Cholesterol Expert Dr. William Davis shares Cholesterol management news and commentary at CholesterolNetwork.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986 http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986 http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/20776/fiber-good-bad Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:32:00 -0500 Dr. William Davis Ray had the usual protuberant belly overhanging his beltline of someone who was over-reliant on processed starches, particularly wheat and other foods that raise blood sugar. After all, he ran a sandwich bakery. He sheepishly admitted that he ate the products of his own production line every day while at work, even bringing a few sandwiches home.At 5 ft 10 inches, 201 lbs, he wasn't terribly overweight, but all the excess was in his... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/20776/fiber-good-bad http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/20087/fish-oil-raise Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:48:00 -0500 Dr. William Davis Katie had an LDL of 87 mg/dl, HDL of 48 mg/dl, triglycerides of 201 mg/dl. By conventional standards, not too bad. Reading about the heart health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, Katie added fish oil. With the preparation she bought, 4000 mg per day provided 1200 mg the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. Three months later her LDL was 118 mg/dl, HDL 54 mg/dl, triglycerides 92 mg/dl.  In other words, LDL cholesterol increased by 31 mg. What... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/20087/fish-oil-raise http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/19804/real-stand Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:54:00 -0500 Dr. William Davis Walking the supermarket aisles, you may have noticed lately that many products are now sporting "omega-3s" on the label.   Omega-3 fatty acids serve a number of important health purposes, including reduction in heart attack and stroke, reduction of triglycerides, anti-inflammatory effects, and other significant health benefits. In the 11,000-participant Italian GISSI-Prevenzione Trial, for instance, death from heart... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/19804/real-stand http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/19572/ldl-stupid Sun, 27 Jan 2008 11:54:00 -0500 Dr. William Davis  The recent fuss with the Enhance Study that failed to demonstrate a difference in carotid plaque with Vytorin® (simvastatin and Zetia®) vs. simvastatin alone has raised some serious questions about LDL cholesterol. Some have argued that statin drugs exert benefits through means other than reducing LDL cholesterol, while others have argued that statin drugs fail to provide the benefits in survival that most previously believed.... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/19572/ldl-stupid http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/19326/burn-dead Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:46:00 -0500 Dr. William Davis The makers of Vytorin®, Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, recently issued a controversial press release about the Enhance Study that compared the effects of Vytorin® (a combination of simvastatin and ezetimibe, brand name Zetia®) vs. just simvastatin.   No substantial difference was observed with the addition of Zetia®, perhaps even a negative effect. The news has triggered a media frenzy. The New York Times... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/19326/burn-dead http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/18015/loss-niacin Wed, 26 Dec 2007 18:10:00 -0500 Dr. William Davis As I discussed in my last blog post, niacin can be a useful vitamin and nutritional supplement to correct many causes of heart disease. But, there is an alternative. Take a look:   Niacin (vitamin B3):   Raises HDL and shifts HDL towards the healthier and more effective large (HDL2b) subclass.Reduces total LDL.Reduces the especially undesirable small LDL particles.Reduces triglycerides and triglyceride-containing ... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/18015/loss-niacin http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/17940/myths-facts Mon, 17 Dec 2007 12:30:00 -0500 Dr. William Davis For a simple, available treatment that can dramatically reduce risk for heart attack, niacin has suffered more than its share of knocks, insults, and undeserved criticisms.   Is it deserved? Does this simple nutritional supplement, B vitamin, and component of food deserve this barrage of snubs? Or, can it be used intelligently to advantage-safely and effectively?     Niacin myths- From a health website:  A... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/17940/myths-facts http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/17374/find-reduce Mon, 10 Dec 2007 09:00:00 -0500 Dr. William Davis In his previous post, Dr. Davis explained what triglycerides are and why they are so important. In this blog he will describe different methods for controlling your triglyceride numbers.  Here are the strategies to consider:Reduction in processed carbohydrates - Snacks like corn and potato chips, and wheat-flour containing foods like breads, pasta, pretzels, chips, bagels, and breakfast cereals are, by far, the worst culprits. So are soft... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/17374/find-reduce http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/17372/numbers-panel Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:58:00 -0500 Dr. William Davis Do you know what triglycerides are?  Triglycerides are that number included at the end of every cholesterol panel. You know, the one your doctor usually ignores and most people don't even know is there.  What exactly does this neglected value mean? Triglycerides are a basic building block for the very first cholesterol-containing particle produced by the liver, building blocks of very low-density lipoprotein particles, or... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/17372/numbers-panel http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/16518/omega3 Mon, 19 Nov 2007 12:25:00 -0500 Dr. William Davis Walking down supermarket aisles, you may have noticed lately that numerous new products are proudly and prominently boasting "contains omega-3s" on the label. How true is this claim? Does it hold real health benefits? After all, omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil have been conclusively shown to reduce cardiovascular "events" like heart attack and death from heart attack. The 11,000-participant GISSI-Prevenzione Trial, for... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/16518/omega3