Dr. Annibale Montenero, lead researcher and chairman of Multimedica General Hospital's Cardiology Department and Arrhythmia Center, has discovered a strong link between the bacteria helicobacter pylori and an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation.
Read MoreTopics: Heart Disease, Atrial Fibrillation, H. Pylori, Heliobacter Pylori, Heart Palpitations, gut dysbiosis
The recent headlines about coconut oil say that because it's higher in saturated fat than beef or lard, it's bad for you. “You'll drastically increase the chances of cardiovascular disease if you eat it because saturated fat raises cholesterol, which leads to heart disease and mortality.” That kind of warning comes from the American Heart Association (AHA)—a powerful organization that continues to promote the mythical direct link between saturated fat and heart disease.
Topics: inflammation, cholesterol, Heart Disease, coconut oil,, healthy fats, triglycerides, unhealthy fats
The road to chronic disease — from arthritis to heart disease — is paved with sugar and refined carbohydrates. It’s a freeway that leads straight to insulin resistance syndrome, given the right conditions, most notably being overweight and inactive.
The devastating chain of events that leads to chronic disease goes like this:
Topics: insulin resistance, Heart Disease, Obesity, Hypertension, High Blood Pressure, Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, Prediabetes and diabetes, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Pancreatitis
As I discussed in a recent article, I mentioned the prognostic power of the blood test brain natriuretic peptide (BNP).
Remember there is a 25% increase in death if the BNP is elevated one year after a heart attack. And don't forget a BNP persistently over 80 pg/mL can be an important indicator of when a more invasive approach is needed such as bypass surgery.
In fact, a BNP twice the normal range can indicate a quadruple risk of death in folks who don't even have symptoms.
There is no other test that has the ability to have this crystal ball power of determining your chances of succumbing to heart failure even if you have no symptoms.
Read MoreTopics: Heart Disease, Longevity
Don’t you find it strange that a class of drugs that has questionable science and offers poor stated outcomes (prevention of heart disease in patient with just “high” cholesterol) would still be prescribed in such an amount that over a quarter of the US population over 45 is taking it? What drug class am I referring to? Statin drugs, the pharmaceutical industry’s leading money-maker, largely due to relentless advertising. The aim of statin drugs is to lower cholesterol by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, which plays a central role in the production of cholesterol in the liver (which produces about 70 percent of total cholesterol in the body).
A recent study found the statin advertising might be driving high cholesterol over diagnosis and over-treatment.[1] If you think about it, the incidence of heart disease is not decreasing despite a large portion of the US population taking statins. A study from Sweden shows a similar lack of effectiveness. [2] What does that tell you about wisdom of continuing advocate the promotion of statin drug usage?
Unfortunately, due in part to the popularity of statin drugs, my office is seeing large number of people calling in to find help for peripheral neuropathy. [3], [4] One of the so-called side effects of statin drugs is the development of nerve and muscle damage. [5]
Read MoreTopics: Diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, cholesterol, Heart Disease, pain, Drug-Free, Statin, Co-Q10, Diabetic Neuropathy, memory loss,
This question is asked of me all the time. My first thought is to say, "just do it", but I usually refrain because I understand the frustration and the yearning to eat what ever you want - hey, I'm human too.
Topics: Hypothyroidism, autoimmune, gluten, Diabetes, autoimmune thyroid, Heart Disease
Thyroid problems, especially hypothyroidism can alter blood fats such as cholesterol and triglycerides. The published evidence is quite clear in documenting that the actual total cholesterol level itself is not the most important risk factor of cardiovascular disease.
Topics: Hypothyroidism, thyroid symptoms, cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL, Heart Disease
