You know the mantra for how to avoid getting sick this winter: Wash your hands and wear a mask. And when the days start getting shorter, the temperature drops and cold and flu season kicks in, we could all use an immunity boost, COVID or no COVID. That’s where my favorite secret weapon comes in… Yes, […]

While it’s normal and healthy for blood pressure to fluctuate throughout the day, when your blood pressure stays elevated, it can lead to many health problems. Many people require medications to control their blood pressure. However, there are several things you can do that will help to make it easier to manage your readings…

When you eat in a way that helps lower cholesterol and improve overall heart health, you’re also helping lower risks associated with cancer, dementia, arthritis and other diseases. Here’s why and how…

Triglycerides are not all that important for heart disease risk on their own. Rather they’re more significant depending upon the company they keep and whether they’re very high. The combination of low HDL and high triglycerides is a particularly worrisome profile. For that reason, let’s talk about how to get them lower…

LDL cholesterol is the cholesterol that’s parking in your arteries and causing blockages to build up. It is also the cholesterol that’s toxic to the lining of your arteries (the endothelium), increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Obviously it’s nasty stuff, so let’s talk about how to get less of it, and dispel some myths while we’re at it…

HDL, high-density lipoprotein, is the good cholesterol. This is the particle that’s moving cholesterol out of your body, so you want to keep it high. But it turns out there’s not much good news about it… Low baseline HDL numbers are a potent risk factor for developing early or more aggressive heart disease. So let’s talk about getting them up…

When you get a cholesterol test back, you’re typically given four numbers: The total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Your doctor is probably great about going over your results with you, but it can be confusing to remember all the details once you leave their office. Here’s what you need to know to interpret the results like a pro…

Does a normal weight protect you against adverse health outcomes even if you don’t eat particularly well? And what if you’re obese? Is your outcome equally poor regardless of what lands on your plate? A 17-year study may have finally helped us get the answer that most of us have been struggling with. And it may be the most freeing news you get all day…

Breaking health news contends that limiting dietary saturated fat does nothing for reducing heart disease events or for heart disease prevention. The study’s conclusions run against the advice of most health authorities, but by sheer numbers alone, it feels pretty compelling…

Patients and readers often ask me about the risks of soy: Is there a connection to cancer? Can it help hot flashes? And as a cardiologist, I’m probably asked most often… Is soy really beneficial for heart health? Recently, the evidence really swung in soy’s favor…

Today, with news coming from so many different sources, it has become much harder to decide who to trust. This is not just true for current events or politics, it also applies to food, nutrition and medical care. So do like I do and follow these five rules…

The coronavirus pandemic can feel frightening, but I hope it hasn’t scared you away from exercise. This may be a critical time to prioritize nutrition, but it’s also a great time to focus on fitness, especially if you suddenly have more free time on your hands.