According to this recent analysis published in Eur Heart J, women would have a far lower chances of dying suddenly for physical exertion during sports compared against men. Women seem to be better protected against this event, which rises the following question: what the value of screening? The risk of sports related sudden death is…
Saturated Fats: Dietary Angels or Demons?
In order to reduce cardiovascular events, dietary guidelines recommend restricting saturated fatty acids—without taking into account differences among them—to <10% of the daily caloric intake. It should be noted that there are many different saturated fatty acids, each with its own biological effect. Moreover, said biological effect could be modified by the food matrix and…
Low-Carb Diet and Coronary Artery Calcium Progression
People on low carb diets since a young age present increased risk of coronary artery calcium progression, particularly when carbs are replaced by animal protein and fat. This study included CARDIA participants (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) receiving a CT scan between the years 2000 and 2001 for calcium scoring, who also completed…
Number of Hours of Sleep and Risk of Stroke
Sleep duration (either short or long) affect the risk of stroke according to this recent analysis. We had visited a study published in JACC on the link between acute MI and sleep duration. This study appears to show similar results as regards sleep duration and stroke. The work prospectively included 79,881 men and women between…
What Is the Healthiest Diet?
This review published in JACC focuses on the foods we shood consume rather than the foods we should avoid eating (the latter being the most common focus). In this regard, the Mediterranean diet, with fish as protein source, should be the gold standard, the ultimate goal being to extend life expectancy. Promoting cardiovascular health based…
ACC Recommendations against the New Coronavirus
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has launched a document summarizing the potential implications of the new coronavirus identified in Wuhan, China. This new virus has been called COVID-19 by the WHO. According to the WHO reports, there are around 93000 confirmed cases across the world, and around 12600 are outside China. In Latin America,…
Is There a “Safe” Dose for Meat Consumption?
Meat consumption is associated with a small but significant increase in cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. The dose-response relationship was clear, and no meat “dose” was safe. Eating red meat, both processed (sausages, cold cuts) and unprocessed, is associated with a small increase in mortality according to this analysis that will be published in JAMA…
Alcohol and Atrial Fibrillation: More Reasons for Moderate Consumption
Reducing alcohol consumption should be included in the “package” of secondary prevention recommendations, not only for its impact on arteries, but also because it reduces atrial fibrillation (AF). Alcohol abstinence might improve arrhythmia symptoms and reduce the chances of recurrence in patients who have already had an episode of AF. Regular alcohol consumers who were…
How Much Should We Exercises to Reduce Mortality?
Physical activity has been shown to reduce mortality in a dose/response manner, just like any drug. But many still wonder: are there any minimal requirements in terms of amount or intensity? Is there such a thing as “toxic exercise”? And finally, is exercising equally beneficial to all? This study, conducted by Dr Sang-Woo Jeong from…
Vitamin D Supplements for the Prevention of Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease
A supplement (or anything, really) that might reduce simultaneously the risk of cardiovascular disease and of cancer would be truly revolutionary. This work, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), sought to prove that vitamin D supplements might reduce the risk for both pathologies (the two most frequent diseases in the world). However,…
Skipping Breakfast and Cardiovascular Risk
Several studies have associated skipping breakfast (having little to no breakfast) with increased cardiometabolic risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. This study examined all the available evidence on the association of skipping breakfast and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. It included 4 studies with close to 200,000 adults (mean age ≥40,…