Coronary Artery Disease
How COVID and Other Infections Harm Your Heart
Ask most cardiologists what causes heart disease, and the chances are very good that you will be told that it’s bad lipid levels. You know, things like total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol and tr…
Show 1353: Cutting Edge Cardiology from a Top He…
When you think of preventing heart disease, what comes to mind? We hope you envision regular exercise and a healthful diet (whatever that means to you). Perhaps you also plan for regular checkups and …
Show 1341: Lessons Learned from Long Illness
You may not have thought much about long illness, but chances are you know someone who is suffering with one. The CDC estimates that some chronic condition afflicts as many as one in six American adul…
Can You Boost Your Immune System with Extra Zinc…
Most people would like to improve their immune function at this time of year. Viruses that cause colds and influenza are everywhere and even vigorous hand washing may not protect you from coming down …
FDA Dismisses Food, but Embraces Drugs
The abbreviation FDA stands for the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. The agency’s budget for 2023 is $6.56 billion. A big chunk of that will come from the pharmaceutical industry in the form of…
How Much Coffee Should You Drink to Improve Long…
Americans like their morning coffee. In some cities it seems as if there is a coffee shop on every corner. And yet our coffee consumption is paltry compared to many other countries. Not surprisingly, …
People with Cardiovascular Disease Do Better Eat…
Cardiovascular disease remains the number one killer throughout the world. People at high risk are often prescribed a number of medications to control cholesterol, lower blood pressure and prevent blo…
Show 1234: How Microbes Evolve to Become Enemies…
The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus behind COVID-19 is changing. This should not be a surprise, since microbes evolve by nature. What implications might this have for the infection in future months? We speak w…
Why Doesn’t Lowering LDL Cholesterol Save More…
Most cardiologists believe that elevated levels of “bad” LDL are the number one cause of heart disease. They are convinced that lowering LDL cholesterol with statins saves large numbers of lives. …
Do Soy Products Protect the Heart?
Do soy products protect the heart? For years, researchers assumed that people who ate soy products had lower cholesterol and therefore lower risk of heart disease. However, the results of previous stu…
Will Taking Fish Oil Protect You from Heart Dise…
Does eating fish or taking fish oil protect people with heart disease? That has been a slippery question over the past several years. A year ago, the VITAL study results suggested that people fare no …
Will Statins Wreak Havoc With Your Memory?
Do people taking statins to control their cholesterol experience cognitive impairment as a side effect? Many think so. If they anticipate that statins wreak havoc on their memory, they may be reluctan…
What Can Vitamin K2 Do for You?
The early 20th century was the Golden Age of vitamin research. Scientists identified previously unknown compounds and named them in order: vitamins A, B, C and so on. The B vitamins turned out to be a…
Is Wine Bad or Good for People with Diabetes?
People with diabetes are often cautioned to avoid alcohol altogether. Doctors reason that a drink can make it much harder to control blood sugar. On the other hand, wine has a reputation as a healthfu…
Should a Flip Flop on Saturated Fat Freak You Ou…
We've been told for decades that saturated fat clogs coronary arteries. Butter, cheese and ice cream are supposed to be the enemies of a heart-healthy diet. But three cardiologists challenge the conve…
Eggs are Exonerated in Finnish Heart Study
For more than five decades Americans have been told that cholesterol causes heart disease. That's why nutrition experts, cardiologists and family practice physicians advised their patients to limit eg…
Are Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Salt Really D…
Doctors today pride themselves on practicing "evidence-based medicine." That means using the best scientific data derived from research to make recommendations for policy and treatment. When it comes …
EDTA Chelation Effectiveness Challenges Doubting…
Q. How effective is chelation for reducing carotid plaque? A. Chelation (pronounced key-lay-shen) is a way of removing toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, iron, uranium or cadmium. The …
Speeding To Surgery with Stents Doesn’t Im…
This story has almost disappeared without a trace. That's because it defies conventional wisdom. Doctors do not know what to do when data do not support strongly held beliefs. The New England Journal …
Heart Warnings: Baldness And Earlobe Creases
When you think about checking for heart disease what probably comes to mind are expensive exams such as stress tests on a treadmill while hooked up to a high-tech electrocardiogram, cardiac catheteriz…
Low Vitamin D Increases Risk of Atherosclerosis …
People with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk for atherosclerosis. A new study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry shows that low levels of vitamin D may contribute to this problem. The …
Mirror Test May Spot Heart Disease
Diagnosing heart disease is expensive and can be risky, but there may be a low-tech test as close as your bathroom mirror. Although this 10-second free self-exam has been known for almost 40 years, it…
Calcium in Arteries Is Telltale Risk Factor
For years, doctors have been devising ways to predict who is most likely to develop heart disease. This allows them to treat patients at the highest risk more aggressively. One accepted way of assessi…
Can Lecithin Keep Arteries Clean?
Lecithin was discovered over 100 years ago. It is a major constituent of egg yolks. The active ingredient in this natural substance is phosphatidylcholine. Some readers have reported that this compo…
Cardiac Rehab Saves Lives
A heart attack can be a wake-up call for people with coronary artery disease. They are frequently encouraged to participate in a program of cardiac rehabilitation that entails exercise, diet and couns…
Diet to Fight Heart Disease
Q. I'd like to know what's good to eat to help lower triglycerides, cholesterol and LDL. My husband has four coronary arteries blocked and will have surgery next week. I need to know what I can cook t…
Non-Statin Solutions For Cholesterol
Q. I have been battling statin side effects for years. My doctor has prescribed Lipitor, Crestor, Pravachol, Lescol and Zocor, but I cannot tolerate any of them because of muscle pain and weakness. It…
Heart Failure Is A Confusing Killer
Five million Americans suffer from a potentially life-threatening condition. It has claimed the lives of Henry Fonda, Ella Fitzgerald, Wilt Chamberlain, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Even though half a m…