The metabolic syndrome is a constellation of risk factors, most usually associated with increased body weight, fat accumulation around the abdominal organs often termed central, or visceral obesity (1), and increased resistance to the effects of insulin. Other names that have been used to describe the metabolic syndrome are syndrome X, the insulin resistance syndrome, the deadly quartet (2) and … Read more
The modern history of coronary heart disease is quite remarkable. Acute myocardial infarction (acute heart attack) appears to have been relatively uncommon until it emerged in the early 1920s. Then came the plague. In the 1950s coronary heart disease had become the most common cause of death in the industrialized world. The symptoms were often dramatic and … Read more
Time makes us fat. It’s not a myth, it’s a biologic fact. When we get old we get fat. In December 1863, William Banting, an English undertaker who went to great lengths to treat his own obesity, wrote in his now famous Letter on Corpulence: … For I have been generally informed that corpulence is one of the natural results of … Read more
Diets low in carbohydrate and high in fat (LCHF) have become increasingly popular lately. Many experts in the field of epidemiology and cardiovascular disease have expressed grave concern and warned that this change in dietary pattern may increase the risk of heart disease. Some have argued that LCHF poses a threat to public health in … Read more
During the last couple of decades Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia have become increasingly common. Today it is estimated that about 34 million people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease worldwide and the number is increasing rapidly. It is expected that the number of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease will triple over the next forty years. Therefore, preventing or reducing … Read more