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February is Heart Health Month and the American Heart Association's "Go Red For Women," nationwide campaign is intended to raise awareness that heart disease is the number one cause of preventable death among women. The six major risk factors for heart disease facing women today are hypertension, elevated cholesterol, smoking, physical inactivity, diabetes, and being obese or overweight. Each of these risk factors is preventable or can frequently be controlled with diet, exercise, nutritional support, and lifestyle modifications. Thorne Research offers two products that provide nutritional support for the female patient wanting to maintain optimal cardiovascular health.

Neo-Cardio
Neo-Cardio combines Terminalia arjuna, a traditional Ayurvedic medicine, that optimizes ventricular contraction via a rise in intracellular sodium and calcium, with Inula racemosa, a root powder associated with maintaining normal cardiovascular function. Neo-Cardio also contains Astragalus, a botanical with anti-platelet aggregating activity shown to improve ECG parameters, decrease heart rate, and increase cardiac output. Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme from pineapple that can inhibit platelet aggregation, modulate prostaglandin synthesis, and increase fibrinolytic activity. Niacin helps maintain favorable blood lipid profiles and reduces the susceptibility of LDL-cholesterol to oxidative damage. Neo-Cardio also contains magnesium, a mineral important to the maintenance of normal blood pressure.

Soy Isoflavones
Numerous studies have investigated the beneficial cardiovascular effects of the soy isoflavones, genistein and daidzein. Soy protein supplementation may have a beneficial effect on lipid profiles in humans, via inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Research indicates soy protein supplementation may improve several other cardiovascular parameters, such as homocysteine levels. Studies in postmenopausal women indicate soy protein supplementation may improve vasodilatory response in the brachial artery, independent of the lipid and antioxidant effects of soy isoflavones. Supplementation with soy isoflavones can help maintain glycemic control in postmenopausal diabetic women, thus improving their cardiovascular risk profile.