kidney damage caused by diabetes, including the possibility of impaired renal function, abnormally low blood pressure (hypotension) and hyperkalemia, aka higher-than-normal blood potassium

In fact, the study notes:

“There is a growing interest in non-pharmaceutical sources of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, as well as food-based strategies for supporting cardiovascular function and specifically for reducing hypertension. Natural methods to reduce such inflammatory conditions are of interest, and dietary components of functional benefit for the hypertensive patient include essential fatty acids where cardioprotective fatty acids found in oils from fish, flax, nuts, seeds, and algae have known anti-inflammatory activities.”6

Research on Nattokinase

Studies on both animals and humans have shown how effectively nattokinase (NK) “provides support to the circulatory system by thinning the blood and dissolving blood clots.”7

• In one study, dogs with chemically induced thrombi in their major leg vein were given nattokinase capsules, and the clots dissolved within five hours.8
• A similar study on rats with induced thrombosis in their carotid artery showed “considerably stronger thrombolytic activity” and an increased blood flow of 62 percent, compared with other enzymes that exhibited 15 percent and zero percent blood flow.9
• According to Life Extension, another rat study involved nattokinase supplementation for three weeks before and after endothelial injury to the animals’ femoral arteries.10 The result was more effective thickening and dissolution of blood clots near the injury, as compared to control animals not given the supplement.11
• Because thicker blood viscosity and coagulation can raise your risk of cardiovascular disease, one study involved the administration of NK to healthy individuals as well as those with elevated cardiovascular disease factors and others undergoing dialysis, with a significant decrease in fibrinogen levels within two months.12

On long-haul flights (and vehicle travel), one risk is the development of deep vein thrombosis, or blood clots, especially when individuals fail to get up and move around. A study comparing the effects of a combination of nattokinase and pycnogenol (derived from pine bark), and a control group of participants given a placebo, resulted in five thromboses problems among the control group and zero in the NK/pycnogenol group.13

In addition, studies indicate that the longevity of Japanese who’ve been consuming natto (interestingly, one of the derivatives is vitamin K2) for thousands of years is greatly increased.14 In a far lower life form, the life span of nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) was also significantly extended by nattokinase.15

Nattokinase: Conventional Remedies

Previous research on nattokinase, involving a collaboration between Qingdao University in China and Northeastern State University at Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, called natto a “miracle food” and noted one of its most significant benefits: heart disease prevention.

It’s well-known in the medical world that when patients exhibit the main risks for the primary cause of death in the U.S. — cardiovascular disease (CVD) — such as obesity, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes, the first order of business is to put them on statin drugs, suggest bypass surgery or angioplasty to clear excess plaque from arteries or prescribe blood thinners. The latter can pose serious side effects, including:

Hemorrhage (internal bleeding)	Abdominal pain and cramping
Diarrhea	Fatigue
Feeling cold and chills	Liver damage
Hair loss	Nausea

However, savvy scientists understand that blood clots are another risk factor for heart health. The risk rises due to several factors, age being one of them. Smart Publications notes:

“Although our human body produces several enzymes for making blood clots, it produces only one enzyme — plasmin — for dissolving them. The problem is, as we age the production of plasmin is reduced, making blood more prone to coagulation and clotting.

To make matters worse, fibrinogen (a blood clotting protein) levels rise as we get older. And high levels of fibrinogen usually lead to increased platelet aggregation, blood clots, and eventually heart attack or stroke ... Preventing blood clots, particularly in older individuals, is a crucial step in preventing heart attack and stroke.”16

The key is doing it naturally, which is what nattokinase offers. According to Life Extension, nattokinase has been available for purchase since 1998. Keep in mind that the food natto may be made from genetically engineered soy, so be sure to read food labels.

Final Notes on Nattokinase

Currently, scientists say the recommended amount of powdered nattokinase is two 100-milligram capsules per day. If you’re wondering about the soy it contains, remember that natto is fermented soy, and fermentation removes the disadvantages associated with eating raw or cooked soy. You can even make your own natto at home, but if you prefer a supplement form, nattokinase is actually an enzyme derived from the food. The Baseline of Health Foundation notes:

“Some may question the use of using a soy-derived product for health. Note that when soy is fermented, it neutralizes the harmful effects on your hormones. But more importantly, what you get in a supplement is not natto, the food derived from fermenting soy, but nattokinase, the purified enzyme extracted from natto. In other words, there’s virtually no soy left in nattokinase. Just be sure to look for a brand that uses non-GMO Nattokinase since most soy is genetically modified.”17

Significantly, a study in Egypt asserts that nattokinase may benefit people with Alzheimer’s disease, as it did in research on rats, which scientists determined after oral administration and subsequent study of their brain tissue.18 Additional studies are ongoing.

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2018/02/12/nattokinase.aspx

The pressure of blood – Part 2

From the earlier section, it can be seen that apart from factors outside our control such as kidney disease and genetics (and perhaps pregnancy), High Blood Pressure (HBP) is generally a direct consequence of our lifestyles – it is caused by what we choose to expose ourselves to.

March 26, 2017 Food, Food News, Living, Viewpoints

By CHRIS CHAN

Click the link for Part 1 of this series.

Click the link for other stories in the Curious Cook column.

File photo of potato chips. There is no doubt that humans enjoy food with added salt – and this is precisely why the food industry usually overloads processed foods with the stuff. Photo: Bloomberg

Not all the lifestyle items are always within our control, especially stress caused by work or other factors – but in general, if we are aware of what we are doing that can cause HBP, it could be a significant step in controlling the condition.

It’s mostly what we eat

Statistics derived from country testing of sodium levels in human urine between 1990 and 2010 indicate that the global average for salt consumption is a little under 10g a day, curiously rising to around 15g a day for the countries of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

There is a reason for this Central Asian anomaly – these countries are along the ancient Silk Road. Communities along this old trade route relied heavily on food preserved with salt and this historical circumstance has left a legacy of high salt consumption.

Several South-East Asian countries fit in at around the average with unusual jumps for Thailand and Singapore which both come in at over 13g a day – a possible explanation is that people in these countries enjoy eating food cooked with local sauces (eg. oyster, fish, soy) and these sauces are very heavily laden with salt.

In fact, some sauces have as much as 2.5g of salt per tablespoon, and popular processed foods such as fish and meat balls lag not far behind.

Just to be clear, Malaysia probably also comes in at around the same level of salt consumption as Thailand and Singapore – however, we cannot be sure as there are no firm statistics available for the country.

Regardless, it is sobering to note that the maximum recommended daily limit set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for salt consumption is actually only 6g – which means that many countries are exceeding the WHO daily recommendation by more than 100%.

Even in Western Europe, the average daily salt consumption is just over 8g, which is still some 33% higher than the recommended level. Some organisations such as the American Heart Association actually suggest even lower limits, at 4g a day.

Common sources of salt

There is no doubt that humans enjoy food with added salt – and this is precisely why the food industry usually overloads processed foods with the stuff. Examples of common, but often unsuspected foods where salt can be particularly high include breads, sauces, crisps, pizzas, canned/packaged meals, sandwiches, stock cubes, sausages, ketchup, mayonnaise, salad dressings, nuts, snacks, breakfast cereals and even ice creams.

Salt can often be disguised by including competing taste sensations such as sweetness, sourness or chilli heat.

Lower salt – but be wary

One simple, popular alternative to salt is to use potassium chloride – this compound is readily available in the supermarkets and has pretty much the same taste as sodium chloride but have rather less of the undesirable effects of salt.

However, please be wary as several research papers have indicated that consuming too little salt (or sodium) may have negative repercussions and potentially cause a condition known as hyponatremia (low sodium in the blood).

In particular, a study of over 3,600 people published in 2011 has found that participants with the lowest salt intake actually had the highest death rates from cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Why this is the case is not known – but a more recent study published in 2016 indicates that the curve for CVD deaths is a U-shape distribution plotted against sodium intake.

Too little salt is very bad and too much salt is also pretty bad – and in the end, the paper summed up its findings thus: “lowering sodium intake is best targeted at populations with hypertension who consume high sodium diets”.

In my view, this all confirms that sodium is an important electrolyte, but with a potential for significant, deleterious side effects – and therefore consuming not less than 4g and not more than 6g of salt a day is probably the optimal dietary option.

Sweet stuff and booze

Consumption of sugars and alcohol are clearly lifestyle choices – and there is a lot of evidence that suggests that persistent overconsumption of these items can directly lead to HBP.

Sugar (and/or fructose) is something that commercial food producers very often surreptitiously include copiously into processed foods – however, most food items now have labelling to indicate the amount of sugar present. So there is little excuse for claiming not to know about the amount of sugar in the diet.

My general take is that if one has been overdoing it, it should be worth cutting down a bit – or at least don’t encourage other people to have huge sugary desserts or open another bottle of wine. I appreciate that not opening another bottle of good wine is often a difficult concept to get your head around – but even I have managed it quite often.

Fags, drugs and other stuff

If you are intent on smoking or taking recreational drugs, then it is highly probable that HBP is not high on your list of health concerns. This is also likely to be true if you are particularly fond of fried, oily foods – especially those sold by fast food chains or street vendors.

But if you are compelled to work in polluted environments, it may be sensible to don some protective gear such as face masks or just generally avoid long exposures to chemicals and other pollutants – this is just common sense anyway.

The silent monster in the room

For many people, stress can be like a monster that won’t get off the chest. It suffocates them physically and mentally – and research has indicated that in addition to causing HBP, stress is likely to take several years off an expected lifespan.

The duration of stress is also significant. If a stressful event passes relatively quickly, then the impact of stress is much less than a prolonged struggle with an interminable problem. The reason is simply because the body would be pumping out stress-related hormones such adrenaline and cortisol for long periods of time.

A study of the police force in Buffalo, New York, published in 2013 showed that policemen there tend to have much shorter lifespans compared to the general population – around 21.9 years shorter in fact.

The possible reasons noted are stress, shift work, obesity and the somewhat hazardous working environment. It seems the type of stress is also relevant – and this is reflected in the lifespans of educated versus uneducated people in the workplace. Educated people tend to end up higher on the management ladder and also tend to live longer.

It appears that as long as people believe they can exert control over stressful situations, especially in the workplace, then there may be some benefit in terms of lifespan.

What about people who are not in control of stressful situations; for example, uneducated people working under an abusive boss? The prognosis is not quite so good in this instance and statistics indicate that prolonged workplace stress can reduce lifespan by several years.

There also appear to be other side effects of long-term sustained stress apart from HBP – research has shown that brain tissue can shrink, memory loss becomes more prevalent, and the immune system may be significantly compromised resulting in poorer health and even more stress.

Deal with it

As someone working in a rather stressful profession for many years, I can relate to research which indicates that a positive mental attitude can materially reduce the negative effects of stress. There are many positive approaches to stress and perhaps one personal example may be expressed as an analogy.

Imagine stress is like holding something out in an outstretched hand – for example a book. Initially, there is no effort at all, but after a short while it becomes tiring to keep the arm so extended. So naturally you would fold the arm to hold the book closer to the body – this might be seen as an attempt to manage or compensate for the stress.

That works until you realise that it is still too restricting to have to hold the book for so long (for example, you now cannot eat properly) – and then you think, is it worth holding up the book in this silly manner? The correct answer is: No – of course not, and then you put the book down and forget about it.

But this simple, rational decision to stop the stress is exactly what many people refuse to contemplate doing when they worry over situations they cannot control – hence they force themselves to keep reviewing and brooding over past and future events over which they have no influence, in effect painfully holding up an item they don’t need to hold up at all.

Degrees of stress incurred in life range from minor to extreme – frankly, it is based hugely on personal attitudes, but stressful events nevertheless have the negative effect of elevating blood pressure and it then becomes another subjective issue as to how well each person’s body can cope with prolonged exposures to stress.

From my individual viewpoint, it is just logical to go with the flow about things which one cannot change and to focus more effort on things one can actually influence.

No way back?

Why HBP is often difficult to reverse is because the condition very rarely has any visible symptoms – so it is extremely easy to let the condition become chronic before a sudden catastrophic health event announces itself.

But long before then, the damage would already have been done. The only way to detect HBP is through regular health screening – and one suggestion is to buy a sphygmomanometer (blood pressure monitoring device) for use at home to keep an eye on things.

This is what I have done for my family and it has helped me cut down on a few dietary excesses – and as a result, my blood pressure is now within a tolerable range.

File photo of a blood pressure monitor. The only way to detect HBP is 

through regular screening. Photo: AFP/shutterstock

The battery-powered devices are not at all expensive, easy to use and testing takes less than two minutes. If you do find that you already have chronic HBP, there are drugs available to help manage the condition – better to know now and start doing something about it than ending up in hospital in a nasty condition.

Regarding my mother, she had rather a sweet tooth, was always fond of tasty, greasy, fried foods – and though she never drank alcohol, she also never did any exercise. Although she had a longer than average life span, the sad sobering truth is that the end for her was rather drawn-out and unsatisfactory. If only one person manages to avoid her fate as a result of reading this, then it would have been worth writing it.

As for myself, I am now somewhat allergic to long-winded Buddhist-Taoist funerals with protracted chanting and convoluted rituals that are rather hard on my back and knees. If I had known about them in detail beforehand, I would have firmly forbidden my mother from giving up the ghost.

http://www.star2.com/food/food-news/2017/03/26/the-pressure-of-blood-part-2/

CoQ10 Proven Benefits In Heart Failure Patients

This ten year study conclusively showed that CoQ10 supplementation significantly improves survival for even the most severe heart failurepatients while radically reducing incidences of hospitalization.1

Life Extension Magazine April 2014

REPORT

CoQ10 Proven Benefits In Heart Failure Patients

By Bradley Tompkins

  

The European Journal of Heart Failure has published data from one of the most robust studies to date on coenzyme Q10.

This ten year study conclusively showed that CoQ10 supplementation significantly improves survival for even the most severe heart failure patients while radically reducing incidences of hospitalization.1

This new study shows that CoQ10 supplementation can restore deficient CoQ10 levels in patients with moderate-to-severe heart failure, extend lifespan, and improve quality of life.1

The compelling results from this 10-year-long study found that patients who took 100 mg of CoQ10 three times daily were…

• Significantly less likely to die from heart failure,
• Less than half as likely to die from any cause at all, and
• Half as likely to have a major adverse cardiac event during the study period, compared with control subjects.1

After only three months of supplementation, the researchers detected a trend towards reduced levels of a blood marker of heart failure severity that is released from over-worked heart muscle cells.1,2 At two years, significantly more treated patients had improved measurements of heart function than did placebo recipients.1

This impressive study demonstrates how CoQ10 offers important heart health benefits and how essential it is to cardiac patients. Ideally, the practice of cardiology will soon include CoQ10 as part of their protocol to improve the lives of those living with heart failure.

NEW YORK HEART ASSOCIATION FUNCTIONAL CLASSES OF HEART FAILURE65

Class	Functional Capacity: How a patient with cardiac disease feels during physical activity
I	Patients with cardiac disease but resulting in no limitation of physical activity. Ordinary physical activity does not cause undue fatigue, palpitation, difficulty breathing, or anginal pain.
II	Patients with cardiac disease resulting in slight limitation of physical activity. They are comfortable at rest. Ordinary physical activity results in fatigue, palpitation, difficulty breathing, or anginal pain.
III	Patients with cardiac disease resulting in marked limitation of physical activity. They are comfortable at rest. Less than ordinary activity causes fatigue, palpitation, difficulty breathing, or anginal pain.
IV	Patients with cardiac disease resulting in inability to carry on any physical activity without discomfort. Symptoms of heart failure or the anginal syndrome may be present even at rest. If any physical activity is undertaken, discomfort increases.

Cardiac Bioenergetics

Most people have heard of heart failure, but few understand what it really is.

Contrary to what most people might think, heart failure does not mean that the heart stops beating. Rather, heart failure occurs whenever the heart is unable to pump enough blood to sustain normal function in other organs.3

Your heart is one of the hardest-working organs in your body; it literally never takes a rest. Beat after beat, hour after hour, day after day, for your entire life, your heart contracts and relaxes a little more than once per second, providing the blood flow that every other organ in your body relies on.

That much effort requires a steady supply of energy. And to perform at optimal function—literally without missing a beat—your heart needs to be able to derive that energy from its fuel (primarily fatty acids and glucose) efficiently and with little waste.4-6

In order to support this task, your mitochondria pump out a steady supply of energy derived from food. This is called bioenergetics.7 But your mitochondria don’t work alone. Just as a clean-burning automobile engine is more fuel-efficient and lasts longer than an out-of-tune one, the mitochondria need help maintaining top-level efficiency and performance.

CoQ10 is essential for the heart to maintain sufficient energy management.1,8 But when CoQ10 levels decline, tissues burn fuel inefficiently, eventually producing oxidative damage and ultimately losing their function. When the heart muscle loses its fuel efficiency, heart failure may occur.4,9

Research has shown that CoQ10 levels are lower in patients with heart failure and the lower the levels, the more severe the failure.8,10,11 In fact, heart failure patients with lower CoQ10 levels have up to a two-fold risk of dying compared to those with higher levels.12

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

CoQ10 Benefits: Heart Failure Patients

• Loss of efficient energy management, or bioenergetics, is a root cause of heart failure and many other conditions associated with aging.
• Many patients with heart failure are deficient in CoQ10, a nutrient that optimizes bioenergetics in the heart muscle’s mitochondria.
• A dramatic new study shows that CoQ10 supplementation can restore deficient CoQ10 levels, extending life span and improving quality of life, even in patients with the most severe classes of heart failure.
• CoQ10 supplementation is finding a role in the management of other cardiovascular disease processes, including endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, heart attack, and the ischemia-reperfusion injury that accompanies heart attacks and strokes.
• Aging changes your basic biochemistry; you can restore optimal bioenergetics with CoQ10 supplementation.

CoQ10’s Heart-Healthy Track Record

Over the past 30 years, mounting evidence has been establishing CoQ10 as one of the most vital nutrients necessary for heart health.

CoQ10 has been known to benefit cardiac bioenergetics since the 1970s.13-15 In 1985, a small study found that patients with the most severe levels of heart failure experienced significant improvements in cardiac function and clinical state during CoQ10 treatment.6

Since then, other small studies showed similar improvement in clinical status and heart function testing, typically using doses of 100 to 200 mg/day.9,16 Roughly 75% of patients taking CoQ10 experienced improvements in cyanosis (bluish skin), liver enlargement, lung examinations, difficulty breathing, palpitations, sweating, heart arrhythmias, insomnia, vertigo, and nighttime urination.10,17

Several of the studies demonstrated an improvement in cardiac functional status, as determined by the New York Heart Association, reducing patients’ class levels of heart failure by an average of 0.5 compared with placebo.11,18,19 This means that heart failure patients could move from a strict Class II with limitations on physical activity to a class I-II with fewer or even no limitations resulting in substantial improvements in quality of life.

Other studies over the past 15 years or so showed small but significant improvements in objective measures of heart function, such as ejection fraction (the proportion of blood pumped out of the heart with each beat), stroke volume (volume of blood pumped with each beat), and cardiac output (total amount of blood pumped per minute).14,20

But it wasn’t until mid-2013 that results were published from the first comprehensive, double-blind, multi-center study demonstrating the dramatic, life-saving impact of CoQ10 supplementation in patients withchronic heart failure.

ARE YOU TAKING THE RIGHT COQ10?

Most biochemical compounds exist in more than one form. CoQ10 is no exception. A common form of the substance is called ubiquinone, and, while it has demonstrated biological activity, it is much less bioavailable than ubiquinol.42 Ubiquinolis the so-called “reduced” form of CoQ10. In chemical terms, that means it carries an extra electron. This is important because that electron is what allows CoQ10 to help neutralize, or “reduce,” dangerous reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Therefore, your CoQ10 supplement should ideally contain the ubiquinol form of CoQ10.

Landmark Study Shows CoQ10 Saves Lives Of Heart Failure Victims!

This new study showed that even in patients with the most severe classes of heart failure, CoQ10 supplementation can restore deficient CoQ10 levels, extending life span and improving quality of life.

The study, begun in 2003, included only the most severely affected patients (those in the New York Heart Association class III or IV).1 In addition to their regular medication, study subjects were randomly assigned to receive either 100 mg of CoQ10 or placebo 3 times daily. Each patient was followed up with a wide variety of outcomes measures for two years.

After only three months of supplementation, the researchers detected a trend towards reduced levels of proBNP, a marker of heart failure severity that is released from over-worked heart muscle cells.1,2 At two years,significantly more treated patients had improved their heart failure class than did placebo recipients.

But the study’s main endpoint measurement was the most dramatic indicator of success. Only 14% of patients in the supplemented group had a major adverse cardiac event (defined as unplanned hospitalization for worsening heart failure, death from a cardiovascular cause, urgent heart transplantation, or artificial mechanical heart support), while 25% of those in the placebo group had a major cardiac event.1 In statistical terms, that produced a “hazard ratio” of 2.0—meaning the untreated patients had twice the risk of a major cardiac event!

Compared with control patients, those taking CoQ10 experienced significantly fewer cardiovascular deaths and hospitalizations for worsening heart failure. The difference in death rate from all causes between the CoQ10 and placebo groups was striking. Subjects on placebo had twice the rate of death compared to those taking CoQ10.1 And, unlike most drug studies, there were significantly fewer adverse events in the supplemented group than in the placebo group.

This study was the first ever to show that CoQ10 supplementation in advanced heart failure improves survival, while slashing hospitalization rates.

It highlights the importance of regular supplementation with this cardiac “fuel additive” for anyone with heart failure or its risk factors, such as endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, and a history of a heart attack. Studies have shown that CoQ10 improves each of these risk factors for heart failure. Let’s look at each in turn.
WHAT CAUSES HEART FAILURE?

Heart failure affects around 5.7 million Americans, and causes or contributes to more than 335,000 deaths each year. Half of those with heart failure die within 5 years of their diagnosis.3

There are many primary causes of heart failure.9,43 The most common include coronary artery disease and high blood pressure but can also include heart attacks, obesity, and diabetes, all of which place excessive demands on the heart muscle, making it work harder and harder just to produce enough blood flow to sustain life at rest. That extra demand for energy uses up CoQ10, resulting in a loss of fuel efficiency precisely when the heart needs every bit of energy it can generate.9

Eventually, the heart muscle simply tires out, becoming enlarged and flabby, squeezing more weakly with each contraction, and pumping smaller and smaller amounts of blood out to the body.

Symptoms of heart failure reflect the diminished blood flow to all of the organs in the body, especially the lungs, kidneys, and liver. Such symptoms commonly include shortness of breath even with normal daily activities, difficulty breathing when lying down, and swelling in the lower extremities or lower back. These symptoms are usually accompanied by substantial weight gain (“water weight”), and generalized fatigue and weakness.44

Eventually, symptoms worsen, requiring frequent hospitalization with increased risk of life-threatening heart arrhythmias and pulmonary edema.44 Even with the best conventional treatment, some people with heart failure, particularly those who in spite of conventional treatment fail to show evidence of clinical improvement, may die within two years.6

CoQ10 Improves Endothelial Function

Chronic oxidative stress is one of the main factors reducing the functioning of the endothelium, the thin layer of cells lining arteries that controls blood flow and pressure.21 Endothelial dysfunction is a major precursor to hypertension, coronary heart disease, and strokes. Since CoQ10 is a unique antioxidant, it makes sense that it would have beneficial effects on endothelial function.

That has proven to be the case. In patients with known coronary artery disease, who are at high risk for heart attack, and who need every bit of functioning endothelium, supplementation with 300 mg of CoQ10 a day significantly improved their natural endothelial antioxidant levels, improved their arterial relaxation, and improved their oxygen utilization.22

Similar improvements were seen in patients with New York Heart Association grade II to III heart failure, who experienced a 9% improvement in oxygen utilization and a 38% improvement in endothelial function when they used the same dose of CoQ10, with no side effects.23

CoQ10 has subsequently shown value in improving endothelial dysfunction caused by diabetes and by high LDL-cholesterol, two major contributors to cardiovascular disease.24,25 In addition, it reduces blood vessel stiffness, a consequence of endothelial dysfunction.26,27

COQ10 SHOWS PROMISE IN CANCER PREVENTION

Low levels of CoQ10 have been correlated with increased cancer risk in some populations.45 This is due in part to the fact that cancer cells are enormous users of energy, perturbing the bioenergetics of surrounding tissue and bathing host cells in free radicals and other destructive byproducts.

Though research is still in its early stages, CoQ10 supplementation is showing real promise in counteracting these effects to slow—and in some cases reverse—cancer’s progression. Here is a synopsis of scientific progress:

• CoQ10 along with vitamin B6 boosted the function of cancer-fighting immune cells.46
• CoQ10 alone or in combination with B vitamins enhanced the efficacy of the anti-breast cancer drug tamoxifen in animal studies, and decreased plasma markers of metastasis and new blood vessel growth in human breast cancer patients.47-50
• CoQ10 suppressed development of pre-cancerous lesions in animal models of colon cancer.51,52
• CoQ10 increased median actual survival by more than 40% in patients with a variety of end-stage cancers.53

It seems all but inevitable that further studies will highlight greater benefits in humans, especially at the level of prevention rather than treatment, an area in which mainstream medicine is sadly lacking.

CoQ10 Lowers Blood Pressure

Oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction are major causes of elevated blood pressure, which affects about 67 million US adults.28,29 CoQ10 supplementation is showing promise in reducing blood pressure in hypertensive patients, without producing dangerous abrupt drops in pressure.

A multitude of studies have shown that doses of CoQ10 as low as 60 mg twice daily can lower blood pressure by up to 17.8 points systolic (top number) and 7 points diastolic (bottom number).30-32 None of these studies reported significant side effects, and CoQ10 is now recommended by some researchers for use in addition to standard drug treatment for hypertension, especially in elderly patients.33

COQ10 PROTECTS YOUR BRAIN

Your brain receives the largest proportion of total blood flow from your heart; as a result, it has some of the most volatile fluctuations in bioenergetic demands.54 Because of this, CoQ10 is of tremendous importance in maintaining brain health and preventing neuronal damage.

Unfortunately, studies have clearly shown a loss of CoQ10 functioning in the aging brain—with severe deficiencies in those with neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, and following strokes.55,56

Fortunately, laboratory studies have shown that supplementing with CoQ10 has multiple brain-protective effects, especially in aging animals. Take a look:

• CoQ10 has been shown to decelerate the aging process in a strain of mice with abnormally accelerated aging.57
• When aging, stroke-prone mice were supplemented long-term with CoQ10, they had smaller volumes of damaged brain, and larger volumes of healthy, functioning brain.58
• In culture dishes, CoQ10 kept brain stem cells alive following periods of oxygen deprivation (as seen in strokes), setting the stage for possible recovery through new cell development.59
• In a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, CoQ10 decreased the amount of destructive amyloid beta plaque in brain tissue, while improving the animals’ behaviors.60
• In aging mice at risk for Parkinson’s disease, supplementation reduced the loss of dopamine-producing neurons and raised brain dopamine levels (dopamine is the neurotransmitter that is diminished in human Parkinson’s).61

Preliminary human studies show good results as well—especially in patients with early and mild Parkinson’s disease. CoQ10 at 360 mg/day produced moderate reduction in symptom scores, while1,200 mg/day appeared to slow functional decline in those with early disease.62,63 Studies have shown that up to 3,000 mg/day is well tolerated, with 2,400 mg/day being the highest dose used in studies involving Parkinson’s patients.64

The superior absorption of the ubiquinol form of CoQ10 would allow lower doses to be used. Those with congestive heart failure or neurological conditions should ideally strive for a coenzyme Q10 blood level of over 3.5 micrograms per milliliter (mcg/mL).66

CoQ10 Reduces Heart Attack Damage

CoQ10 is especially valuable in reducing the damage caused by a heart attack. Never is your heart in greater need of efficient bioenergetics than during and immediately after a heart attack. CoQ10 is sharply diminished in heart attack victims. In fact, low CoQ10 levels are associated with an increased risk of dying in post-cardiac arrest patients.34

The main damage in survivors of a heart attack doesn’t come from the loss of blood flow itself (ischemia), but rather from the restoration of oxygen-rich blood to tissues that have lacked oxygen for the critical minutes before circulation is restored (reperfusion).35

CoQ10 reduces the impact of ischemia-reperfusion injury by optimizing the heart muscle’s bioenergetics and providing antioxidant support during this crucial period.36 Supplementation reduces markers of extreme oxidative stress and poor mitochondrial function, while reducing the rates of post-reperfusion arrhythmias and improving heart musclefunctioning.37,38

Studies show that CoQ10 at doses of 100 to 120 mg/day reduced total arrhythmias and other cardiac events, increased left ventricular (main pumping chamber) function, and reduced the death rate from repeat heart attacks.39,40

CoQ10 is powerful enough that it has been given intravenously during bypass grafting procedures, where it improved left ventricular functioning 6 to 10 hours after the operation, compared with control patients, and reduced blood markers of heart muscle damage.37 Similar beneficial effects have now been shown in patients who take 150 to 180 mg of CoQ10 per day for 7 to 10 days prior to elective bypass surgery.41

Summary

Your mitochondria pump out a steady supply of energy derived from the food you supply them with. Like any finely-tuned machine, however, they need help maintaining top-level efficiency and performance.

CoQ10 is the main molecule your body requires to keep mitochondrial energy production, orbioenergetics, running smoothly. Declining CoQ10 levels cause tissues to burn fuel inefficiently, eventually producing oxidative damage and ultimately losing their function.

CoQ10 deficiency and the resulting bioenergetic collapse is the underlying cause of heart failure, one of the largest causes of death and disability in Americans today. Studies show that CoQ10 supplementation at 300 mg/day not only restores normal CoQ10 levels, but prevents progression of heart failure and in fact can reverse that progression and extend survival and improve quality of life.

Similar beneficial effects have now been shown in patients with endothelial dysfunction, hypertension, and coronary artery disease, the precursors of heart attacks and ultimately heart failure.

Since we all require efficient and uninterrupted energy supplies, we all need to be thinking about optimizing our bioenergetic status with CoQ10 supplementation.

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension® Health Advisor at 1-866-864-3027.

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