�������ýҕ�l

Millions of Americans use dietary supplements and a variety of diets to protect their heart health. But a large new analysis found that there was strikingly little proof from rigorous studies that supplements and some widely recommended diets have the power to prevent heart disease. The new research, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, reviewed data from hundreds of clinical trials involving almost a million people and found that only a few of 16 popular supplements and just one of the eight diets evaluated had any noticeable effect on cardiovascular outcomes. (O'Connor, 7/8)

The findings were unsurprising, said Susan Jebb, a professor of diet and population health at the University of Oxford. "Except to prevent or correct specific deficiencies" such as low vitamin D levels, or in specific circumstances such as pregnancy, "there is generally good agreement that dietary supplements should not be recommended to the general population." (Azad, 7/8)

Still, the findings may do little to shake Americans' strong faith in supplements and vitamins. An estimated 3 out of 4 people in the United States take at least one dietary supplement, and Americans are projected to spend $32 billion on them this year alone. But, according to Khan's review of the available science, it's largely a waste of money — at least when it comes to heart health. (Edwards, 7/8)

Maintaining a low level of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, is important for cardiovascular health, but extremely low LDL may also have risks, researchers report. The scientists studied 96,043 people for an average of nine years, recording their LDL level biennially and tracking cases of hemorrhagic stroke, caused by the rupture of a blood vessel in the brain. About 13 percent of strokes are of the hemorrhagic type. (Bakalar, 7/8)