Understanding Blood Pressure – Do We Really Need Risky Blood Pressure Meds?

High blood pressure is not an instant death sentence. The goal of maintaining blood pressure levels at or near 140/80 (or more recently, 115/75) is based on hype, not science. These numbers are designed to sell drugs by converting healthy people into patients. Rising blood pressure is a normal process of aging and does not [...]

Heart Health Myths Dispelled

Many commonly held beliefs about heart health are actually myths. With all the concern and information available, sometimes the facts can get muddled and misunderstandings can arise. Well-meaning internet stories have also created some myths about risk, prevention, and presentation of Cardiovascular Disease or CVD. This article will address some of the most common myths [...]

Natural Therapies for Atrial Fibrillation

One of the most common statements that I hear from patients is “I don’t want to take drugs, what are my alternatives? Are there any ways to treat atrial fibrillation naturally?” I do live in a state where there is a tremendous interest in natural therapies. Numerous herbal and nonherbal supplement companies are based in [...]

Cholesterol Myths – Interview With Carolyn Dean, MD, ND

#1. Is cholesterol bad? HDL Cholesterol is good. It’s the building block for all our hormones, Vitamin D and bile acids. It coats all the cells in the body with a fatty membrane, which is especially important for the fatty coating of neurons in the brain. It transports fat soluble vitamins A,D,E,K. LDL cholesterol is [...]

Atrial Fibrillation and the Cause of Falling

W.Gifford-Jones, M.D. I lost track of the number of times I was called by hospital emergency to tell me my elderly mother had fallen again. Now, a study shows that atrial fibrillation, referred to as A Fib, an irregular heart rate, is often the cause of falling. I wish I had known then what I [...]

Magnesium – An Insurance Policy for Your Heart

By W. Gifford-Jones, M.D. In 1979, Dr. David Chipperfield reported a finding in the British Medical Journal, Lancet. He had discovered that patients suffering from angina pain had low blood levels of magnesium. Equally important, Chipperfield found that by prescribing this mineral, often referred to as “nature’s natural dilator,” the spasm of the coronary artery [...]

Magnesium’s Effects on Cholesterol

Recently, one of my patients came into my office with some interesting news. Most of her life she had been plagued with high cholesterol that was difficult to treat. She had recently had some blood work done and her cholesterol level was within two points of the normal range. She said that the only thing [...]

Magnesium and Heart Health – A Cardiologist’s Perspective

Dr. Chauncey Randall, cardiologist and author of “The Simple Heart Cure: The 90-Day Program to Stop and Reverse Heart Disease says, “Heart disease is not a normal part of the aging process. Heart disease can be reversed if done properly, but you can also enhance the effect of healthy eating habits, and especially help to [...]

Magnesium and Heart Failure Prevention

It’s absolutely no coincidence that the most magnesium in the body is concentrated in the left ventricle of the heart. Why is this so important? Nearly 5 million Americans are currently living with congestive heart failure (CHF). Approximately 550,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Almost 1.4 million persons with CHF are [...]

Magnesium Deficiency – Predicting Heart Disease

Can Magnesium Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease by 50%? Magnesium is required for proper electrical signaling within the heart muscle and helps stabilize a normal rhythm. Deficiency of the mineral has been shown to increase arterial stiffness, spiking blood pressure and increasing the work load of the heart, directly impacting cardiovascular health and mortality. [...]