Billion Dollar Industry Over Treating Patients: oWith doctors doing about 400,000 bypass surgeries and 1 million angioplasties a year -- part of a heart-surgery industry worth an estimated $100 billion a year -- the question of whether these operations are overused has enormous medical and economic implications.
oHarvard's Dr.
Laham suggests that as many as 400,000 of the angioplasties done in the U.
S.
each year may be medically unwarranted.
"I'm sure we are way overtreating our patients.
" Good Guidelines: A study done by the Medical University of South Carolina in 2007 on people ages 45 to 64 - 4 key habits to reduce the risk of heart disease by 35 Percent and the risk of death by 40 percent: 1.
Eat five or more servings of fruits and veggies each day 2.
Exercise for 2 ½ hours per week 3.
Don't smoke 4.
maintain a healthy weight (None of the 4 can be omitted to achieve the results) Much Better Guidelines: oCholesterol is a major culprit oAll animal products have cholesterol and surprisingly reside in the leaner parts of the meat.
oNo Cholesterol in Veggies oOne single egg has 213 milligrams of cholesterol the most concentrated cholesterol of any food.
oThe recommended 200 mg/dl of cholesterol is too high our goal should be 150 mg/dl.
There is considerable less risk the lower your cholesterol goes down to 150.
No apparent benefit lower then 150.
oOne study shows that your risk of dying doubles if your Cholesterol level is any where from 180 to 200 mg/dl and the risk continues to increases sharply as it goes past 240 mg/dl oTriglycerides should be less then 200 mg/dl and ideally about 100 mg/dl oCholesterol is about 2.
5% higher in the winter months and is also raised during pregnancy and during an infection oSugars like fructose (which are in most fruits) significantly raises Chol and Trigl, and when eating a high fat diet combined synergistically drives both up even more.
oAvoid fruit, fruit juice and other simple sugars if your Triglycerides are above 150 mg/dl Other major risks easily avoidable: - Blood pressure - Excess weight - Diabetes (both type 1 and type 2 heighten your risk) - Smoking - Sedentary lifestyle - Family history Other risks - Chronic stress - avoid being impatient and bossy - Your age - men 45 and older Women 55 and older - Your Gender - Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the US Fat is a major culprit: oSaturated fats stimulate your liver to make more cholesterol.
oAvoid large amounts of all fats oNOT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE - Just as much fat and cholesterol in chicken as beef.
Beef 29% of its calories come from fat and Skinless White Chicken is 23%.
Salmon 50% fat.