Monthly Archives: November 2010

Coronary calcium: Cause or effect?

Posted on November 28, 2010 by Dr. Davis

Here’s an interesting observation made by a British research group. We all know that coronary calcium, as measured by CT heart scans, are a surrogate measure of atherosclerotic plaque “burden,” i.e., an indirect yardstick for coronary plaque. The greater the … Continue reading →

Posted in Calcium, Heart scans | 25 Comments

Wheat one-liners

Posted on November 26, 2010 by Dr. Davis

If you’re having difficulty convincing a loved one or someone else that wheat should be eliminated from the human diet, here are some useful one-liners to use: Wheat makes your boobs big. (This is true. Priceless for women to use … Continue reading →

Posted in Wheat, Wheat belly | 22 Comments

The happy homeotherm

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Dr. Davis

If you were a “cold blooded” poikilotherm unable to regulate internal body temperature, you would have to sun yourself on rocks to raise your body temperature, just like turtles and snakes. When it got cold, your metabolic rate would slow … Continue reading →

Posted in Hypothyroidism, Thermoregulation, Thyroid health | 14 Comments

Statin buster?

Posted on November 19, 2010 by Dr. Davis

Merck recently reported preliminary results with its drug-in-development, anacetrapib. After six months of treatment, participants showed: LDL cholesterol was reduced from 81 mg/dl to 45 mg/dl in those taking anacetrapib, and from 82 mg/dl to 77 mg/dl in the placebo … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 20 Comments

Why does wheat cause arthritis?

Posted on November 13, 2010 by Dr. Davis

Wheat causes arthritis. Before you say “What the hell is he saying now?”, let me connect the dots on how this ubiquitous dietary ingredient accelerates the path to arthritis in its many forms. 1) Wheat causes glycation–Glycation is glucose-modification of … Continue reading →

Posted in Advanced Glycation End-products, Arthritis, Wheat | 48 Comments

Why do morphine-blocking drugs make you lose weight?

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Dr. Davis

Naloxone (IV) and naltrexone (oral) are drugs that block the action of morphine. If you were an inner city heroine addict and got knifed during a drug deal, you’d be dragged into the local emergency room. You’re high, irrational, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Morphine blocking drugs, Naltrexone, Wheat, Wheat belly | 24 Comments

Heart scan tomfoolery 2

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Dr. Davis

In the last Heart Scan Blog post, I discussed the significance of the apparent discrepancy between Steve’s heart scan score and volume score. This post addresses his second question, also a FAQ about heart scan scores. Steve noted that his … Continue reading →

Posted in Heart scans | 2 Comments

Heart scan tomfoolery

Posted on November 4, 2010 by Dr. Davis

Heart Scan Blog reader, Steve, sent these interesting questions about his heart scan experience. (I sometimes forget that this blog is called “The Heart Scan Blog” and was originally–several years ago–meant to discuss heart scans. It has evolved to become … Continue reading →

Posted in Heart scans | 12 Comments

Can I see your linea alba?

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Dr. Davis

As more and more people are eliminating wheat from their diet and losing their “wheat bellies,” i.e., the muffin top around their waists along with the visceral fat beneath, I am frequently seeing something I haven’t seen in years: the … Continue reading →

Posted in Wheat belly | 19 Comments