The incidence of metabolic disease and the number of obese patients in the US is growing at an alarming rate. While the Western diet and lack of exercise may be to blame for some, there are complex biological processes that underlie the progression of obesity in all cases. The Three Kinds of Adipose Tissue Fat, also referred to as adipose tissue, is responsible for the increased storage... Read More
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a term that encompasses multiple heart and blood-vessel-related maladies. The CDC reports that it is the leading cause of death amongst both men and women in the US each year, with roughly 800,000 deaths estimated by the American Heart Association in 2018. Review of lipoproteins Lipoproteins are lipid-protein complexes that contain a hydrophilic outer shell and an inner hydrophobic core. Both low-density lipoproteins... Read More
February marks American Heart Month — a campaign aimed at educating citizens about the importance of cardiovascular health. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is encouraging visitors to their website to adopt heart-healthy behaviors through increasing exercise, as well as positive diet and lifestyle changes. Why Heart Month? Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death amongst both men and women in the U.S. each... Read More
HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, or Statins, are a class of lipid-lowering medications prescribed to reduce the risk of developing heart disease. First introduced to the market in 1987, statins are one of the most commonly prescribed medications today with around 40 million users in the US alone annually1,2. However, new studies have questioned whether statins are over-prescribed and if they are causing more harm to certain patients than... Read More
April 17, 2002 was a day of record breaking heat in New York State. The day is very clear in my mind for several reasons; it was my last birthday in my 20s, I had just bought my first house (and was taking the week to paint as I had not planned on the heat), and my niece was rushed to the hospital after an episode of... Read More