Nutritional Support for a Healthy Heart and Arteries

CardioCare
Nutritional Support for a Healthy Heart and Arteries
February 2001

by VRP Editorial Staff

The human heart and cardiovascular system is a complex and sophisticated network that works non-stop, 24-hours a day, for an average of 72.8 years. Atherosclerosis, leading to coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular disease, is the leading killer of both men and women over the age of 50. VRP’s CardioCare formula was designed to help prevent (or benefit pre-existing) atherosclerotic conditions of all kinds, particularly coronary artery disease. CardioCare has been formulated with key ingredients that have been clinically proven to significantly reduce the risk of occlusive heart disease. These nutrients have demonstrated an ability to:

Decrease risk of blood clots

Support normal blood pressure

Improve myocardial bioenergetics

Relax arteries

Modulate the activity of cyclic AMP and calcium in the heart

Improve coronary circulation and lower cholesterol

L-Carnitine
Carnitine is an important amino acid involved in the metabolism and conversion of fatty acids into energy for muscular activity. Heart tissues of patients who died of acute myocardial infarctions have been shown to be deficient in carnitine. The Physicians Desk Reference recommends carnitine for treatment of ischemic heart disease and Type IV hyperlipidemia. Carnitine has also been shown to benefit congestive heart failure.1 One six-month double blind trial found that patients taking 500 mg per day of a modified form of carnitine (propionyl-L-carnitine) increased their exercise capacity by 26%.2 Carnitine has also been shown to be beneficial for angina, arrhythmia, poor endurance, muscle weakness and obesity.3.4

Taurine
Taurine is a nonessential, membrane-stabilizing, sulfur-containing amino acid and antioxidant that is found in high concentrations in muscle tissue. Due to taurine’s ability to mimic magnesium, physicians have used it to treat congestive heart failure.5 Taurine is known to have antiarrhythmic, inotropic (improves cardiac contractility) and hypotensive effects.6 It has also been shown to reduce platelet aggregation, thus lowering the risk of forming blood clots.

Coenzyme Q-10
This important cardiovascular nutrient is thought to be essential for proper heart function. Researchers examining myocardial biopsies have found that up to 75% of all patients with various cardiac diseases suffered from a CoQ10 deficiency.7 Orally administered CoQ10 can improve functioning of myocardial tissue, control the flood of free radicals released at times of stress, such as during cardiac interventions (including angioplasty, thrombolysis, and surgery), and improve the conversion of oxygen to cellular energy. In addition, CoQ10 has a positive inotropic and anti-arrhythmia effect.8 CoQ10 also has antioxidant and membrane-stabilizing properties shown to prevent the cellular damage that results from normal metabolic processes.

L-Arginine

The amino acid L-arginine has been shown to have positive effects on immunity, fertility, growth hormone production, tumor regression, wound healing, and reduction of hyperammonemia in patients with liver failure. Arginine also offers cardiovascular benefits, including its ability to produce significant vasodilation. A 1991 report in the Lancet demonstrated that arginine restored impaired endothelium dilation of coronary microcirculation in eight hypercholesterolemic patients.9

Hawthorn Extract

Hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantharose) is a particularly rich source of bioflavonoids—plant extracts well recognized for their protective effects on blood vessels. Hawthorn is an especially significant source of antioxidant anthocyanidins and cardiotonic amines.10 Hawthorn dilates coronary blood vessels and consequently improves blood supply; improves myocardial contraction strength, resulting in greater ejection volume (positive inotropic effect); has ACE-inhibitory effects and is a mild diuretic; stabilizes collagen; prevents arrhythmias; prevents cardiac spasms; and reduces thromboxane synthesis.11,12 Further-more, researchers have found that Hawthorn actually decreased the size of atherosclerotic plaque deposits in rabbits.13

Forskolin
Forskolin, derived from the Coleus forskolii plant, has been studied for its positive effects on angina, hypertension, and congestive heart failure. Forskolin activates the enzyme adenylcyclase to increase the level of cyclic AMP throughout the cardiovascular system, leading to relaxed arteries and increased force of contraction.14-16 Forskolin has also been shown to assist in lowering blood pressure and improving contractility of the heart. Researchers in a study involving seven patients with dilated cardiomyopathy found that forskolin reduced preload stress and improved left ventrical function.17

A second study found that forskolin also reduced systemic vascular resistance and diastolic pressure, though there was no effect on cardiac index, ejection fraction or myocardial oxygen consumption when given in low dosages (3 mcg/kg/min). But at higher dosages (4 mcg/kg/min), forskolin induced a 19% increase in heart function and a 16% increase in heart rate.18

Conclusion

CardioCare provides nutrients that have been specifically been chosen for their ability to enhance cardiovascular function by augmenting levels of cyclic AMP, increasing the force of heart contractions, enhancing oxygen utilization and myocardial energy, and supporting normal blood pressure and heart contractions. This complex formula works best when combined with a good multivitamin, such as VRP’s Extend Plus, and an omega-3 fatty acid supplement such as Ethyl EPA.

References:
1. Dipalma JR. Carnitine deficiency. Am Family Phys 1988;38:243-51.

2. Mancini M, Rengo F, Lingetti M, Sorrentino GP, Nolfe G. Controlled study on the therapeutic efficacy of propionyl-L-carnitine in patients with congestive heart failure. Arzneimittelforschung 1992;42:1101–4.

3. Giamberardino MA et al. Effects of prolonged L-carnitine administration on delayed muscle pain and CK release after eccentric effort. Int J Sports Med 1996;17:320-4.

4. Kendler BS. Carnitine: an overview of its role in preventive medicine. Prev Med 1986;15:373-90.

5. Wessberg, P.; Hedner, T.; Hedner, J.; and Jonason, J. Effects of taurine and a taurine antagonist on some respiratory and cardiovascular parameters. Life Sci., 33:1649-1655, 1983.

6. Fujita T; Ando K; et al: Effects of increased adrenomedullary activity and taurine in young patients with borderline hypertension. Circulation, 75(3):525-32 1987 Mar

7. Kishi H, et al. Inhibition of myocardial function by psychotropic drugs and prevention by coenzyme Q10. In: Biomedical and Clinical Aspects of Coenzyme Q, vol.4, pp 139-154.

8. Hamada M, et al. Correlation between serum CoQ10 level and myocardium contractility in hypertensive patients. In: Biomedical and Clinical Aspects of Coenzyme Q, vol. 4, pp 263-270.

9. Drexler H. et al. Correction of endothelial dysfunction in coronary microcirculation of hypercholesterlaemic patients by L-arginine. Lancet 1991; 338:1546-50.

10. Cook N.C. & Samman S. “Flavonoids-Chemistry, metabolism, cardioprotective effects, and dietary sources” Nutritional Biochemistry 1996, 7:66-76.

11. Bahorun T, Trotin F, et al. Antioxidant activities of Crataegus monogyna extracts. Planta Med 1994; 60:323-8.

12. Rewerski VW, Piechoscki T, et al. Some pharmacological properties of oligomeric procyanidin isolated from hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha). Arzneim-Forsch Drug Res 1967; 17:490-1.

13. Weikl A, Noh HS. The influence of Crataegus on global cardiac insufficiency. Herz Gefabe 1993; 11:516-24.

14. Ammon PT, Muller AB. Forskolin: From Ayurvedic remedy to modern agent. Planta Medica 1985 51:473-7.

15. Dubey MP, Srimal RC Natyand S, Dhawan BN. Pharmacological studies on coleonol, a hypotensive diterpene form Coleus forskoli. J Ethnopharmacology 1981, 3:1-13.

16. Lindner E, Dohadwalla AN, Bhattacharya BK. Positive inotropic and blood pressure lowering activity of a diterpene derivative isolated from Coleus forskoli: forskolin. Arznem-Forsch 1978. 28:284-9.

17. Kramer W, et al. Effects of forskolin on left ventricular function in dilated cardiomyopathy. Arznem-Forsch 1987. 37:364-7.

18. Schlepper M. Thormann J, Mitrovic V. Cardiovascular effects of forskolin and phosphodiesterase-III inhibitors. Basic Res Cardiol, 1989. Supp 1:197-212.

The information in this article is not intended to provide personal medical advice, which should be obtained from a medical professional, and has not been approved by the U.S. FDA.

Copyright 2001 by Vitamin Research Products, Inc. (VRP) The use of information found in Vitamin Research News for commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission from VRP.