Inflammatory diet and heart disease

Author links open overlay panelJunLiMD, PhD^a^b^∗Dong HoonLeeScD^a^∗JieHuMD, PhD^c Fred K.TabungPhD^a^d YanpingLiMD, PhD^a Shilpa N.BhupathirajuPhD^a^e Eric B.RimmScD^a^b^e Kathryn M.RexrodeMD, MPH^c JoAnn E.MansonMD, DrPH^b^f^g Walter C.WillettMD, DrPH^a Edward L.GiovannucciMD, ScD^a Frank B.HuMD, PhD^a^b^eShow moreAdd to MendeleyShareCitehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2020.09.535 Get rights and contentReferred to byRamon Estruch, Emilio Sacanella, Rosa M. Lamuela-RaventósIdeal Dietary Patterns and Foods to Prevent Cardiovascular DiseaseJournal of the American College of Cardiology, Volume 76, Issue 19, 10 November 2020, Pages 2194-2196Purchase PDF

Abstract

Background

Inflammation plays an important role in cardiovascular disease (CVD) development. Diet modulates inflammation; however, it remains unknown whether dietary patterns with higher inflammatory potential are associated with long-term CVD risk.

Objectives

This study sought to examine whether proinflammatory diets are associated with increased CVD risk.

Methods

We prospectively followed 74,578 women from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) (1984–2016), 91,656 women from the NHSII (1991–2015), and 43,911 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1986–2016) who were free of CVD and cancer at baseline. Diet was assessed by food frequency questionnaires every 4 years. The inflammatory potential of diet was evaluated using a food-based empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) score that was pre-defined based on levels of 3 systemic inflammatory biomarkers.

Results

During 5,291,518 person-years of follow-up, we documented 15,837 incident CVD cases, including 9,794 coronary heart disease (CHD) cases and 6,174 strokes. In pooled analyses of the 3 cohorts, after adjustment for use of anti-inflammatory medications and CVD risk factors including body mass index, a higher dietary inflammatory potential, as indicated by higher EDIP scores, was associated with an increased risk of CVD (hazard ratio [HR] comparing the highest to lowest quintiles: 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.31 to 1.46; p for trend <0.001), CHD (HR: 1.46; 95% CI: 1.36 to 1.56; p for trend <0.001), and stroke (HR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.17- to 1.39; p for trend <0.001). These associations were consistent across cohorts and between sexes, and they remained significant after further adjustment for other dietary quality indices. In a subset of study participants (n = 33,719), a higher EDIP was associated with a higher circulating profile of proinflammatory biomarkers, lower levels of adiponectin, and an unfavorable blood lipid profile (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Dietary patterns with a higher proinflammatory potential were associated with higher CVD risk. Reducing the inflammatory potential of the diet may potentially provide an effective strategy for CVD prevention.

Central Illustration

COVID Poetry Corner: The Vaccine

The Vaccine

A plague was ravaging the nation
Ventilators and PPE were put on ration
with too many ended up at death’s station
as the medical system was facing asphyxiation

The politico-medico elite was getting uptight
the politicos knowing they’d lose in an election fight
due to never ending lockdowns eroding civil liberties even curfews at night
all for the safety of all
would be rewarded by many a political fall

And then dancing with joy a vaccine would make all right!
finally a light at the end of the tunnel bright and clear all warm and fuzzy
even through granting no liability to Big Pharma was a bit scuzzy

Rushed to production in a panic
caused scientists to go manic

For the politico medico elite
it was like a sweet dream at nighty night
but little did they see a nasty mutation of the virus was on its way
causing them to become nervous and sway
the efficacy of the vaccine decreased
and the happy faces were soon creased

The side effects increased in number
great for the media with its sensationalistic hunger
so the light at the end of the tunnel was becoming dim
and all of us were perpetually locked in
goodness this virus is a sin
let us feverishly hope not many more of us end up in the garbage bin

Mother nature can be cruel but when abuse her as we have done
she’s going to give you a nasty kick in the bum
and we don’t watch out I guarantee we will soon be all done

Robert K. Stephen

Virus#26: Chapter 31 Was there any good from the COVIDs: deficits both personal and governmental”

Chapter 31 “was there any good from the COVIDs?: deficits both personal and governmental”

When I was a wee mite in the 1960’s the three dirty words I remember are homosexuality, divorce and credit. If you couldn’t fork up the cash for most expenditures you simply didn’t make the purchase unless the sum was large you had to buy on credit such as an automobile or a house. Most people didn’t have a credit card.

Homosexuality and divorce have lost their evil lustre for the majority and for that matter so has credit. When there were bricks and mortar bank branches I would ask the teller how many people paid off their credit card balances in full and they said around 25%. Given that interest rates were sky high and just about usurious that was unbelievably bad personal finance. Then with that Reaganonomic spirit consumer spending was seen as necessary to drive the economy so that bigger house, the Mercedes SUV and a cottage put people at the edge and if you had a job to support that went well as just chug along and enjoy your well dressed appearance as you hopped in a vehicle that was leased and all was OK.

By analogy governments that had any credit worthiness happily borrowed away spewing out billions in the arm’s race, space race, military hardware expenditures Olympic Games, G7 meetings and infrastructure projects. Many pointed out that as individuals needed a stash for a rainy day when they lost their jobs or became ill and disabled so too did governments need a surplus for that rainy day. There were plenty of opposition political parties that moaned about the pitfalls of running a governmental deficit particularly when the economy was running well but when hands are getting filled with money the spending governments bought their way to re-election. I have nothing against sailors but a popular phase in the 1950’s and 60’s was the expression “spending like drunken sailors.” This is what individuals and governments were doing prior to COVID . Spending money on Olympics in 1976 originally estimated as costing $120 million but ended up costing $1.6 billion virtually bankrupted Montreal and took thirty years to repay. Welcoming Syrian refuges with hugs and warm coats by Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau as they arrived in Canada on flights paid for by Canadian taxpayers was far sexier than saving money or at least cleaning up Canada’s shameful aboriginal social and living conditions.

So when COVID-19 hit there were many drunken sailors that woke up with a big headache. Millions lost their jobs, house and expensive vehicles and governments had no reserves only a big deficit so they had to spend trillions to fund mostly innocent but many greedy individuals that had been making good wages but living beyond their means. Yes there were many Mercedes and BMW’s waiting in the food lines. The health care system had faced cuts as flashy projects and government spending necessitated cutting the healthcare system. It seemed that veterans, aboriginals, minority groups and seniors were less important than medical care, housing and social costs for refugees.

To put it crudely and honestly those living beyond their means got caught with their pants down with the economic ravages of COVID. Deficit finally became a dirty word as there were not enough hospital beds, medicine and ventilators. Too bad it took millions of deaths to slap some sense into the social collective.

Virus#26: Chapter 30: “was there any good from the COVIDs: the need for a properly funded medical system”

Chapter 30 “was there any good from the COVIDs: the need for a properly funded socialized medicine system”

The death count for the COVIDs was lowest in countries with a robust socialized medical system. Socialized medical systems not only offer care for the sick but spend some effort in making sure their patients do not fall ill. This is called preventative medicine. This could be that the politicos running and funding the system realize that reducing sickness reduces the cost to the system.

If you don’t have access to such a system you simply may not have enough money to buy private insurance so in effect you have no medical care or the lowest quality medical care. For example, let’s look at the state of Louisiana in the United States. In terms of hospital admissions African Americans constituted 77% of all COVID hospitalizations yet they comprised 33% of the population.

You’ll note I say the COVID toll was the least in a country with a robust medical system. Russia and Canada once had robust socialized medical systems but continual and systematic cuts or token funding seriously compromised the health of these systems. In the COVIDs it was not the disease itself that was a serious health risk but rather the inability of the compromised health system to handle the patient load. Matters were made worse by the low-income groups being unable to access preventative care therefor making them easier COVID victims. For example 66% of all hospital admissions for COVID were accompanied by the comorbidity factor of obesity highest among low income groups who have not been educated to eat properly nor even if they have received that education could they afford to purchase the proper food and dietary supplements? So it was no surprise that the fattest nation on earth, the United States, took a severe COVID hit. Africa, India and Pakistan were also huge COVID losers as they had no medical system to speak of.

After the COVID waves subsided almost all socialized medical systems were on their knees by the time Virus #26 hit in 2030 and those without a socialized medical system,; particularly those in Second and Third World countries were virtually wiped out.

Virus#26:Chapter 29: Was There any good from the COVIDs?: “A sense of community”

Chapter 29 “was there any good from the COVIDs?; A sense of community”

There is often some good in a bad situation. The COVIDs brought about a sense of community. It may have been brought about by emergency orders which imposed social distancing, closed nonessential businesses, and prohibited large gatherings all in the name of public good. All the activities we took for granted like going to the bank, getting a haircut, having friends over for dinner and many others were now denied to us so we really had very little of our regular activities to engage in. Our geographic range was limited.

It seemed as if there were hundreds of people strolling in the streets and complete strangers actually talked to each other! Yes it was a if our worlds became simpler. In many ways it also brought with it a sense of international solidarity where the enemy was not China or Russia but a virus the world was trying to beat.

It brought families closer together and made one realize you had to work on it to keep the family whole and that was often by Facetime or Zoom. The old-style family dinner with all present instead of mom or dad at the office. Yes it was like “Leave it to Beaver”. And the nanny, for the few that could afford it, slipped into the background.

There was a sense of repression, anxiety and fear and the dreaded line ups for grocery shopping all became the main topics of conversation. And the panicked toilet paper and baked bean purchases were good for a chuckle.

Yet you know in a small town everyone knows your business so with this sense of community there were those that ratted on others on complaint hotlines. There was social shaming of those partying at the beach on Memorial Day week-end. Community can be stifling!

All said and done the enormous depravity caused by the COVIDs caused a universal and shared sense of community.

“I’ll See You Around”: Brilliant Portrayal of Numbness

The American film “I’ll See You Around” is a brilliant portrayal of numbness.

Lucas (Lucas Monroe) has had a horrific traumatic event that has somewhat set the direction of his life. His father was murdered when he was six years old. Perhaps the most important line in the film is when he admits to Mariah (Maria Wilson) his off and on girlfriend that after the death of his father that he had to learn on his own the stuff all other kids took for granted. Having lost my father at nine years old that struck a resonant chord with me that I will not delve into but his words ring very true for children struck with such traumatic events. You have been robbed and cheated and for some it makes some stronger and determined to escape that trauma with achievement that road is a rough one. But some like Lucas become stuck in a rut of numbness. A sort of post traumatic stress disorder.

Lucas can’t relate fully to just about everyone but does a very good job with his three-year-old daughter Zanura (Zanura Monroe) who lives with his estranged ex Luzifa (Luzifa Gurbanova). He simply seems to drift unable to open up and make any sort of a commitment to another human being.

This is a quiet film of alienation and numbness.

Unable to relate to his recently prison released brother Kenji (Kenji Monroe) when his off and on girlfriend Mariah (Maria Wilson) says to him as she is moving to Seattle from Ithaca New York, “I’ll see you around” means most likely I’ll never see you again.

I have just finished today reading the “Last Tycoon” by Scott F. Fitzgerald about a Hollywood mogul making films for the masses. This is not for the masses as most can’t identify with Lucas’ trauma. Perhaps unfortunately I can. I can say brilliantly acted by “no name” actors worthy of more than runs on the festival circuit. Lucas Monroe would be on my list for best actor at the upcoming Oscars but indie films and their actors aren’t included a reason I rarely watch the Oscars.

The story is based on the life of Lucas Monroe whose father was murdered. Friend and director Daniel Pfeffer made a film “While I was Gone” which was a memoir of the life of Lucas. “I’ll see you around” continues the story. As Pfeffer remarks, “Sharing his personal life felt important and brave. I discovered that Lucas’ story and his natural talent on screen were a kind of hidden magnificence. He had so much to say about his past and constantly struggled to share his feelings. I was motivated to make this film for so many reasons but most deeply because I want to build empathy.”

You can see the trailer here

You can catch the film virtually https://www.bgpics.com/movies/ill-see-you-around/

Perhaps after seeing this film which I challenge you to do so you may think very closely of the lyrics of the Temptation’s song “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and understand Lucas a little more intimately.

And Mama just hung her head and said,
“Son, Papa was a rolling stone.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
(And when he died) All he left us was alone. “
“Papa was a rolling stone, my son.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
(And when he died) All he left us was alone. “

Virus#26: Chapter 28: “so what happened to Canada?”

Chapter 28: “so what happened in Canada”?

COVID carnage took its toll on Canadian COVID era politicians all of them going down to electoral defeat. The simple reason might be described as rage and displacement. Why did the medical system collapse so quickly? Where were the resources to fight COVID? It would seem that the current politicos had played a role in trimming the medical system and in all honesty it was a crew of prior politicians that had started the massive cuts of physicians, nurses and covered medical procedures but it was LIFO (last in first out).Like so many COVID deaths the politicians were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

A National Commission of Inquiry about the devastation of COVID never convened but rather a few provincial inquiries about the devastation about COVID in long term care facilities. Several class actions were filed against provincial and federal governments for their actions that lead to a population open to the ravages of COVID but big government power and wealth stalled and choked these class actions.

The millions of unemployed Canadians and the families of COVID fatalities were not going back to the usual Conservative/Liberal mix and out of the chaos emerged the Democratic Health Alliance (DHA) with a goal to secure Canadian’s health in the future.

The main tenets of the DHA were to close all Canadian borders to immigration. Focus spending on rebuilding the Canadian medical system and proposing alternative medicine strategies to beat back future pandemics, Their goal was to build a strong immunity system through healthy food consumption, non Big Pharma supplements and yes, yoga and mindfulness meditation. Flaky you may say but in post COVID provincial and federal elections they easily formed majority governments.

The solution was rather simple. Diet, propping up a healthy immune system and ignoring the possibility of a foolproof vaccine.

The extradition of Meng Manzouh, the CFO of Chinese Huawei, to the United States in 2021 certainly sunk Canada as a Chinese ally and trading partner. Chinese authorities executed several “Canadian spies” as a result of this “sound judicial” but politically suicidal court ruling. The kidnapping of Meng by the Canadian government in order to please Americans was poor strategy.

So the end result of this extradition was really the death of Canadian-Chinese relations. Again a nasty tariff war except of course an insatiable demand for Canadian pork from the PRC.

And the political winner was Bonnie Henry the former Provincial Health Officer of British Columbia who won the DHA leadership convention and in 2023 became the next Prime Minister of Canada.

Virus#26: Chapter 27 “China Snuggles with TSAR Putin”

Chapter 27 “China snuggles with Tsar Putin”

China never forgave former Donald J. Trump for calling the COVID-19 virus the “Chinese virus” and blaming China for a cover-up. Even when Biden won the US presidential election in 2020 so much animosity had congealed that even Biden’s attempt at rapprochement was ignored by the Chinese. Then the all-out tariff war rocked both countries. In China consumers were warned not to buy American and China had the AI to easily identify offenders. In the United States the slogan was slightly different and that was, “Don’t buy from COVID killers”. Of course this did nothing but escalate very strong animosity which from the Chinese side hit the roof when Meng Wanzouh the CFO of Huawei, who had been extradited to the United States by Canada was convicted of multiple fraud charges in 2021 and sentenced to 45 years in a maximum security prison. Shortly after that 4 Americans in China were convicted of espionage charges and killed by a firing squad on national television. Wasting no time and seeing how decimated the American military was by the subsequent waves of COVID-19 and COVID Plus China “liberated” both Taiwan and Hong Kong. The new slogan was now “New Family, Peace and Power” while the unofficial slogan was Vietnam like, “Kill Americans”.

Americans pulled out of China all business operations which coupled with an effective blockade of Chinese goods into the United States put a crippling kick to the head of the Chinese economy. It wasn’t easy for China and Walmart to be so forcefully separated. The United States had been weaning off Chinese goods for a few years and in Trump fashion brought some manufacturing back to the United States so it was not hurting as badly as China was. Needless to say with so many consumers succumbing to the COVID virus and the execution of 4 American citizens by China the need for cheap Chinese goods dwindled

Now while Tsar Putin had done an exceptionally good job of sending hundreds of thousands to Siberia, executing many and putting on big Stalinist show trials as a true Russian monarch he knew full well he could trust no one. The Russians were at the top of the hacking game but on surveillance they were near the back of the pack and China was at the top aided at one point by Google when China and the United States were still conversing with each other.

So China and Russia up cozied to each other creating an Orwellian Eurasian military pact, free trade agreements and cultural exchanges. Putin installed the latest surveillance devices and equipment with the help of Chinese “advisors”.

The United States responded by forcing all Chinese Americans to go through an American “Loyalty” Programme”. Chinese Americans were subject to rampant racism.

What a tangled web COVID had woven!

COVID POETRY CORNER: “Long-Term Care in the Province of Ontario during these COVID times”

Long-Term Care in the Province of Ontario During COVID Times

Residing in a long-term care residence in Ontario is not so good
Over the years have they been managed by hoods?
Chronic budget cuts
by political and bureaucratic mutts
apparently perfunctory inspections were the rule
moldy Charles Dicken’s Oliver Twist gruel
our elderly and frail are taking a deadly hit
or left lying in their shit
a long term care commission was formed and they asked for an extension to prepare a full report
but Minister of Long Term Care gave no as a retort
Could it be a rushed report amounts to a weak attempt at a governmental cover up
Please don’t treat the public like a stupid pup
Who is to blame
those playing the cost cutting game
those people are always the same
to the family of the residents and family of the residents
please give a compassionate meditation or prayer to all of them
should Minister Fullerton resign?
I rather think months ago was the time
But that is simply punitive measure and it’s perhaps too late to have an impact
which will send a message to the people that perhaps the provincial government does care
and can perhaps starts its extraction from a nasty political snare

UK Prime Minister on the UK B-117 mutated COVID Virus

Speech

Prime Minister’s statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 22 January 2021

Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave a statement at the coronavirus press conference.Published 22 January 2021From:Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MPDelivered on:22 January 2021 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Since the beginning of this pandemic, we have tried to update you as soon as possible about changes in the scientific data or the analysis.

So, I must tell you this afternoon that we have been informed today that, in addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there is some evidence that the new variant – the variant that was first identified in London and the South East – may be associated with a higher degree of mortality, and I’m going to ask Patrick in a minute to say a bit more about that.

Because it is largely the impact of this new variant that means the NHS is under such intense pressure, with another 40,261 positive cases since yesterday.

We have 38,562 COVID patients now in hospital, that’s 78 per cent higher than the first peak in April and, tragically, there have been a further 1,401 deaths.

So, it is more important than ever that we all remain vigilant in following the rules and that we stay at home, protect the NHS and thereby save lives.

But I also want to answer a key question that I know will be uppermost in your minds.

All current evidence continues to show that both the vaccines we are currently using remain effective both against the old variant and this new variant.

And so, you will also want to know that our immunisation programme continues at an unprecedented rate.

5.4 million people across the UK have now received their first dose of the vaccine and over the last 24 hours we can report a record 400,000 vaccinations.

In England one in ten of all adults have received their first dose, including 71 per cent of over-80s and two thirds of elderly care home residents.

Having secured orders for hundreds of millions of doses, the U.K. government has supplied vaccines to the Devolved Administrations, according to population size.

First doses have been administered now to 151,000 people in Northern Ireland, 358,000 in Scotland and 212,000 in Wales.

And I am glad that the whole of the U.K. is able to assist the Devolved Administrations in deploying the vaccine and I know everyone across the country is grateful for the logistical skill of the British Army.

There is much more to do, and the target remains very stretching indeed, but we remain on track to reach our goal of offering a first dose to everyone in the top four priority groups by the middle of February.

And I want to thank all the doctors and nurses, especially at the GP-led sites who are vaccinating at a phenomenal rate, as well as, as I say, all those in our armed forces, our local authorities, our pharmacies and volunteers, who are making this extraordinary national effort possible.

And I want to thank all of you who have come forward to get your jabs, because, by doing that, you are protecting yourselves, your communities and, of course, our NHS.

And I say to everyone, when that letter arrives, please don’t hesitate to book that appointment and get this life-saving protection, because this is the best and fastest way for us all to defeat this virus and get our lives back to normal.Published 22 January 2021