Fatty Acids, Not Cholesterol Drugs, Reduce Heart Failure Mortality

The Lancet online has published the results of a large Italian study aimed at weighing the effects of Omega 3 Fatty Acid supplementation versus statin (a class of cholesterol lowering drugs) therapy for patients with heart failure. Surprise. The drugs lower cholesterol... but don't prevent recurrence of heart attacks or death. (Omega 3 Fatty Acid supplementation has a modest but statistically significant effect in reducing illness and mortality)

"Tognoni said that the prescription of rosuvastatin or any statin to patients with heart failure should not be considered because the use of the cholesterol-lowering drugs does not translate into any clinically meaningful benefit for heart-failure patients." Source

I've long been suspicious of 'numbers drugs'. Those are the ones like cholesterol lowering, blood pressure lowering etc., that treat the numbers in a lab test, not real symptoms. As research progresses, we often find that things thought to be simple equations, like high cholesterol=heart failure, therefore low cholesterol=less heart failure turn out to be far more complex than that. High cholesterol is a created disease. It has no symptoms, can only be detected in a lab, and no one is actually certain of what it leads to. Except that it leads to taking expensive and side effect laden drugs. I am gratified by the results of this study, and reaffirmed in my respect for my profession: TCM sees the person as a whole, and disease and wellness as processes, not a mathematical equation.

Hawthorn for the heart

A new study indicates that the popular herb hawthorn may have measurable benefits for heart disease patients (complete study here: warning medical-ese ahead!). Hawthorn is called shan zha in chinese. It's indicated for 'food stagnation', conditions where improperly or incompletely digested food hangs around and causes trouble. Shan zha is specifically recommended for meats and fats. In modern times this has translated into its use for atherosclerosis: fatty plaque deposits in the arteries impeding blood flow. Shan zha also promotes blood flow, another indicator of its modern use as a heart health herb.

Shan zha is a component of various formulas a chinese herbalist might prescribe, but it is also considered a 'food herb' - safe to take for long periods. A delicious tea can be made by steeping the dried berries in hot water. You may wish to sweeten the brew with a little honey, as the berries can be tart. Enjoy February, 'heart health month' with a warm red glass of hawthorn berry tea!