Low chromium levels may raise heart attack risk

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Roman Bystrianyk - 03 Aug 2005 02:29 GMT

"Low chromium levels may raise heart attack risk", Reuters UK, July 22,
2005,
Link:
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2005-07
-22T010417Z_01_B691687_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-CHROMIUM-HEARTATTACK-DC.XML

Low body levels of chromium, a mineral involved in carbohydrate and fat
metabolism, are associated with an increased risk of heart attack,
according to a new report. However, the value and safety of chromium
supplementation remains to be determined.

Chromium deficiency leads to blood sugar problems that cannot be
controlled with insulin, researchers explain in the American Journal of
Epidemiology, but the association of chromium intake with heart-related
outcomes is largely unknown.

Dr. Eliseo Guallar from the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology,
and Clinical Research in Baltimore, and colleagues measured chromium
levels in 684 men who survived a heart attack and in a similar number
of men who'd never experienced one. Chromium was measured in toenail
clippings because this provides a better indication of levels on a
long-term basis compared with measurement of blood levels.

Chromium levels were lower among older individuals, declining about 9
percent with each decade increase of age, the investigators report.
Levels were also lower in those with high blood pressure.

Chromium levels were also 13-percent lower in heart attack patients
than in comparison subjects, the researchers note. Further analysis
showed that subjects with the highest levels were 35-percent less
likely to have a heart attack than those with the lowest levels.

"Although there are no national survey data on chromium intakes, a
study of self-selected diets of US adults indicated that the chromium
intake of a substantial proportion of subjects may be well below" the
levels that are considered adequate, the researchers point out.

However, "considerably more evidence" is needed to substantiate claims
that chromium supplementation will improve sugar control, weight loss,
exercise capacity, and longevity, the team says, "as well as to show
the long-term safety of chromium supplementation in humans."

SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, July 15, 2005.

Reply to this Message

Juhana Harju - 03 Aug 2005 07:12 GMT

:: "Low chromium levels may raise heart attack risk", Reuters UK, July
:: 22, 2005,
:: Link:

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2005-07
-22T010417Z_01_B691687_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-CHROMIUM-HEARTATTACK-DC.XML

:: Low body levels of chromium, a mineral involved in carbohydrate and
:: fat metabolism, are associated with an increased risk of heart
:: attack, according to a new report. [...]

:: Chromium levels were also 13-percent lower in heart attack patients
:: than in comparison subjects, the researchers note. Further analysis
:: showed that subjects with the highest levels were 35-percent less
:: likely to have a heart attack than those with the lowest levels.
:: [...]

Thanks for posting, Roman, that is very interesting. This is the original
study:

Am J Epidemiol. 2005 Jul 15;162(2):157-64. Epub 2005 Jun 22. Related
Articles, Links

Low toenail chromium concentration and increased risk of nonfatal myocardial
infarction.

Guallar E, Jimenez FJ, van 't Veer P, Bode P, Riemersma RA, Gomez-Aracena J,
Kark JD, Arab L, Kok FJ, Martin-Moreno JM; EURAMIC-Heavy Metals and
Myocardial Infraction Study Group.

Department of Epidemiology, Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and
Clinical Research, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins
University, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Chromium intake may increase insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, and the
ratio of high density lipoprotein cholesterol to low density lipoprotein
cholesterol. However, the epidemiologic evidence on the association between
chromium and cardiovascular disease is very limited. To determine whether
low toenail chromium concentrations were associated with risk of nonfatal
myocardial infarction, the authors conducted an incident, population-based,
case-control study in eight European countries and Israel in 1991-1992.
Cases (n = 684) were men with a first diagnosis of myocardial infarction
recruited from the coronary units of participating hospitals. Controls (n =
724) were men selected randomly from population registers (five study
centers) or through other sources, such as hospitalized patients (three
centers), general practitioners' practices (one center), or relatives or
friends of cases (one center). Toenail chromium concentration was assessed
by neutron activation analysis. Average toenail chromium concentrations were
1.10 mug/g in cases (95% confidence interval: 1.01, 1.18) and 1.30 mug/g in
controls (95% CI: 1.21, 1.40). Multivariate odds ratios for quintiles 2-5
were 0.82 (95% CI: 0.52, 1.31), 0.68 (95% CI: 0.43, 1.08), 0.60 (95% CI:
0.37, 0.97), and 0.59 (95% CI: 0.37, 0.95). Toenail chromium concentration
was inversely associated with the risk of a first myocardial infarction in
men. These results add to an increasing body of evidence that points to the
importance of chromium for cardiovascular health. PMID: 15972934

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstra
ct&list_uids=15972934&query_hl=2

I think that this study heightens the importance of getting enough chromium
from dietary sources like whole grains, grape juice, molasses, honey, raw
cane sugar, dried fruits and eggs.

Signature

Juhana

Reply to this Message

just Ed - 03 Aug 2005 13:17 GMT

> :: "Low chromium levels may raise heart attack risk", Reuters UK, July
> :: 22, 2005,
[quoted text clipped - 56 lines]
> from dietary sources like whole grains, grape juice, molasses, honey, raw
> cane sugar, dried fruits and eggs.

I don't see any indication of the test subject's sources of chromium.
Perhaps you have access to the full study text, but from just the
abstract your comment would seem to be pure speculation.

For all we know the subjects may have obtained most of their chromium
from supplements which are safe from the large amount of sugar like
several of your food recs. Nearly all of us would be well advised to
avoid sugar. Argument that a small amount of each source still adds
up to a bunch of sugar when you sum up the sugar in each.

Each piece of dried fruit contains no more chromium than the original
(undried) fruit. Most recs for dried fruit are based on the inability
to recognise that removing water increases the desired nutrient per
unit weight but does nothing to make the food a better source of the
nutrient.

Adherents of Andrew Chung's 2PD thing choose the dried fruit because
they measure their food only by weight. This is just an example of
their lack of respect for their God-given intellect.

Eating more eggs does not seem like a good rec. either. I know that
most cho is produced in the body, but most need less not more cho.
from any source.

Of your food rec. list, I'd only support whole grains and limited
grape juice. The chrom. quantity is likely quite variable so it is
difficult to know when you are getting enough even if you test at
an adequate level once (the same amount of grains next sample may
not do it).

The food sources do nothing to address absorption problems which can
be the root cause of deficiency. Chrom. picolinate directly addresses
low body picolinic acid production as a cause of poor absorption.
I think I favor the nicotinate form using a little extra niacin to
increase the amount of chromium which stays in complex.

Ed

Reply to this Message

Juhana Harju - 03 Aug 2005 16:49 GMT

:: Juhana Harju wrote:

::: I think that this study heightens the importance of getting enough
::: chromium from dietary sources like whole grains, grape juice,
::: molasses, honey, raw cane sugar, dried fruits and eggs.
:::
:: I don't see any indication of the test subject's sources of chromium.

I did not suggest that.

:: Perhaps you have access to the full study text, but from just the
:: abstract your comment would seem to be pure speculation.

I admit that it was pure speculation - pure educated speculation.

:: For all we know the subjects may have obtained most of their chromium
:: from supplements which are safe from the large amount of sugar like
:: several of your food recs.

The point is that if an individual consumes any sugar it is better to switch
to honey or to raw cane sugar as they contain some chromium needed in the
sugar metabolism. Supplementing may be a good idea for people with insulin
resistance or diabetes.

:: Nearly all of us would be well advised to
:: avoid sugar. Argument that a small amount of each source still adds
:: up to a bunch of sugar when you sum up the sugar in each.

I am not recommending sugar. I am recommending substituting refined sugar
with unrefined sources.

:: Each piece of dried fruit contains no more chromium than the original
:: (undried) fruit. Most recs for dried fruit are based on the
:: inability to recognise that removing water increases the desired
:: nutrient per unit weight but does nothing to make the food a better
:: source of the nutrient.

Use of dried fruits is associated with reduced disease insidence in many
studies.

:: Adherents of Andrew Chung's 2PD thing choose the dried fruit because
:: they measure their food only by weight. This is just an example of
:: their lack of respect for their God-given intellect.

I don't take his recommendations seriously.

:: Eating more eggs does not seem like a good rec. either. I know that
:: most cho is produced in the body, but most need less not more cho.
:: from any source.

Egg consumption makes a J-shape curve in mortality. Eating _little_ eggs is
good for most people.

:: Of your food rec. list, I'd only support whole grains and limited
:: grape juice. The chrom. quantity is likely quite variable so it is
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
:: I think I favor the nicotinate form using a little extra niacin to
:: increase the amount of chromium which stays in complex.

AFAIK, the polynicotinate is the best form.

Signature

Juhana

Reply to this Message