Issue Date: May 4, 2008
Do you know about these heart risks?
Sugar is more dangerous than cholesterol.
|
Think you know how to minimize your risk of deadly heart disease? Think again: The usual suspects (smoking, hypertension, cholesterol) don't tell the whole story.
Here are three surprising risks that you -- and your doctor -- might not know about, says cardiologist Stephen T. Sinatra, co-author of "Reverse Heart Disease Now."
SUGAR. "Most people think of high cholesterol as the main culprit, but sugar blows cholesterol out of the water," Sinatra says. Sugar inflames blood vessels, which leads to clotting, pre-diabetic insulin resistance, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity, he says. Tips: Avoid high-glycemic foods. Maintain a trim waist size (he suggests less than 38 inches for men, less than 32 inches for women). Eat a high-fiber diet.
FATS. They're in three groups: the good (mono and polyunsaturated), the bad (saturated) and the enemy (trans fats). Tips: Read food labels. Include good fats (wild Alaskan salmon, walnuts) as 30% of your daily calories. Eliminate trans fats.
TOXIC BLOOD. Blood-thickening elements that age you inside and out are a "very significant cardiovascular risk factor, especially for women, even if cholesterol is normal," Sinatra says. Tip: Ask your doctor to check your blood for elevated homocysteine, lipoprotein (a), C-reactive protein, fibrinogen and ferritin.
-- Susan T. Lennon
|
