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/7986/103285/cardiac-factor Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:16:00 -0500 Dr. William Davis Study after study has established this fact: The higher your blood sugar, the higher your risk for heart disease. The extreme instance of high blood sugars contributing to heart disease can be found, of course, in people with diabetes. But you don't have to be diabetic for blood sugar to act as a coronary risk factor.   In fact, blood sugar can be well below the diabetic range yet contribute to increased risk. Take the 33-year long,... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/103285/cardiac-factor http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/102861/diabetic-sugar Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:11:00 -0500 Dr. William Davis Checking your blood sugar (glucose) has become an easy and relatively inexpensive tool that just about anybody can incorporate into health habits. More often than not, it can provide you with some unexpected insights about your response to diet.   You and I can now purchase our own blood glucose monitor at stores like Walmart and Walgreens for $10-20. (You will also need to purchase the fingerstick lancets and test strips; the test strips... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/102861/diabetic-sugar http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/101620/triglycerides Fri, 22 Jan 2010 16:15:00 -0500 Dr. William Davis In our last discussion (What foods increase triglycerides?), we talked about how fats increase triglyceride levels after eating, but carbohydrates increase triglycerides when not eating (i.e., fasting).   So should you avoid both fats and carbohydrates?   No, of course not. After all, we've got to eat something. Humans cannot survive on a diet of pure protein without fats or carbohydrates. So let's ask: Which is more important in... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/101620/triglycerides http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/101391/cholesterol Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:31:00 -0500 Dr. William Davis You show up at the laboratory for a fasting cholesterol (lipid) panel. Although the doctor's office advised you to not eat anything after midnight, you forgot. Out of habit, you went ahead and ate breakfast. You didn't even realize your mistake until you arrived at the lab and the technician asked if you'd been fasting.   Was your trip wasted? Should you just reschedule and come back fasting?   Well, if the results of two large... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/101391/cholesterol http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/94321/triglycerides Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:49:00 -0500 Dr. William Davis Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil possess the unique ability to reduce triglycerides.   There's no doubt that omega-3s do this quite effectively. After all, the FDA approved prescription fish oil, Lovaza®, to treat a condition called familial hypertriglyceridemia, a genetic condition in which very high triglyceride levels, typically 500 mg/dl or greater, develop. Omega-3 fatty acids, prescription or otherwise, reduce triglycerides in... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/94321/triglycerides http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/78640/high-fructose Wed, 15 Jul 2009 11:30:00 -0400 Dr. William Davis It was yet another mistake of the low-fat era.   The low-fat dietary mistake of the last 40 years spawned more than its share of nutritional disasters. Along with cutting essential fats (like omega-3s and monounsaturates), low-fat dietary advice helped spawn: Hydrogenated ("trans") fats Low-fat, high-sugar foods bearing "heart healthy" labels The "healthy whole grain" debacle Obesity Diabetes and metabolic syndrome... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/78640/high-fructose http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/73047/learn-fasting Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:13:00 -0400 Dr. William Davis Curious thing about fasting: It teaches you how to eat.   Fasting means going entirely without food and just making do with (plenty of) water. A fast can be as brief as 12 hours or as long as weeks, though the most common duration is between 18 and 72 hours.   I advocate brief periods of fasting for its many health benefits, such as reduction of blood pressure and blood sugar, reduction of inflammatory responses, weight loss, and... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/73047/learn-fasting http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/68337/cardiovascular Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:46:08 -0400 Dr. William Davis Vitamin K2 is emerging as an exciting player in the quest to reduce risk for heart disease. (Also see my previous post, Vitamin K2: Newest heart-healthy supplement?)   If you believe the observations coming from the Rotterdam Heart Study and others that suggest that there is up to 57% less heart attack in people who consume vitamin K2 from diet, how can you go about getting more from the foods you choose?   The Rotterdam Heart... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/68337/cardiovascular http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/57159/indulgences Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:30:00 -0500 Dr. William Davis Maggie had been doing well on her prevention program, enjoying enviable cholesterol levels. In fact, Maggie had nearly been within the intensive targets we use to tip the odds in favor of completely shutting off, even reversing, coronary plaque. I call this set of targets The Rule of 60: HDL 60 mg/dl or greater, LDL 60 mg/dl or less, triglycerides 60 mg/dl or less. (By the way, this can be achieved in many people with little or no prescription... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/57159/indulgences http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/48507/jupiter-crestor Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:56:00 -0500 Dr. William Davis The JUPITER study has been the subject of countless headlines reporting the unprecedented reduction in heart attacks with the cholesterol drug, Crestor®. The study has received gushing pronouncements of the inestimable value of statins by my cardiology colleagues.   Pharmaceutical giant, AstraZeneca, sponsored this study of nearly 18,000 people (men 50 years and over, women 60 years and over). Participants took 20 mg per day Crestor... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/7986/48507/jupiter-crestor