Issue Date: July 24, 2005
Fish oil beats statin drugs
We've all heard that cholesterol-lowering statins, such as Lipitor and Zocor, stop heart attacks and save lives. Up to 15 million Americans take statins. But a new analysis in the Archives of Internal Medicine finds omega-3 fish oil far more lifesaving than statin drugs.
Swiss researchers reviewed 97 double-blind studies of the effectiveness of statins, two other pharmaceuticals, niacin, diet and fish oil in preventing cardiac deaths. Best bets: statins and fish oil. And, surprisingly, fish oil reduced heart deaths 32%, compared with 22% for statins. Fish oil also was superior at warding off death from any cause. Statins cut overall deaths by 13%; fish oil by 23%.
WHAT'S THE SECRET? It's not cholesterol. Fish oil cut cholesterol by only 2%, statins by 20%. Researchers speculate that fish oil works by reducing inflammation and triglycerides, stabilizing heart rhythms, normalizing vascular function and thwarting clots.
HOW MUCH? OF WHAT? Both eating omega-3 fatty fish and taking fish oil supplements work, but it's not clear whether one is better, says lead researcher Heiner C. Bucher. The best dose is unclear, too, but Bucher points out that a daily capsule of 900 milligrams of omega-3 (DHA and EPA) cut cardiac deaths in heart patients by 28% in a major Italian study. That is omega-3 equal to 2.5 ounces of Alaskan salmon daily.
BOTTOM LINE: Don't quit statins without consulting your doctor. Bucher says fish oil plus statins might be even more effective, but tests are needed. The FDA says to limit omega-3 supplements to 2,000mg a day.
The fat in salmon and sardines saved more lives than did statin drugs.
SOURCES FOR EATSMART July 24:
Comparative analysis of fish oil and statins
Marco Studer, Arch Intern Med 2005; 165:725-730
Omega-3 cuts cardiac deaths
Lancet 1999 Aug 7: 354(9177):447-55
FDA recommendation
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/labo3qa.html#howmuch
Jean Carper's latest book is "EatSmart;" contact her at stopagingnow.com.
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Unearth hidden $$$ (with your name on it)
You may have a pile of cash just waiting for you! No, this isn't a come-on: An estimated $23 billion in unclaimed property is out there, from old savings accounts, uncashed stock dividends or paychecks, utility deposits and insurance policies. By law, companies must turn these "forgotten" assets over to the state government for safekeeping.
TO FIND ANY ASSETS:
Check unclaimed.org, run by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, which links to each state's unclaimed property Web site. Also, missingmoney.com covers 22 states, with 13 more coming aboard. Be sure to check every state in which you've ever lived and, if you're a woman, under both your married and maiden names.
Call the state. If your name doesn't come up in the database and you still think you're owed money, call your state's treasury directly to ask.
Don't pay a fee. You may come across ads for sites that claim to find your hidden treasure -- for a price. Save money by searching on your own, for free.
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Conquer that plateau
My fitness level has plateaued. What can I do to jump-start it?
To keep improving, change a variable in the FITT Principle every four to six weeks.
Frequency: If you exercise three times a week and aren't seeing results, try adding another day.
Intensity: Slowly add weight for resistance training or, for cardio, increase your speed or incline.
Time: Add five minutes to each workout or make one weekly workout twice as long.
Type: If you're a treadmill junkie, take a class or switch machines. If you've never lifted weights, try it.
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Tap a "green" hotel
TO GREEN UP YOUR NEXT TRIP
Look for hotels that:
-- Have passed the strict certification standards of Green Seal.
-- Have taken the environmental pledges required for membership in the "Green" Hotels Association or The International Ecotourism Society.
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How would you like to save the planet while you're out exploring it? Travelers in most U.S. cities now can choose to stay in "green" hotels whose Earth-friendly practices minimize their environmental impact.
At the most basic level, green hotels encourage travelers to save water and energy by reusing their sheets and towels. Many also use energy-efficient fluorescent lights, water-saving fixtures, and non-toxic cleaning products and paints.
But the nation's greenest hotels have eco-policies that affect all aspects of their daily operations. For instance, the recycling program at the Emory Conference Center Hotel in Atlanta prevents its used batteries, light bulbs and even computers from ending up in landfills. And every Fairmont hotel in North America gets its produce from local organic farmers and donates leftover bath products to victims of domestic violence.
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