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Open Access Publications from the University of California

Scholarly Works (2 results)

  • Article
  • Peer Reviewed
Nutrition Bytes, Volume 12, Issue 1 (2007)

Abstract: The role of proper diet in cardiovascular health is one which has been heavily debated over the last century. In 1908, Ignatowski produced atherosclerotic lesions in rabbits with a diet high in cholesterol and saturated fat. He subsequently fed the rabbits cholesterol alone, which produced identical lesions (1). During the early 1950s, controlled feeding studies showed that saturated fatty acids and, to a smaller extent, dietary cholesterol increased serum cholesterol in human subjects (2). Later, epidemiologic studies found that increases in serum cholesterol predicted increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) in humans. These findings led to the development of the ‘diet-heart hypothesis’, which assumes a primary role of dietary saturated fat and cholesterol in the causation of atherosclerosis and CAD. Currently, the relationship between high serum cholesterol and CAD is well established, however, the role of diet in both the prevention and treatment of CAD remains controversial. Utilizing the medical literature, 3 dietary tenets have been established which are strongly associated with decreased risk of coronary artery disease: Consumption of good fatty acids (polyunsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids), multiple fruits and vegetables, and non-refined whole grains.

    Cover page: The Diet-Heart Hypothesis: a critical appraisal of the relationship between diet and coronary artery disease
    • Article
    • Peer Reviewed
    UCLA Previously Published Works (2009)

    Background

    Patients with elevated white blood cell (WBC) counts who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are at increased risk for short- and long-term mortality as well as major adverse cardiac events (MACE). We assessed the relationship between elevated WBC counts and clinical events in patients who underwent PCI with drug-eluting stents (DES).

    Methods

    Our retrospective study includes 878 consecutive patients who underwent both elective and emergent PCI with DES at the UCLA Medical Center. The cohort was divided into tertiles based upon the presenting WBC count: 2.8-6.3 x 109 cells/L (tertile 1 [T1]), 6.4-8.7 x 109 cells/L (tertile 2 [T2]), > or = 8.8 x 109 cells/L (tertile 3 [T3]).

    Results

    Survival at 1 year was significantly different between all three tertiles, and was poorest in patients with WBC counts in T3 (93.9%-T1, 98.4%-T2, 87.3%-T3; p < 0.0001), while T2 had the highest survival rate at 1 year. Age, chronic renal insufficiency, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, low WBC count in T1, elevated WBC count in T3 and presentation with myocardial infarction were identified as multivariable predictors for survival at 1 year.

    Conclusion

    Both elevated and low WBC counts are associated with increased mortality and MACE at 1 year following PCI with DES. WBC count is an independent predictor of survival in patients who undergo PCI with DES implantation.
      Cover page: Preprocedural white blood cell count as a predictor of death and major adverse cardiac events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents.
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