Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a relatively common sleep disorder with several potentially serious consequences. It causes breathing to stop and then start again intermittently during sleep. The word apnea describes suspension of breathing. OSA may seriously affect quality of life and is strongly associated with the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, liver disorders […]
From Low-Fat, High-Carb to Insulin Resistance, Fatty Liver, and Heart Disease
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 mentor […]
18 Important Causes of Shortness of Breath – Dyspnea Explained
Shortness of breath, also known as dyspnea is a symptom that describes a sense of breathing discomfort or difficulty in breathing. It is often expressed as feeling out of breath or suffering from breathlessness. It is estimated that up to 7-8 percent of patients presenting to emergency rooms complain of dyspnea (1). In half of […]
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) – From Diagnosis to Symptoms and Treatment
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disorder among women. It is characterized by menstrual irregularities, infertility, signs of androgen excess, and polycystic ovaries. It is often associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and lipid abnormalities. PCOS is the most common cause of infertility in women (1). PCOS was first described in 1934 by Irving F. Stein […]
Uric Acid, Hyperuricemia, and Gout
More than eight million people in the U.S., almost 4% of the population, are estimated to suffer from gout. The disease often causes severe pain and physical disability. Gout is associated with increased blood levels of uric acid, called hyperuricemia. Uric acid is a biochemical substance the body has to deal with through our lifetime. It is an end […]
VLDL – The Role of Triglyceride-Rich Lipoproteins and Remnant Cholesterol
Knowing the role of VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein) and chylomicrons is a key factor in understanding how lipids (fats) and lipoproteins are involved in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). In the current era of adiposity and metabolic disease, VLDL has gained a bigger role than before and may help explain many of the disorders associated with the obesity epidemic such […]
Adiposity, Adipokines, and Adiposopathy – Sick Fat Explained
By now, all of us should know that we are in the throes of an obesity epidemic. Worldwide, over 500 million people are believed to be affected (1). Obesity in children and adolescents is on the rise and so is type 2 diabetes. And, according to the media and the experts, this will have horrible consequences that ultimately will […]
Weight Management – The Role of Exercise Revisited
In the midst of the obesity epidemic, one of our most important concerns is the association between body mass index (BMI) and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, body weight itself may not be what matters most. Evidence suggests that obesity measures such as BMI, waist circumference, or waist-to-hip ratio, assessed singly or in combination, […]
Fructose Restriction – An Effective Lipid Intervention?
The association between lipid disorders and heart disease is well known. Medical checkups usually involve measurements of cholesterol and other lipid parameters, and most doctors advise their patients on how to improve their lipid pattern. Dietary interventions to lower the risk of heart disease commonly aim at reducing blood levels of cholesterol, LDL cholesterol in particular. This is […]
Erectile Dysfunction (Impotence) – Impotence Explained
Erectile dysfunction often referred to as impotence, is a common disorder that frequently coexists with cardiovascular disease. It is defined as the inability to get or keep an erection firm enough to have sexual intercourse. It is estimated that erectile dysfunction affects >30% of men between 40 and 70 years of age (1). Cardiovascular disease is a term that […]
Fructose – The Role of Fructose in Metabolic Syndrome and Heart Disease
Mark already ignores me. I think it is because I am in bed and I am a ‘stationary’ object, because once or twice at home when he saw me up and on the way to the toilet he evinced great interest at once. I am absolutely determined to check myself in any tendency to be […]
Low-Carb Diet to Treat Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease – Does It Make Sense?
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 […]
Added Sugar – Why and How to Avoid It
When it comes to the science of nutrition, everyone seems to have an opinion. Consequently, there is huge disagreement, even among the experts. If we ask for advice, there are likely to be dozen different answers. So, in the era of information overflow, the general population, has become severely confused. Apart from having to choose […]
Sugar In and Sugar Out: The Modern Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes
A few days ago the results of a potentially game-changing trial on the treatment of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial) were presented at an international diabetes conference in Stockholm, Sweden and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine (1). For the first time, a study has found that a drug that […]
Less Heart Disease Despite More Diabetes; The Role of Diet
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 […]
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