When the American College of Cardiology (ACC) & American Heart Association (AHA) lowered the numbers that define high blood pressure (HBP) this past November, 46% of the adult population in the United States suddenly met the new criteria – that’s nearly half! What was the motivation for making these changes that placed an unwelcomed label [...]
Despite medical advances, heart disease remains the number one cause of death for both men and women in the United States. This is a startling reality, especially given how preventable the condition is for those of us that are not genetically predisposed. Stress, along with smoking, sedentary habits, and a poor diet are some of [...]
Individuals with higher-than-normal cholesterol levels are commonly prescribed statins in the hope of reducing their risk of heart disease or stroke. Yet, the medical research to date indicates that statins actually have very limited usefulness in preventing heart disease unless the patient already has a personal history of the disease. This may be due, in [...]
A study from Stanford University suggests that the long-term use of certain types of medications used to treat a range of symptoms associated with acid reflux disease can increase one’s risk of having a heart attack. These medications, known as Proton Pump Inhibitors or PPIs, include the brand-names Prevacid, Nexium, and Prilosec, and are the [...]
