The latest line of thinking is that heart attacks and endothelial dysfunction in particular are caused by inflammation. The latest research appears to indicate that Statins are effective particularly because of their effect on inflammation. Pomegranate juice has shown effectiveness in both mice and people to reduce inflammation as well as reverse endothelial dysfunction.
My preliminary conclusion
Statin + Pomegranate extract is a very synergistic combination to prevent endothelial dysfunction in healthy or moderately effected people. The studies seem to indicate it and back it up in both mice and people. The studies are also surprisingly well designed too so the evidence is strong.
Of course this says nothing about mortality risk and the inflammation explanation could be proven wrong but it's the best we have at the moment from cardiologists. Anyone who attempts to combine Statins with anything should first consult with their doctor about it as there could be some risks involved. For people who have not been prescribed Statins then there is Red Yeast Rice which theoretically has an equivalent effect but it must be noted that Red Yeast Rice is a supplement and you cannot know the exact dose so use at your own risk if you're trying for prevention.
References
Al-Jarallah, A., Igdoura, F., Zhang, Y., Tenedero, C. B., White, E. J., MacDonald, M. E., ... & Trigatti, B. L. (2013). The effect of pomegranate extract on coronary artery atherosclerosis in SR-BI/APOE double knockout mice. Atherosclerosis, 228(1), 80-89.
Sun, W., Yan, C., Frost, B., Wang, X., Hou, C., Zeng, M., ... & Liu, J. (2016). Pomegranate extract decreases oxidative stress and alleviates mitochondrial impairment by activating AMPK-Nrf2 in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of spontaneously hypertensive rats. Scientific reports, 6.
Chicago
Hamoud, S., Hayek, T., Volkova, N., Attias, J., Moscoviz, D., Rosenblat, M., & Aviram, M. (2014). Pomegranate extract (POMx) decreases the atherogenicity of serum and of human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDM) in simvastatin-treated hypercholesterolemic patients: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized, prospective pilot study. Atherosclerosis, 232(1), 204-210.
And omge 3 fatty acids are also wonderful against systemic inflammation.
First you would want a blood test to determine if you require Omega3s which is based on an index or ratio between Omega3 and Omega6 but most Americans probably do require Omega3s. The other issue is the source because the main components you want are DHA and EPA but it's extremely expensive.
The best source available with the least risk (most pure) is from Algae oil, but if you check the prices you will see you have to essentially be rich or post a lot on Steemit to afford to take fresh Algae oil in the amounts necessary to reach the levels used in studies. Fish oil is a lot cheaper but in my experience and the experiences of many others it does and will raise your LDL cholesterol. Is it worth it to raise your LDL to potentially dangerous levels in order to get Omega3s? It really depends but in my opinion the jury is still out on fish oil and on Omega3s effectiveness.
You can get Omega3s from Walnuts which is how I get it currently but the body cannot actually process it as well as Algae oil so Algae oil is the first best source yet the most expensive. If you can afford to do it then Nordic Naturals has the best Algae oil which I use.
Daily health benefits that will save us in the future , you are great for spreading this everyday .
Steem on @dana-edwards
@data-edwards very informative...let me resteem this
Thanks for the info. Interesting. Upvoted.
Any medication from big pharma makes me nervous. This does sound like a synergistic approach! I think eating as many fruits and vegetables as possible is a good thing!
Red Yeast Rice has a similar effect as a Statin without directly funding big Pharma if that is your goal.
Not necessarily my goal but a goal of many!
Great! Post, thanks for sharing
Besides pomegranate juice, I know that in order to prevent heart disease, doctors also recommend celery juice, grape juice and cranberry juice because they are very rich in antioxidants
Very interesting, I did not know this was how statins work. So do all general anti-inflammatory tactics work? I mean what if I take ibuprofen daily? I thought that was linked with increased rate of heart attack?
There are studies which indicate that risk factors associated with heart disease are reduced by using certain substances such as anti-oxidants which reduce inflammation. The studies were cited in the reference of my original post but there are others.
Ibuprofen might help with inflammation but in particular it's inflammation of the arteries which are associated with heart disease and heart attack. You would want to use a supplement which reduces inflammation of the arteries and which is supported by strong evidence via studies.
Know that I'm not a doctor so you should double check everything I have to say with either your PCP or and your cardiologist.