Kim Eagle , MD , and the editors of ACC . org , present relevant articles taken from various journals .
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Kim Eagle , MD , and the editors of ACC . org , present relevant articles taken from various journals .
Plant vs . Animal Protein Intake in CV Mortality Risk
Animal protein intake may be associated with a higher risk for cardiovascular mortality , as compared to plant protein intake in patients with at least one lifestyle risk factor , according to a study published Aug . 1 in JAMA Internal Medicine .
The prospective cohort study , by Mingyang Song , MD , ScD , et al ., looked at 131,342 participants in the Nurses ’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study . The median protein intake was 14 % for animal protein and 4 % for plant protein .
After adjusting for major lifestyle and dietary risk factors , results showed that animal protein intake was “ weakly associated ” with higher mortality , particularly cardiovascular mortality since “ every 10 % increment of animal protein from total calories was associated with a 2 % higher risk ” for all-cause mortality , and an 8 % increased risk for cardiovascular mortality . In comparison , plant protein intake “ was associated with a 10 % lower risk ” of all-cause mortality “ for every 3 % increment of total calories and a 12 % lower risk ” for cardiovascular mortality .
The authors add that these associations “ were confined to participants with at least one unhealthy lifestyle factor based on smoking , heavy alcohol intake , overweight or obesity , and physical inactivity ,” but not seen in patients without any of these risk factors .
“ Substitution of plant protein for animal protein , especially from processed red meat , may confer substantial health benefit . Therefore , public health recommendations should focus on improvement of protein sources ,” the authors conclude .
“ The findings are very consistent with prior research , but with some new statistically significant elements that further support the benefits of substituting plant protein for animal protein ,” said Kim Allan Williams Sr ., MD , immediate past president of the ACC . “ Consider the lives that could be saved by changing dietary protein intake from animals to vegetables !”
“ Consider the lives that could be saved by changing dietary protein intake from animals to vegetables !”
— Kim Allan Williams , MD
Song M , Fung TT , Hu FB , et al . JAMA Intern Med . 2016doi : 10.1001 / jamainternmed . 2016.4182
Two Diabetes Studies Paint Comprehensive Picture of the Disease
Drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes perform as expected , while estimates of the prevalence of diabetes in adolescents are higher than previously reported , according to two studies published July 19 in the Journal of the American Medical Association ( JAMA ).
In “ Comparison of Clinical Outcomes and Adverse Events Associated With Glucose-Lowering Drugs in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes ,” by Suetonia C . Palmer , PhD , et al ., a meta-analysis of 301 clinical trials revealed that there were no substantial differences in associations between any drug class as monotherapy , dual therapy or triple therapy with odds of cardiovascular or all-cause mortality . The authors conducted a systematic review of randomized clinical trials in which treatment was given for 24 weeks or longer . Comparisons of the following drug classes were studied : metformin , sulfonylurea , thiazolidinedione , DPP-4 inhibitor , SGLT2 inhibitor , GLP-1 receptor agonist , basal insulin , meglitinide and a-glucosidase inhibitor . Drugs were given as monotherapy in 177 of the selected trials , as dual therapy ( added to metformin ) in 109 trials and as triple therapy ( added to metformin and sulfonylurea ) in 29 trials .
The analysis found no evidence of an association of any drug class with cardiovascular mortality – the primary end point – in the monotherapy , dual therapy or triple therapy trials . All of the monotherapy studies showed uncertain comparative associations with all-cause mortality , serious adverse events , myocardial infarction and stroke ( secondary end points ), while the dual therapy and triple therapy trials showed no significant differences between any drug
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