Wednesday, March 17, 2010

“Treating vitamin D deficiency significantly reduces heart disease risk, studies find (Science Daily)” plus 2 more

“Treating vitamin D deficiency significantly reduces heart disease risk, studies find (Science Daily)” plus 2 more


Treating vitamin D deficiency significantly reduces heart disease risk, studies find (Science Daily)

Posted: 16 Mar 2010 08:26 PM PDT

ScienceDaily (Mar. 17, 2010) — Preventing and treating heart disease in some patients could be as simple as supplementing their diet with extra vitamin D, according to two new studies at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Murray, Utah.

Researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute last fall demonstrated the link between vitamin D deficiency and increased risk for coronary artery disease. These new studies show that treating vitamin D deficiency with supplements may help to prevent or reduce a person's risk for cardiovascular disease and a host of other chronic conditions. They also establish what level of vitamin D further enhances that risk reduction.

Study findings were presented at the American College of Cardiology 59th annual scientific session in Atlanta on March 15, 2010.

"Vitamin D replacement therapy has long been associated with reducing the risk of fractures and diseases of the bone," says Dr. J. Brent Muhlestein, MD, director of cardiovascular research at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute. "But our findings show that vitamin D could have far greater implications in the treatment and reduction of cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions than we previously thought."

For the first study, researchers followed two groups of patients for an average of one year each. In the first study group, over 9,400 patients, mostly female, reported low initial vitamin D levels, and had at least one follow up exam during that time period. Researchers found that 47 percent of the patients who increased their levels of vitamin D between the two visits showed a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease.

In the second study, researchers placed over 31,000 patients into three categories based on their levels of vitamin D. The patients in each category who increased their vitamin D levels to 43 nanograms per milliliter of blood or higher had lower rates of death, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure, high blood pressure, depression, and kidney failure. Currently, a level of 30 nanograms per milliliter is considered "normal."

Heidi May, PhD, a cardiovascular clinical epidemiologist with the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute, and one of the study's authors, says the link between low levels of vitamin D and increased risk for a variety of diseases is significant.

"It was very important to discover that the 'normal' levels are too low. Giving physicians a higher level to look for gives them one more tool in identifying patients at-risk and offering them better treatment," says Dr. May.

Dr. Muhlestein says the results of these studies will change the way he treats his patients.

"Although randomized trials would be useful and are coming, I feel there is enough information here for me to start treatment based on these findings," he says.

Treatment options in this case are simple, starting with a blood test to determine a patient's vitamin D level. If low levels are detected, supplements and/or increased exposure to sunlight may be prescribed.

Increasing vitamin D intake by 1000 to 5000 international units (IU) a day may be appropriate, depending on a patient's health and genetic risk, says Dr. Muhlestein. He says supplements are the best source of vitamin D because they are relatively inexpensive and can be found at almost any supermarket or drug store. Most supplements provide an average of 400 IU per tablet.

While exposure to 20-30 minutes of sunlight can provide up to 10,000 IU, Dr. Muhlestein says it is important to use sunscreen and avoid the hottest parts of the day in order to avoid sunburn and the harmful UV rays associated with skin cancer.


Story Source:

Adapted from materials provided by Intermountain Medical Center, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

International Centre for Infectious Diseases urges non-profit organizations to develop pandemic plans (CNW Group via Yahoo! Finance)

Posted: 17 Mar 2010 03:00 AM PDT

ICID updates online pandemic planning tools for non-profit organizations

WINNIPEG, March 17 /CNW/ - On the heels of the recent H1N1 pandemic, the International Centre for Infectious Diseases (ICID) is providing online planning tools to help non-profit organizations develop pandemic flu plans. It is urging vigilance against future waves of the virus, and advises organizations to take action now to plan for events that could threaten the delivery of service to their clients.

Although we have come to the end of the second wave of H1N1, cases are still occurring around the globe and there is still a possibility of a third wave in Canada. To help non-profit organizations prepare for possible future waves, ICID has developed businessfluplan.ca, a website featuring interactive tools that organizations can download or use online to develop their pandemic plans. The website also provides webinars, templates, presentations and advice from health and business experts.

The impact of even a small outbreak can be devastating on a non-profit organization as they are already typically thinly staffed and rely greatly on volunteers. Moreover, if a non-profit cannot perform its regular functions and duties because staff and volunteers are away ill, the people and projects it supports may also suffer.

"Vulnerable populations rely on non-profit and voluntary organizations for a range of essential services and will be especially dependent on them during a health emergency," says Heather Medwick, Acting President and CEO of ICID. "Rather than wait for another pandemic to start developing their pandemic plan, it makes sense for organizations to do that work now during a period of relative calm."

The ICID pandemic planning initiative was developed in response to studies showing that small- and medium-sized enterprises, including non-profit organizations, are not engaged in pandemic planning the way larger businesses are. It is estimated that 70% of voluntary sector groups serving high-risk populations do not have the resources to do disaster planning. Furthermore, only 50% of high-risk voluntary organizations have business continuity plans for a disaster.

ICID developed the online site specifically to cater to the needs of small business and non-profit organizations. The initiative was made possible with funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

A French version of Businessfluplan.ca is available at Plancontrelagrippe.ca.

For further information

Wendy Schettler, Director, Public Health Programs, International Centre for Infectious Diseases, Cell: (204) 771-6127, Tel: (204) 943-1743, Fax: (204) 946-0927

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Sunridge International to Present PNT to the Southern California Investment Association (redOrbit)

Posted: 16 Mar 2010 07:46 AM PDT

Posted on: Tuesday, 16 March 2010, 08:00 CDT

FOUNTAIN HILLS, Ariz., March 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sunridge International, (OTC Bulletin Board: SNDZ) said it will be presenting details of its patented pneumatic trabeculoplasty treatment (PNT) a non-invasive treatment at the upcoming Southern California Investment Association (SCIA) Conference on April 3rd 2010, in Irvine, CA.

Making the announcement today, Sunridge International CEO, G. Richard Smith, said, "Last Saturday's conference in Texas allowed us to communicate the progress that Sunridge has made in recent months and the inroads it has made in several of the world's major markets. We have had great success in gaining awareness throughout the US investment community in the past month, and our upcoming presentation to the SCIA is an important step in continuing our marketing outreach program."

The SCIA National Small Cap Syndicate is a comprehensive national organization developed to facilitate stock support and capital formation for small and emerging-growth companies. The alliance consists of almost 200 influential member firms plus associates including broker/dealers, investment bankers, investment advisors, analysts, market makers, venture capitalists, fund managers, media and accredited investors. The SCIA syndicate has been instrumental in funding over $100 million per year since 2000 and has introduced many of the good companies available in the markets.

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness, affecting over 70 million people worldwide. PNT has been proven (through studies completed over the last 10 yrs) to be a safe, effective, non-invasive and a cost effective alternative for treatment for glaucoma and ocular hypertension. The 2-minute treatment has been developed, patented, and distributed by Sunridge International, wholly owned subsidiary, Ophthalmic International (www.oi-pnt.com).

For full details of PNT and its application, we invite you to visit Sunridge International's website at www.sunridgeint.com.

CONTACT: Jeff Smith, Sunridge International T: +1-480-837-6165 e-mail: info@sunridgeint.com website: www.sunridgeint.com MEDIA: Victor Webb, Marston Webb International T: (212) 684-6601 e-mail: marwebint@cs.com

SOURCE Sunridge International


Source: PR Newswire

More News in this Category

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

No comments:

Post a Comment