Yesterday, there was another national news report about someone having a heart attack while eating at the Heart Attack Grill and while I understand the juicy and ironic lure of the story, I have to ask, is the Heart Attack Grill really the problem? I’m quite certain heart attacks at restaurants aren’t unique to burger joints. I’m actually kind of fond of the Heart Attack Grill, because unlike virtually every other restaurant around, at least they’re up front about the risks of regularly visiting. Yet I’m guessing the calories in their flatliner fries and their triple...

Yellow markings on the eyelids are a sign of increased risk of heart attack and other illnesses, say researchers in Denmark. A study published on the BMJ website showed patients with xanthelasmata were 48% more likely to have a heart attack. Xanthelasmata, which are mostly made up of cholesterol, could be a sign of other fatty build-ups in the body. Cardiologists said the findings could be used by doctors to help diagnose at-risk patients. The research team at the Herlev Hospital in Denmark started following 12,745 people in the 1970s. At the start of the study, 4.4% of patients had xanthelasmata....

By Daily Mail Reporter Epidemic: The genetic breakthrough could help the 62 per cent of Britons who are overweight or obese The ‘master switch’ gene which causes obesity has been identified, scientists have claimed. The DNA is thought to be what controls other genes found in the body’s fat cells. Researchers said the breakthrough could help treat obesity-related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Scientists have already identified a gene called KLF14 as being linked to type 2 diabetes and cholesterol levels, but until now they didn’t know what role it played. The...

Doctors and public health officials have been telling us for years that eating too much sodium can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke by raising blood pressure to unsafe levels. So how to explain a new study that suggests low salt intake actually increases the risk of dying from those causes? The study, which followed 3,681 healthy European men and women age 60 or younger for about eight years, also found that above-average sodium intake did not appear to up the risk of developing high blood pressure (hypertension) or dying of a heart attack or stroke. Read more…

In a randomized trial of 160 post-menopausal women, it was found that regular consumption of apples lowered unhealthy LDL cholesterol, raised beneficial HDL cholesterol and diminished the presence of inflammatory and damaging compounds, according to Florida State University researchers. Every day for a year, half of the women ate 75 grams of dried apples and the remainder consumed the same amount of prunes. Their blood was tested at three intervals over the trial period. The women who ate apples experienced an average 23 percent decrease in LDL cholesterol after six months, and raised beneficial...

Early blood pressure treatment is safer and more effective with two medicines than one, a study has shown. The results are likely to change the way doctors treat the condition, a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. Patients are normally given one drug, with others added, if needed, over a period of months. But the Accelerate study shows it is best to start treatment with two medicines together at the same time as it can result in much faster and more effective control of blood pressure, with fewer side effects. Professor Morris Brown, from Cambridge University, who led the trial,...

Q. High cholesterol runs in my family. What can I do to avoid it? A. High cholesterol can be caused by a combination of both genetics and having too many of the wrong substances in your diet. The three dietary culprits to be aware of and limit in your food are: Saturated fats Trans fats Dietary cholesterol Foods high in these substances can raise the LDL (low-density lipoprotein), the major cholesterol carrier in your blood. LDL cholesterol is also known as the “bad” cholesterol as a high amount in your blood can increase your risk of heart disease. LDL cholesterol contributes to the...

Study Shows Possible Health Risks in Kids From Chemicals Used to Make Nonstick Cookware By Salynn Boyles Sept. 7, 2010 — Exposure to chemicals used in the manufacture of nonstick cookware and waterproof and stain-resistant products could be raising cholesterol levels in children, a new study suggests. Researchers analyzed blood levels of the chemicals perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluoroctanesulfonate (PFOS) in more than 12,000 kids living in West Virginia and Ohio. Those with the highest blood levels of the chemicals were also more likely to have abnormally high total cholesterol...

By Clay Dillow A group of researchers at Imperial College London recently cross-referenced a couple of studies on heart health and have made an interesting recommendation to fast food outlets: rather than fries, each order should come with a free statin drug. A dose of statins, they reason, reduce heart attack risk to about the same degree that a cheeseburger and shake raise the risk. In effect, the two should neatly cancel each other out. In a paper recently published in the American Journal of Cardiology, the researchers point out that it’s somewhat backward that fast food restaurants...

The large majority of strokes can be traced to 10 common risk factors, a new study led by Canadian researchers has found. The 10 main culprits, such as high blood pressure, poor diet and stress, account for 90 per cent of strokes, the research says. According to the study, the leading causes are: Smoking Hypertension Blood lipids Inactivity Abdominal obesity Poor diet Heart disease Diabetes Stress Alcohol The findings were published in the medical journal The Lancet on Friday. “Targeted interventions that reduce blood pressure and smoking, and promote physical activity and a healthy diet,...