Monthly Archives: April 2009

Thumb your nose at swine flu

Posted on April 29, 2009 by Dr. Davis

Judging from what we know about vitamin D, it is highly probable that it confers substantial protection from viral infections, including swine flu. Dr. John Cannell of the Vitamin D Council (www.vitamindcouncil.com) first connected the dots, identifying the possibility of … Continue reading →

Posted in vitamin D | 35 Comments

Will the real LDL please stand up?

Posted on April 26, 2009 by Dr. Davis

The results of the latest Heart Scan Blog poll are in. The question: How has your LDL been measured? The 187 responses broke down as: I have only had a conventional calculated value 108 (57%) NMR LDL particle number 35 … Continue reading →

Posted in LDL cholesterol | 13 Comments

Vitamin D and inflammation

Posted on April 25, 2009 by Dr. Davis

We already know that vitamin D reduces inflammatory processes, since several markers, including c-reactive protein and IL-6 have previously been shown to drop substantially with vitamin D. Inflammation underlies coronary atherosclerotic plaque growth, as well as plaque rupture that triggers … Continue reading →

Posted in vitamin D | 9 Comments

Even monkeys do it

Posted on April 24, 2009 by Dr. Davis

It all started back in the 1960s, when ape-watching anthropologists, Drs. Jane Goodall and Richard Wrangham, observed chimps foraging for a specific variety of leaf, which they consumed whole while wrinkling their noses in presumed disgust. Subsequent study showed that … Continue reading →

Posted in Self-directed health | 6 Comments

Cath lab energy costs

Posted on April 22, 2009 by Dr. Davis

In honor of Earth Day, I thought I’d highlight the unexpectedly high carbon costs of activities in hospitals, specifically the cardiac catheterization laboratory. A patient enters the cath lab. The groin is shaved using a plastic disposable razor, the site … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy saving | 6 Comments

Wag the Dog

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Dr. Davis

What if the system to provide heart care has already gotten as big as it should be? Worse (for hospitals), what if it’s already far larger than it needs to be? Can the system continue to increase revenues if they’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Heart scams | 7 Comments

Heart scan book

Posted on April 20, 2009 by Dr. Davis

There are only two books on heart scans available. One, of course, is Track Your Plaque. The other is the basic book on heart scans, What Does My Heart Scan Show? Lost in the navigation column to the left on … Continue reading →

Posted in Heart scans | Leave a comment

Lies, damned lies, and statistics

Posted on April 18, 2009 by Dr. Davis

In the last Heart Scan Blog post, I discussed the question of whether statin drugs provide incremental benefit when excellent lipid values are already achieved without drugs. But I admit that I was guilty of oversimplification. One peculiar phenomenon is … Continue reading →

Posted in LDL cholesterol | 8 Comments

Statin drugs for everybody?

Posted on April 17, 2009 by Dr. Davis

Who is better off? John takes Crestor, 40 mg per day: LDL cholesterol 60 mg/dlHDL cholesterol 60 mg/dlTriglycerides 60 mg/dlTotal cholesterol 132 mg/dl Or Sam: LDL cholesterol 60 mg/dlHDL cholesterol 60 mg/dlTriglycerides 60 mg/dlTotal cholesterol 132 mg/dl who obtained these … Continue reading →

Posted in Statin drugs | 10 Comments

No BS weight loss

Posted on April 13, 2009 by Dr. Davis

If there’s something out there on the market for weight loss, we’ve tried it. By we, I mean myself along with many people and patients around me willing to try various new strategies. Maybe you say: “Well that’s not a … Continue reading →

Posted in Weight loss | 18 Comments