LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in the blood are determined predominantly by two very different biochemical pathways. Depending upon which one is dominant for you, it’s possible to determine how well you’ll respond to medication versus simple diet changes to lower cholesterol.

The Nordic diet is based on the way people in Scandinavia have eaten for years. While the Nordic diet highlights more lingonberries and fewer olives, the premise is similar to the Mediterranean diet. Eating the Nordic way should add up to way less sugar than you’d get on a typical American diet, and that’s just one benefit…

Which is worse for your heart: an egg or a hot dog? Think about it. Since the amount of cholesterol in a food doesn’t always correlate with raising your cholesterol, which high cholesterol foods are the worst culprits for elevating bad cholesterol levels? The doctor says it’s these four…

Type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes, insulin resistance. They’re all manifestations of the same metabolic dysfunction, just to a different degree. And all individuals who develop type 2 diabetes are initially pre-diabetic. And all pre-diabetics are initially insulin resistant. The key may be stopping this hidden dysfunction…

Diet has the greatest potential for the biggest improvement in cholesterol. But that doesn’t mean low-fat or low-carb diets are the answer. Dr. Klodas explains what fats help lower cholesterol, the carbohydrate connection, as well as how the natural cholesterol circulation system you have in your body works…

If you were paying attention to the news this summer, you probably heard about Wegovy™, a “new” drug just approved for weight loss. It’s an injection that you self-administer once a week under the skin. And it works! Sounds great, but before you give it a try, here are all the details…

What’s defined as high blood pressure varies depending upon who you listen to… the American Heart Association or the International Society of Hypertension. In my own practice, I typically favor the more lenient definition. But regardless of which scale you follow, getting correct readings is what really matters…

One of my favorite rites of spring is browsing aisles of beautiful asparagus, radishes, herbs and lettuces at farmer’s markets. It’s one of the most inspiring ways to cook more heart-healthy foods at home. My favorites contain lots of potassium, calcium and nitrates, which may help improve blood flow, and of course fiber!

High blood pressure is extremely common. What’s worse is that only about 1 in 4 adults with hypertension have it under control. That’s because there are many causes. Put too many straws on the camel’s back and it falls over. Take a few straws away, the camel can stand back up. You can bring your numbers down the same way.

Do you know someone whose heart attack seemed to “come out of the blue? While it’s hard to understand how someone can seem fine one day and suffer a major heart event the next day, it happens. Cardiologist Dr. Elizabeth Klodas explains how, why and what’s lurking below the surface that even a stress test can miss — and how to help guard against it.

There’s an Ayurvedic proverb: When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need. It sums up the problems most doctors have with treating the symptoms of disease with unnecessary medicines and invasive procedures instead of addressing the root cause…

Many patients come to see me because they want to avoid medications or get off of statins. There’s a lot to consider, including guidelines, but that’s not all considering the risk calculator is, in many ways, flawed. Here’s what I tell them…