A qualitative study exploring the perceptions and motivations of patients with heart failure who transitioned from non-adherence to adherence.

Background: Management of heart failure (HF) involves complex self-care recommendations. Many patients have difficulty adhering to these recommendations, and mechanisms that support behavior change are poorly understood.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the perceptions and motivations of individuals with HF who became adherent to HF treatment recommendations after being non-adherent.

A review and critical analysis of the scientific literature related to 100% fruit juice and human health.

The association between the consumption of pure (100%) fruit juice (PFJ) and human health is uncertain. The current review summarizes data published between 1995 and 2012 related to PFJ with a focus on juices that are widely available and studied in forms representing native juice without supplemental nutrients or enhanced phytochemical content. The effects of apple, cranberry, grape, grapefruit, orange, and pomegranate PFJ intake on outcomes linked to cancer, cardiovascular disease, cognition, hypertension, inflammation, oxidation, platelet function, urinary tract infection, and vascular reactivity are reviewed.

A comprehensive review of apples and apple components and their relationship to human health.

There has been an increasing appreciation and understanding of the link between dietary fruit and vegetable intake and improved health in humans. The widespread and growing intake of apples and apple juice/products and their rich phytochemical profile suggest their important potential to affect the health of the populations consuming them. This review summarizes current clinical, in vitro, and in vivo data and builds upon earlier published reports that apple may reduce the risk of chronic disease by various mechanisms, including antioxidant, antiproliferative, and cell signaling effects.

Strawberry modulates LDL oxidation and postprandial lipemia in response to high-fat meal in overweight hyperlipidemic men and women.

Background: Elevated levels of lipids, such as total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and triglycerides (TG), are widely recognized as risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Oxidized LDL (OxLDL) is an emerging risk factor considered relevant in oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction, which is implicated in the progression of CVD. Consumption of a diet rich in polyphenols may be cardioprotective through its impact on oxidative stress and protecting LDL from oxidation.

Translational nutrition research at UC Davis--the key role of the Clinical and Translational Science Center.

The National Institutes of Health's Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program has had a profound impact on clinical research and training methods at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). UC Davis was among the first 12 institutions to receive NIH funding for this award, and created its Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC) in 2006. The funding accelerated and further integrated an existing conscientious and careful planning effort for translational research with a stepwise approach to gradually increase our institutional competencies, capabilities, and resources in this area.

Postprandial metabolic responses to dietary glycemic index in hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in postmenopausal women. While diet and lifestyle remain the cornerstones of prevention, a low-fat/high-carbohydrate diet is associated with hyperglycemia and hyperlipemia-atherosclerotic risk factors affected by postprandial conditions. The objective of this study was to examine the acute response of lipids and insulin to a low-fat/high-carbohydrate meal with either a high-glycemic or a low-glycemic index in healthy postmenopausal women.

The skinny on high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets.

Short-term studies of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets have shown weight loss and improvements in plasma lipid profiles. Studies of greater than 6 months' duration, however, have failed to show continued benefit of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets on weight loss and cardiovascular risk factors compared with conventional diets. Without concurrent weight loss and caloric restriction, these diets offer no additional benefit to lipids or body weight over other weight-loss regimens.

Low-carbohydrate-high-protein diets: is there a place for them in clinical cardiology?

Since the last meeting of the American Heart Association, a great deal of media attention has been focused on low-carbohydrate-high-protein diets (LC-HP) and their potential impact on the practice of cardiology. It has been suggested that these diets, which were introduced originally as weight-loss regimens, also have a significantly beneficial effect on a variety of cardiovascular risk factors. It is clear that people who consume such diets have a reduced intake of calories, resulting in a predictable degree of weight loss.

Postprandial lipemia and cardiovascular disease.

Postprandial lipemia, characterized by a rise in triglyceride-rich lipoproteins after eating, is a dynamic, nonsteady-state condition in which humans spend the majority of time. There are several lines of evidence suggesting that postprandial lipemia increases risk of atherogenesis. Clinical data show a correlation between postprandial lipoproteins and the presence/progression of coronary artery disease and carotid intimal thickness.

Postprandial lipemia is associated with platelet and monocyte activation and increased monocyte cytokine expression in normolipemic men.

The activation of platelets and monocytes has been implicated in the development of cardiovascular diseases. We asked the question if postprandial lipemia following a fat- containing meal is associated with platelet and monocyte activation and increased platelet-monocyte interaction. Thirteen healthy, normal weight, normolipemic males, 20 to 49 years, consumed a 40% fat meal of whole foods.

Almonds and almond oil have similar effects on plasma lipids and LDL oxidation in healthy men and women.

Epidemiologic and clinical studies have shown that nut consumption is associated with favorable plasma lipid profiles and reduced cardiovascular risk. These effects may result from their high monounsaturated fat (MUFA) content but nuts contain constituents other than fatty acids that might be cardioprotective. We conducted a study to compare the effects of whole-almond vs.