Health Tips

New evidence points to a Mediterranean diet as the most heart healthy.  Focus on fish, green leafy vegetables , and unsaturated fats like nuts, seeds, avocados, and olive oil.  For weight reduction and to address high blood sugars, eliminate added sugar and simple carbohydrates.  Limit the daily intake of carbs to 100 gm and sugar to 24 gm per day.

NSAIDs - like Advil and Aleve - are commonly used for joint and back pain and offer benefit but often come with serious side effects.  NSAIDs can lead to ulcers, affect kidney function, and raise blood pressure.  Take only as needed and use with a stomach protector like Pepcid, Zantac, Prilosec or Nexium (or generic version). 

Instead, consider trying the herbal medicine  turmeric to help the inflammation.  Some people also get benefit from Glucosamine Chondroitin.

Please consider obtaining a cardiac calcium  CT scan to detect early plaque deposition for patients over 40 with an LDL (bad cholesterol)  over 100.  The test costs around $100 and is much more sensitive for early disease than a stress test, which is only positive after you have developed significant coronary artery disease.

Please email suggested new topics to DrJones@BradleyJonesMD.net