Heart Disease
Cardiologist, author, and heart health expert Dr. Sarah Samaan offers advice on how to live a heart smart life.
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Sep 07 2012
The Perils of a Low Carb Diet
Low carbohydrate, high protein, high fat diets have been around since William Banting started the fad in the 1860’s. Modern versions include the Atkins Diet, the Zone Diet, and the South Beach Diet. Without a doubt, our typical Western diet, bl...
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Sep 04 2012
Can Marathon Running Damage the Heart?
Ted*, a fit 55-year-old runner with 10 marathons under his belt, recently visited me in the office at his family doctor’s suggestion. A lean and healthy guy with no symptoms and no major risk factors for heart disease save his age and gender, ...
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Aug 31 2012
The Mediterranean Diet: Never Too Soon to Start
Many people live their lives under the impression that they can start worrying about their health later, when the kids are grown, when they have more time, when work isn’t quite so stressful, when (you fill in the blank). But the truth is that ...
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Aug 27 2012
Quitting Smoking: Is Weight Gain Unavoidable?
If you are a smoker, the absolute best thing you can do for your health is to quit. Quitting smoking trumps weight loss, exercise, even a healthy diet -- although you’ll be better off if you choose a lifestyle that embraces all of these healthy...
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Aug 24 2012
More News About Statins and Diabetes
Statin drugs have revolutionized cardiology, reducing heart attack and stroke risk by upwards of 30 percent in those who take them as prescribed and achieve their target cholesterol goal. The first statin drug, Mevacor (lovastatin), was approve...
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Aug 22 2012
Popular Blood Pressure Medications Linked to Lip Cancer
A wide variety of commonly used presciption and over-the-counter medications may make the skin more sensitive to the sun, increasing the risks for sunburn and heat rash. Antihistamines, estrogen and progesterone (used for birth control as well ...
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Aug 17 2012
Women, Stress, and the Workplace: Job Strain Linked to Heart Risk
Stress is a part of life for most of us. While we can’t usually eliminate it, we can find healthy ways to cope with stress that will make its effects less toxic. Recently I have noticed a growing sense of stress and anxiety in many of my workin...
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Aug 14 2012
A Tale of Two Salad Dressings
I’ll admit that I am not a very methodical shopper. Simply entering a grocery store seems to wipe out my memory bank. Unless I have a list at hand, I usually leave with more than what I came for, yet still missing some crucial ingredient. The u...
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Aug 10 2012
Chia Seeds: New Uses for an Ancient Wonder Food
Seemingly out of nowhere, chia seeds have emerged as a hot new super food, appearing in such diverse products as crackers, granola, juice drinks, and even puddings. The seeds are packed with healthy omega-3 fats and are high in protein and fi...
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Aug 06 2012
Atrial Fibrillation and What You Should Know About Blood Thinners
Atrial fibrillation is a heart rhythm disturbance that affects upwards of 2.6 million Americans. Although it’s more common after the age of 70, it can happen at any age. In atrial fibrillation the upper chambers of the heart, or atria, quiver ...
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