Trio of Nutrients May Be Key to Cardiovascular Cell Health

Revolutionary stem cell therapy may hold the key to supporting heart health.
by Ron Kennedy, M.D.

Can damaged heart cells one day just be…replaced? A relatively new and hot topic among cardiologists is stem cell therapy, which indeed does hold the potential to replace cells that are damaged with healthy ones. Only time will tell whether the promise of this potential therapy is fulfilled. Until that time comes, the best advice I can offer to those concerned with healthy heart function is to remain physically active, exercise moderately and daily, and eat a balanced diet. But that is not all. In addition to these essentials, there is solid information from the wealth of laboratory research that supports nutritional supplementation for heart health.

Researchers such as Dr. Lester Packer of the University of California, Berkeley, and Drs. Langsjoen and Langsjoen of the University of Texas have headed studies that show significant benefits of a group of pro-heart nutrients. The exciting news is that these nutrients are available now and may be significant helpers in your own battle toward better heart health.

L-Carnitine

According to Dr. Timothy J. Maher (2000) of the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, L-carnitine’s abilities for people with cardiovascular complications are “well-established.” As Dr. Maher explains, “L-carnitine plays a primary role in the oxidation of long chain fatty acids in heart and muscle.…[And] the heart has long been recognized as a muscle that is highly dependent upon fatty acid oxidation for normal metabolic function” (Maher 2000). Any deviations in this oxidation, Dr. Maher says, are associated with many cardiac problems and complications.

An abundance of research has poured out of the universities to indicate L-carnitine’s many benefits. One of the very first studies observed a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein (the “good” cholesterol) levels in two subjects administered one gram per day of L-carnitine for 10 to 15 weeks (Rossi 1982). This study drew serious medical attention to the nutrient from across the world.

A 1987 New Zealand review indicated that L-carnitine exhibited benefits on metabolism, the cardiovascular system, and exercise capacity (Goa 1987). In a later 1992 study, researchers administered L-carnitine to 81 people for one year in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. “For the whole period,” state the researchers, “[the treated group] showed, in comparison with the control [group], an improvement [in cardiovascular health and function]…accompanied by a lower mortality rate” (Davini 1992).

More recent laboratory studies have further validated the use of L-carnitine for heart health. Avi Retter of the Department of Medicine at Temple University concluded that there is increasing evidence that carnitine has beneficial pro-heart effects and may be useful in inhibiting multiple cardiovascular complications (Retter 1999).

CoQ10

Coenzyme Q10—also known as CoQ10 and “ubiquinone”—is another powerful antioxidant with important pro-heart capabilities. CoQ10 may inhibit other enzymes that are involved in the formation of damaging free radicals. Says Dr. Maher (2000), “Levels of CoQ10 decrease with age, and thus a number of the age-related [problems] might be associated with altered CoQ10 availability.” The most notable problems are heart complications. Thus, CoQ10 is imperative to maintaining optimal heart health.

The handbook PDR for Nutritional Supplements states that nearly all of the studies investigating CoQ10’s effects on heart muscle function “have reported significantly positive results” (Hendler 2001). One such study, a 1990 Texas trial headed by Dr. Per Langsjoen (1990), observed 143 heart-problem sufferers receiving CoQ10 for over six years. Within six months of commencing supplementation, an incredible 84% of the test subjects saw a clinically significant improvement in their cardiovascular function. The statistics stabilized at that level, and these benefits remained throughout the entire testing period (Langsjoen 1990).

Two later studies further highlight CoQ10’s powerful heart benefits. The first, again from doctors at the University of Texas, examined the effects of CoQ10 for an average period of 17.8 months on 424 people with heart complications. At the end of the period, 58% of them had improved heart function by one stage on the New York Heart Association scale, 28% improved by two stages, and 1.2% improved by three stages (Langsjoen 1994). The second study, this time conducted in Europe, examined CoQ10’s effects on blood pressure and cholesterol levels in 26 participants. At the end of the trial, statistical analysis showed significant assistance with both blood pressure levels and cholesterol maintenance (Digiesi 1994).

Finally, a 2001 report in the journal Pharmacotherapy reviewed much of the clinical research on CoQ10. After looking at over 25 years of research, the authors concluded that CoQ10 functions as a support for cardiovascular health, citing its favorable effects on heart function and exercise capacity (Tran 2001).

Alpha-Lipoic Acid

Last, but not least, among those heart nutrients showing significant promise for cardiovascular health is alpha-lipoic acid. Considered a “universal antioxidant” by many scientists, alpha-lipoic acid has the ability to boost metabolism, increase levels of other antioxidants, and help alleviate stress, according to research done by Dr. Lester Packer (ImmuneSupport.com 2001).

Recent evidence suggests that another one of alpha-lipoic acid’s great assets may be the ability to boost levels of L-glutathione, a nutrient that promotes cardiovascular health (Sinatra 2001). In 1995, Austrian researchers conducted tests to observe alpha-lipoic acid’s pro-heart capabilities. They found that forms of this ingredient are able to impair the formation of heart-damaging free radicals and to boost levels of CoQ10 in our bodies (Schonheit 1995).

For the Time Being

Until the time when stem cell therapy or other as-yet-undiscovered therapies are in wide use, the best thing we can do is maintain a healthful lifestyle through diet and exercise. The addition of L-carnitine, CoQ10, and alpha-lipoic acid to our supplement regimens may help ensure optimal heart performance. Taking these pro-heart nutrients is one of the best things we can do as we wait for future scientific breakthroughs.

Ron Kennedy, M.D., received his certification from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in 1975. Since that time, he has expanded his medical practice to cover a wide spectrum of health problems inclusive of cardiology.

References

Davini, P. et al. (1992). “Controlled study on L-carnitine therapeutic efficacy in post-infarction.” Drugs Under Experimental and Clinical Research; 18(8): 355–65.

Digiesi, V. et al. (1994). “Coenzyme Q10 in essential hypertension.” Molecular Aspects of Medicine; 15(Suppl.): s257–63.

Goa, K.L. & Brogden, R.N. (1987). “L-carnitine: A preliminary review of its pharmacokinetics, and its therapeutic use in ischaemic cardiac disease and primary and secondary carnitine deficiencies in relationship to its role in fatty acid metabolism.” Drugs; 34(1): 1–24.

Hendler, S.S. & Rorvik, D. (2001). PDR for Nutritional Supplements. Montvale, NJ: Thompson Medical Economics: 103–6.

ImmuneSupport.com. (2001). “Alpha lipoic acid—The universal antioxidant.” October 4: www.immunesupport.com/library/showartcle.cfm/id/3111/.

Langsjoen, H. et al. (1994). “Usefulness of coenzyme Q10 in clinical cardiology: A long-term study.” Molecular Aspects of Medicine; 15(Suppl.): s165–75.

Langsjoen, P.H. et al. (1990). “A six-year clinical study of therapy of cardiomyopathy with coenzyme Q10.” International Journal of Tissue Reactions; 12(3): 169–71.

Maher, T.J. (2000). “L-carnitine and coenzyme Q10: Continuing education module.” March: nhir.com/tests/co_q10.pdf.

Muller, P. et al. (2002). “Cardiomyocytes of noncardiac origin in myocardial biopsies of human transplanted hearts.” Circulation; 106(1): 31–5.

Retter, A.S. (1999). “Carnitine and its role in cardiovascular disease.” Heart Disease; 1(2): 108–13.

Rossi, C.S. & Siliprandi, N. (1982). “Effect of carnitine on serum HDL-cholesterol: Report of two cases.” Johns Hopkins Medical Journal; 150(2): 51–4.

Schonheit, K. et al. (1995). “Effect of alpha-lipoic acid and dihydropolic acid on ischemia/reperfusion injury of the heart and heart mitochondria.” Biochimica et Biophysica Acta; 1,271(2–3): 335–42.

Sinatra, S. (2001). “Alpha lipoic acid: Antioxidant with a twist.” www.drsinatra.com/nc/supp_sol.asp#5.

Tran, M.T. et al. (2001). “Role of coenzyme Q10 in chronic heart failure, angina, and hypertension.” Pharmacotherapy; 21(7): 797–806.