Dr. Chet’s Health Memos
If it’s in the health news today, I’ll be writing about it as soon as I read the research, both old and new. With my email Health Memos, you’ll know more about making lifestyle choices that will help you get and keep good health. These free, concise updates on health are emailed to subscribers twice a week. Subscribe today and get a free MP3, in English or Spanish, of Dr. Chet’s Top Ten Tips—Small Changes for a Healthier Life.
Research Update on Vaping
Tin, aluminum, lead, and zinc: those are the metals that were found in the aerosol generated by various e-cigarette devices in a recently published study. Sounds like exactly what you want to inhale deep into your lungs, right? Researchers in Maryland recruited volunteer vapers to test the liquid in the tank, the aerosol, and the […]
Do Calcium Supplements Harm Your Heart?
Over the past few years, concern has grown about the relationship between heart disease and calcium intake. A couple of studies have shown a possible association between calcium intake and cardiovascular disease. In an article also published this month in the Journal of Women’s Health (1), two clinicians reported on a number of studies including […]
Treating a Woman’s Heart Disease
The paper I’ve been using as a primary source for this week’s Memos is titled “Sex Differences in Ischemic Heart Disease. Advances, Obstacles, and Next Steps”; the purpose of this paper is to provide the current state of the science to clinicians when it comes to preventing and treating heart disease in women. A team […]
Emerging CVD Risk Factors for Women
The paper I referred to in Tuesday’s Memo provided a list of emerging risk factors for heart disease that apply only to women. But first, I wanted to define exactly what a risk factor is and what it means. As defined by the World Health Organization, a risk factor is any attribute, characteristic, or exposure […]
It’s American Heart Month
February was declared American Heart Month by President Lyndon Johnson in December 1963. As I’m searching the recent research in preparing to update the Women’s Heart Health audio, I’ve found new research on women’s hearts. I’m not ignoring men, but the research on women has lagged behind what we know about the risk of heart […]
What Happens Inside When You Quit Drinking?
Beer, wine, hard cider, whiskey, vodka, bourbon—that’s a partial list of alcohol-based drinks we consume. The amount of alcohol that’s recommended is no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. Many people exceed that amount on a regular basis. While alcohol, especially wine, has some reported health […]
What Happens if You Give Up Salt?
The next category of foods that you could give up for Lent is salt and sodium. Why do I mention both? Because they’re not exactly the same thing. Salt is sodium-chloride, a one to one proportion of sodium and chloride; sodium is just sodium. The typical American takes in over three grams or 3,000 mg […]
Happy Fat Tuesday!
Today is Mardi Gras—in case anyone doesn’t know, Fat Tuesday is the literal meaning of the French term. It’s the final celebration before the period of Lent that culminates in Easter Sunday. Many Christians use this time to give up something they enjoy as a sacrifice. The idea is to reflect and focus on our […]
How New and Expectant Mothers Can Be Healthier
Complicated issues require complex solutions and the rise in maternal mortality rate (MMR) is complicated. Public healthcare policy and access to quality pre- and post-natal care is not directly in our hands; legislative public heath policies take time and not everyone agrees on what should be done. But a mother’s health is in her hands […]
Why Is the MMR Rising?
Based on the trends of the past 15 years, the maternal mortality rate (MMR) is increasing. There doesn’t seem to be any single cause that can be identified as “the” reason. Having looked at the research, I think there are three categories that contribute to the increase in MMR. Access to prenatal and postnatal healthcare […]
