So-called “sugary drinks” generally refer to beverages containing added sugars (sucrose, corn syrup, juice concentrates or other sweeteners) such as soft drinks, fruit punches, energy drinks or even sports drinks. These beverages are the main source of simple sugar in the diet of North Americans and a significant proportion of calories consumed daily, especially among teenagers…
Marked decline in youth smoking rates (contrary to what the headlines say)
In recent years, there has been much mention of the marked increase in the use of e-cigarettes by young people, a trend that has recently increased with the arrival of Juul. The often alarmist tone that accompanies the reports of these studies suggests that vaping currently reaches “epidemic” proportions and poses a serious threat to…
Stroke: What you need to know
What is a stroke? A stroke is a medical emergency. It is similar to a heart attack for the brain. It occurs when the flow of blood to the brain is interrupted, resulting in oxygen starvation to the brain cells which can no longer perform their task whether it is memory, vision or muscle control.…
An Increase in Cardiovascular Disease on the Horizon?
The dramatic decrease in mortality from cardiovascular disease between 1970 and 2010 is one of the greatest successes of modern medicine. In several industrialized countries (particularly North America, Western Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand), the mortality rate fell by about 70% during this period, so that in some countries (notably Canada), cardiovascular disease is no…
Gene Therapy for Heart Failure
The use of gene therapy for heart failure is currently being investigated. Heart failure is a major public concern which affects an estimated 1% of the Western world, including over 5 million Americans with over half a million new cases each year. The current medical treatment of heart failure includes proven beneficial medicine such as…
How long should I take my Plavix after stenting?
How long should I take my Plavix after coronary stent is a frequent and debatable question facing our field of interventional cardiology. Background Coronary artery disease is a progressive condition that is a result of atherosclerosis. From damage of the inner layer of the artery, lipid or fat accumulates in the wall and leads…
Signs Of A Heart Attack – Explained By A Cardiologist
What Are The Signs of A Heart Attack? Signs of a heart attack range from the most classic sign of feeling liken an elephant is sitting on your chest with sweating and arm and jaw pain to less classical signs of a heart attack such as back pain, jaw pain, neck pain, nausea, shortness of breath,…
Enlarged Heart – Explained By A Cardiologist
What is Enlarged Heart? Enlarged heart refers to enlargement of either the heart chamber size or the heart muscle size in a process known as hypertrophy. Often this enlarged heart occurs as a response to stresses faced within the heart and although initially may be a form of compensatory response it often ultimately turns out to…
Heart Murmur – Explained By A Cardiologist
What is a Heart Murmur? A heart murmur is a sound that is picked up when listening to the heart with a stethoscope. In general heart murmurs are felt to represent possible underlying issues with heart valves. The sound of a heart murmur itself is related to patterns of blood flow through the heart and related…
Why Women’s Hearts are Different
Please visit our additional articles to learn more about Broken Heart Syndrome (Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy): Can You Die from a Broken Heart? Broken Heart Syndrome
