Monthly Archives: November 2008

Fat and fiber composition of nuts

Posted on November 30, 2008 by Dr. Davis

From Mukuddem-Petersen J, Oosthuizen1 W, Jerling JC. J Nutr 2005. If you haven’t yet done so, adding raw nuts to your health program yields a broad panel of health benefits. Contrary to conventional advice, nuts can be eaten in unlimited … Continue reading →

Posted in Nuts | 16 Comments

Flush-free niacin kills

Posted on November 29, 2008 by Dr. Davis

Here, I re-post a conversation I’ve posted before, that of the scam product, “no-flush” niacin, also known as “flush-free” niacin. I find this issue particularly bothersome, since I have a patient or two each and every week who forgets the … Continue reading →

Posted in Niacin | 12 Comments

CT coronary angiography is NOT a screening procedure

Posted on November 28, 2008 by Dr. Davis

I’ve recently had several hospital employees tell me that their hospitals offered CT coronary angiograms without charge to their employees. Among these hospital employees were several women in their 30s and 40s. Why would young, asymptomatic, pre-menopausal women be subjected … Continue reading →

Posted in CT Angiograms | 3 Comments

The Wheat Deficiency Syndrome

Posted on November 26, 2008 by Dr. Davis

Beware the dreaded Wheat Deficiency Syndrome. Like any other syndrome, you can recognize this condition by its many tell-tale signs: –Flat abdomen–Rapid weight loss–High energy–Less mood swings–Better sleep–Diminished appetite–Reduced blood sugar–Reduced blood pressure–Reduced small LDL and total LDL–Increased HDL–Reduced triglycerides–Reduced … Continue reading →

Posted in Wheat | 21 Comments

The Framingham Crap Shoot

Posted on November 22, 2008 by Dr. Davis

The Framingham risk score is a risk-assessment tool that has become the basis for heart disease prediction used by practicing physicians. The Framingham system determines that: ยท 35% of the adult population in the U.S., or 70 million, is deemed … Continue reading →

Posted in Heart scans | 2 Comments

At what score should a heart catheterization be performed?

Posted on November 21, 2008 by Dr. Davis

That’s easy: NONE. (Although I’ve addressed this previously, the question has come up again many times and I thought it’d be worth repeating.) In other words, no heart scan score–100, 500, 1000, 5000–should lead automatically to procedures in someone who … Continue reading →

Posted in Heart scans | 2 Comments

“It’s genetic”

Posted on November 17, 2008 by Dr. Davis

At 53, Sam had been through the wringer with heart disease. After his first heart attack at age 50, he’d undergone four heart catheterizations, 5 stents, and, most recently, a bypass operation. He came to us to see if there … Continue reading →

Posted in Lipoproteins | 17 Comments

Tim Russert Revisited

Posted on November 16, 2008 by Dr. Davis

A Heart Scan Blog reader brought this piece by Dr. MacDougall to my attention. Dr. MacDougall created a fictitious posthumous conversation between himself and the late Tim Russert. MacDougall paints a picture of a hardworking, hard-living man who adhered to … Continue reading →

Posted in Heart attack | 7 Comments

Water: Bottled vs. tap

Posted on November 16, 2008 by Dr. Davis

The Fanatic Cook has a great post discussing the findings of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) on the quality of bottled water. The full text of the study from the EWG can be viewed here. They report that “the bottled … Continue reading →

Posted in Water | 4 Comments

Can CRP be reduced?

Posted on November 13, 2008 by Dr. Davis

The JUPITER study has sparked a lot of discussion about c-reactive protein, or CRP. If we follow the line of reasoning that prompted this study, reducing CRP may correlate with reduction of cardiovascular events. Thus, in the JUPITER study, Crestor … Continue reading →

Posted in C-reactive protein | 17 Comments