Hyperinsulinemia

Hyperinsulinemia means high insulin levels. Persistent high insulin leads to conditions like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. The good news is there is something you can do about it. What is Insulin? Insulin is the primary hormone for fuel storage in the body. After eating,  macronutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are broken down into easily…

Intermittent Fasting and Heart Attacks

What Happens In a Heart Attack? In a heart attack, a blockage forms in the blood vessels supplying the heart.  Heart muscles die if deprived of blood supply. In the emergency room, priority is given to heart attack patients. Blood flow should be restored right away. One way is with an injectable “clot-buster” drug to…

Hair Loss and Heart Attacks

Hair loss can be a sign of a future heart attack. Hair loss affects 50 million men and women in the U.S. The most common pattern is Androgenic Alopecia (AGA). For this article, androgenic alopecia will be referred to as hair loss. Patterns of hair loss differ between men and women. In Male Pattern Hair…

Periodontal Disease and Metabolic Syndrome

  Loose teeth may be periodontitis, and they may have Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). Conversely, if someone has poorly controlled diabetes, they may have periodontitis. Periodontal disease is a disease of the mouth caused by germs that weakens the attachment of the tooth to the gums that ultimately leads to loss of teeth. Signs and symptoms…

How Does Exercise Prolong Life?

  There is a dose-response relationship between physical activity and length of life. The more and vigorous the movement, the longer the life. That was the topic of Physical Activity Correlates with Life Span. The more powerful the movement, the longer the life. So how does the body do that? How can movement and exercise make…

What is the Goal of Diabetes Treatment?

Is it to lower blood sugar?  It is just plain “common sense,”  right? The pervading logic of Type 2 diabetes treatment is that since it is an issue of high blood sugar, then the lower the blood sugar, the better is the patient. But is that all? Is there a higher purpose as to why…

Health Benefits of Weight Training

What Is Resistance Training? Resistance training is muscle contraction against an external force. Weight training using barbells, weight machines, and bodyweight exercises are all resistance exercises. For this article, we will focus on barbell training and the effect on the different organ systems.  Central Nervous System – The Brain Improves cognition and strength.  High‐intensity progressive…

Inflammation: Dolor, Tumor, Rubor, and Calor

Dolor, rubor, tumor, and calor are Latin names for pain, redness, swelling, and warmth respectively. All of them are found in inflammation on the body surface. External Inflammation If a hot liquid spills on your skin.  Inflammation follows with some four-letter expletives. A first-degree burn is when the skin surface gets red. A second-degree burn is…

LDL: “Bad Cholesterol” is Not All Bad.

LDL, the so-called “Bad Cholesterol” is not really cholesterol. LDL stands for Low-Density Lipoprotein. Role of Lipoproteins Whenever we eat fat or oil in our meal, they have to be transported with the blood.  But blood is similar to water, and we know that water and oil do not mix. To be transported, the fat…

The Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a group of conditions that include high blood pressure, obesity, high blood sugar, and low HDL and high triglycerides.  The combination of the separate components of MetS has been associated with strokes, heart attacks, gout, fatty liver, and Type 2 Diabetes. Having One Component of Metabolic Syndrome Makes it Likely That…