Extra virgin olive oil and healthy tree nuts (walnuts and almonds) are available inexpensively at Costco and probably other bulk retailers. The Mediterranean diet does not at all need to be an expensive diet.
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The NE Journal (2/25/13) published a study from Spain that showed that overweight middle-aged people at high risk for stroke, heart attack or death from cardiovascular disease can reduce that risk by almost 30% with a “Mediterranean” diet compared to a diet higher in starch but lower in fruits, vegetables and legumes, olive oil and nuts. We should pay attention.
The British Medical Journal (www.bmj.com) just reported that a review of studies of egg consumption determined that there was no increase in heart attacks or strokes related to regular eating of eggs.
Butter is tasty and a reasonable part of a heart-healthy diet when used judiciously. Keeping butter at room temperature makes it easier to use small amounts of butter effectively.
August is harvest. Tomatoes are queen, but heirloom tomatoes are the true royalty.
A well-functioning heart and blood vessels are central to your overall health and longevity. Many major diseases, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and cigarette smoking have severe adverse effects on those organs. And normal aging produces slow but real damage to those vital organs. What can your physicians do to help you preserve healthy cardiovascular function for…
Grapefruit juice impairs the breakdown of some important drugs, such as statins, but it is not an all or none issue. Small amounts may be reasonable.
Multivitamin use does not reduce the overall death rate nor the risk of cardiovascular disease nor most common cancers, according to recent results from the Women’s Health Initiative, which studies over 160,000 postmenopausal women.
The JUPITER study (just published in the New England Journal of Medicine) solidly demonstrates that treatment of healthy middle-age and older people with low cholesterol values but elevated levels of an inflammatory marker (high-sensitivity CRP) with a powerful statin (Crestor) can substantially reduce the incidence of heart attacks, strokes and death. We need to reconsider our use of this test and its place in our approach to cardiovascular risk evaluation and treatment in each of our patients.
A new study, code-named Jupiter, has been released at the cardiology meetings in New Orleans, showing that Crestor (a statin drug) reduces heart disease and stroke in people whose cholesterol levels were already low, but where one test (the C-reactive protein) was elevated. What does this mean for you?
