Guest guest Posted December 11, 2002 Report Share Posted December 11, 2002 HSI - Jenny Thompson <hsiweb wrote: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 12:20:01 -0500 HSI - Jenny Thompson Over the WAVE OVER THE WAVE Health Sciences Institute e-Alert December 10, 2002 ************************************************************** Dear Reader, Is there a possibility that vitamin E can kill you? How about vitamin C - could that do you in? If a very large crate filled with supplements of vitamins E and C was dropped on your head from a 5th story window, yes, it would probably kill you. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it. Nevertheless, someone out there might be worried if they happened to have read (and for some reason believed) a deeply biased report that came out of the American Heart Association meeting in Chicago last month. ----------------------------- Putting on the spin ----------------------------- " HRT, Vitamins C & E Don't Help Heart / Study Suggests Both May Be Harmful " This headline from WebMD Medical News manages to capture the completely negative interpretation of the results of the Women's Angiographic Vitamins and Estrogen study (also known as the WAVE study) as they were presented at the AHA meeting. This trial was designed to evaluate (in the words of the authors of the study), " the use of vitamins (C and E) and estrogen in the treatment of atherosclerosis (plaque in arteries). " The key word here is " treatment. " In other words, the two vitamins and the estrogen were being tested not as disease preventive measures, but as treatments for women already diagnosed with atherosclerosis. But in the reporting of the study, the line between prevention and treatment is purposely blurred to portray antioxidant vitamins as ineffective and even dangerous. ----------------------------- Bias transparent ----------------------------- The WAVE trial followed 423 postmenopausal women with heart disease, dividing the subjects into four groups: one to receive estrogen; one to receive estrogen placebo; one to receive supplements of vitamins C and E; and a final group to receive a vitamin placebo. At the end of the three-year study, researchers concluded that " neither HRT nor antioxidant vitamin supplements provide cardiovascular benefit. " But then they took an extra step in interpreting their data - and stepped way out of bounds. Over the course of the trial, 44 subjects died. And the group that recorded the most deaths was the group receiving the vitamin supplements. Now if you're part of the mainstream medical establishment and you have a bone to pick with dietary supplements, what do you do? You make the antioxidant vitamins out to be the demon, of course. You state that doubts were raised about the safety of the vitamins. You point out that the occurrence of deaths in the vitamin group was " disturbing " and " a surprise. " What do you purposely NOT do? You don't do the math. The vitamin group recorded 16 deaths. The estrogen group recorded 14 deaths. And the two placebo groups combined recorded 14 deaths. In terms of statistical analysis, these numbers are virtually irrelevant. As a spokesman for the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) pointed out, if no treatments had been administered at all, the same pattern could have easily occurred at random. After all, they were examining subjects with heart disease, and the sad fact is that some of them are going to die. But to imply that the vitamins might be killing them is absurd. Furthermore, the CRN spokesman emphasized a far more important aspect of the study, pointing out that, " The actual data showed no difference in artery blockage between the antioxidant group and the control group. " And finally, in so many words, the authors of the study agreed, admitting, " These results could be a fluke. " But never mind that! When you have an agenda to keep on track, you can't dwell on the flukiness of your flawed statistics. ----------------------------- Evidence to the contrary ----------------------------- The WAVE study concluded that the use of antioxidant vitamins may not be an effective treatment for heart disease. But because each of the subjects had already been diagnosed with heart disease, no conclusions whatsoever can be reached from this study in regards to the ability of antioxidant vitamins to help prevent heart disease BEFORE it develops. In my opinion, this study, and the WebMD article, do a huge disservice when they make vitamins C and E sound as if they're not only ineffective, but also possibly fatal. That's irresponsible. Especially when we already have plenty of evidence that these vitamins may help promote heart health. For instance, in September I sent you an e-Alert ( " B & E My Valentine " 9/3/02), about a 4-year study of 307 middle-aged women that concluded that women who had higher levels of vitamin E in their diets were far less likely to show early signs of carotid atherosclerosis - the formation of plaque in the two main arteries on either side of the neck, and a marker that suggests artery disease may be present elsewhere in the body. In addition, that study also showed that women who had low levels of dietary vitamin E were determined to be at high risk of developing plaque in their arteries. Meanwhile, a study far more significant than the WAVE study is currently in progress. This Harvard Medical School trial, now in its seventh year, is examining the effects of vitamins E and C, and beta-carotene on 8,000 women with cardiovascular disease. Here's hoping that when those results are published, we'll see no transparently biased reporting that jumps to wild and irresponsible conclusions. But I won't hold my breath. ************************************************************** ************************************************************** ....and another thing An HSI member named Pat recently sent an e-mail with a very good question for anyone suffering from arthritis. " I am a 60-ish year old woman who has type II diabetes and osteo-arthritis especially in my knees. There are a lot of products out there that claim to help the joints, however, most contain glucosamine sulfate. Now, there are some reports that glucosamine is a sugar and aggravates blood sugar levels. OK! What do we do? " Good question, Pat. And you're right, glucosamine (a widely used natural treatment for arthritis) is an amino sugar. Some studies suggest that glucosamine may interfere with the regulation of blood sugar levels, and may also play a role in insulin resistance. In two major studies, however, subjects showed little or no change in blood sugar levels. So while there is a basis for concern, researchers advise glucosamine users who have diabetes to make more frequent checks of their blood sugar levels. And without question, Pat and others who are in a similar situation should consult their doctor or health care provider before using glucosamine. And one additional note: glucosamine is frequently extracted from shimp, crab and lobster shells, so some individuals who are allergic to shellfish may have an adverse reaction to glucosamine. This is not always the case, but if you have that particular allergy, you should carefully watch for signs of a poor reaction when beginning a regimen of glucosamine supplements. For those of you, like Pat, who are searching for safe alternatives to prescription drugs in the treatment of arthritis, keep an eye out for an e-Alert I'll send you later this week with an in-depth look at other natural ways to relieve stiffness discomfort and joint pain. To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson Health Sciences Institute Sources: " Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy and Antioxidant Vitamin Supplements on Coronary Atherosclerosis in Postmenopausal Women " Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 288, No. 19, 11/20/02 " HRT, Vitamins C & E Don't Help Heart / Study Suggests Both May Be Harmful " Salynn Boyles, WebMD Medical News, 11/19 " CRN Questions Conclusions of WAVE Study " CRN Press Release, 11/19/02 " Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate " Arthritis Foundation Copyright ©1997-2002 by www.hsibaltimore.com, L.L.C. 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Guest guest Posted December 12, 2002 Report Share Posted December 12, 2002 Just a thought. I wonder if this study took into acount whether the women smoked or drank. Best wishes Chris Everything you'll ever need on one web page from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts http://uk.my. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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