A new analysis of nutrition studies voices support for olive oil as a heart-healthy substitute for butter, while urging consumers to avoid coconut and palm oils. A group of doctors and researchers in the U.S. set out to examine the evidence behind a slew of claims, fads, diets and trends related to cardiovascular health. They published their findings in the latest issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Chief among the findings is that oils such as olive and canola are healthier than hard fats like butter and margarine. Extra virgin olive oil is singled out in the analysis as being the smartest heart-healthy choice, given the evidence accumulated in a large number of studies conducted on the food. The evidence base for olive oil is the most comprehensive, with clear evidence for a benet in cardiovascular risk reduction, the scientists said. At the same time, the researchers suggest that weight-conscious consumers might want to use olive oil only in moderation, given that it is high in calories. Coconut and palm oils, by contrast, come in for special concern. The analysis says the purported heart-health benefits of such oils are unsubstantiated and recommends that consumers avoid using … Continue reading →

MATTOON -- Prairie Heart Institute of Illinois Cardiologist Michael LaMonto, DO, has been elected as a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology (FACC) in recognition of his professional achievement and commitment to quality cardiovascular care. Dr. LaMonto is part of the Prairie Heart Institute team of cardiology experts who provides care at Sarah Bush Lincoln. He holds six board certifications including general cardiology, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, internal medicine, emergency medicine, and aerospace medicine. He works with fellow Prairie Heart Institute cardiologists Thomas Cahill, MD, and Amit Dande, MD, FACC, FSCAI and Physician Assistant Allyson Gough, PA-C, to evaluate and treat people with issues ranging from coronary artery disease to rhythm disorders and valve disease. Sarah Bush Lincoln President and CEO Jerry Esker, RPh, said, Dr. LaMonto has been a part of our communitys care team for many years and in different capacities, each time providing excellent medical care to people who seek care here. We couldnt be more pleased that he has achieved this designation in cardiology care because of the positive impact it will have on the cardiac needs of our community members. The FACC designation has a long history of recognizing the top cardiovascular professionals in the … Continue reading →

Fat was the enemy until it was rather abruptly usurped by sugar . Now nuts and whole-milk dairy products are making a comeback, while artificial sweeteners and sugar-laced low-fat snacks and drinks are viewed with a sudden suspicion. If youre experiencing whiplash, youre not alone. There is widespread chaos in the world of nutrition, says Andrew Freeman, the director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver. It seems recommendations swing back and forth all the time. In part, this is because nutrition is a slow and constantly evolving science. Well-designed studies, which ideally include a long duration time, a large sample size, and require participants to stick to a strict diet, are difficult and time-consuming to execute. This lack of clarity is exacerbated by the media, who thrive on highlighting the radical and new at the expense of more nuanced and gradual shifts, and Big Food, which works to influence the language used in federal recommendations and frequently takes advantage of consumer confusion to push new products. Take cholesterol. The latest dietary guidelines from the United States Department of Agriculture, released in 2015, removed the 300-milligram daily limit on cholesterol. Many media outlets jumped on the … Continue reading →

Morton Kern, MD, of VA Long Beach Healthcare System and University of California, Irvine, often engages his colleagues via email in brief, informal dialogue on clinically relevant topics in interventional cardiology. With permission from the participants, TCTMD presents their conversations for the benefit of the interventional cardiology community. Your feedback is welcomefeel free to comment at the bottom of the page. Kirk Garrett, MD (Christiana Care Health System, Newark, DE), asks: I have a question for the group: Im currently have a job opening for an interventionalist. Many of the applicants are fellows graduating this summer who claim to bring structural skills, but many will have had just 1 year of interventional cardiology training. I maintain that competency in structural heart procedures requires a dedicated year, in addition to a year of coronary/peripheral training, and so have not been interviewing these folks. However, the volume of applicants with this background makes me wonder if community standards are changing. Am I being too stern on this? Have others had good experiences with trainees who come out of a 1 year training experience with adequate skills in both structural and routine interventional procedures? Jeffrey W. Moses, MD (Columbia University Medical Center, New … Continue reading →

KIRKLAND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Prevencio, Inc. today announces the publication of data that demonstrates that a simple blood test is substantially more accurate in diagnosis of heart disease than standard diagnostic methods, delivering results in only two hours. Researchers believe the data, published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), could lead to improved diagnosis of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), lower disease and death rates, and lower healthcare costs. In the study, Prevencio researchers and Massachusetts General Hospital developed a clinical and multi-protein blood test, HARTTM CAD, to diagnose a patients likelihood of having clinically significant obstruction of the coronary arteries which could require invasive intervention to possibly prevent a heart attack or death. Lead author and Principal Investigator James L. Januzzi, MD, is a practicing cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Januzzi and a team of researchers tested more than 900 subjects for the presence of obstruction of 70 percent or more in at least one major coronary artery the threshold for medical intervention. A positive result with the new diagnostic test indicated the presence of significant coronary obstruction 90 percent of the time, and also predicted risk of future heart … Continue reading →