Tag Archives: fatty substances

MRI scans recommended for heart checks

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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans should be used to assess patients with suspected heart disease, rather than standard checks, experts say.

A University of Leeds study of 750 people found MRI was better at detecting the condition, and of ruling it out in unaffected patients.

MRI was also non-invasive and did not use radiation, unlike the usual tests.

A spokesman for the British Heart Foundation, which backed the study, said MRI should be used more widely.

CHD is caused when vital arteries serving the heart become narrowed or blocked by a build-up of fatty substances.

This can lead to severe chest pain, known as angina, and if the condition worsens and remains untreated, patients may have a heart attack.

Patients with suspected angina are currently most likely to have either an angiogram – an invasive test where dye is injected directly into the heart’s arteries – or a non-invasive imaging test called SPECT.

Angiograms and SPECT tests both involve ionising radiation.

MRI scans, which use strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce a detailed image of the inside of the body, are already widely used to help diagnose other conditions.

In the five-year, £1.3m study published by The Lancet, patients with suspected angina and at least one risk factor for heart disease underwent both kinds of imaging test.

The results were compared using an angiogram.

Inside the heart

Inside the heart

Dr John Greenwood, who led the study, said: “We have shown convincingly that of the options available to doctors in diagnosing coronary heart disease, MRI is better than the more commonly-used SPECT imaging test.

“As well as being more accurate, it has the advantage of not using any ionising radiation, sparing patients and health professionals from unnecessary exposure.”


Prof Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “For patients suffering with chest pains, there are a number of tests that can be used to decide whether their symptoms are due to coronary heart disease or not.

“This research shows that a full MRI scan is better than the most commonly used alternative – a SPECT scan using a radioactive tracer.”

He added: “MRI has the additional advantage that it doesn’t involve radiation.

“At present, not all hospitals have the expertise to undertake such scans but these findings provide clear evidence that MRI should be more widely used in the future.”

And in a commentary in the Lancet, Dr Robert Bonow of Northwestern University in Chicago, said the improved accuracy of MRI “must be balanced against availability and cost-effectiveness”.

Fish oils

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The magic of fish oils!

Many of us will have memories of our childhood days when we were encouraged to take our daily spoonful of cod liver oil. It tasted foul, but the attitude then was …

“If it tastes awful, it must be good for you”!

Our parents and grandparents knew that cod liver oil and halibut liver oil were good for us, as these fish oils were excellent sources of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. What that generation did not realise, was that ther regular use of fish oils may bestow some other very important medical benefits upon our bodies.

For example, did you know that Eskimos rarely suffer from heart attacks, and the Japanese who are a nation of heavy smokers, are rarely afflicted by heart disease! What these two countries have in common is a diet rich in fish!

Now there is also medical evidence to show that fish oils may improve other conditions, such as:

Raised blood fats such as cholesterol and triglyceride
High blood pressure
Angina
Rheumatoid arthritis
Osteoarthritis
Psoriasis
Eczema
Asthma

Oily fish

Oily fish

Now don’t get carried away, and dash off to your local pharmacy, thinking that cod liver oil, is the ‘cure all’ for every single one of these conditions. The evidence from much of the research is controversial. So let’s have a sensible look at what these fish oils can do for you!

What’s the magic ingredient?

Fish oils contain substances known as essential fatty acids .The two important ones are known as EPA and DHA. If you want to impress your friends, EPA stands for eicosapentaenoic (ay kosa pent ay no ik) acid and DHA stands for docosahexaenoic (doe kosa hex ay no ik) acid!! These fatty acids are only found in sea fish and cannot be produced within the body. Once in the body, they have widespread effects, especially upon blood fat levels, the joints and upon the skin.

Effects upon the heart

Cholesterol and triglyceride are two fatty substances in our blood which, when raised, cause a furring up of the inside of our blood vessels. This narrows the blood vessels and makes us more prone to clot formation (thrombosis). If a clot blocks off an artery to the heart, a heart attack is the result.

Fish oils have been found to drop the levels of these blood fats, and also decrease the likelihood of clot formation in blood vessels. They also have an ‘opening up’ effect upon blood vessels, which improves the circulation to the heart and also helps to lower our blood pressure.


Effects on the skin

When patients with psoriasis were given fish oils, their skin became less itchy, less reddened and less scaly. A similar improvement has been noticed by some, though not all sufferers of eczema. These conditions can be very distressing, and so any improvement brought about by simply adding fish to the diet is indeed worth trying.

Effects upon the joints

Research in the USA has shown that taking the fatty acids EPA and DHA present in fish oils, led to fewer joint pains and stiffness in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. The treatment had to be taken for three months to produce it’s best effect.

Sources of fish oils

You can obtain fish oils naturally from your diet by eating any of the oily fish, such as herring, mackerel, sardines, tuna and salmon. It is advised that you should take this type of fish at least three times a week to obtain the beneficial effects. Otherwise, you can take liquid fish oils in the form of cod liver oil or halibut liver oil. The recommended dose is two 5ml teaspoons per day. Many people find the taste of these oils unpleasant, though you can buy orange or cherry flavoured cod liver oil!! If you prefer to take your cod liver oil in capsule form you will have to take two capsules three times a day with each meal. A concentrated blend of fish oils is also available, called ‘Pulse’ capsules which are taken at the dose of one capsule twice a day. The oils and capsules can all be bought from your local pharmacist. For those patients who actually do have a raised fat level (specifically raised triglyceride) in their bloodstream, a capsule is available on prescription called ‘Maxepa’, but you have to take 5 capsules twice a day!