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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Nov 07 2011
It’s Time to Shake the Salt Habit
It is well-established that sodium, in the forms of salt and MSG, can contribute to high blood pressure, yet Americans are eating more salt than ever. Our culture of fast food and processed food is a major factor, since over 75 percent of the s...
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Nov 03 2011
Omega 3, 6, and 9: What’s the difference and why does it matter?
For years, we cardiologists have badgered our patients to eat a low-fat diet without understanding that our well-intentioned advice may not be very well informed. The fact is, the body craves fat for good reasons. Fat is important in satiety, a...
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Oct 27 2011
The Mediterranean Diet
If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I’m a huge fan of the Mediterranean diet. The traditional diet of the beautiful Greek island of Crete, it’s one of the best ways to reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke, dementia, and many forms of...
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Oct 24 2011
Psoriasis and Your Heart Health: Is There a Link?
“The heartbreak of psoriasis” was the catchphrase from an old advertising campaign. It may sound overwrought, but psoriasis sufferers know that the skin condition is more than just an aggravation. What many may not know is that psoriasis can in...
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Oct 10 2011
Predicting Your Cardiovascular Risk
Cardiovascular disease kills more women and men than all forms of cancer combined. Although it will ultimately take the life of more than one in every three people, not everyone is at the same risk. Wouldn’t it be nice to know where you stand? ...
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Oct 06 2011
Your Dentist and Your Heart Health
High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects 50 million American adults, but one in three has no idea that their blood pressure is high. Blood pressure is typically checked at the doctor’s office, but over the past 10 years, the American Denta...
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Sep 29 2011
Quitting Tobacco
Smoking is an enormous public health problem, contributing to nearly half a million deaths each year in this country alone. As many as 50,000 will die from complications of second hand smoke. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)...
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Sep 26 2011
Five Excuses Guaranteed to Drive Your Cardiologist Nuts
As a cardiologist, I know that as much as 85 percent of the heart disease that I see every day could be prevented if my patients consistently chose a healthy lifestyle and took their medications (when needed) for high blood pressure, high chole...
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Sep 22 2011
Caring for the Caregivers
In my practice of cardiology, I take care of many elderly men and women. As they age, the spouse often becomes responsible for his or her partner’s day to day well-being. The strain of this unending, often emotionally wrenching, and physically ...
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Sep 01 2011
You are Your Father’s Son
Although we would like to blame all our woes—healthwise and otherwise—on our parents, in reality, only 15 percent of coronary artery disease can be directly attributable to our genetics. Before we let our ancestors completely off the hook, it’s...
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