X-Message-Number: 12601
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1999 10:31:09 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: broccoli reduces cardiovascular disease mortality?

Authors
  Yochum L.  Kushi LH.  Meyer K.  Folsom AR.
Institution
  Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55105, USA.
Title
  Dietary flavonoid intake
  and risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women.
Source
  American Journal of Epidemiology.  149(10):943-9, 1999 May 15.
Abstract
  Flavonoids, a group of phenolic compounds found in fruits
  and vegetables, are known to have antioxidant properties. They prevent low
  density lipoprotein oxidation in vitro and thus may play a role in the
  prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD). In 1986, in a prospective study
  of 34,492 postmenopausal women in Iowa, the authors examined the association
  of flavonoid intake with CHD and stroke
  mortality. Over 10 years of follow-up, 438 deaths from CHD and 131 deaths
  from stroke were documented. Total flavonoid
  intake was associated with a decreased risk of CHD death
  after adjusting for age and energy intake (p for trend =
  0.04). This association was attenuated after multivariate adjustment.
  However, decreased risk was seen in each category of intake
  compared with the lowest. Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals of CHD
  death from lowest to highest intake category were 1.0, 0.67
  (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49-0.92), 0.56 (95% CI 0.39-0.79), 0.86 (95%
  CI 0.63-1.18), and 0.62 (95% CI 0.44-0.87).There was no association between
  total flavonoid intake and stroke mortality
  (p for trend = 0.83). Of the foods that contributed the most to
  flavonoid intake in this cohort, only
  broccoli was strongly associated with reduced risk of CHD death. The data of
  this study suggest that flavonoid intake
  may reduce risk of death from CHD in postmenopausal women.

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