Month: October 2009

Omega-3 is no help for depression in heart patients

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 1 Comment

omega 3 pillDepression can strike up to 65% of heart patients following a cardiac event, yet fewer than 10% are appropriately diagnosed  For those in that 10% group, encouraging research in the past has suggested that taking an omega-3 fish oil supplement along with an anti-depressant drug  may boost the clinical effectiveness of that drug for heart patients suffering from depression. But a new study led by Dr. Robert Carney of Washington University reveals “disappointing” results that failed to show any improvement in symptoms by adding omega-3 to a heart patient’s anti-depressant medications.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in certain types of fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. Although they are believed to have positive cardiovascular effects, they did not help alleviate depression among the heart patients in this study.

Keep in mind, however, that when Dr. Carney expresses his disappointment and his high hopes in future studies for a more positive outcome when adding omega-3 to anti-depressant meds he is speaking as the lead author of a study in which the drug giant GlaxoSmithKline supported his research.  The world’s biggest drug company Pfizer supplied the sertraline (Zoloft), the anti-depressant studied alongside the supplement.  Continue reading “Omega-3 is no help for depression in heart patients” →

What you need to know about your heart medications

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 15 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas  ♥  @HeartSisters

One of the most surprising additions to the daily morning routine since my heart attack has been the fistful of pills that I now take every day.

It can be a confusing mix of medications, each for a different purpose, and each with different benefits and side effects.  Here’s just a sampling of some of the more common cardiac meds that doctors prescribe for heart patients. (Content updated January 4, 2023). Continue reading “What you need to know about your heart medications” →

Do you suffer from ‘kitchen illiteracy’?

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 1 Comment

by Carolyn Thomas  ♥ @HeartSisters

Two of our biggest heart disease risks are diabetes and obesity, and they happen to be two serious health crises in North America.  But according to Civil Eats, the roots of both diet-induced diseases may lie in a rarely publicized but even more pernicious epidemic: kitchen illiteracy.    Continue reading “Do you suffer from ‘kitchen illiteracy’?” →

Women choose between Mount Everest or the couch

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 4 Comments

cat couch

For most people, a calendar is just a place to keep track of your dental appointments and dinner parties.  But ever since I was given the Mayo Clinic calendar called The Road To Better Health, I’ve been spending more time reading the tips around the little appointment boxes than actually writing inside the boxes.

I especially liked the calendar page called “Mount Everest or the Couch”. This section reminds us that reducing our health risks for heart disease is not an all or nothing goal. Yet how many women are ready to head straight to the Häagen-Dazs after falling off the diet wagon, or to stop going to the gym entirely just because they’ve missed a few workouts?  My Mayo Clinic calendar reminds us:

“Your choice of destinations doesn’t have to be climbing Mount Everest or just sitting at home on the couch.”

Continue reading “Women choose between Mount Everest or the couch” →