Healthy Hearts

by Mike Straus | January 10, 2025

Steps practitioners can take to help patients prevent or reverse heart-related issues.

Heart health is a rapidly growing area of concern for consumers of all ages, but older consumers especially. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global heart health supplements market was valued at $11 billion in 2023, with a forecasted growth rate of 6.1 percent per year through to 2032.1 Cardiovascular disease affects nearly 83 million Americans, according to the American Heart Association (AHA),2 making it one of the leading causes of death for both men and women. As such, consumers are increasingly seeking out cardiovascular support supplements that can address heart health in a variety of ways.

“Heart disease remains the No. 1 killer of men and women worldwide,” said Tracy Paeschke, MD, a double board-certified cardiologist specializing in preventive cardiology based in Monument, CO. “Heart disease kills more people than all forms of cancer combined. The statistics are quite sobering; in the United States, someone dies of heart disease every 30 seconds.”

From coronary heart disease, to hypertension, to stroke, to congestive heart failure and more, cardiovascular diseases place a significant burden on the health care system. As such, helping patients to prevent or reverse heart-related health problems should be a key priority for practitioners. Here are some of the emerging trends around cardiovascular health—and some of the ways that practitioners can help patients take control of their heart health.

Heart Health a Growing Priority for Practitioners and Patients

Heart health awareness has benefitted greatly from public education campaigns, said Corey Schuler, FNP, PhD, CNS, a medical affairs expert with formulator Allergy Research Group in Salt Lake City, UT. Dr. Schuler explains that conversations about heart health are happening in integrative medical practices on a daily basis; patients, he said, often arrive with a heightened awareness of their family history and genetic predisposition to heart disease. This awareness often spurs discussions about how lifestyle choices, diet and stress management can influence heart-related health outcomes.

“Heart health discussions naturally intertwine with other medical concerns,” Dr. Schuler noted. “For example, thyroid dysfunction significantly impacts cardiovascular health, influencing cholesterol levels, heart rate and even blood pressure. Insulin resistance further compounds cardiovascular risk by promoting systemic inflammation, arterial plaque buildup and endothelial dysfunction.”

Heart health may be on consumers’ radar, but according to Vanessa Pavey, ND, education scientist at manufacturer Life Extension in Fort Lauderdale, FL, the heart health category has been overshadowed in recent years by continued interest in immune support, sleep support and stress management ingredients. Furthermore, Dr. Pavey cited a 2023 AHA survey noting that 51 percent of adults aren’t aware that heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the United States.

This trend may now be starting to change, according to Andie Crosby, president of manufacturer Calroy Health Sciences in Scottsdale, AZ. Clinicians have long though that patients aren’t motivated to improve their cardiovascular health until they have a heart-related incident, but emerging consumer research has found that heart health is a strong consideration among aging consumers.

“Consumers are interested in the end result of a healthy vascular system,” Crosby explained. “Everyone wants the option to be able to hang out with their grandkids, walk their dog and play pickleball. The vascular system is foundational to human health; once you start talking about the quality of life and healthspan benefits of a healthy vascular system, people get excited.”

Calroy’s most recent heart health product, Vascanox HP, was designed with clinicians’ concerns in mind. Crosby noted that Vascanox HP offers a breakthrough formula designed to support nitric oxide production for more than just a few short hours; by leveraging emerging science and nitric oxide’s many pathways for production, Vascanox HP can provide up to 24 hours of nitric oxide support.

This trend of consumers paying attention to their particular heart health risks while ignoring general heart health information seems to be holding. Brian Keenan, ND, education manager at manufacturer Ayush Herbs in Redmond, WA, said public health initiatives and a growing consumer access to information have been somewhat successful at raising awareness of heart health issues. However, he noted, a significant proportion of consumers are unaware of their personal risk factors, such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia.

“Moreover, there is still public education and outreach needed to educate the public on the importance of regular and early checkups and actions to take to prevent or mitigate the severity of cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Keenan said.

Cheryl Myers, chief of scientific affairs and education at manufacturer EuroMedica in Green Bay, WI, said that while heart health awareness is growing, it doesn’t always translate into action. Myers noted that for too many people, heart concerns don’t become real until they make themselves known. Even when heart health is taken seriously, she said, far too many people aren’t acting proactively with diet, exercise and appropriate supplementation.

Still, Dr. Paeschke said that consumers are actively taking an interest in popular heart health influencers like Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Peter Attia. With proper lifestyle modification like diet and exercise, Dr. Paeschke noted, up to 90 percent of heart disease is preventable.

Prevention is a Core Responsibility for Practitioners

Simmi Chopra, a doctor of ayurvedic medicine in New York, NY says that while practitioners are succeeding at incorporating diet and lifestyle into treatment plans, it’s important for practitioners to develop more individualized treatment plans designed for each individual patient. Dr. Chopra says that in ayurveda, patients are treated as individuals, with unique diet and lifestyle treatment plans custom-tailored to their needs. Furthermore, the ayurvedic approach emphasizes the use of herbal supplements designed to promote heart health.

According to Dr. Schuler, preventing heart health problems is about friends and foes. Optimizing sleep schedules, promoting aerobic training and strength training and helping patients to actively manage stress can all contribute to maintaining patients’ heart health. Meanwhile, there’s no shortage of “foes” that need to be dealt with.

“Behaviors that should cease include smoking, long periods of inactivity, overindulgence in ultra-processed foods, excess consumption of alcohol, and addiction to stress,” he said. “Health care practitioners can and should be good models of these activities and may further position themselves to help patients implement these changes. Taking a step beyond the typical lipid profile to include lipoprotein A, apolipoprotein B and evaluation of particle size and number provides further detail of modifiable risk factors.”

Nutritional consultation also plays a key role in promoting patient heart health. Stacey Smith, DC, marketing and communications manager, NORAM for manufacturer Gnosis by Lesaffre in Milwaukee, WI, said the most important step for practitioners to take is to educate patients on the importance of a balanced, nutrient-dense diet. This includes anti-inflammatory foods rich in antioxidants, healthy fats and fiber.

“Nutritional supplementation can also play an important role,” Dr. Smith said. “Elevated homocysteine has long been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease; ingredients like Quatrefolic can help with this metabolic process, lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke.”

Myers noted that practitioners can help promote patient heart health by simply doing what they do best: Treating the whole patient. Practitioners, she said, frequently have great insights into patients’ habits and family histories.

Heart Health Treatment Should Be Comprehensive

When it comes to treating or attempting to reverse heart-related issues, experts have said it’s important to implement multiple measures.

“Reversing heart-related health issues often requires a multifaceted approach,” Dr. Smith said. “Practitioners should focus on diet, exercise, stress management and, when necessary, supplementation. For patients with existing heart health concerns such as elevated cholesterol or early-stage atherosclerosis, certain ingredients may support reversal efforts by improving metabolic processes.”

Dr. Smith pointed to Gnosis by Lesaffre’s branded MenaQ7 as an example of a useful ingredient in reversing heart disease. An arterial support supplement, MenaQ7 is designed to ensure that calcium is deposited in the bones rather than in the arteries. This supports arterial flexibility and reduces calcification, which may reverse some of the damage caused by poor calcium regulation.

“Reversal is an excellent and necessary distinction for practitioners to know when considering dietary supplements,” Dr. Smith explained. “Very few supplement ingredients can truly reverse a condition or characteristic related to heart health. But Gnosis by Lesaffre provides two such ingredients: Supplementing with bioavailable forms of nutrients like Quatrefolic and MenaQ7 can complement these efforts and accelerate heart health improvements over time.”

Gnosis by Lesaffre’s branded MenaQ7 is a Vitamin K2 Menaquinone-7 supplement that supports heart health by improving arterial elasticity. MenaQ7 carboxylates Matrix Gla Protein, which prevents incoming calcium from being deposited in the arteries. One human clinical study found that after supplementing with vitamin K2 daily for three years, post-menopausal women showed reversal of arterial stiffness and vascular calcification.3

Myers said that many of the same practices for preventing heart-related health issues can also reverse heart problems following an incident. She explained that an anti-inflammatory diet, combined with the right type of exercise, is crucial.

“Recommending an anti-inflammatory diet that reduces empty calories, sugars and simple carbs is one of the best things a practitioner can do for their patients,” Myers said. “It doesn’t just address heart-related issues, but also helps people maintain better weight and blood sugar levels. In the case of reversing heart problems, it’s extra important to be mindful of additional burdens patients may face following cardio episodes. It may require a slower, but equally determined, approach on behalf of the practitioner and patient alike to ensure they keep moving forward.”

Dr. Schuler explained that practitioners can also support patients in recovering from heart-related episodes by planning out aerobic training and strength training exercises for patients. Furthermore, he said, practitioners can caution patients to refrain from smoking, engaging in long periods of inactivity, overindulging in ultraprocessed foods, and excess consumption of alcohol.

“Health care practitioners can and should be good models of these activities,” Dr. Schuler said. “They may best serve their patients by being curious about advanced or additional biomarkers for cardiovascular health, such as C-creative protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and even a simple neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio.”

Allergy Research Group offers its branded Nattokinase NSK-SD 100 mg supplement for heart health. Isolated, purified and encapsulated nattokinase, NSK-SD was the first nattokinase introduced into the U.S. market, according to the company; it has established standardization levels and is backed by comprehensive safety and efficacy studies. Allergy Research Group currently has six human clinical studies demonstrating NSK-SD’s efficacy in decreasing high blood pressure, as well as a human study showing that NSK-SD can increase blood flow to the hands and feet.

Functional Medicine Offers Solutions

While traditional medicine has much to offer by way of cardiovascular health, complementary and alternative medicine, including functional medicine, is a powerful tool in the clinician’s arsenal. Michael Friedman, ND, founder and owner of manufacturer Restorative Formulations in Montpelier, VT, said that with one in five Americans set to develop heart disease within their lifetime, finding ways to provide heart health support is critical. Furthermore, Dr. Friedman explained, heart failure is frequently encountered in patients who undergo long-term statin therapy, making statins a less-than-ideal long-term treatment.

Restorative Formulations’ top-selling product, HTN 180 Px Extra Strength, is a cardiovascular and blood pressure support supplement designed to promote healthy parasympathetic activity, maintain optimal vascular tone, and support blood vessel relaxation. Made from African snake root (Rauwolfia vomitoria), HTN 180 Px is a practitioner-exclusive supplement that maintains optimal vascular tone. Dr. Friedman said that when he formulated this product, he knew that he first needed to find a suitable alternative to Indian snake root (Rauwolfia serpentina), as Indian snake root is an endangered species that is illegal to export.

“African snake root contains alkaloids that are known to support normal blood vessel peripheral resistance, normal catecholamine synthesis and normal nitric oxide production,” Dr. Friedman said. “Believing African snake root to be a viable alternative to Indian snake root as the foundation for the HTN formulation, we began testing many of the Rauwolfia ingredients available on the market and were alarmed to discover that most were derived using unacceptable toxic solvents such as chlorohexane, phthalates and toluene.”

Dr. Friedman noted that he then discovered Rauwolfia vomitoria, sourced from Tanzania; the local wildcrafters understood that the time of harvesting was critical to optimizing alkaloid levels, and that harvesting prior to monsoon season resulted in 10 times higher alkaloid levels. By finding such a potent source of alkaloids, Dr. Friedman said, he was able to create a solvent-free formulation.

“HTN 180 Px also contains hawthorn leaf and flower, passionflower, mistletoe, and motherwort to optimize cardiovascular function,” Dr. Friedman explained.

Heart Health on the Rise

Cardiovascular support ingredients constitute a rapidly expanding niche, and for good reason: they’re effective. Practitioners and patients alike are increasingly looking to natural heart health support products for a variety of functions, whether it be promoting blood flow, softening the arteries, maintaining vascular tone, supporting healthy blood pressure, or ensuring healthy cholesterol levels. Consumers are actively looking for comprehensive heart health treatment and prevention plans that address everything from diet, to exercise, to supplementation, to stress management. Practitioners can support their patients’ cardiovascular health by offering evidence-based solutions for preventing and reversing heart health issues, whether in the form of supplements, education or exercise regimens.

References:

1 Fortune Business Insights. “Cardiovascular health supplements market size, share & industry analysis, by type (natural supplements and synthetic supplements), by ingredients (vitamins & minerals, herbal extracts, and others), by dosage form (tablets, capsules, and others), by distribution channel (hospital pharmacies, drug stores & retail pharmacies, online pharmacies, and others), and regional forecast, 2024-2032.” Published online November 18, 2024. www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/cardiovascular-health-supplements-market-109444.

2 National Academies Press. “A nationwide framework for surveillance of cardiovascular and chronic lung diseases.” Published 2011. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK83160/.

3 Knapen MJH et al. “Menaquinone-7 supplementation improves arterial stiffness in healthy postmenopausal women: double-blind randomised clinical trial.” Thrombosis and Haeomstasis, vol. 19 no. 5 (2015): 113.

Healthy Take Aways

■ According to Fortune Business Insights, the global heart health supplements market was valued at $11 billion in 2023, with a forecasted growth rate of 6.1 percent per year through to 2032.
■ Americans according to the American Heart Association (AHA), cardiovascular disease affects nearly 83 million Americans, making it one of the leading causes of death for both men and women.
■ Heart disease kills more people than all forms of cancer combined.
■ A 2023 AHA survey noting that 51 percent of adults aren’t aware that heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the United States.