Best Supplements for Heart Health

Heart disease is the leading cause for death among adults in the United States. It surpasses all other forms of cancer, stroke, and respiratory disease. Your lifestyle certainly have a significant impact on your risk of stroke and heart disease. While we all know that a healthy diet and regular exercise are good for the heart, what does the role of best supplements for heart health have?

Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper has 8 steps to get cooperized(tm). We talked to John S. Ho, Cooper Clinic Cardiologist, about how the best supplements can support optimal heart health.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Lower Triglycerides and Reducing Heart Attacks

American Heart Association recommends that adults consume at most two portions of fatty fish each week, such as trout, mackerel and salmon. Research shows that these types of fish contain long-chain omega-3s (EPA, DHA), which can help improve your heart health.

Omega-3 Lowers Triglycerides Levels

Omega-3 supplements may be beneficial for people with high levels of triglycerides. Therefore, high levels of triglycerides (a type fat or lipid) in the blood are thought to be a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease.

Ho says that the data regarding omega-3 and decreasing triglycerides are very strong. “I take Cooper Complete Advanced Omega-3, as I have high levels of triglycerides. My calcification is also something that omega-3 can help.

Omega-3 Supplement to Reduce Heart Attacks

VITAL followed 25871 people 50 years and older who took vitamin D supplements. They also received 1,000 mg (25mcg) of fish oils per day.

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The first round of results showed that people who ate less than the AHA recommendation of fatty fish, but took the omega-3 supplement, had a 28% lower risk of having heart attacks. A 19% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular events was also observed for those who eat a low amount of fish. Also, the study found that omega-3 fatty acid reduced the rate for angioplasty procedures 22%. Dr. Nina Radford, a Cooper Clinic cardiologist, wrote an in-depth article on the VITAL results.

Are you not getting enough omega-3 fatty fish in your diet? Cooper Complete Advanced Omega-3 has 1,400 mg of EPA/DHA per two-softgel portion. This can be very beneficial.

Ho explains that Cooper Complete Advanced Omega-3 contains the highest levels of EPA, DHA. “This is why I recommend it for my patients.”

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) to Protect the Heart Muscles and Blood Vessels

High cholesterol is a risk factor for stroke and heart disease. According to statistics, approximately three quarters of Americans have high levels LDL (bad cholesterol).

High cholesterol can lead to plaque or fatty deposits in the blood vessels, which eventually makes it hard for blood flow through the arteries. This can increase your risk of having a heart attack.

Effects of CoQ10 Deficiency on the Body

Doctors often prescribe statins, which are medications that lower cholesterol. Statin drugs may be able to lower cholesterol levels, but they can also cause a decrease in CoQ10 in the body, which is essential for converting food into cellular energy.

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Statin therapy can cause muscle aches and pains, which is one of the side effects. Supplements of CoQ10 for heart health may help to restore levels and decrease statin side effects.

Ho says, “If my patient complains of statin side effects,” he recommends CoQ10. Ho estimates that about 30-40% of his patients will experience relief after they start taking the supplement.

Cooper Complete CoQ10 comes in the ubiquinol-form, which is an active, antioxidant form. Research suggests that this form of CoQ10 is more easily absorbed by the body. Cooper Complete CoQ10 comes in 50 and 100 mg versions.

Ho says, “I always start my statin side effects patients on 100mg of CoQ10,” “If it starts to work, I increase the dosage to 150 mg or possibly 200 mg.”

Ho insists that patients who have been prescribed statins must continue to take them. He’ll look into other options if CoQ10 is not effective in relieving statin side effects.

Vitamin D for Better Heart Function

Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, functions in the body as a hormone. It regulates calcium levels and phosphorus levels and promotes bone mineralization and healthy growth throughout life.

Vitamin D is good for cardiovascular health. The Cooper Clinic checks vitamin D levels during a preventive exam. They recommend 50 mcg (2,000 IU of vitamin D) per day for all adults.

Studies show that people who have low levels of vitamin-D may be at greater risk for heart attack. Researchers in Denmark found alarming results from people who have very low levels of vitamin D. They are at a higher risk of developing fatal heart disease. They also have a 64 per cent higher risk of having a heart attack than people who have higher vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D Level Research From Harvard

A study was conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston. Researchers followed 454 people aged 40 to 75 who had experienced a non-fatal heart attack. They also tracked 900 men without any history of cardiovascular disease in the past 10 years. The risk of heart failure and heart attack was higher in those with low levels of vitamin D.

This research and others have shown that Cooper Complete multivitamins contain 50 mg (2,000 IU of vitamin D). We also offer Vitamin D 25 mcg (1.0000 IU), and Vitamin D125 mcg (5500 IU) for your heart health.

Multivitamins to Control Inflammation

A blood test measuring levels of C-reactive protein is likely to have been performed on you if you had a complete blood panel done in the recent past.

The C-reactive protein, which is made from liver cells, is an inflammatory marker that doctors use. It helps to measure inflammation caused by all sorts of events, including getting sick, having an attack, breaking an arm, falling, and developing cancer. The body’s response to these stressors causes an increase in C-reactive proteins.

Experts believe that hardening of arteries is due to inflammation. C-reactive proteins may allows to predict heart disease, along with standard cholesterol screening tests. Furthermore, the C-reactive proteins measure can indicate whether cholesterol plaque is at risk of rupturing, releasing blood clots.

Variety of drugs and conditions affects C-reactive protein. Aspirin, statins, beta-blockers and niacin can all lower C-reactive proteins levels. Multivitamins containing vitamin B6 or vitamin C can also lower C-reactive proteins.

C-Reactive Protein and Multivitamin Research

Cooper Complete was the subject of one of its first research studies. It examined the effects of multivitamins on C-reactive proteins. Cooper Complete Original Iron free lowered CRP levels by 32 percent in a clinical trial. This also reports in the American Journal of Medicine, December 2003. Cooper Complete adult multivitamins include 10 mg vitamin C. Cooper Complete Original has 500 mg of vitamin C, while Basic One contains 150m.

Reminder: Your physician is the best person to understand your health. It’s important that you talk to your doctor about which supplements might be best for your needs.

SHOP HEART HEALTH