Six Steps to a Healthier You

By Drs. Ronald Klatz and Robert Goldman

Step 1. Beat the Leading Cause of Death
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, responsible for 26 percent of all deaths. Finding natural ways to reduce your risk of developing heart disease can give you the most years with the people you love.

Increased Vitamin D Levels May Reduce Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes

Previous studies have suggested a potential association between abnormal vitamin D levels and cardiometabolic disorders including heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Johanna Parker, from the University of Warwick (United Kingdom), and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review of studies examining vitamin D (specifically 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25OHD] as an indicator of vitamin D status) and cardiometabolic disorders. The team reviewed 28 studies involving a total of 99,745 subjects across a variety of ethnic groups and including both men and women.

The studies revealed a significant association between high levels of vitamin D and a decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (33 percent lower risk compared to people with low levels of vitamin D), type 2 diabetes (55 percent risk reduction) and metabolic syndrome (51 percent risk reduction). "High levels of vitamin D among middle-age and elderly populations are associated with a substantial decrease in cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome," said the researchers, who also noted: "If the relationship proves to be causal, interventions targeting vitamin D deficiency in adult populations could potentially slow the current epidemics of cardiometabolic disorders."

Source: "Levels of Vitamin D and Cardiometabolic Disorder: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." Maturitas, March 2010.

Step 2. Slash Inflammation
While acute inflammation is an important way for the body to rid itself of infectious agents, chronic inflammation is often an unhealthy situation that is associated with heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, arthritis and a host of other age-related debilitating diseases.

Yoga Reduces Inflammation Implicated in Stress and Aging

Janice Kiecolt-Glaser from Ohio State University and colleagues assembled a group of 50 women, average age 41 years, and divided them into two groups: "novices," who had either taken yoga classes or who practiced at home with yoga videos for no more than 6 to 12 sessions; and "experts," who had practiced yoga one or two times weekly for at least two years and at least twice weekly for the past year. The team asked each of the women to attend three study sessions held at the university, before which each participant completed questionnaires and psychological tests to gauge mood and anxiety levels.

During the study period, blood samples were taken several times, and participants were deliberately stressed by physical discomfort or mental challenges before performing the yoga session, walking on a treadmill set at a slow pace (.5 miles per hour), or watching boring videos (control group). After examining the blood samples, the researchers determined that women labeled as "novices" had levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 that were 41 percent higher than those labeled "experts." The research team concluded: "The ability to minimize inflammatory responses to stressful encounters influences the burden that stressors place on an individual. If yoga dampens or limits stress-related changes, then regular practice could have substantial health benefits."

Source: "Stress, Inflammation and Yoga Practice." Psychomsomatic Medicine, 2010.