Foods such as nuts, grains, fruits, vegetables and oils contain beneficial compounds that include plant sterols, soluble fiber and monounsaturated fats. When these foods are used in a low saturated fat, low cholesterol diet, they can lower your cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. However, no diet will do the trick if portions are too big or without …
Is it Asthma or Heart Disease?
Q: I have a question about my father — a 74 year old man in relatively good health. He’s fairly active – but has asthma and is about 20 pounds overweight. His breathing has been declining rapidly and the PA at his asthma doctor’s office put him on Prednisone and antibiotics for one week — and wants him to see …
My dad has bad coronary artery disease and a poor heart
Q: My dad just had 5 stents put in his left main artery and left anterior descending coronary artery. He is 58. He had his first heart attack at 44 years of age. He is now 58. He has had several mild heart attacks over the years and stent procedures 2 other times so he has approximately 15 stents and …
I have read that carbs & sugar can turn into fat is that true?
Yes. Some of the carbs you eat are use immediately to produce energy now, some will be stored in your liver as an energy source for later and some of it will be converted to fat. The reason we focus in this website on heart healthy eating (among other things) is because it so important for our health.
Are saturated and trans fats bad because of the cholesterol that will clog my arteries?
The short answer is yes. Here is the explanation: “Bad” Cholesterol Cholesterol can’t dissolve in the blood. It has to be transported to and from the cells by carriers called lipoproteins. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as “bad” cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is known as “good” cholesterol. These two types of lipids, along with triglycerides and Lp(a) cholesterol, …
What is mild aortic stenosis? What activities should I avoid?
A: Patients with mild Aortic stenosis should be examined every 2-3 years (including a cardiac ECHO). Unless there is a change in exercise tolerance and/or increased shortness of breath, palpitations or angina, there is no reason for you to restrict any activities.
What are the best vitamins and supplements for a healthy heart?
Many people take vitamins and supplements to boost their heart health. Here are some of the supplements that may benefit your heart include: Fish oil Plant sterols Niacin Fiber (psyllium) Red yeast rice Green tea extract B-Complex vitamins (B6, B12, folic acid) Coenzyme Q10 Policosanol
What does it mean when a doctor says you have a stiff heart?
What does it mean when a doctor says you have a stiff heart? A: A stiff heart… as a surgeon I have had many a heart in my hand that feels like that. It is usually the result of scarring and a long history of high blood pressure. During surgery, such a heart was more difficult to operate upon and …
How is cardiac muscle similar to smooth muscle and skeletal muscle?
It is and it isn’t, and here are some of the important differences: Heart muscle — also called cardiac muscle — makes up the wall of the heart. Throughout our life, it contracts some 70 times per minute pumping about 5 liters of blood each minute. Skeletal muscle, as its name implies, is the muscle attached to the skeleton. It …
Roasted Beet Risotto with Goat Cheese Gouda and Arugula Pesto
Risotto is one of those entrees you wonder how you lived without for so long. It is not a minor meal, in that it takes both time and effort to make. Today’s recipe has it made with vegetable stock; I prefer chicken on this occasion (left over whole chicken in the fridge). It takes more time, but the results are …