Blog Archive

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a specific kind of irregular heart beat that can be silent or symptomatic and impacts millions of people. We see many patients with AF at the Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity, some of whom are in AF chronically and some go in and out of it...

Chelation therapy is an intravenous (and occasionally oral or rectal) therapy to remove toxic levels of heavy metals like mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium from the body and is approved for that purpose. Over many decades there has been the thought that it could serve as a therapy for heart...

The lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] field is rapidly evolving on many fronts, including understanding of the association between Lp(a) levels and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in different contexts, and how best to manage other CVD risk factors in patients with elevated Lp(a). Considering new insights into the clinical management of these patients,...

One of the most interesting stories in pharmaceuticals is the development of Viagra (sildenafil) as a heart medication that had an unexpected but happy side effect: effective treatment of erectily dysfunction (ED). Viagra and Cialis went on to become blockbuster drugs that are both generic now.  Over the years, these...

The risk of aging and developing memory loss and dementia is often a greater fear expressed by patients in my clinic than heart disease or cancer outcomes. Strategies to prevent memory loss are evolving but it is clear that regular exercise and healthy diets, along with adequate sleep and weight...

There has been hopeful data for over 30 years that atherosclerosis in coronary and carotid arteries may be reversed to an extent by lifestyle measures focused on a plant diet.  A "new kid on the block" has been a nutraceutical based on green seaweed combination. Recently, a small study has...

At the Kahn Center, we emphasize lifestyle and corrective measures to promote health and prevent or reverse illness. One factor often ignored is the quality and quantity of sleep. Sleep apnea has become a major factor for cardiovascular and overall health and is easily tested at the Kahn Center by...

One of the most common concerns patients share with me at the Kahn Center is their fear that lowering their cholesterol levels with "statin" medications like atorvastatin or rosuvastatin might promote dementia.  Indeed, the potential impact of statins on cognitive decline and dementia is still debated but their is considerable...

The news cycle this week is full of headlines connecting high levels of niacin to coronary heart disease through pathways of accelerated inflammation based on a new study from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Although many clinicians have abandoned the use of niacin in practice, there are many theoretical and trial...

It is no secret that various fasting programs show up in the news over and over. When I discuss diet with my patients, a large number of them skip breakfast and try and eat in a 6-8 hour window. Technically, this is not fasting but a form of "time restricted...

It is estimated that we are exposed to over 80,000 industrial chemicals with only a small fraction having been studied for health consequences. One family of chemicals that has been studied is the bisphenol family such as BPA and BPS, used since the 1950s. BPA and BPS  have been reported...

Prehypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 120 to 139 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP (DBP) of 80 to 89 mm Hg, increases the risk of developing hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases. Early and effective intervention for patients with prehypertension is highly important. STUDY OBJECTIVE  To assess the efficacy of Tai...

The researchers who identified Nitric Oxide (NO) as a small molecule made by the endotherlial lining of arteries to promote blood flow and resist atherosclerosis won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1998. Despite that, NO rarely comes up in clinical care as it is hard to measure and no...

A large portion of the patients seen at the Kahn Center are interested in learning if they inherited the genetic capacity to produce Lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a) or "the sticky cholesterol". Others know they inherited it at a high level and seek guidance. As you know, I wrote a book on...

It is so frustrating that coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) has been available for decades, is safe, painless, and inexpensive, and reveals the degree of silent coronary artery disease (CAD) but so few people have one of these scans. Primary care doctors are still not ordering them even though most...

Does anything that takes good actually promote health? I would answer yes as I love lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, arugula and many other plant based goodies. But off the list is pepperoni pizza, hot dogs, croissants, and butter. The good news is that a new analysis in a prominent journal...

There are hundreds of research studies identifying the benefits of a whole food plant-based (WFPB) diet. The holy grail would be if a WFPB diet actually slowed or reversed aging. New science has been published that suggests this may be the case and in only 8 weeks. The research study...

I take a sleep history from all patients cared for at the Kahn Center and it is impressive how many patients have a habit of staying up to midnight, 1AM, or even later night after night, the classic night owl. Not for me, lights out by 10PM or earlier. Does...

I am reposting a recent interview from this site to share the questions and answers for this audience.  What do you get when you combine veganism, cardiology and prevention? You get a holistic cardiologist passionate about the health benefits of a plant-based, anti-ageing diet. Join us in learning more about...

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death in the world with around 20 million deaths annually.  Diet plays a major role in the development and progression of these diseases. The timing of meals may also play an important role. So many people are skipping breakfast and not eating...

The easiest way to assess sleep is to measure how many hours of sleep were achieved but that may not be the only measure that matters. Menopause can be particularly disruptive for sleep for many women. In the American Heart Association's Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) the only measure of sleep...

Are you considering a health upgrade for 2024? Adopting a plant-based diet of whole foods may be your best choice. Need some convincing? Wondering what are benefits of a healthy plant-based (vegan) vs a healthy omnivorous diet among even for just 8-weeks?  A new study provides the answer and suggests...

I served as medical director of several large cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs in Michigan and have a special place in my heart and practice for getting all qualifying patients into a CR program. When I can, I try to refer to an intensive CR program or ICR using the principles...

If you have heard it once, you have heart it a million times: whole plant food diets are the healthiest choice on the planet and for the planet. As Michael Greger, MD says, if all that whole food plant diets did was halt and reverse the #1 cause of death...

The approach to patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD)has been make progress including lifestyle, supplemental, and Rx approaches but more "tools" in the tool box are still needed. The explosion in overweight and obese heart patients is a major challenge. Semaglutide (knows as Wegovy for weight loss), a glucagon-like...

BACKGROUND You’ve heard of the Atkins, MED, vegn, Paleo. Keto, and DASH diets over the years but have you heard of the Portfolio Diet? A prior Kahn Center blog did discuss this diet pattern. Now, America’s most influential journal for heart health is exploring the benefits of the portfolio diet. ...

The potential implications of delaying or preventing memory issues and cognitive decline for the roughly 6.5 million Americans over 65 diagnosed with Alzheimer’s as of 2022, a figure expected to more than double by 2060, are huge. Diet plays a role. A popular diet is the Dietary Approaches to Stop...

For many patients with a high LDL-cholesterol and confirmed atherosclerosis (prior heart attack, stent, bypass surgery, carotid surgery, abdominal aneurysm high calcium score, abnormal coronary CT angiogram), lifestyle changes along with medications to lower the LDL-C are indicated. Statin medications are the most common prescription to lower LDL-C but they...

You would think we would know by now what is the optimal diet for health and longevity but the "food wars" are endless. One reason is that nutrition science is very complicated and randomized studies (like the Predimed and Cordioprev trials) are difficult and rare. Much of the science is...

TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS IS A KILLER The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (DM2) is increasing rapidly, particularly among younger age groups. Estimates suggest that people with diabetes die, on average, 6 years earlier than people without diabetes.   A new large study aimed to provide reliable estimates of the...

Without a doubt, fitness, endurance, and exercise is a fundamental step in long-term health. A concept was introduced a few years ago called NEAT or non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or movement and fitness in daily life, not the gym, that matters for health. Climbing stairs, rather than the elevator, is one...

Globally, more than 1.9 billion adults are overweight (650 million with obesity). In Australia, where new research on weight loss diets was just completed, two in three people (approximately 12.5 million adults) are overweight or have obesity. Can nuts be part of a weight loss diet?  When it comes to...

A recent study found that about 50% of a random sample of adults in the USA had moderate to severe sleep apnea on sleep testing that was previously undiagnosed. This huge number is due in part to the rise in obesity. Some patients resist sleep studies and even more diagnosed...

One of the great debates for decades has been what nutrients cause atherosclerosis like coronary heart disease (CHD). The major players argued back and forth have been saturated fat, mainly from animal foods, versus dietary sugars. Most studies have shown both are a risk with saturated fats found in dairy,...

The landmark research of Nathan Pritkin, Dean Ornish, MD, Caldwell Esselstyn, MD, Joel Fuhrman, MD and others has demonstrated the potential to reverse atherosclerosis in heart arteries using diet and lifestyle. The goals of reversing atherosclerosis is not commonly mentioned in conventional medicine however. A wide range of pharmaceutical agents...

If you follow the headlines, messages to the public about the value of taking a daily aspirin have been very confusing. A series of studies in 2018 showed that in a healthy adult, a daily aspirin did not confer a measurable benefit to cardiovascular health.  Last year, the U.S. Preventive...

As my clinic is the called the Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity, there is a focus on the science of healthspan and lifespan. Measuring and halting or reversing vascular (arterial) aging is a key feature of our daily practice at the clinic. Therefore, hew scientific studies that point to strategies...

A fundamental habit for optimal health, longevity, and freedom from heart diseased is regular physical activity. Walking is the most common natural fitness habit across the world, whether as part of an occupation or soley for the purpose of health goals. It is possible people might be discouraged from walking...

High doses of cholesterol lowering statin medications are strongly recommended in patients at very high risk (VHR) of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, concerns about statin-associated adverse effects result in underuse of this strategy in practice. At the Kahn Center, for years we have selected low dose combination therapy in...

Chronic diseases like coronary heart disease (CHD), diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2), cancers, and dementia are associated with over 80% of all healthcare costs and are the dominant cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States (US). Lifestyle medicine has been proposed as a potential way to address the...

Did you know that 75% cases of cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack and stroke events, are preventable? Even the feared Alzheimer’s dementia is proving to be preventable and reversible with putting a healthy lifestyle at the center of attention. Poor blood supply to the heart is as avoidable as...

My hope is that in many decades my tombstone will say "he convinced the medical system to screen for early and silent heart disease". While we strive to identify asymptomatic breast, colon, uterine, and prostate cancer, after decades of availability of inexpensive and safe heart CT scans, very few patients...

The impact of long-term endurance sport participation (on top of a healthy lifestyle) on coronary atherosclerosis and acute cardiac events remains controversial.  Some reports in the last decade have indicated that endurance athletes may have more coronary calcification, perhaps from the repeated stress of long exercise sessions. A different composition...

The scientific support for the connection between GI health and systemic health of the heart and brain is growing rapidly. The GI tract begins in the mouth and oral health as a factor in overall health is well supported. More data is need. Although tooth loss and periodontitis have been...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a heart rhythm disorder that is linked to an increased risk of dementia, even in stroke-free patients. Many patients with atrial fibrillation take daily oral anticoagulant (OAC) medications like warfarin or direct-acting oral agents like Xarelto. Even with OAC medications, dementia is a risk.  The impact...

A healthy lifestyle, including a healthy diet has been associated with an improvement in cardiovascular risk factors. Although olive oil (OO) is a tradtional component of the Mediterranean diet, their is some controversy over whether OO is acceptable in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). The aim of a new...

Nature holds many secrets for health. However, Western medicine often takes a “prescription pill for every ill” approach to chronic disease. The root causes of illness — which can include lifestyle, genetics, infections and environmental toxins — are often passed over. In my integrative cardiology training, I learned to appreciate...

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) provides a more comprehensive assessment than clinic blood pressure, and has been reported to better predict health outcomes than clinic or home pressure. The Kahn Center is using ABPM patch that makes monitoring simple and comfortable. Does the extra information matter? STUDYThe study aimed to...

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the number on killer of men and women. This is particulary true in patients with diabetes mellitus, a major risk for CAD. There is a long asymptomatic period for CAD when it is a silent disease so feeling good is not proof that there is...

Extracts of licorice root has been shown to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol oxidation in mice and humans.  Licorice root is considered one of the world’s oldest herbal remedies and comes from the root of the licorice plant (Glycyrrhiza glabra). Native to Western Asia and Southern Europe, licorice has long been...

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and stroke. Diet is a modifiable factor that can be tailored to lower blood pressure, and therefore, research must be conducted to identify foods that would maximally benefit hypertensive patients. Large-scale studies such as the...

Atherosclerosis is the narrowing of arteries due to deposits of fat and cholesterol in what is called plaque, often called coronary heart disease (CHD). While young women do have heart attacks, in general, women develop CHD later in life than men and have heart attacks at an older age than...

Strategies to REVERSE coronary artery disease plaques are sorely needed. Evidence for over 40 years has demonstrated that low-fat plant diets, mind-body practices, and exercise like walking, medication, and some supplements like aged garlic can all contribute to heart plaque reversal.  More reversal therapies are needed howevere. Coronary atheroma volume...

For the first time, the American Heart Association (AHA) arranged a panel of experts who rated 10 popular diets based on their standards for heart health and just published their findings. The ten styles of diets included: DASH-style — describes an eating pattern that’s like the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH)...

Data from around the world from 2017 estimated that roughly 462 million people worldwide had type 2 diabetes (DM2) and that by 2030, that number will rise to over 540 million people with the disease. DM2 is a disease in which the body becomes unable to regulate blood sugar levels...

Cardiovascular disease rates have not dropped significantly and are contributing to a drop in overall lifestpan in the United States. Better means to judge and improve cardiovascular health (CVH) are sorely needed. The American Heart Association (AHA) recently released an updated algorithm for evaluating CVH—Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) score. Researchers...

A high intake of salt raises blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease. Previous studies have reported on the association between salt intake and carotid stenosis, but the association with coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been reported. STUDY PURPOSEThe present project was aimed at studying the association between...

Background:  Coronary atherosclerosis, also known as coronary artery disease (CAD) and coronary heart disease (CHD),  may develop at an early age and remain asymptomatic and hidden for many years.  It is still not known how common silent CAD is in a general population and how risky it is.  Study Design:...

Novel fasting interventions have gained scientific and public attention. Periodic fasting has emerged as a dietary modification promoting beneficial effects on metabolic syndrome and the 5 day Fasting Mimicking Diet (Prolon) has the most scientific support. The original randomized trial was in healthy volunteers. Now a "proof of concept" study...

Dietary modification is a cornerstone of cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. A Mediterranean (MED) diet has been associated with a lower risk of CVD but no systematic reviews have evaluated this relationship specifically in women. As CVD is the number 1 cause of death in women, any progress in the prevention...

Cholesterol lowering (LDL-C) through lifestyle, supplements and prescription medications is necessary in many patients with proven atherosclerosis like a prior heart attacks or a high coronary calcium score on CT imaging. Many patients cannot tolerate a statin prescription due to aching, liver enzyme rises, brain fog and other issues. A...

In 2011, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic led by Stanley Hazen, MD, Ph.D, published and elegant research study proposing that a metabolite called TMAO might be produced in the human body in part from meat and egg yolks and contribute to heart disease. From that single report, there is now...

A group called SHAPE proposed in 2007 that some patients are so low risk that they do not need Rx cholesterol lowering medications like statins even if the LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) was quite high. They suggested that a heart coronary artery calcium score (CACS) of zero bu CT was an indicator...

The "food wars",  like my appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience #1175, often focus on the risks of higher fats and the type of fats, particular high saturated fat diets, for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). For decades, added sugar has been related to higher CVD rates. Even Ancel Keys, PhD, noted...

One of the hottest trends in health promotion and the media is intermittent fasting (IF), properly defined as not eating or eating very little (fasting mimicking diet FMD) for 24 hours or more. IF extends healthspan and lifespan in rodents, and has been associated with metabolic benefits in humans, yet...

Importance  There are genetic variants that are inherited at birth and are associated with significantly lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations for life. These genetic "experiments" permit asking the question whether a lifelong lower LDL-C lowers the risks of coronary heart disease (CHD) like heart attacks. I published data like...

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely used drugs for gastric acid–related diseases and may affect the gut microbiome. Prior studies have raised the question of whether the risk of heart attack is elevated in long-term users of PPIs. Other studies have suggested endothelial damage to arteries from the same class...

Forest bathing is a  term from Japan since the 1980s to describe a physiological and psychological exercise called shinrin-yoku by spending time in forests, green spaces, and by bodies of water. The purported benefits of forest bathing are actions as an antidote to tech burnout and to reconnect with nature....

Few dietary trends are hotter than "intermittent fasting" or skipping meals and eating in restricted time windows on a regular basis. This is more properly called "time restricted eating" and the extreme is the "one meal a day" (OMAD) diet. While there are stories of weight loss like legendary Elon...

Physical activity and exercise training are associated with a lower risk for coronary events. Puzzling for sure is that prior studies of middle-aged and older male athletes revealed increased coronary artery calcification (CAC) and atherosclerotic plaques, which were related to the amount and intensity of lifelong exercise. Does exercise actually...

Many heart patients require therapy beyond lifestyle to lower LDL-cholesterol (lowering Lipoprotein(a) cholesterol if elevated is another topic not often discussed but also important). The most common approach is a moderate or high dose of a statin medication. The RACING study compared an approach used at the KAHN CENTER for...

The loss of memory begins as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and can lead to early Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and causes great fear and disability in many people. Strategies to halt and even reverse these developments are needed. Food based support of brain function has been shown with the MIND diet. ...

Cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure, heart attacks, and congestive heart failure remain the #1 cause of death in the world. Rising rates of obesity remain a major contributor to this sad statistic. A new class of medications, peptides like semaglutide, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, were developed as diabetic...

Are vitamins and supplements just a waste making expensive urine? Or, at least in some individuals, can they promote health and even save lives? A new large study says you should consider certain supplements to boost your health and lower your disease risk.  STUDY The researchers analyzed a total of...

A staple at the Kahn Center is an herbal supplement combining french maritime pine park (Pycnogenol) and gotu kola (Centellicum). Multiple studies have shown that capsules with this combination have a profound impact on improving the status of arteries and reduce clinical events in studies in humans done with randomized,...

You are at the doctor's office for your annual physical exam, maybe age 45, maybe 50. Your health care provider discusses your LDL-cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose, and other measures, and says "Although you are not calculated high risk, let's get a coronary artery calcium scan (CACS) by CT to...

 BACKGROUND In 2011 reports from the Cleveland Clinic appeared that eating foods rich in L-carnitine (meats and duck) and choline (egg yolk) raise the levels of TMAO and cause atherosclerosis in animal models. Vegans tend to have much lower blood levels of TMAO by avoiding animal sourced foods (ASF). There...

Over the last few decades the rise in consumption of highly processed foods combined with sedentary lifestyles and environmental toxins has led to an explosion of pre-diabetes and diabetes type 2. Overall, patients with prediabetes generally have more sedentary habits. Some individuals are restricted by factors such as old age,...

How many times have I heard patients tell me they are "plant-based" but the words cheese, chicken, egg yolks, faux chicken nuggets, faux pepperoni and others make it into the history. NO!  To gain the benefits, it must be a whole food plant-based diet. Prior data a few years ago...

Vigorous physical activity (VPA) is a time-efficient way to achieve recommended physical activity levels. There is a very limited understanding of the minimal and optimal amounts of vigorous physical activity in relation to mortality and disease incidence. What might happen if you added as little as 2 minutes a day...

Should doctors as as many questions of patients about their sleep as they ask about smoking, fitness, and diet? Yes they should say researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Doctors are taught to use the American Heart Associatioin Life's Simple Seven (LS7) assessment of cardiovascular health (CVH)....

Background Prior studies have shown that ground flax seed, about 2 tbs a day, added to food, can lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure. What about blood sugar after meals? Spikes in blood sugar after meals, known as postprandial glycemic excursions, are associated with impaired control of diabetes mellitus. Long-term...

Are Grains Healthy? Grains can be delicous. A toasted piece of whole grain bread with a thin coating of avocado spread is a favorite for many. Are whole grains a healthy choice for the heart? Is there a difference between whole grains and refined grains (think a plain bagel) on...

For conditions like acute and chronic sinusitis, common cold, and allergic rhinitis, nasal irrigation can be advocated for rinsing the nasal cavity. The practice of nasal irrigation likely originated in India's Ayurvedic medical tradition called 'jala-neti' and one can purchase a "Neti-pot" at local drug stores or online. Can nasal...

Does it matter if you wake up early and get moving versus sleeping in later, staying up later, and getting going later? There are different patterns people prefer, often called chronotypes. Is the Early Chronotype healther? A study published in the journal Experimental Physiology highlights that people with early chronotype...

Introduction   Walnuts are the only tree nut that is an excellent source of the plant-based omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (2.5 grams/oz.), which research shows may play a role in heart health, brain health and healthy aging. Additionally, just one serving of walnuts (1 oz.), or about a handful, contains a...

An article appeared this week that attracted a lot of national media featuring a young cardiologist in California warning that, in her practice, she is observing a rise in heart rhythm issues in “twenty somethings” due to herbal supplements. In my 40 years of medical training and practice as a...

A large amount of my clinical care of patients over the last 30 plus years has been the assessment and management of a chronically high blood cholesterol level. This issue has been the source of many consults, particularly in my advanced preventive cardiology practice in suburban Detroit. Patients may arrive...

More than a billion people have high blood pressure (HBP) worldwide.  High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is the leading global cause of premature death, accounting for almost ten million deaths in 2015, of which 4.9 million were due to ischemic heart disease like heart attacks and 3.5 million...

Valter Longo, PhD, is the leading nutritional scientist in the world. He has contributed to understanding the impact of nutrients like amino acids constituting protein and sugar on pathways that trigger health and longevity vs. disease. He splits his academic time between Los Angeles and Milan, Italy. He created the...

The goal of slowing and reversing aging, particularly in the elderly, is an important and elusive goal. However, the science of understanding and studying healthy aging is rapidly expanding. Some of the pathways for aging that have gotten a lot of attention include elevated oxidative stress (OxS) and  mitochondrial dysfunction. ...

Quercetin, the most abundant dietary flavonol or pigment, has antioxidant effects that may benefit cardiovascular disease, cancer, degenerative brain disorders.  Flavonoids like quercetin are present in, vegetables, fruits, grains, teas and wine. They’ve been linked to several health benefits, including reduced risks of heart disease, cancer, and degenerative brain disorders....

Muscle strength is a powerful predictor of mortality that can quickly and inexpensively be assessed by measuring handgrip strength (HGS). What is missing for clinical practice, however, are meaningful measurements that apply to the general population and that consider the correlation of HGS with gender, body height, as well as...

Most people run to get their first cup of coffee in the AM to start the day. Maybe you are one of them. Their is ample date that a few cups of black coffee has health benefits. How about after the cup of Joe" Green tea has support as a...

How many times have I heard the statement "Doc, give me some slack, I eat CRAP (calorie rich and processed) but I hit the gym 4 times a week". The basic question is "can you out exercise a CRAP diet"?  When I lecture on heart disease I show a picture...

Many people without any known heart disease or heart symptoms may still have blocked arteries full of atheroslerotic plaque. Early detection of coronary artery disease (CAD)  using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), in addition to coronary artery calcification (CAC) scoring could detect the presence and severity of CAD even in...

 It is unclear whether the weekly recommended amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) has the same benefits for mortality risk when activity sessions are spread throughout the week (Regular Exercisers RE) vs concentrated in fewer days (Weekend Warriors) WW. Objective of Study:  To examine the association of weekend...

What is the CORDIOPREV Study? The CORonary Diet Intervention with Olive oil and cardiovascular PREVention study (CORDIOPREV) is a single centre, randomized clinical trial aimed at assessing the superiority of a Mediterranean diet in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), as compared with a lower fat diet. How Did...

Balance quickly diminishes after the mid-50s increasing the risk for falls and other adverse health outcomes. A simple test to assess balance, fall risk, and even survival, would be of value. Researchers recently assessed whether the ability to complete a 10- second one-legged stance (10-second OLS) wass associated with all-cause mortality...

Question:  What is the association between a "very high" high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level and outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD)? Is HDL-C a "happy" finding or is HDL-C a "harmful" finding? Is there a difference between men and women? Importance  Previous studies over decades have shown lower...

Legumes included all types of beans, lentils and peas. In the media, legumes have been questioned as to whether they cause harm through pathways of inflammation triggered by lectins that can be found in these foods. The actual science and randomized trial data to support the "lectin" story is nearly...

Whether you’re a man or a woman, odds are you know someone who is currently battling or has died from prostate cancer. In fact, it’s the second most common form of cancer among American men. It is estimated there were about 250,000 new prostate cancer cases in 2021 and about...

It is spring 2022 and I am watching an recent university online lecture on cholesterol assessment. The most exciting pearl? Check Lipoprotein(a) cholesterol in everyone once! While this has been the norm at my center for a decade, there is a huge opportunity to teach more health care professionals to...

What is a coronary artery calcium scan (CACS)? A CACS is a simple CT of the heart performed without injection of any contrast dyes that permits the easy identification of calcification (plaque) in the three major heart arteries. There are no needles used, no pain, and no risk to your...

New headlines have brought up again, perhaps for the third time in 3-4 years, that not all adults over age 50 need a daily aspirin for cardiovascular prevention. The recent headlines arose, not out of new data, but out of a statement by an influential medical group (USPTF) that a...

Case Study: A 59-year old woman traveled 2 hours to my office for a 2nd opinion. She was 5’3 and weighed 252 lbs., down from a peak of 320 lbs. a few years earlier. She had been diagnosed and treated for Type 2 diabetes mellitus since the year 2000 and...

Want to live to 100? Dr. Joel Kahn explains what the Blue Zones, or areas of the world where people live the longest, can teach us about staying healthy. From similar food habits to stress management, find out what they all have in common. Here is an online course I...

"Exposure to air pollutants – even at levels below World Health Organization air quality guidelines – may trigger a heart attack within the hour, according to a new study from China that found the risks were highest among older people and when the weather was colder. The study found exposure...

It would hardly be worth studying nutrition if the data suggested it was not a powerful path to prevent heart disease and other conditions. Fortunately, it is quite the opposite. Most cases of heart disease, particularly CAD, are preventable and nutrition is a huge part of that. It is so...

The 'cult' of butter in coffee and coconut oil in smoothies has been a strong movement led by some physicians and many online nutritionists. Contrary to their advice, research in the 1960s and beyond consistently showed a relations between foods high in saturated fat (butter, meats, cheese, coconut oil) and...

Elon Musk recently announced that if he is successful at establishing a colony on Mars it will be a plant based community. Why?  If you believe that “you are what you eat” applies to human health, then a powerful study calculating the benefits of shifting away from eating meat and...

  When the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003, the field of aging expected remarkable findings from “cracking” the genetic code, the “genetic” era of health. In the last 15 years a new era appeared, called the “epigenetic” era.  This is the science of how our environment influences the...

Hundreds of years ago, English physician Thomas Sydenham taught that “a man is as old as his arteries.” We usually don’t think about the health of our arteries until a problem arises (like an emergency room admission, a heart attack, erectile dysfunction or sudden death). It not routine to measure the...

Want to live longer and better, often termed lifespan and healthspan, is all the rage and a serious focus of cutting edge science. While work progresses on stem cells, organ regeneration, and other modalities, lifestyle still remains the focus of planning a long life. Two studies, one just published, establish...

The central piece of all diets promoting health unite at a large amount of plants, whether fruits, vegetables. Even the USDA food plate and the better version from the Harvard School of Public Health have at least 50% of every meal from vegetables and fruits. And how is the American...

Whether it’s lead, mercury, PFAS, BPA, DDT, glyphosate or other toxins that are in the news, you can run but you cannot hide from the challenges to health that the Industrial Revolution and the chemical industry have created over the past century. A focus on overall wellness requires a plan...

Tomorrow I start a 5 day fasting program for my health optimization, something I have done over a dozen times. Odds are you’ve heard about fasting. Defined as "abstinence from eating," the potential medical benefits have increasingly been substantiated in animal and medical research projects and now extend to enhance...

Our progress in understanding human genes has been amazing and humbling. About 150 years ago, Gregor Mendel used pea plants to establish some rules of inheritance, and about 50 years ago, Watson and Crick described the double helix of DNA. In 2003, the entire human genome was sequenced, something I...

If you're confused about whether soy versus butter, meat, or dairy are good or bad for you, just follow the money, which is firmly in the hands of Big Food and the meat and dairy lobbies. A documentary, What the Health, reveals shocking data about the funding by meat and...

In the year 490 BC, the fittest runner in Greece, Phiddipides, ran 26 miles from Marathon to Athens, to announce a great victory over the Persians. After declaring the news, he dropped dead. Now, 2,500 years later, do we understand the risks of this kind of ultra-exercise? Clearly we know...

On most days, I go to work, put on my white coat, load my stethoscope in my pocket, and make visits in the hospital and my office as I've done for over 20 years. I am the “master of my domain” and it's very unlikely that anything will disrupt my...

I've been doing yoga for over 20 years—but unfortunately, a busy career as a cardiologist has kept me away from the 60- to 90-minute studio practices I used to love so much. Years ago, I was introduced to a quick yoga practice reported to be over 2,500 years old, called...

This weekend we celebrated the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, a holiday celebrating light over darkness, real and spiritual. The holiday is a reminder of how hard it is to stay positive in a world, for millenia, that has evil in it. We light candles for 8 nights to give a...

Despite the pandemic, heart disease accounts for more deaths than any other class of ailment in the Western world. Yet, most cases have been judged to be preventable with a healthy diet and lifestyle adopted as early in life as possible. Check this list to see how you may be...

There are so many different camps offering conflicting dietary recommendations that some days it seems like you might as well give up and grab junk food. But don't! That's because processed food — usually dripping in excess oils, salt, sugars, and chemical additives — can have an immediate impact on...

What is collagen? Collagen is the protein that forms connective fibers in tissues such as skin, ligaments, cartilage, bones and teeth. Collagen also acts as a kind of intracellular “glue” that gives support, shape and bulk to blood vessels, bones, and organs such as the heart, kidneys and liver. Collagen...

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for men and women.  Heart disease can progress silently for decades until a heart attack, stroke, or sudden death brings problems to the surface. There are ways to use CT technology and advanced laboratories to “know your artery score” years before a...

A number of people have identified veganism as one of the biggest trends in health and the reality is that the number of persons identifying their diet as plant-based or vegan is growing larger and larger. Health personalities that question the benefits of a vegan diet are easily found, and...

The notion that food items could slow or even reverse atherosclerosis of heart arteries, one of the most serious health threats in the Western world, was considered unlikely until demonstrated by the LifeStyle Heart Trial decades ago (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9863851). The emphasis on plant based nutrition has been confirmed as effective for...

Heart disease remains the No. 1 cause of death in the Western world, and efforts to reduce the burden of disease must be pursued constantly to avoid the tragedy of early demise and disability. An initial set of factors related to heart disease were first reported by the Framingham Study in...

Every month is heart month.  We need constant reminders that cardiovascular disease is still the #1 cause of death in the Western world. Educating the public on the research showing that up to 80% of heart deaths are preventable by not smoking, eating a plant heavy diet, and obtaining regular...

Can a dietary pattern described in an ancient Biblical text have relevance to the growing issues of obesity, diabetes and heart disease? Can something very old still be new and fresh and provide a roadmap to improving our communal health? With these thoughts in mind, the Book of Daniel may...

Dr. Kahn’s unique practice, the Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity, in Bingham Farms, Michigan, offers a groundbreaking integrative approach to heart health for our cancer patients. Born with a heart murmur, Dr. Kahn visited pediatric cardiology frequently throughout his childhood. All of the lights and beeping noises piqued his interest. ...

Can one of the hottest treatments to heal the heart be heat itself?  Over the last two decades, I've treated patients with advanced heart disease, and I've seen many innovations in medications, surgeries, and devices. But there is still an enormous toll on quality and quantity of life.  Background on...

You have heard of the Mediterranean, Keto, Vegan, Paleo and MIND diet but have you heard of the Portfolio Diet? It is actually a “diet without being a diet” as it was designed to work with any healthy food choices to lower cholesterol levels by keeping a focus on 4...

Do you add ground flax seeds to your oatmeal, smoothie or on top of your salad? New data says you should and their are additonal health benefits and seeds in general listed below. The newly published data focused on lignans in the diet and heart outcomes. Lignans are polyphenolic substances...

Whether you're a man or a woman, odds are you know someone who is currently battling or has died from prostate cancer. In fact, it's the second most common form of cancer among American men (http://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostatecancer/detailedguide/prostate-cancer-key-statistics). It is estimated there will be about 250,000 new prostate cancer cases in 2021...

After 40 plus years of choosing a plant-based diet and over 31 years of advising patients to do the same, I still get concerned when I see vegans eating a poor diet, as there are a variety of foods that carry the vegan label but are unlikely to promote health....

The endothelium is a miraculous layer that lines the 50-60,000 miles of arteries and veins that course through our bodies. Just one cell layer thin, our endothelium would cover eight tennis courts in area if it were stretched out and weighs as much as our liver. On top of the...

In the industrial world in which we live we can run but we cannot hide from all toxins that can rob us of our health and vitality. However, armed with adequate scientific information, we can avoid many toxins and strive for optimal health. A group of health stealers are the...

Whole Food Plant Meal Plan: Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity  Drink 3-4 liters of filtered water daily before, during, between meals. 1-2 cups organic black coffee in the AM is an option, paper-filtered grounds You can drink 1-3 cups of herbal teas Herbal tea options are burdock, chamomile, Ceylon cinnamon...

Whole Food Plant Meal Plan: Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity Drink 3-4 liters of filtered water daily before, during, between meals. Do not use plastic water bottles. Use glass or stainless steel.    You can drink 1-3 cups of herbal teas with meals of any kind. 1-2 cups organic black...

Over the last decades many people have elected to eat largely or exclusively plant diets successfully. The momentum and interest in plant foods has grown dramatically in the last few years.  Headlines, food industry resources, athletes and actors, and even hospital menus point to a tipping point for diets of...

Over the last decades many people have elected to eat largely or exclusively plant diets successfully. The momentum and interest in plant foods has grown dramatically in the last few years.  Headlines, food industry resources, athletes and actors, and even hospital menus point to a tipping point for diets of...

Do you sign the surgical consent form? The decision to pursue or decline a recommended medical or surgical procedure is one of the most difficult situations faced by patients impacting their short and long-term health. I have discussed these decisions with thousands of patients and their families before invasive cardiac...

The scientific pursuit of understanding aging is robust, and significant amounts of money are being spent on researching strategies to delay or reverse the damage aging creates. I have participated in studies where my entire genome has been sequenced as part of a growing database relating our DNA code to...

Are you suffering from ED? Do you know someone who is? If so, that man needs a complete heart work up with advanced labs and heart imaging like the coronary artery calcium CT scan. You might save a life. But what to do about the ED? Eat better? Yes! Exercise?...

Quercetin and quinoa may be tied for the two toughest words to pronounce in the health world. Unlike quinoa, which is a food, quercetin is found in foods but is not a food itself. It can be pronounced either as “quer-sit-in” or “quer-see-tin”. Focusing on a quercetin rich diet or...

Feel any stress in 2021? We all are. Understanding and coping with stress in healthy ways is the key talent to have. I use Inner Balance by HeartMath, a phone-based program that connects to your earlobe by a clip and gives biofeedback you can learn in minutes. HeartMatch is backed...

Dr. Kahn’s Approach to Men's Sexual Health and Microcirculation   Evaluate: Vascular Risk Factors Top 3 Lifestyle factors: Diet Exercise Sleep Inherited/Family History: Lipoprotein(a) Familial hyperlipidemia MTHFR with homocysteine elevation Lab Measurements: hs-CRP Lp(a) Nt-proBNP hs-CRP “Check their heart health, because erectile dysfunction is the canary in the coal mine.”...

While today’s “to do” list might have completion of a corporate project,  picking up the dry cleaning, and making an evening Pilates class, I suggest you add one more item: taking steps to live long and well. Indeed, the possibility of living longer than our parents without the chronic diseases,...

    The observation that diet and health are related can be traced back at least to Maimonides a 1,000 years ago and Hippocrates over 2,000 years ago. With advances in public health measures and medical care, the average lifespan has been dramatically extended. Unfortunately, many of the extra years...

We owe fitness guru and TV host of The Biggest Loser series, Bob Harper, much gratitude for educating the public about his near-death experience in early 2017 from closure of his “widowmaker” heart artery while exercising. His efforts to highlight his missed warning signs, his recovery in cardiac rehabilitation classes,...

To be a good student of the human body and health, it is important to understand a process in our bodies called inflammation. Although a mouthful of a word, the root is the word flame like a fire that destroys your tissues that comes from the Latin “I ignite ....

As a preventive cardiologist, I work with patients who want to improve their health and lengthen their lives. Many of them have major risk factors for heart disease; others already have full-blown heart disease or have experienced major cardiac events such as heart attack, angina, or bypass surgery. These people...

I was taught in medical school that coronary artery disease (CAD), or the blockages that can choke off blood flow to the heart, progresses from minor “streaks” in youth, to visible plaques young adulthood, and on to complicated plaques and major problems later in life. During my training the arrow...

Your chest slowly begins to tighten up and you feel it in your throat and left shoulder. It is not a pain but a dull and scary pressure. Your breathing heavy and your skin is moist. You feel slightly dizzy and cannot figure out what is happening. It has been...

The Amazing Path From Your Mouth To Your Heart The 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to 3 researchers who identified that Nitric Oxide (NO) is a gas produced by arteries to promote health. The more NO is manufactured, the lower the blood pressure and the cleaner are our...

I see it in their faces in my office.  Concern, worry, even distress.  When they roll on their left side in bed, or when they are sitting quietly reading, or perhaps before a business presentation, they can feel their heart beat stronger, or faster, or with an irregularity or thud...

Trainer Bob Harper had a big following on the TV show The Biggest Loser, where he led obese contestants through a program of eating healthy and working out diligently. Harper appeared very fit which is why the show’s followers were shocked when Harper collapsed at a gym in cardiac arrest...

Many years ago I heard a quote that struck me as profound but until recently I did not know its origins. The quote was “You're the same today as you'll be in five years except for the people you meet and the books you read.” I now know that this wisdom...

In my preventive cardiology practice, the goal is to identify components of altered lifestyles that can be modified to restore health naturally. The big 4 are better sleep, nutrition, stress management, and movement including standing (which I am doing now as I write this). There are many steps to improved...

The observation that diet and health are related can be traced back at least to Maimonides a 1,000 years ago and Hippocrates over 2,000 years ago. With advances in public health measures and medical care, the average lifespan has been dramatically extended. Unfortunately, many of the extra years are burdened...

The wellness movement and its message of health, fcusing on unprocessed food, clean water, upgraded personal care products, regular fitness, meaningful relationships and stress management is as important to men as to women. But men just aren't as well-versed in self-care. The challenge of balancing career and family is not...

I spent at least 50% of my time this week in my preventive cardiology clinic answering one of 2 questions from patients across the USA. The two questions are: 1) Why have I never been told that I could improve my health by changing my diet?” 20 It’s OK I...

Cardiovascular disease (of heart and blood vessels) is still one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States.  What are the risk factors for heart attack or stroke?   In what way can we quantify or measure these risk factors?    What are the testing methods that are...

Every year roughly 610,000 Americans die of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States for both sexes.  Yet research shows little shifts in diet and lifestyle can significantly boost your heart health.  Big bonus: Several require little or no effort. Here are 12 to...

It would seem obvious that examining the health of the approximate 50,000 miles of arteries in the body would provide key information on vascular and overall aging. As Thomas Sydenham, MD said in the 1600’s in England, “a man is as old as his arteries”. This, of course, is true...

Heart failure (HF) is a syndrome of cardiac dysfunction in which the heart can no longer pump enough blood around the body to support its organs and systems. Identified risk factors for HF include conditions that damage the heart, such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, heart attack, chronic alcohol abuse,...

Without a doubt it would be easy to answer the question: what was the top medical story of 2020? Obviously, it was the pandemic. However, there were some major advances in research that focused on cardiology, nutrition, and plant diets. Without diminishing the importance of COVID-19, here are some that...

After 31 plus years of cardiology practice, I can conservatively estimate I have consulted on over 5,000 cases of a common heart ailment, atrial fibrillation (AF). The normal heart beat is called normal sinus rhythm (NSR) which starts 60-100 times a minute in the upper chamber of the heart (right...

Step 4. Do I Need a Heart Catheterization (angiogram)? There are differences of practice If your CACS returns at a very high score (e.g. >1000) even if you have no symptoms. Some cardiologists recommend an invasive cardiac catheterization as described in a recent media article. I have performed cardiac catheterization...

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure is wise counsel. Although not as lofty a goal, early detection of existing heart disease is worth at least half a pound of cure, agreed? Why Get a Heart CT Scan?  The introduction of a simple, inexpensive, and safe screening test...

Do you have a high cholesterol?  Maybe you already know of some form of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) from a prior heart attack, stroke, bypass operation or stent procedure. Most people learn of a high cholesterol from their primary care provider. Often a Rx medication is offered without further...

10 Holiday Gifts I Love!   The holidays are right around the corner and most of us are spending lots of extra hours as home. I experiment with many home or personal use items. Some I love, some I don’t. This is a list of some of my favorites you...

High blood pressure, or hypertension, has earned the name “silent killer.” What Can High Blood Pressure Do? Heart disease, sexual dysfunction, stroke, kidney failure, and aneurysms can all result from elevated blood pressure. And with 1 out of every 3 Americans suffering from this malady, its impact is huge. Of course, there...

Heart disease can strike unexpectedly at any moment causing illness or death. There's nothing pretty about lying in a cardiac care unit bed on a ventilator after a major heart attack, so here's straight talk about a plan to know you are young inside and out and NOT DROPPING DEAD. ...

I spent at least 50% of my time this week in my preventive cardiology clinic answering one of 2 questions from patients across the USA. The first question was “why have I never been told that I could improve my health by changing my diet?” and the second one was...

Understanding heart diseases, particularly the risk of heart attack, strokes, valvular diseases requiring stents or cardiac surgery, is a dynamic field. Heart diseases, particularly coronary heart disease (CHD), remain the #1 risk of disability and death in western countries in both men and women. The traditional risk factors for early...

In medical school nearly 40 years ago I was taught that heart disease is mainly due to smoking, hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol disorders, and a family history of early heart events (Framingham risk factors). Most patients are still evaluated by obtaining information regarding these 5 factors. Missing from this approach are...

Eat your vegetables and fruits, get seven to nine hours of sleep, don’t smoke, walk 30 minutes a day, stand more, stress less, be more mindful. It can be quite an undertaking to arrange and maintain a schedule that promotes health and longevity. And interestingly, the one activity you may not be...

Some people are drawn to the plant-based lifestyle for the impact it makes on protecting the environment and some to avoid harming animals. Most of us hope that we also may derive some health benefits from skipping animal products, even if it is occasionally hard on holidays and travel to...

Odds are you’ve heard about fasting. Defined as “abstinence from eating,” it is something you may have tried now and then. The potential medical benefits have increasingly been substantiated in animal and medical research projects and now extend to boosting brain power. I have been using a form of periodic fasting called...

You’ve decided to avoid animal products and jump into the world of plant-based eating but you’re wondering what your three meals a day and snacks are going to look like. How will you order at restaurants? What do you need to stock up on at home? I’ve discussed this process...

Preventing heart disease in patients is my main goal, but early detection is the next best thing if you cannot totally block its development. Changes in lifestyle and medical therapies can delay or deny the onset of a heart attack and almost 80 percent of heart disease is preventable with...