Cardiovascular
The Holiday Heart Syndrome: A Seaboard Romance?
What does the figure 's 2,575,440,000 indicate? It's not the national debt, or the increase in the world's population in the next 10 years. But, if you live to 70 years of age, your heart will beat this many times. But sometimes it gets weary and develops an irregular rate called atrial fibrillation (AF). So can chocolate help to prevent this problem? AF is not a rare problem. A report in the journal, Circulation, says that one-quarter of North Americans will develop this condition at some time during their lives. Not surprising, since electrical equipment tends to be unpredictable. We know cars get into trouble when their electrical systems falter. It's the same problem with hearts as their beats are controlled by...Read More
Cardiovascular
How Long Are Your Legs?
How many people in this country haven't had their blood cholesterol level tested? Or had their doctor suggest a stress test or electrocardiogram to evaluate the risk of heart disease? I doubt that many have escaped some of these tests. But has your doctor ever said, "I want to measure the length of your legs?" Or examined your ear lobe? These are examples of the KISS principle, "keep it simple stupid". Dr. Kate Tilling reports an interesting finding in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Tilling and her colleagues at Bristol University in the U.K. measured the leg lengths of 12,252 men and women aged 44 to 65. They discovered the longer the leg, the less risk of heart attack and stroke. But...Read More
Cardiovascular, Lifestyle
A Good Postal Code Leads To A Longer Life
I've just returned from a "Canadian Medical Education Course" on Cardiology aboard Norweigen cruise line. Being a former ship's surgeon I love being at sea. Besides, a sea voyage is a great way to recharge your batteries. And it provided an opportunity to listen day after day to a diverse group of international cardiologists who discussed the nation's number one killer. Now I know the importance of one's postal code. And why North Americans should never forget "Matthew's Law" Dr. Stuart Smith, one of Canada's leading cardiologists, reported that heart failure is the new cancer of our society. Each year over one million people in North America suffer heart attack. Half of these patients die within an hour. The rest may...Read More
Cardiovascular
How To Control Cholesterol Numbers by Natural Means
"Why don't you take my advice and start cholesterol-lowering drugs? You quote the expression in your column that "he who treats himself has a fool for a patient.' And that's exactly what you're doing!" My cardiologist believes I'm making a huge mistake by saying no to cholesterol-lowering drugs. I start the day with the right breakfast. Not a Tim Horton doughnut and a cup of coffee. A report from The Mayo Clinic suggests oatmeal and oat bran. These soluble fibers reduce low density lipoprotein (LDL), the bad cholesterol, by binding with bile (which contains cholesterol). So rather than being absorbed from the intestines, cholesterol is excreted by the bowel. You say you don't like oat bran. I don't either. But by adding...Read More
Cardiovascular
Leg Pain : The Lull Before The Fatal Storm
"Have you ever heard of Matthews Law?" I asked a journalism student who recently interviewed me. Her assignment was to find out what young people and others could do to prevent health problems. The timing of the interview couldn't have been better as I was just writing a column about peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a prime example of Matthews Law. And how many know about the ABI test? Coronary artery disease, the number one killer, always gets prime coverage, for good reason. A sudden severe pain in the chest may be the last pain you ever have on this planet. Half of its victims die before reaching a hospital emergency. Compare this to leg pain and most people don't get too excited....Read More
Cardiovascular, Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Vitamins
Your Heart Is Slowly Dying From Chronic Scurvy
Why is research that could save countless lives unknown to Canadian and U.S. doctors? This week, a report that Dr. Sydney Bush, an optometrist in Hull, England, has made an historic discovery. He claims that atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries) can be reversed. And his research, which could save millions from heart attack, should have made headlines around the world. It's been said that the eye is the window to the heart. It's the only part of the body through which doctors can see arteries and veins during an eye examination. This allows doctors to see changes in retinal vessels, the result of aging, hypertension, diabetes and atherosclerosis. And it's been believed for years that blockages in arteries due to cholesterol deposits...Read More
Cardiovascular
Will President’s Clinton’s Physicians Prescribe Coenzyme Q-10?
I would have given my right arm to be at the press conference following President Clinton's Heart surgery. Why? Because I knew that the journalists would ask the same old question. How would the bypass operation affect Clinton's longevity? I also knew his doctors would tell journalists that he would be on cholesterol-lowering drugs for the rest of his life. And I knew that hell would freeze over before anyone asked, "Will the President also be given coenzyme Q10 (Co-Q10) to protect against the adverse effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs (CLDs)?" Last week in this column, I explained that CLDs have a number of side effects. This column suggests that this country may be facing an epidemic of congestive heart failure (CHF)...Read More
Cardiovascular
Think Real Estate When Losing Weight
"How much do you think this weighs?" I occasionally ask patients. What I've handed them is a large glob of fake fatty yellow tissue. But what surprises patients is that it feels quite heavy, yet only weighs one pound. Then they quickly realize the significance of the 20 pounds they've gained since their last checkup. But can you be overweight and fit at the same time? Dr. Jean-Pierre Despres of Hopital Laval Research Centre in Quebec City, reports in the Archives of Internal Medicine, what is good news for some men and what should be a wakeup call for others. Despres and his colleagues studied 169 healthy men, comparing their cardiovascular fitness to the amount of their belly fat using computerized tomography...Read More
Cardiovascular, Dermatology, Orthopedics
Low Intensity Light Therapy Heals Chronic Wounds
Do patients receive ineffective treatment when they could be cured by a lesser-known technique? The answer? Probably tens of thousands. I recently spent a day at a Meditech Conference in Toronto listening to experts discuss dermatological and wound ulcers that were resistant to treatment. There I saw startling photos showing how Low Intensity Laser Therapy (LILT) can often cure these conditions. Today, there is something new under the sun. An old joke in the medical fraternity is that dermatology is the best specialty as patients never die nor get better. But it's not so funny if you suffer from a chronic skin condition that refuses to improve. Year after year these patients are prescribed a variety of pills, creams and other treatment...Read More
Cardiovascular
Tortilla Chips To Lower Blood Cholesterol?
What's one of the most important rules in medicine today? It's "Never take a drug if a natural and safer remedy provides the same relief". Today millions of people are taking cholesterol-lowering drugs to prevent heart attack. But this therapy comes with a price. Some patients develop muscle cramps, liver and kidney problems and some have died. Good sense dictates that it's prudent to first try other ways to lower blood cholesterol. Linus Pauling, two time Nobel Prize winner, says a high dose of vitamin C before breakfast is a smart way to start the day. How much you take depends on your tolerance of C. Too much may cause diarrhea. But most people can tolerate 2,000 milligrams (mg). Ascorbic acid...Read More
Cardiovascular
Think Twice Before Arranging a Surprise Party
Are you considering a surprise party for a loved one or an old friend? It's normally a generous thought and an enjoyable gathering. But a report in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that sudden surprises can have unexpected consequences. There's a scene that happens many times a day in this country. A patient arrives at the hospital emergency in acute distress. He's complaining of constricting chest pain and shortness of breath. Suspected diagnosis is an acute coronary attack. But doctor's jumping quickly to this conclusion can be wrong. Johns Hopkins doctors faced a dilemma in 19 patients admitted to emergency. Outwardly the signs and symptoms were a textbook account of coronary attack. But the electrocardiogram was normal. Blood tests showed...Read More
Cardiovascular
What Women and Husbands Don’t Know About Heart Attack
"Vive le Difference". We all know what Maurice Chevalier was thinking when he uttered these words about boys and girls. But there's a "difference" between the sexes that Chevalier wasn't referring to and that few women or their husbands know. When heart attack is mentioned most of us invariably think of men. Now, a report from the Cleveland Clinic in the U.S. shows that coronary attack can be an even more ominous event for women. And ignorance of the reason means the outcome can be more deadly. Women have always appeared to be the stronger sex since they live longer and heart attack strikes them 10 years later than men. This gives them the appearance of invincibility, but in effect the coronary...Read More
Cardiovascular
Heart Valves Like The Swinging Doors Of A Saloon
What's one of the worst results from visiting a doctor? It's getting the impression that a serious problem has been diagnosed when the exact opposite is true. It's called "iatrogenic disease" which means a disease created by a doctor. And when patients are told they have mitral valve prolapse (MVP) it often opens a Pandora's box of anxiety. The mitral valve separates the two left chambers of the heart. The valve resembles a tall bishop's hat called a miter and each time the heart beats it opens like the swinging door of a saloon. But after opening, it then firmly closes while the next beat of the heart pumps blood to the body. MVP occurs when the valve does not provide a...Read More
Cardiovascular
Polypill – Research in a London Pub
Why would I become depressed in a English pub? It happened during a recent trip to London to interview prominent researchers. Later I stole away to the English countryside and the relaxing atmosphere of quaint pubs. The last thing I wanted to do while enjoying the local ambience was to think about the dilemmas of medicine. But there in the newspaper was a large headline I couldn't miss, "Polypill aims to cut heart disease by 80 percent". So I had to read on. As people age they often take more pills, many of them to prevent heart disease. Now British researchers claim they have a way to solve swallowing one pill after another, the "Polypill". Polypill strategy is the brainchild of Professor...Read More
Cardiovascular
Rx : Take This Polypill Once A Year!!!!
"Damn it, why didn't I think of it. Maybe I could have won the Nobel Prize." This thought occurred to me several years ago while reading a newspaper while having a beer in a English pub. Professors Nicholas Wald and Malcolm Law of the University of London announced they were working on a Polypill aimed to cut heart disease by 80 percent. The Polypill was to contain Aspirin to prevent blood clots, a cholesterol-lowering drug, folic acid to fight atherosclerosis and an anti-hypertension medication. Researchers claimed that popping one daily would have a greater impact on preventing heart disease in the western world than any other treatment. I ordered another beer and knew this was the star of the Polypill generation. Now...Read More
Cardiovascular
Simple Test Predicts Health Risk
You may have an electrocardiogram today, but it's no guarantee you won't drop dead tomorrow. Today, in an increasingly complex electronic world, we can have a barrage of sophisticated tests done in an hour or so. But they do not ensure you will live out the day. So why not follow the rule, "keep it simple stupid" (kiss). A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine reports a simple prognostic gem that helps to predict the risk of death. Dr. Michael S. Lauer, Director of Clinical Research at The Cleveland Clinic, says the heart's recovery rate is the important factor in assessing mortality. The key factor is how quickly the heart rate returns to normal following exertion. In this study...Read More
Cardiovascular
2006, Make It The Belly Year
What's your waist measurement? I'd bet you don't know. So let's start 2006 by putting a bit of old-fashioned horse sense back into medicine. As has been aptly said, "keep it simple, stupid (KISS). Moreover, this approach could save your life. Neither doctors nor patients take the belly seriously. They forget that not all fat is created equal. As with real estate, location, location, location makes you healthy or wealthy. So if it's increasingly difficult to see your feet, it's time to get serious about your waistline. Dr.Salim Yusuf, of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, says the best indicator of heart attack is waist-to-hip ratio(WHR). The best measurement is one in which the waist is smaller than hips. This makes you pear-shaped....Read More
Cardiovascular, Orthopedics
Natural Ways To Ease The Arthritis Pain of Aging
"Why are you taking drugs when you haven't tried natural ways to ease the pain of arthritis?" Thus I remind patients they're not taking M and M candy, but powerful drugs that can cause major complications. Moreover, they forget that many natural drugs can be used to not only treat, but also prevent wear-and-tear arthritis (osteoarthritis) that comes with age. Vitamin C is the most overlooked natural remedy. Osteoarthritis is chiefly an impairment of cartilage and when it's diminished with age bones grind against one another causing pain. The secret is to keep cartilage healthy. A prime way, is adequate amounts of vitamin C, which is needed to manufacture collagen, an important ingredient of cartilage. Researchers at Boston University Medical Center studied...Read More
Cardiovascular, Nutrition
President’s Choice Is Helping To Fight Hypertension – Dangers of Salt
Interested in a simple way to live longer? No, not medication to lower blood cholesterol. But a much easier prescription. Just decrease the amount of salt you consume every day. Incredibly most people are unaware of the huge amount of salt they're ingesting and it's killing them. Now President's Choice is helping to educate consumers on ways to prevent a lethal blowout from excess salt. How are they doing it and why are there no TV ads about the dangers of salt? Stephen Havas, is Professor of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the University of Maryland. He claims in the Nutrition Action Health Letter that the number of deaths from excess salt is equivalent to a commuter jet crashing every day...Read More
Cardiovascular, Nutrition
Should You Be Hooked On Fish?
Where would I go for one final meal? There's no doubt it would be the Union Oyster House in Boston. Since I spent many years studying surgery in the home of the Boston bean I've always loved fish. And we've all been told that eating fish is good for you. But is it? Lately we've been warned that now there's mercury in fish. So is it a case that you're damned if you eat fish and damned if you don't? Moreover, millions of pounds of fish are now "farmed". So how do they compare with those swimming freely in lakes and oceans? Dr. Frank Hu, of the department of nutrition at The Harvard School of Public Health, recently reported on the...Read More
Cardiovascular, Medicine
Why Diabetic Patients Need Aspirin
Why do diabetic patients die? Over 60 years ago, Joslin, the founder of the world famous Boston Diabetic Clinic, remarked, "With an excess of fat diabetes begins, and from an excess of fat diabetics die." Years ago diabetic patients died in coma due to a lack of insulin. Today, since the discovery of insulin, patients are dying from premature cardiovascular disease. Why does this happen and can Aspirin save many of these deaths? November is Diabetes Month in North America to promote awareness of this disease. And justly so. Every year I see diabetic patients making a potentially fatal mistake. They're usually prudent about maintaining normal blood sugar levels, but imprudent by not taking a daily Aspirin. Aspirin's job is the...Read More
Cardiovascular
Osler’s “Defective Rubber” Kills Us – Hypertension and Aspirin
We all know that serious consequences can result when a tire blows. But today most people have little knowledge of human blow-outs. The fatal strokes that kill or paralyze people with little or no warning. Moreover, many people at high risk are not taking Aspirin that can often prevent this tragedy. A recent survey showed that 50 percent of Canadians 35 and older were unable to describe a stroke. 48 percent could not identify a symptom of stroke, 19 percent did not know that high blood pressure was the most critical factor and only 36 percent would seek emergency help if they were experiencing symptoms. Normal blood pressure is 120/80. The upper figure, the systolic pressure is the force at which blood...Read More
Cardiovascular
Why Cholesterol-Free Foods Can Be Dangerous
Today the word "cholesterol" has become as familiar to Americans as motherhood and apple pie. But unlike these two it's unloved and meant to be avoided. So if you're a marketing whiz kid, would you try to increase sales with a red label stating your product is "cholesterol free"? Unfortunately, life is never so simple and there are several marketing conundrums for both promoters and unsuspecting consumers. And do cholesterol-lowering drugs (CLDs) exchange one devil for another? Dr. Khhursheed Jeejeebhoy, professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, reported in The Medical Post that consumers don't realize that many cholesterol-free foods contain large amounts of sugar and trans-fatty acids . This is not a healthy combination. Too much sugar and excess calories...Read More
Cardiovascular
Aspirin to Prolong Life
How long does it take for good news to reach the public? It appears a long, long time. For several years the medical community has known of the multiple benefits of Aspirin. Yet, I still see patients whose lives could be extended by Aspirin who are not taking it. This is tragic when it can also help patients escape several deadly diseases. The most recent example was a 55 year old woman who had been suffering from diabetes for 35 years. In addition, she was overweight, a bad combination for a heart attack. Yet, no one had told her she could decrease the risk of a coronary event by taking Aspirin. It's estimated that six million diabetics in North America are headed...Read More
Cardiovascular, Nutrition
The Anti-Inflammatory Diet: A Diet for All Ages
What is the most prudent diet to follow today? Some swear it's the Atkin's high protein diet. Others believe the low fat Ornish diet is the answer. And I've often stressed that a high fiber diet promotes health. But what about The Anti-Inflammatory Diet? A report from Tufts University in Boston has an entirely new twist on nutrition and health. It claims that if we can decrease inflammation in our body we can also decrease the progression of disease. We all know that something is amiss when we have an inflamed throat. But no one would give inflammation a second thought as the cause if the doctor diagnosed high blood pressure, heart disease or arthritis. Yet inflammation may be the culprit. Today hypertension...Read More
