How to Increase Your Good Cholesterol, and Lower the Bad

We, as physicians, always tell our patients that the goal is to lower their LDL (bad cholesterol) and raise their HDL (good cholesterol).

Why is HDL considered the good cholesterol, and why is it so important?

The cardioprotective effects of HDL are strongly suggested by the consistent inverse relationship between HDL levels and the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD).

When HDL is high, the risk of CAD is lessened. For example, when one eats a fatty meal, the food is broken down resulting in LDL depositing in the coronary arteries (the pipes that feed the heart). Over time, plaque builds up and the risk of heart attack increases. (more…)

Can Exercise Replace Drugs?

Can exercise replace drugs? A study recently published in BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal) asked this question for four chronic conditions: coronary artery disease, pre-diabetes, stroke and heart failure. The study, which included more than 330,000 patients, was a “meta-analyses.” In other words, it compiled data from previously published controlled trials that looked at the effects of exercise or drug therapy on survival for the illnesses in question. (more…)

A ‘Heart Team’ Protects Patients from Unnecessary Stents

A recent article in the financial press (Bloomberg) drew wide attention to inappropriate and excessive use of stents in patients with coronary artery disease (disease in the vessels that supply blood to the heart). Stents are tiny mesh tubes placed in a diseased coronary artery to “prop” it open after a narrowed segment of it has been expanded by a balloon. (more…)

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