Tomato extract's heart effects exaggerated

ConclusionThis study found that the blood vessels in people with cardiovascular disease who were taking statins dilated more after they were treated with a chemical called acetylcholine if they had been taking lycopene every day for two months, compared to those taking placebo pills.The lycopene tablet had no significant effect on any of the other outcomes the researchers looked at, and no effect in healthy volunteers, although it did increase lycopene levels in the blood.  Although impaired endothelial function is a known predictor of future heart disease, this is, at best, a surrogate outcome. It is no substitute for following up people over time to see if improvement in endothelial function actually does translate into reduced deaths from heart attacks and stroke. Due to this limitation, much larger RCTs, with a follow-up period measured in years rather than months, are required to determine whether taking lycopene actually cuts the risk of cardiovascular disease.Many unanswered questions remain about why eating a Mediterranean diet seems to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, but the benefits of the diet seem to be real.Analysis by Bazian. Edited by NHS Choices. Follow Behind the Headlines on Twitter. Join the Healthy Evidence forum. Links To The Headlines Ketchup with everything: tomato sauce helps fight heart disease. The Daily Telegraph, June 10 2014'Tomato pill' hope for stopping heart disease. BBC News, June 9 2014Tomato extract relieves damaged arteries,...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Heart/lungs Food/diet Source Type: news