How can we determine our individual risk for heart disease? Traditionally, doctors typically estimate your heart risk using a risk estimator or calculator, which takes into account risk factors such as age, smoking, high blood pressure, cholesterol, and other known risk factors. This gives us probabilities of heart disease, based on individuals with your similar risk factors. However, tests like the coronary artery calcium score (CAC) or coronary calcium scan can give you a better assessment of your unique, personal risk for heart disease. So what exactly is a coronary calcium scan and who should get one?

Coffee has developed the reputation as being the not-so-healthy-for-you cousin to tea. Despite its ability to improve focus, alertness, and possibly even athletic performance, it seems as if everyone is always trying to break up with coffee. Should we all be switching to tea? Is coffee good for us or bad for us? And how much coffee is too much? Let’s break down what the science says about coffee and our heart health

Chronic stress can have real consequences on the body. For years, we’ve focused on risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, but are only recently turning our attention to how our mental health can impact our physical health. This year has been incredibly stressful for most of us, and so you may be wondering - how does stress affect the heart?

HDL cholesterol has been referred to for years as the “good” cholesterol. High levels of HDL cholesterol have been associated with decreased risk of heart disease. There are no medications available that improve our HDL cholesterol and result in decreased risk of heart disease. And yet, I get asked time and again by patients how to raise their HDL cholesterol. So, should we be worried about low HDL cholesterol? Should we work on lifestyle factors that can increase this good cholesterol?

Calcium supplementation is very common, with just over 40% of us taking this supplement daily. Consuming enough calcium is clearly important for your bone health. However, we also know that arteries of the heart can develop blockages (atherosclerosis), which then eventually become calcified over time. Is it possible that too much calcium, particularly in supplement form, is bad for the heart? Are calcium supplements harmful?

We know from tons and tons of research that staying active is good for our hearts. Epidemiological evidence has mounted for years that aerobic activity, the kind that gets your heart rate up and makes you sweat, is associated with a lower risk for heart disease. This is why the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association recommend 150 minutes of moderate intensity (or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity) aerobic physical activity per week for optimal heart health. Not infrequently, however, I get asked about what role resistance or strength training has for heart disease prevention. Should we be incorporating weight lifting into our exercise regimen for optimal heart health?

Do superfoods exist? An overwhelming amount of evidence indicates that we should eat more plants to reduce our risk of heart attack and stroke. Many trials have demonstrated lower rates of high blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, inflammation and heart disease in those following a plant-predominant or plant-based diet. But are there certain foods that are better than others?

Plants contain an abundance of fiber, vitamins, minerals, micronutrients, polyphenols and antioxidants, all thought to be responsible for their heart healthy effects. Some more than others. While I cringe at the concept of “superfoods,” a handful to foods have emerged in the literature as particularly heart healthy and deserve particular mention. Let’s explore the top nutritional heavy hitters that should be a part of any optimal heart healthy diet.

Have you ever heard of lipoprotein(a)? Pronounced lipoprotein "little a,” we are increasingly realizing that this particle is a very important, genetically determined cholesterol particle that increases risk for cardiovascular disease.

It’s a type of cholesterol test that I think should be measured at least once in everyone.

Here’s what is it and why I think I think it’s very important you should know if it’s elevated

Pregnancy complications - including gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, extremely low birth weight, and preterm birth - occur in 20% of all pregnancies. They are associated with an increased risk for heart disease, heart failure, and stroke later in life. Why your doctor should always know about your pregnancy history, and what you can do to minimize risk.

Smart watches and fitness trackers are increasingly common, with about 1 in 5 Americans regularly wearing one. They can provide a wealth of data about your activity levels, heart rate, and more - but how much of that is actually useful? Can it help you understand how healthy your heart is?

While undoubtably the value of good nutrition lies in the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber provided, mounting evidence suggests that the value of a good diet stretches beyond just the value it provides directly to our bodies.

The intestinal microbiome—the trillions of microbial cells that putatively play a role in the development or progression of numerous disease processes— is impacted by our daily dietary habits, and in turn, our risk for cardiovascular disease. Let’s explore.

Anyone else sitting around more? You aren't alone. Several studies have shown decreased levels of physical activity and increased sedentary time since the start of the pandemic. By now you probably know that exercise is good for the heart, but how does sedentary behavior affect your heart heart? How much sitting it too much? Here’s what the science says about sitting around and what I think you should do about it.

Whether your goal is a whole food plant based, flexitarian, pescatarian, or plant curious diet, I’ve got you covered. Any move you want to make to a more plant centric dietary pattern is fantastic! Over the years of counseling patients to improve their heart health (and also get 3 young kids and a meat loving husband to eat their veggies), I’ve accumulated a bunch of tips and tricks to make plant forward eating fun, delicious, and easy. Here’s my top 12.

It’s that time of year again when we reflect on the prior year (although many of us may prefer not to this year!) and make New Year’s resolutions for the coming year. Almost half of us will make intentions for the new year, and yet studies have shown that the majority of resolutions are unlikely to stick past a month, let alone for a year or more. So, is there any point in making a resolution on January 1st? Are there things we can do to increase the odds that they will actually stick? Here’s what science says.

I was cooking the other day in a kitchen that isn’t my own, and I came across a bottle of canola oil. I was super fascinated to see that it had a large “Heart Healthy” label on it. That got me totally curious about the requirements for something to be labeled as heart healthy. Let’s recap the latest science on canola oil and how it got it’s heart healthy label. Is canola oil actually good for your heart?

With COVID-19 surging once again, let’s review how the novel coronavirus (SARS CoV-2) can affect the heart. While the most common and prominent symptoms are mild respiratory symptoms and pneumonia, a number of heart complications including myocarditis (inflammation of the heart), arrhythmias, and blood clots can occur

By now you’ve likely heard the term “intermittent fasting” or IF. What is intermittent fasting? Does it work? Does it help people lose weight or, even better, live longer? While the science is still in its infancy, I’m absolutely fascinated by the potential health benefits. Let’s explore what we do and don’t know about when we should eat

What’s the number one cause of death for women in the United States? If you guessed breast cancer, you’re not alone. It’s actually cardiovascular disease. While death due to cardiovascular disease has declined over the last couple of decades, the annual mortality rate is actually higher for women than men. So what’s going on? Are women just tiny men or are we different?

Omega-3 containing fish oil is one of the most commonly used supplements worldwide. Omega-3’s are essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, meaning they are fats that our body doesn’t produce and so we must consume them. It’s thought to decrease inflammation, decrease the risk of blood clots, improve brain health, and decrease the risk of heart disease. But is fish oil really good for the heart? Should we all be taking one?

Inflammation is one of the key drivers of heart disease. While cholesterol build up is necessary to form a plaque in the artery, it is the body’s immune response to this cholesterol formation that is also a key determinant of heart attack and stroke. We know that lowering people’s cholesterol is important to decrease the risk of heart attack, but it is also increasingly recognized that we must also decrease the body’s inflammation. Studies have shown that we can do this with medications, but can diet help lower inflammation?