I recently saw a young woman in my clinic that was referred for treatment of a severely abnormal lipid profile. Her total cholesterol was very high at greater then 270mg/dl, and in particular her LDL was quite elevated and her HDL was marginally low. She had no prior medical issues, and her family history was quite... Read more
A reader recently asked how can a food list 0 grams of trans fat on the Nutrition Facts panel and still have partially hydrogenated vegetable oil listed in the ingredients. Are they not the same? The answer is yes: trans fat is the same as partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Trans fats are made by... Read more
Back in January of this year, I wrote an article called The Demise of a New Cholesterol Drug, concerning the development of a new class of cholesterol drugs called CETP (cholesterol ester transfer protein) inhibitors. These drugs have the unique property of markedly raising good HDL cholesterol and were thought to be able to prevent the... Read more
The French are renown for their exquisite cuisine and fashionable lifestyles. It’s not too hard for us to imagine a French person sitting at a sidewalk café in Paris dining on foie gras, coq au vin, and heavy cheeses, sipping a fine Bordeaux, and smoking several cigarettes to finish off the meal. It also doesn’t seem to be too difficult for... Read more
February is not only a time for us to focus on our romantic hearts but also on our biologic ones as well. February has been designated heart awareness month by the American Heart Association, and during this month numerous campaigns are launched in the hopes of increasing our awareness and education about heart disease, the #1 killer in our... Read more