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Query: UMLS:C0018799 (heart disease)
 34,133 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

This paper presents a trend-free regression model for analyzing the effect of changes in food intake on disease specific mortality rates. The statistical effect of changes in food consumption of the Israeli population during 1949 to 1977 on concurrent mortality rates from cancer, heart disease, peptic ulcer, and diabetes mellitus were investigated by the suggested model. The regression analyses reveal the following: 1) The major statistical effects of progressive dietary changes (during 28 yr) on mortality rates lagged by 1 or 2 yr. 2) None of the variables was consistently and statistically significantly related to cancer mortality. 3) Vitamin A was consistently in statistically significant negative association with mortality rates. This suggests that increased consumption of vitamin A may prove to reduce mortality rates due to heart disease and peptic ulcer. 4) All the investigated mortality rates were in statistically significant positive association with increasing total fat consumption. Mortality rates of ischemic heart disease as well as of hypertensive and cerebrovascular diseases were in positive association with both plant fat and animal fat. These findings suggest that reduced total fat intake may prove to reduce the investigated mortality rates. 5) Diabetes mellitus was in statistically significant inverse association with the average per capital consumption of fruits and vegetables. Our results suggest that increased carbohydrate consumption may reduce diabetes mellitus mortality. The above hypotheses derived from the model and the general utility of the model may be demonstrated by studies of data from other countries.
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PMID:Association between dietary changes and mortality rates: Israel 1949 to 1977; a trend-free regression model. 727 Apr 81

Epidemiologic relations were evaluated between plasma concentrations of nutrients and cardiovascular diseases. A total of 220 cats were assessed: 144 cats with noninduced acquired heart disease and 76 clinically normal cats. Plasma was assayed for taurine, alpha-tocopherol, selenium, retinol, and total cholesterol and triglycerides concentrations. Cardiovascular disease groups included dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 53), left ventricular hypertrophy (n = 28), hyperthyroidism (n = 11), and uncertain classification (n = 52). In cats with dilated cardiomyopathy, mean plasma taurine concentration was the lowest of that in cats of any group, being only 38% of the value in healthy cats; females had less than half the mean value of males. Tocopherol concentration was 20% lower than normal, and retinol concentration was 40% higher than normal. Total cholesterol concentration was 36% lower than normal. Triglycerides concentration was higher in these cats than in any other group--twice the value recorded in healthy cats and 67% higher than that in hyperthyroid cats. In cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, almost 15% had mean plasma taurine concentration < 30 mumol/L. Retinol concentration was 15% higher, and triglycerides concentration was 54% higher than normal. Approximately 27% of hyperthyroid cats had mildly decreased plasma taurine concentration. Hyperthyroid cats had the lowest tocopherol and cholesterol values; both were at least 30% lower than normal. Retinol concentration was 30% higher than normal. Approximately 14% of cats with uncertain classification had mildly decreased plasma taurine concentration. Plasma retinol and triglycerides concentrations were higher than normal in 25 and 38% of these cats, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Comparison of taurine, alpha-tocopherol, retinol, selenium, and total triglycerides and cholesterol concentrations in cats with cardiac disease and in healthy cats. 848 75

Despite being one of the first vitamins to be discovered, the full range of biological activities for vitamin A remains to be defined. Structurally similar to vitamin A, carotenoids are a group of nearly 600 compounds. Only about 50 of these have provitamin A activity. Recent evidence has shown vitamin A, carotenoids and provitamin A carotenoids can be effective antioxidants for inhibiting the development of heart disease. Vitamin A must be obtained from the diet: green and yellow vegetables, dairy products, fruits and organ meats are some of the richest sources. Within the body, vitamin A can be found as retinol, retinal and retinoic acid. Because all of these forms are toxic at high concentrations, they are bound to proteins in the extracellular fluids and inside cells. Vitamin A is stored primarily as long chain fatty esters and as provitamin carotenoids in the liver, kidney and adipose tissue. The antioxidant activity of vitamin A and carotenoids is conferred by the hydrophobic chain of polyene units that can quench singlet oxygen , neutralize thiyl radicals and combine with and stabilize peroxyl radicals. In general, the longer the polyene chain, the greater the peroxyl radical stabilizing ability. Because of their structures, vitamin A and carotenoids can autoxidize when O2 tension increases, and thus are most effective antioxidants at low oxygen tensions that are typical of physiological levels found in tissues. Overall, the epidemiological evidence suggests that vitamin A and carotenoids are important dietary factors for reducing the incidence of heart disease. Although there is considerable discrepancy in the results from studies in humans regarding this relationship, carefully controlled experimental studies continue to indicate that these compounds are effective for mitigating and defending against many forms of cardiovascular disease. More work, especially concerning the relevance of how tissue concentrations, rather than plasma levels, relate to the progression of tissue damage in heart disease is required. This review assembles information regarding the basic structure and metabolism of vitamin A and carotenoids as related to their antioxidant activities. Epidemiological, intervention trials and experimental evidence about the effectiveness of vitamin A and carotenoids for reducing cardiovascular disease is also reviewed.
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PMID:Antioxidant potentials of vitamin A and carotenoids and their relevance to heart disease. 1021 65

Three large-scale clinical trials tested the effects of supplemental beta-carotene on the risk for chronic diseases such as cancer. The populations involved were Finnish male heavy smokers (the Alpha Tocopherol Beta Carotene [ATBC] trial), male asbestos workers and male and female heavy smokers (Beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial [CARET]), and U.S. male physicians, 11% of whom were current smokers (Physician's Health Study). All three trials concluded that beta-carotene provided no protection against lung cancer; however, quite unexpectedly, two of the trials found a higher risk for lung cancer for those subjects given beta-carotene compared with those that were not. Several authors concluded from these beta-carotene trials that the protective effects of antioxidants against chronic disease are not as great as had been hoped. As reviewed here, however, beta-carotene may or may not be an antioxidant; it certainly differs in many respects from the prototypical antioxidant, vitamin E. In any case, the majority of beta-carotene's effects in vivo are probably not derived from any antioxidant properties that it may possess, but rather from its effect on a number of biochemical systems. Whether taking supplemental antioxidants can reduce the risk for chronic diseases remains to be established, although the case for vitamin E and heart disease appears strong. However, the association between eating a diet sufficient in fruits and vegetables and reduced risk for a number of diseases is consistent. There is no evidence at present that consuming small amounts of supplemental beta-carotene, i.e., amounts in foods or in a multivitamin tablet, is unwise for any population. The role of supplementation, however, particularly at high levels, with compounds that may be anti-oxidants but that are less well understood than vitamin E (e.g., carotenoids, plant polyphenols, and other phytochemicals), is less clear. The surprising results of the ATBC and CARET trials are a red flag, signaling the need for further research; a number of areas for future work are suggested here. Future research should lead to a clearer understanding of the effects of beta-carotene and other phytochemicals, as well as to more refined strategies for intervention, with important clinical and public health implications.
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PMID:Beta carotene: from biochemistry to clinical trials. 1074 8

It was demonstrated that Vitamin A may be crucial for heart morphogenesis during pregnancy. Both deficiency and excess of Vitamin A could induce certain congenital heart disease. In the gastrula stage, vitamin A could play a specific role in the process of heart development because of activating many gene regulations, in order to promote heart development. In this article, the advance of mechanism study on vitamin A associated with congenital heart disease were reviewed.
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PMID:[Advance of study on vitamin A deficiency and excess associatied with congenital heart disease]. 1923 19

Isotretinoin is a retinoid which is derived from Vitamin A. It is indicated for severe cystic acne treatment, but it has been classified as teratogenic. A wide spectrum of birth defects including craniofacial, heart, and nervous system malformations have been described with prenatal exposure to this drug. We report the case of a newborn with a history of prenatal exposure to isotretinoin with craniofacial defects, including left-sided anotia, right-sided microtia, complex congenital heart disease, and central nervous system malformation.
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PMID:Retinoic Acid Embryopathy. 2930 67