Cardiovascular Health Archives - Today's Practitioner

Cardiac Rehabilitation with Transcendental Meditation Increases Myocardial Blood Flow

Can more be done besides diet and exercise to help patients better recover from a heart attack, a stroke, or to prevent one? Scientists from Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the Institute for Prevention Research conducted a study, with and without meditation, to find out. The study, published inRead …

Low Vitamin D in Newborns Linked to Elevated Blood Pressure in Children and Teens

As poor nutritional status affects more and more children, researchers are beginning to see dramatic health ramifications. For instance, in this study at Boston Medical Center, published in the journal Hypertension, researchers looked at persistent low vitamin D in newborns to early childhood to see how it might be associatedRead …

Two New Studies on E-cigarettes and Heart Disease Risk Factors

Somehow the notion that e-cigarettes are healthier than traditional cigarettes has permeated popular culture. At an upcoming American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2019 — November 16-18 in Philadelphia, that myth will be busted. Two studies show that e-cigarette use takes a serious toll on heart health — a big concernRead …

Alcohol Consumption Prior to Conception Raises Congenital Heart Disease Risk

Aspiring parents should both avoid alcohol consumption prior to conception to protect against congenital heart defects for both their baby and parents, according to research published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Alcohol consumption three months before pregnancy orRead …

Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Triglyceride Support

Around one in six Americans have triglycerides over 200 mg/dL, and this is becoming increasingly common all over the world because of the rising rates of obesity and diabetes. Mounting evidence suggests that physicians should turn to omega-3 fatty acids for triglyceride support. The American Heart Association recently issued anRead …

Unsalted Tomato Juice Significantly Improves Blood Pressure and LDL Cholesterol

Could tomato juice be your next patient recommendation? Chronic endothelial injury from hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes are important contributors of atherosclerosis progression in aging populations. This means it is important to find easy ways to regulate patient blood pressure (BP), and lipid and glucose metabolism, to prevent the development ofRead …

JAMA Study Finds Fault with using BMI as Measure of Health Risk

A new study from the University of Iowa finds that some women considered to be a normal weight could unknowingly be at high risk for obesity-related health issues. It comes down to body shape – apple or pear – and suggests that physicians should measure risk of heart disease, cancerRead …

Mimi Guarneri, MD on the State of Integrative Cardiology

We pulled out this blog post from John Weeks’ archives, posted last February, on integrative cardiology with Mimi Guarneri, MD. As integrative medicine for chronic illness treatments gains more attention, this blog post and video presentation from Dr. Guarneri becomes all the more important to revisit. It was astonishing twoRead …

Cardiovascular-Health Experts Back Up Soy Protein Health Claim With New Study

Soy protein foods could lose the heart health claim status that was granted in 1999 if the FDA moves forward with a proposal for revocation. Despite studies supporting the cholesterol-lowering effects of soy from multiple meta-analyses from 1995 to current times, the agency has expressed concerns that the effects ofRead …

Aerobic and Resistance Exercise Reduces Cardiac Adipose Tissues as Well as Drugs

Excessive fat tissue around the heart poses a risk for cardiovascular disease. What can be done to reduce the risk? Bariatric surgery and pharmaceutical drugs, such as the glucagon-like peptide analogs, sodium-glucose transporter-2 inhibitors, and lipid-lowering drugs, successfully reduce epicardial adipose tissue mass and thus, the risk of developing cardiovascularRead …