"Xanthos" means "yellow" in Greek. Xenthelasma are indeed skin deposits of yellow-colored fatty material and debris, the remnants of inflammatory cells (macrophages) bloated with lipid material that confers the yellow color. LDL particles are trapped in tissues, in this case in the connective tissue of the eyelids. Interestingly, the LDL particles... Read more
The thoracic aorta is the biggest artery of the body. It lives within the chest doing its job of delivering blood flow from the heart to all the other arteries of the body. The aorta is located just under the sternum, initially above the heart as it aims headward, then turning left and downward towards the abdomen, pelvis, and... Read more
In my last post, I discussed what a heart scan score, or coronary calcium score, means.
You may recall that coronary calcium serves as an indirect gauge, a "dipstick," for the amount of atherosclerotic plaque present in the three coronary arteries. Unlike "risk factors" like high LDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, or c-reactive... Read more
Green tea and red wine are powerhouses of flavonoid content, the plant-sourced family of compounds that are believed to be the source of health benefits of vegetables and fruits.
What has more flavonoids than both green tea (brewed) and red wine?
Cocoa. Cocoa has more flavonoids, gram for gram. This means that flavonoids, such as... Read more
You've heard of claustrophobia (the fear of closed spaces), agoraphobia (fear of public places), and arachnophobia (fear of spiders).
How about glucophobia?
I made this one up. But it's easy to figure out: the fear of sugar. This includes all foods that convert to sugar (glucose) in the body, such as foods made of wheat flour,... Read more
