[PHNUTR-L] Micronutrients boost life quality for elderly with heart failure

[Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD]

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Micronutrients boost life quality for elderly with heart failure
http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=64493&m=2nied15&c=xeiqgoegavfxtla

12/12/2005- Supplements containing vitamins and other micronutrients can 
improve heart function and quality of life in elderly patients with 
chronic heart failure, claims a joint British-German study.

“Our study is unique because it is the first to look at patients with 
heart failure with a combination of micronutrients. Previous studies 
have enrolled elderly individuals who were otherwise fairly well, or 
have used one, or rarely, two micronutrients (usually vitamins) 
combined,” said lead researcher Dr Klaus Witte, of the Castle Hill 
Hospital in Hull, UK.

Heart failure arises when the heart muscle becomes so weak that it can 
no longer pump blood around the body, and currently afflicts about 14 
million people in Europe. This is forecast to increase to 30 million by 
2020.

The researchers enrolled 30 elderly patients with stable heart failure 
who were randomised to receive micronutrient capsules or a placebo. The 
capsules contained a high-dose combination of multivitamins along with 
zinc, copper, selenium, calcium, magnesium and coenzyme-Q10.

All minerals were given in doses less than the recommended daily intake 
(RDI). The doses of vitamins were in excess of the RDI, but never 
greater than the upper safe limit for total daily intake.

After an average 295 days the patients given the micronutrients 
displayed a 5 per cent improvement in heart function and a 10 per cent 
improvement in quality of life (QoL) scores, report the scientists in 
the European Heart Journal (vol 26, no 21, pp 2238-2244).

Heart health was defined by left ventricle pumping ability, while the 
QoL score depended on many factors including quality of sleep, daytime 
concentration levels, and exercise capacity.

Patients with CHF can have poorer diets for numerous reasons not least 
because they are less able to go out and buy food regularly, suggested 
the researchers.

“They may also use their antioxidant and other vitamins stores more 
rapidly than healthy individuals as the body copes with the heart 
failure,” said Witte.

While the exact role of each micronutrient is not known, the researchers 
suggested that single nutrient tests might be counter-productive. Dr 
Witte told NutraIngredients.com: “One of the problems with single agent 
supplements is that they might just expose deficiencies elsewhere in 
what is likely a complex series of interactions between micronutrients.”

The Study on Heart failure Awareness and Perception in Europe (SHAPE) 
reported that 40 per cent of people with CHF would die within one year 
of their first hospitalisation, and 67 per cent of patients would prefer 
to improve their QoL than live longer.

The authors acknowledged the limitations of the study, both in the size 
of the sample population and the length of time of the follow-up period, 
and admitted significant further research is required.

Dr Witte also stressed that micronutrient supplements were unlikely to 
benefit healthy people with a healthy diet.

Despite his opinion, often concurred by other scientists, sales of 
supplements continue to rise. Multivitamin sales in the UK have grown 
about 4 per cent between 2002 and 2004.
-- 
Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD < fivestar at nutritionucanlivewith.com >
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