Mediterranean Diet: May Reverse Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, a high blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels — that occur together and has been shown to greatly increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.A recent analysis of the PREMIMED trial showed that patients with established metabolic syndrome who adhered to a Mediterranean diet were more likely to reverse their disease. The PRIMIMED study placed patient on either:- Mediterranean diet—one supplemented with about 1 L of extra-virgin olive oil a week, and one supplemented with 30 g/day of wal...
Source: Dr Portnay - October 15, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
Heart Healthy Lifestyle Reduces Risk of MI 86%
Researchers from Sweden recently reported that five lifestyle factors were each independently associated with a lower risk of MI in men.Frequent physical activity (walking or cycling at least 40 minutes per dayMediterranean style diet (fruits, veggies, reduced-fat dairy, whole grains, and fish)Moderate alcohol consumptionNot smoking Waist less than 37.4 inchesWhen all five of these behaviors were adhered too, the risk of MI was reduced by 86% compared with individuals who did not adhere to any of these behaviors. In additionDiet and alcohol cut the risk by 35%Diet, alcohol, and not smoking cut the risk by 64%Diet...
Source: Dr Portnay - October 6, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
High Intake of Fruit and Veggies Linked With Decreased CV Mortality
A new study by Harvard School of Public Health Researches are reporting that there is a dose-response relationship between fruit and veggie intake and decrease in Cardiovascular (CV) mortality.With each additional portion of fruits or veggies there was a ~ 4% reduction in risk of CV death up to five servings. Therefore, five or more servings of fruits and veggies was associated witha 25% risk reduction. Each serving of fruit provided a 5% average reduction in risk and each addition veggie serving was associated with a 4% reduction in risk.So - make sure you eat your fruits and veggies. Remember, these food are an inte...
Source: Dr Portnay - July 31, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
Just Run Baby
A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology states that even 5-10 minutes of running a day can lead to substantial lowering of all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality. Overall, runners gained about 3 years of life over their non-running counterparts and had a 30% lower risk of all-cause and a 45% lower risk of CV mortality. The investigators observed a significant reduction in risk in those that ran less than six miles per week, ran slower than six miles per hour and even among those that ran just 1-2 times per week. This is great news. You can get significant benefits from just ...
Source: Dr Portnay - July 31, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
Sleep apnea and the heart
Many of you who have heard me speak publicly, seen me in the office or read my blog know that I remain very concerned about the effects of sleep apnea on cardiovasacular health. I have written about this before:Could your sleep be hurting your heart?Women, Sleep and Heart Disease Sleep apnea treatment helps your gold gameDo you have sleep apnea?Two new important studies published in the June 12th edition of the New England Journal of Medicine continue to add to the growing body of evidence regarding the danger that sleep apnea poses to cardiovascular health and the importance of weightloss and continuous positive airway pr...
Source: Dr Portnay - June 13, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
Fruit Juice vs Soda - From NPR and Nutrition
I just read a fascinating article on NPR. In this article, NPR reports on a new study published in the journal Nutrition that compares the fructose content of fruit juice to that of common sodas. Some might be surprised to known that there is almost as much fructose in fruit juice as there is in soda. In fact, there is more fructose in Minute Maid 100% Apple Juice than Coke, Pepsi, and Dr Pepper.In this day and age when we are all hopefully trying to live healthier, please understand that just because something is "natural" it is not necessarily healthier. This is especially true for all those parents out there with young ...
Source: Dr Portnay - June 10, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
More good news for the Mediterranean Diet
As many of you know, I'm a big fan of the heart heathy benefits of adhering to a Mediterranean Diet. Now, new research shows that that individuals who adhered to the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin oil had significant regression of the carotid vessel-wall volume compared with those who ate a control diet low in saturated fat.While this does not mean these patients had a reduction in hard clinical events (less heart attacks, strokes...), it does add to the ever growing body of evidence that eating a Mediterranean style diet and frequent exercise are the heart healthiest way to live. http://drport...
Source: Dr Portnay - June 5, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
To Age Well, Walk - NYTimes.com
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Source: Dr Portnay - June 1, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
Get/Stay Fit Month: Tweet from Dr Ted Portnay (@drportnay)
As you can read below, I have dedicated June to be get/stay fit month (#getstayfitmonth). There is no time like the present to start make positive changes in your overall health. Starting to get fit is not easy. It's painful. It takes time. It's uncomfortable. But it's worth it. Staying fit its hard too. It's takes a commitment and persistence to not get lazy and take the easy way out. I know this. I too struggle to get/stay fit. Therefore, all month I will be tweeting my quest to get/stay fit. I welcome you to follow along. I welcome you to share your achievements. Dr Ted Portnay (@drportnay) tweeted a...
Source: Dr Portnay - June 1, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
Follow-up to my earlier blog post
Eating Fruits and Veggies Reduces Stroke RiskResearchers are reporting that after reviewing 20 past studies (this includes more than 760,000 individuals) for every 200 grams of fruit consumed a day, the stoke risk decreased by 32% and for every 200 grams of veggies consumed per day, the risk for stoke dropped by 11%.So as I stated earlier today, please focus on eating a well balanced diet - one filled with lots of fruits and veggies. (Source: Dr Portnay)
Source: Dr Portnay - May 28, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
The Truth About Supplements
There is no proof that they work!There I have said it. It is a fact that many of my patients and friend don't want to hear. However, at this time, there is no clinical randomized, trial results that show any benefit to any of the many supplements that are advertised and written about on the web.Many of my patients have heard me discuss this with them in the past. When I was in medical school and starting my residency, there were many patient taking Vitamin C and Vitamin E. Both of these have been shown not to prevent heart disease. (Vitamin E may actually increase the risk of heart disease). When I was in fellows...
Source: Dr Portnay - May 28, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
Get ready for it... June is #MobileFit Month!
As many of you know, I love fitness and I love gadgets. Therefore, what could be better than a fitness gadgets. This June, iMore and Connectedly will be focusing on apps and accessories to help motive, track and improve your fitness. Read below for more info. The iPhone Blog Get ready for it... June is #MobileFit Month! We're looking forward to making June the month we dedicate to the intersection of technology and fitness. We're going to explore and highlight fitness, diet and health apps for your platform. We're going to explore accessories that he...
Source: Dr Portnay - May 27, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
Please be careful in the snow
After the Blizzard of 2010, I wrote a blog about the dangers of shoveling snow. Please read. http://drportnay.blogspot.com/2010/12/snow-shoveling-and-heart-attacks-is.html?m=1Please be careful tomorrow. We here in the Fairfield County, Connecticut are expected to get frigid temps and a significant snow accumulation. (Source: Dr Portnay)
Source: Dr Portnay - January 2, 2014 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
Great article from NY Times on the benefits of snacking on nuts
well.blogs.nytimes.com Snacking Your Way to Better Health by JANE E. BRODY Dec. 9, 2013 original Jane Brody on health and aging. Nuts to you! No, that's not an insult. It's a recommendation to add nuts to your diet for the sake of your health and longevity. Consistent evidence for the health benefits of nuts has been accumulating since the early 1990s. Frequent nut consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of major chronic diseases, including heart and blood vessel disorders and Type 2 diabetes. The newest and most convincing findings, report...
Source: Dr Portnay - December 10, 2013 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
Why a Brisk Walk Is Better
http://nyti.ms/1caj5TcIf you are walking to improve your health, it's time to stop strolling and pick up the pace, Gretchen Reynolds reports in this week's Phys Ed column. From the New York Times (Source: Dr Portnay)
Source: Dr Portnay - December 4, 2013 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
