Page 60 - Petelin, Ana. 2021. Ed. Zdravje starostnikov / Health of the Elderly. Proceedings. Koper: University of Primorska Press.
P. 60
avje starostnikov | health of the elderly 58 fects”. Other pathogenetic factors in atherosclerosis are involved, like inflam-
matory and immunologic processes, that can be modulated by statins as well as
by other drugs or by the Mediterranean-style nutrition and by micronutrients
(folate, B-vitamins) (Gebbers, 2007).
Some recent published studies indicate again the marked clinical benefit
of the ‚Mediterranean nutrition‘ on cardiovascular function, including that of
the elderly, which is associated with improved endothelial function in persons
with metabolic syndrome. If we want to make the best of what common micro-
nutrients and statins may offer in the prophylaxis of atherosclerosis, we should
try to learn more about how to assess the positive effects of statins against their
potential toxic risks in individual patients. Additionally, titrating lipid-lower-
ing therapy to reduce LDL cholesterol to very low levels by statins can be diffi-
cult, costly, is not without risk and no solid evidence appears to support this
recommendation of the National Cholesterol Education Program (Gebbers,
2007).
The potential effect of reducing the intake of industrially produced trans
fatty acids on the incidence of coronary heart disease in the United states was
calculated. The authors estimated on the basis of reported relations between
trans fat intake and coronary heart disease events in prospective studies 10% to
19% of coronary heart disease events could be averted by reducing the intake of
trans fat. Thus, given the 1.2 million annual myocardial infarctions and deaths
from coronary heart disease in the United States, near-elimination of industri-
ally produced trans fats might avert between 72,000 (6 %) and 228,000 (19 %)
coronary heart diseases each year (Gebbers, 2007).
The unequivocal beneficial effects of long term caloric restriction on the
blood pressure, the ratio of cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol, and the body mass
index (BMI), which have been demonstrated recently, must carry some espe-
cially important lessons for public health and educational policies in our obesi-
ty-ridden, low exertion, industrialized societies, which should surely be at least
as useful to us in the long run as is the ongoing education of our affluent pop-
ulation about the availability and cost of prophylactic statins. A recently pub-
lished hypothesis indicates the possible fact that statins are analogues of vi-
tamin D, since several effects of statins match well with those of that vitamin
particularly the anomalous results, such as unexpected benefits of statins like
the modulation of inflammations and immune states.
Nowadays, we have to face our dependence on results of studies spon-
sored by the industry, particularly we have become too dependent on manufac-
turers as the predominant source of our scientific knowledge about the effects
of medications (Gebbers, 2007).
With pharmaceutical costs increasing faster than most other health care
expenditures, we require studies that will meet the needs of evidence-based
presriptions and treatments and not just the needs of the pharmaceutical in-
dustry. These trials must not only be conducted involving combination thera-
matory and immunologic processes, that can be modulated by statins as well as
by other drugs or by the Mediterranean-style nutrition and by micronutrients
(folate, B-vitamins) (Gebbers, 2007).
Some recent published studies indicate again the marked clinical benefit
of the ‚Mediterranean nutrition‘ on cardiovascular function, including that of
the elderly, which is associated with improved endothelial function in persons
with metabolic syndrome. If we want to make the best of what common micro-
nutrients and statins may offer in the prophylaxis of atherosclerosis, we should
try to learn more about how to assess the positive effects of statins against their
potential toxic risks in individual patients. Additionally, titrating lipid-lower-
ing therapy to reduce LDL cholesterol to very low levels by statins can be diffi-
cult, costly, is not without risk and no solid evidence appears to support this
recommendation of the National Cholesterol Education Program (Gebbers,
2007).
The potential effect of reducing the intake of industrially produced trans
fatty acids on the incidence of coronary heart disease in the United states was
calculated. The authors estimated on the basis of reported relations between
trans fat intake and coronary heart disease events in prospective studies 10% to
19% of coronary heart disease events could be averted by reducing the intake of
trans fat. Thus, given the 1.2 million annual myocardial infarctions and deaths
from coronary heart disease in the United States, near-elimination of industri-
ally produced trans fats might avert between 72,000 (6 %) and 228,000 (19 %)
coronary heart diseases each year (Gebbers, 2007).
The unequivocal beneficial effects of long term caloric restriction on the
blood pressure, the ratio of cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol, and the body mass
index (BMI), which have been demonstrated recently, must carry some espe-
cially important lessons for public health and educational policies in our obesi-
ty-ridden, low exertion, industrialized societies, which should surely be at least
as useful to us in the long run as is the ongoing education of our affluent pop-
ulation about the availability and cost of prophylactic statins. A recently pub-
lished hypothesis indicates the possible fact that statins are analogues of vi-
tamin D, since several effects of statins match well with those of that vitamin
particularly the anomalous results, such as unexpected benefits of statins like
the modulation of inflammations and immune states.
Nowadays, we have to face our dependence on results of studies spon-
sored by the industry, particularly we have become too dependent on manufac-
turers as the predominant source of our scientific knowledge about the effects
of medications (Gebbers, 2007).
With pharmaceutical costs increasing faster than most other health care
expenditures, we require studies that will meet the needs of evidence-based
presriptions and treatments and not just the needs of the pharmaceutical in-
dustry. These trials must not only be conducted involving combination thera-
