Because Good Medicine Deserves Better Explanations
The association between lipid disorders and heart disease is well known. Medical checkups usually involve measurements of cholesterol and other lipid parameters, and most doctors advise their patients on how to improve their lipid pattern. Dietary interventions to lower the risk of heart disease commonly aim at reducing blood levels of cholesterol, LDL cholesterol in particular. This is … Read more
Lipid biomarkers are frequently used to assess the risk of heart disease. A simple blood test provides information about LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) (1), commonly nicknamed the bad cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) (2), often called the good cholesterol. Triglycerides are usually measured as well (3). For many different reasons, lowering LDL-C has become a primary target for the prevention of heart disease. Evidence … Read more
Atherosclerosis is the most common underlying cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD. It is caused by a complex interplay between lipoproteins, white blood cells, the immune system and the normal elements of the arterial wall. Atherosclerosis can affect all arteries in the body but seems to have a strong affinity for the coronary arteries. The resulting … Read more
Obesity is a condition characterized by excessive accumulation of body fat and increased body weight. Scientific studies have revealed that obesity is associated with negative effects on health and reduced life expectancy. Obesity is most often defined as a body mass index (BMI) above 30. High BMI is associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, lipid disorders, … Read more
For decades cholesterol has been a major player when it comes to preventing heart disease. Measuring blood cholesterol and knowing your numbers is of key importance. If your numbers spell danger, you need to know what to do. Otherwise, you may be in big trouble. In their book published last year, Heart 411: The Only … Read more
