By: Terry Graedon December 11, 2024 1 Comments
    Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Carry Serious Cardiova…

    Most people are aware that consuming too much sugar is not good for our health. A new study from Sweden suggests that not all sweet foods are equivalent, though. Occasional sweet treats like pastries …

    By: Terry Graedon November 25, 2024 37 Comments
    What Are the Health Benefits of Coffee and Choco…

    Americans have a puritanical streak. This way of thinking suggests that if something hurts or tastes bad, it must be good for you. Conversely, if it tastes good, you might conclude it's bad for you. T…

    By: Terry Graedon November 11, 2024 34 Comments
    Will Certo and Grape Juice Help Your Sore Knees?

    People with sore joints face a terrible dilemma. Pain interferes with quality of life. On the other hand, medications like diclofenac and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can make p…

    By: Terry Graedon October 23, 2024 1 Comments
    Mediterranean Diet to Prevent Stroke

    Can you reduce your chance of having a stroke through what you eat? A study from Spain showed a decade ago that the Mediterranean diet helps to prevent stroke in a vulnerable population. New guideline…

    By: Joe Graedon October 7, 2024 16 Comments
    What Can You Do If Ibuprofen Triggers Atrial Fib…

    Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like diclofenac, ibuprofen, meloxicam or naproxen are extremely popular pain relievers. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and naproxen (Aleve) are even availab…

    By: Joe Graedon September 18, 2024 7 Comments
    Brewing Heart Health: Caffeine from Coffee and T…

    Public health officials frequently tell us DON’T! Don’t smoke, don’t drink alcohol, don’t eat processed foods. It’s relatively rare for researchers to say DO this thing that you really like.…

    By: Joe Graedon September 18, 2024 26 Comments
    Do We Have Micro Particles of Plastic in Our Bra…

    Are you getting tired of reading about plastic? I wouldn't blame you. We are getting exhausted writing about the perils of plastic. That said, almost every week there is new news about problems with p…

    By: Joe Graedon September 8, 2024 43 Comments
    Why Haven’t You Been Tested for Lp(a) Levels?

    Most people have had a blood test for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). It's been dubbed "bad" cholesterol since the 1980s. Cardiologists write that "the prevalence of severely elevated LDL…

    By: Joe Graedon July 7, 2024 12 Comments
    Low LDL Cholesterol Linked to Bleeding Strokes

    Ask any golfer if you can have too low a golf score and he will think you're nuts. After all, the lowest score wins in golf. Ask almost any cardiologist if you can have too low LDL cholesterol levels …

    By: Terry Graedon June 5, 2024 15 Comments
    How to Stay Healthy with a Mediterranean Diet

    Would you like to be able to improve your health by what you put on your plate? Health professionals and patients alike may doubt that diet can be as powerful as pills. When it comes to important bene…

    By: Joe Graedon May 23, 2024 1 Comments
    Which Diuretic is Best for Hypertension? HCTZ or…

    When a patient is diagnosed with high blood pressure that is not controlled by diet, exercise or other lifestyle interventions, doctors start writing prescriptions. One of their first-line drugs is al…

    By: KFF April 25, 2024 3 Comments
    If You Are on Medicare & Overweight You May…

    Juliette Cubanski, Tricia Neuman, Nolan Sroczynski, and Anthony Damico Published: Apr 24, 2024 This article was originally published on the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) website at this link. The FDA…

    By: Terry Graedon April 24, 2024 3 Comments
    Gut Microbiota Linked to Stroke Severity

    We have been hearing increasingly about connections between the brain and the gut microbiota. Research from the Cleveland Clinic has demonstrated two fascinating links. First, scientists found that th…

    By: Terry Graedon March 28, 2024 1 Comments
    Bright Outdoor Light Exposure Overnight Raises R…

    You may have heard advice to lower light levels as bedtime approaches. People exposed to bright light indoors have lower levels of melatonin, a hormone essential for sleep. But interior lighting is no…

    By: Joe Graedon March 14, 2024 4 Comments
    FDA Approves Heart Benefits for Wegovy Weight Lo…

    Obesity is a world-wide problem. It’s no wonder, then, that injectable drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) have become incredibly popular. Wegovy just got a…

    By: Terry Graedon March 14, 2024 1 Comments
    Refined Grains Increase the Risk of Stroke

    The glycemic index of a food tells us how quickly it raises blood sugar. The glycemic load of a diet also takes into account how much blood-sugar-boosting food is being eaten. Refined grains usually h…

    By: Terry Graedon January 24, 2024 0 Comments
    Can Physical Training Help People Recover from a…

    Like a heart attack, a stroke is a serious medical emergency that requires immediate attention. In a stroke, the brain does not get enough oxygen, usually because a blood clot is blocking an important…

    By: Joe Graedon January 15, 2024 32 Comments
    Can Stopping Aspirin or Eliquis Suddenly Lead to…

    Stopping drugs that have anticoagulant properties can be tricky. That's because there can be an increased risk of blood clots after stopping aspirin or apixaban (Eliquis) too fast. But doctors routine…

    By: Joe Graedon January 10, 2024 106 Comments
    You Have Likely Been the Victim of Diagnostic Mi…

    Some mistakes are worse than others. When Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 had a mid-cabin door plug blow out shortly after takeoff on January 5, 2024, there were a lot of unhappy passengers. The flight wa…

    By: Terry Graedon December 21, 2023 3 Comments
    Healthy Eating Can Help Prevent Heart Disease

    We have heard for years that eating a well-balanced diet will have positive health benefits. Three decades of data demonstrate that healthy eating patterns reduce heart disease (JAMA Internal Medicine…

    By: Joe Graedon October 19, 2023 1 Comments
    FDA Review of Ancient Drug (Colchicine) Spikes P…

    Wild saffron, aka autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale), has been used for over 3,000 years to ease inflammation. An ancient Egyptian papyrus recorded its use for pain and swelling. A Greek physician us…

    By: Terry Graedon October 1, 2023 3 Comments
    Can You Stay in the Sweet Spot for Your Warfarin…

    Warfarin is a classic anticoagulant that is used to prevent strokes and deep vein blood clots. Doctors know a lot about this old inexpensive drug, but they also know getting the warfarin dose just rig…

    By: Terry Graedon September 7, 2023 10 Comments
    Show 1355: Uncovering the Shocking Dangers of Mi…

    When you develop a health problem with symptoms that trouble you, the first step is to find out what it is. Diagnosis may be the most basic task a doctor or other healthcare provider undertakes. That …

    By: Joe Graedon June 1, 2023 48 Comments
    The Cardiac Effects of COVID-19 Are Really Scary…

    There is good news, at last, regarding COVID. According to the CDC, the number of Americans hospitalized with COVID-19 has reached the lowest level since the pandemic took off. Hospitals are one of th…

    By: Terry Graedon May 10, 2023 5 Comments
    Dog Owners Get Survival Benefit

    We are dog lovers, along with 85 million other American families. If your household includes a canine member, you may be getting an unexpected survival benefit. A study and a meta-analysis published i…

    By: Terry Graedon April 6, 2023 9 Comments
    Show 1307: Cocoa Compounds and the COSMOS Trial …

    This week on our nationally syndicated radio show, we explore the power of cocoa compounds to help heart health. Our first guest is Harvard’s Dr. JoAnn Manson, lead investigator of the COSMOS trial.…

    By: Joe Graedon March 2, 2023 28 Comments
    Dairy Fat and Olive Oil Are Friends, Not Foes

    Do you remember your high school biology class? You learned that there are three building blocks of nutrition: proteins, carbohydrates and fats. For decades you have been told that fat is the enemy. I…

    By: Joe Graedon July 21, 2022 68 Comments
    The Salt Wars Rage On | How Do You Cope with the…

    Americans have been told for more than 50 years that they should cut back on salt. Doing so was supposed to help lower blood pressure. That in turn would theoretically reduce the risk of heart failure…

    By: Joe Graedon July 14, 2022 9 Comments
    Is Hard Water Good for the Heart and Brain?

    I have been intrigued with hard water since the 1950s. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania (Bucks County to be precise). Our well water was incredibly “hard.” In other words, it had a lot of dissolved…

    By: Terry Graedon May 4, 2022 11 Comments
    Will You Live Longer If You Sip Green Tea?

    Is coffee or tea your beverage of choice? A study from China, where a lot of people prefer tea, suggests that you might want to sip green tea. Recently, a symposium sponsored by the US Tea Council sum…

    By: Joe Graedon April 28, 2022 30 Comments
    Should You Take Aspirin for your Heart? Does You…

    Aspirin is well over 100 years old, but scientists are still trying to figure out if it should be used to prevent heart attacks and strokes. The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) was created …

    By: Terry Graedon April 11, 2022 8 Comments
    Why Grandma Was Right About Vegetables

    Your grandmother may have told you to eat your vegetables. Ours certainly urged us to do so. If she did, she was right. Vegetables and fruits are good sources of flavanols, plant compounds that appear…

    By: Terry Graedon February 24, 2022 4 Comments
    Active Seniors Have Fewer Heart Attacks and Stro…

    Many studies have shown that moderate to vigorous exercise can help ward off heart attacks and strokes in middle-aged people. Now research shows that older women also benefit if they are active in the…

    By: Joe Graedon February 7, 2022 28 Comments
    How Dangerous Is It to Stop Taking Aspirin?

    Aspirin gets very little respect. Perhaps that's because it is well over 100 years old, or because it is inexpensive and available over the counter. Whatever the reason, it's our observation that peop…

    By: Terry Graedon November 24, 2021 2 Comments
    What Is the Best Time to Go to Sleep?

    When do you go to sleep? Are you a night owl or an early bird? The answer to that question has implications for your risk of cardiovascular disease. Finding a Good Time to Go to Sleep: A new study in …

    By: Terry Graedon November 11, 2021 5 Comments
    For Preventing Stroke, Type of Fat Matters More …

    The type of fat in your diet is far more important than the amount, according to a new analysis of data from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (AHA Scientific Ses…

    By: Joe Graedon October 4, 2021 18 Comments
    Do You Really Have High Blood Pressure?

    Have you been told you have high blood pressure? Doctors recognize that untreated hypertension can increase your chance of developing heart disease, kidney damage or stroke. Consequently, you should t…

    By: Terry Graedon September 2, 2021 2 Comments
    Getting Systolic Blood Pressure Under 130 Makes …

    How important is strict blood pressure control to prevent strokes, heart attacks and other adverse cardiac events? A large randomized, controlled trial from China confirms that getting systolic blood …

    By: Terry Graedon September 2, 2021 12 Comments
    You Are What You Eat: Is Your Diet Killing You?

    For years, researchers have sought to answer the question: Is our diet killing us? Unfortunately, too often what we eat and what we skip contributes to disease and death. We’ve all heard that what w…

    By: Terry Graedon July 22, 2021 2 Comments
    Show 1265: The Advantages of Whole Brain Living

    Is it true that we only use 10 percent of our brains? That seems to be a myth, along with the relegation of logic to the left brain and emotion to the right. How can we engage in whole brain living? H…