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Pycnogenol, gotu kola supplementation associated with decreased progression of atherosclerosisD’Annunzio University (Italy), October 23, 2022

The results of studies published in Minerva Cardioangiologica suggest a benefit for supplementation with extracts of pine bark and the herb gotu kola in atherosclerosis.

In one study, participants with arterial wall atherosclerotic lesions and intima-media thickening (thickening of the artery walls’ innermost layers) received standard management, standard management plus aspirin, or standard management, aspirin and Pycnogenol® pine bark extract plus gotu kola extract daily for three years, after which atherosclerotic lesion progression, carotid artery intima-media thickness and oxidative stress were assessed.

At the end of the trial, 5.3% of those who received Pycnogenol and gotu kola had experienced atherosclerotic lesion progression in comparison with over 20% of the remainder of the participants. Cardiovascular events that required hospital admission were less than 4% in the supplemented group compared to over 12% in the rest of the subjects. Carotid artery intima thickness and oxidative stress were also lower in association with supplementation.

In the second study, 90 men with coronary artery calcifications received standard management alone, standard management and daily Pycnogenol, or standard management with daily Pycnogenol plus gotu kola. All participants received daily aspirin. Calcification was assessed at the beginning of the study and after one year.

While Pycnogenol plus standard management was more effective than standard management alone, men who received Pycnogenol plus gotu kola experienced a 10% decline in the number of calcifications by the end of the study, in contrast with a 34.9% increase in the standard management group. “This indicates that supplementation with the combined supplements blocks the increase in calcified areas and, possibly, in time may decrease the number of calcified spots,” Shu Hu and colleagues write.

Effects of pistachios on cardiovascular disease risk factors and potential mechanisms of action: a dose-response study.Pennsylvania State University, October 22, 2022Nut consumption lowers cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Studies are lacking about the effects of pistachios, a nutrient-dense nut, on CVD risk factors, dose-response relations, and lipid-lowering mechanisms.

We evaluated the effects of 2 doses of pistachios, added to a lower-fat diet, on lipids and lipoproteins, apolipoprotein (apo)-defined lipoprotein subclasses, and plasma fatty acids. To investigate the mechanisms of action, we measured cholesteryl ester transfer protein and indexes of plasma stearoyl-CoA desaturase activity (SCD).

In a randomized crossover controlled-feeding study, 28 individuals with LDL cholesterol > or = 2.86 mmol/L consumed 3 isoenergetic diets for 4 wk each. Baseline measures were assessed after 2 wk of a typical Western diet. The experimental diets included a lower-fat control diet with no pistachios [25% total fat; 8% saturated fatty acids (SFAs), 9% monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and 5% polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)], 1 serving/d of a pistachio diet (1 PD; 10% of energy from pistachios; 30% total fat; 8% SFAs, 12% MUFAs, and 6% PUFAs), and 2 servings/d of a pistachio diet (2 PD; 20% of energy from pistachios; 34% total fat; 8% SFAs, 15% MUFAs, and 8% PUFAs).

Inclusion of pistachios in a healthy diet beneficially affects CVD risk factors in a dose-dependent manner, which may reflect effects on SCD.

Poor quality sleep may be linked to heightened risk of glaucoma, irreversible sight lossSichuan University (China), November 1, 2022

Poor quality sleep, including too much or too li