Heart Disease
Cardiologist, author, and heart health expert Dr. Sarah Samaan offers advice on how to live a heart smart life.
-
Jul 17 2012
Are Your Genes Your Destiny? Not Necessarily
We often think of heredity as being a foregone conclusion. Undoubtedly, there are certain inherited diseases and traits that we cannot control. But in many cases, how we live our lives has a huge influence on the impact of our genetics. High...
-
Jul 09 2012
Lunch Like a Cardiologist
Although it pains me to admit, I am not usually organized enough in the morning to thoughtfully plan out my take-to-work lunch. Slapping together a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread should be simple enough, but sometimes I ...
-
Jul 05 2012
Soft Drinks and Hypertension: Artificial Sweeteners and Fructose May Have the Same Effect
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) gets a bad rap, and rightly so. It’s used to sweeten most carbonated sodas, fruit drinks, cookies, even bread and other baked goods. Because these foods are so plentiful, relatively inexpensive, and have such lo...
-
Jul 02 2012
Saving Lives, One Chocolate at a Time
“Chocolate” and “cost effective” are not two words you expect to see in the same sentence, but Australian researchers were serious as a heart attack when they published a recent report touting the health benefits of chocolate. In recent year...
-
Jun 25 2012
Your Daily Commute Could Be Making You Fat
City life isn’t for everyone, but for many, that’s where the work is. In Dallas, Texas, where I live, it’s not unusual for folks to drive 50 miles or more each morning from their quiet homes out in the country to the frenzied bustle of downtown...
-
Jun 18 2012
Krill Oil or Fish Oil: What’s the Difference?
Omega-3 fatty acids are best known for their heart protective properties and their ability to lower triglyceride levels, but they also help to keep the skin supple and the eyes bright. Omega-3 fats are critical to the healthy development of the...
-
Jun 13 2012
Best Practices for a Healthy Heart Step 6: Supplements and Herbs
My book, Best Practices for a Healthy Heart: How to Stop Heart Disease Before or After it Starts, was published this spring by The Experiment publishing house, and is distributed by Workman. In the book, I outline seven important steps that wil...
-
Jun 11 2012
Dietary Fat and Dementia Risk
Saturated fats may be harmful but olive oil may protect the brain The conventional advice to choose a low-fat diet has taken a beating in recent years. While all forms of fat are equally caloric, different types of fat can have distinctly di...
-
Jun 05 2012
Omega-3 Supplements and Heart Health: Little Benefit for Those with Established Heart Disease
Omega-3 products are the most commonly used supplements in America (excluding vitamins and minerals), according to a 2007 survey conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. In fact, between 2002 and 2007, the sa...
-
Jun 04 2012
Calcium and Your Heart Health
Osteoporosis (or thinning of the bones) is a major health concern for older adults. To try to improve bone health, calcium is routinely recommended for those over the age of 50 by doctors and other medical practitioners. However, two recent ana...
About the Author
