The death rate from coronary artery disease (CAD) has declined considerably over the last three decades. This is mainly due to better control of risk factors and advances in therapy. However, the prevalence of CAD remains high due to the aging of the population and better survival of those affected. The current epidemic of obesity … Read more
A recent paper published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition provides updated results from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Dietary Modification Trial (1). One of the questions raised is whether there is still hope for a low-fat dietary approach for the prevention of heart disease. The primary aim of the WHI Dietary Modification Trial was to … Read more
I recently gave a talk at a meeting with colleagues, most of them cardiologists and endocrinologists, where I, among other things, discussed the current status of diet-heart hypothesis and the possible relationship between our fear of dietary fats and the obesity epidemic. After the meeting, a senior colleague of mine, an old friend, and a … Read more
Approximately 30 percent of people in the United States have a disease that is characterized by abnormal deposits of fat in the liver. The disease is not contagious, and unlike many other disorders of the liver, it is not caused by overconsumption of alcohol. It is called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and has become the leading cause of chronic liver disease … Read more
The diverging trends in heart disease and diabetes represent a public health paradox of immense importance. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are well-known risk factors for coronary heart disease. However, whereas the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes is increasing, the death rate from coronary heart disease is declining. This interesting paradox was recently addressed in two … Read more