Slightly more people die on statin treatment

This study was published in the Lancet 2008 Oct 4;372(9645):1231-9

Study title and authors:

Effect of rosuvastatin in patients with chronic heart failure (the GISSI-HF trial): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Gissi-HF Investigators, Tavazzi L, Maggioni AP, Marchioli R, Barlera S, Franzosi MG, Latini R, Lucci D, Nicolosi GL, Porcu M, Tognoni G.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18757089?dopt=Abstract

The study investigated the effects of the statin rosuvastatin in patients with heart failure.

4,574  patients aged 18 years or older with chronic heart failure were assigned to either rosuvastatin 10 mg daily (2,285) or placebo (2,289) and followed up for 3.9 years. Death rates and admission to hospital for cardiovascular reasons were measured.

The study found:

• 657 (29%) patients died from any cause in the rosuvastatin group and 644 (28%) in the placebo group.
• 1305 (57%) patients in the rosuvastatin group and 1283 (56%) in the placebo group died or were admitted to hospital for cardiovascular reasons.

This trial shows that people with heart failure will live slightly longer and have less cardiovascular disease if they avoid statin treatment.

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Analysis of 13 studies reveals a high fat intake reduces colon cancer by 8%

This paper was published in Cancer Causes and Control 1997 Mar;8(2):215-28

Study title and authors:

The relationship between dietary fat intake and risk of colorectal cancer: evidence from the combined analysis of 13 case-control studies.

Howe GR, Aronson KJ, Benito E, Castelleto R, Cornée J, Duffy S, Gallagher RP, Iscovich JM, Deng-ao J, 

Division of Epidemiology, Columbia University School of Public Health, New York, New York 10032, USA.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9134246

The objective of the study was to examine the effects of the intake of dietary fat upon colon cancer risk. The study was an analysis of data from 13 studies previously conducted comparing the dietary habits of 5,287 people with colon cancer with 10,470 people without colon cancer.

This analysis of 13 studies revealed that those with the highest dietary fat intake had an 8% reduction in the incidence of colon cancer.

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HDL cholesterol levels are 43% higher in healthy people compared to patients with gastric cancer

This study was published in Hepato-gastroenterology 2003 Dec;50 Suppl 2:cclxxiii-cclxxv.

Study title and authors:

Serum paraoxonase levels in gastric cancer.

Akçay MN, Yilmaz I, Polat MF, Akçay G.

Ataturk University Medical Faculty, Department of General Surgery, Erzurum, Turkey.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15244199

High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels were measured in 20 patients with gastric cancer and in 20 age-and gender-matched healthy controls.

The study found that HDL cholesterol levels were 43% higher in healthy people compared to patients with gastric cancer.

Consuming a diet rich in saturated fat is the best way to raise HDL cholesterol levels. See here, here and here.

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Reducing carbohydrate consumption may help to prevent cancer

This paper was published in Nutrition and Metabolism 2011 Oct 26;8(1):75

Study title and authors:

Is there a role for carbohydrate restriction in the treatment and prevention of cancer?

Klement RJ, Kammerer U.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22029671

Dr. Rainer J Klement from the University Hospital of Wurzburg reviewed the evidence of 162 scientific papers regarding the subject of carbohydrate restriction and cancer.

Dr. Klement found:

• Cancer, which might be considered a disease of civilization, was very rare among uncivilized hunter-gatherer societies. Their diet was mainly meat and fat, whereas modern diets have quickly changed to easily digestible carbohydrates derived mainly from grains. Our genes have not had time to adapt to the new carbohydrate foods, and diseases of civilization have ensued.
• Reducing the amount of dietary carbohydrates could stop, or at least delay, the emergence of cancer, and that growth of already existing cancer could be slowed down.
• Most carbohydrates are converted into glucose by the body. Most cancer cells depend on glucose for growth as their ability to use fats or ketone bodies has been impaired.
• High carbohydrate diets cause a rise in insulin and insulin like growth factor levels which promote cancer growth.
• Ketone bodies that are elevated when insulin and blood glucose levels are low, have been found to stop cancer cells growing.

Dr. Klement concludes that the evidence presented in the review shows that reduction of the high carbohydrate intake in modern diets may play an important role in cancer prevention. 

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Meat and eggs give protection from breast cancer

This study was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2003 Mar 5;95(5):373-80

Study title and authors:

Plasma folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, homocysteine, and risk of breast cancer.

Zhang SM, Willett WC, Selhub J, Hunter DJ, Giovannucci EL, Holmes MD, Colditz GA, Hankinson SE.

Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Division of Preventive Medicine, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Shumin.Zhang@channing.harvard.edu

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=12618502

The study investigated the association between vitamins B12 and B6 with breast cancer. The dietary habits of 712 women with breast cancer were compared with 712 women without breast cancer.

The study found:

• Women with the highest vitamin B12 had 64% less breast cancer than women with the lowest vitamin B12.
• Women with the highest vitamin B6 had 30% less breast cancer than women with the lowest vitamin B6.

The best dietary sources of vitamin B12 are liver, turkey, fish, beef, lamb and eggs.

Excellent dietary sources of vitamin B6 are liver, eggs, turkey, pork and fish.

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Statins double the risk of stroke

This study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine 2005 Jul 21;353(3):238-48

Study title and authors:

Atorvastatin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus undergoing hemodialysis.

Wanner C, Krane V, März W, Olschewski M, Mann JF, Ruf G, Ritz E; German Diabetes and Dialysis Study Investigators.

Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. wanner_c@medizin.uni-wuerzburg.de

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16034009?dopt=Abstract

This study investigated the effects of statin (atorvastatin) treatment in diabetic patients receiving hemodialysis. The study included 1,255 subjects with type 2 diabetes who were receiving hemodialysis who were assigned to receive either 20 mg of atorvastatin per day or matching placebo.

The study found:

• Those receiving atorvastatin had twice the risk of a fatal stroke.
• Death rates were similar in both groups.

This study found that atorvastatin increased stroke risk and had no effect on total death rates.  

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High amounts of dietary red meat, eggs and fat are associated with decreased rates of pancreatic cancer

This study was published in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention 1995 Dec;4(8):885-93

Study title and authors:

Dietary factors and the risk of pancreatic cancer: a case-control study in Shanghai China.

Ji BT, Chow WH, Gridley G, Mclaughlin JK, Dai Q, Wacholder S, Hatch MC, Gao YT, Fraumeni JF Jr.

Division of Epidemiology Columbia University, School of Public Health, New York, New York 10032, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8634662

This study examined the effects of diet on pancreatic cancer. The study included 451 people with pancreatic cancer aged 30 - 74 and 1,552 healthy controls.

The study found:

• Those who consumed the least rice and noodles had a 33% decreased incidence of pancreatic cancer compared to those who ate the most rice and noodles.
• Those who ate the most red meat had a 2% decreased incidence of pancreatic cancer compared to those who ate the least red meat.
• Those who ate the most eggs had a 56% decreased incidence of pancreatic cancer compared to those who ate the least eggs.
• Those who ate the most fat had a 33% decreased incidence of pancreatic cancer compared to those who ate the least red fat.

This study shows that high amounts of dietary red meat, eggs and fat are associated with decreased rates of pancreatic cancer.

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