Women at greater risk for side effects when taking statin drugs for cholesterol

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 24 Comments

by Carolyn Thomas  ♥ @HeartSisters

Statins are the largest selling class of prescription drugs on earth, and account for over 40% of all heart  medications. Lipitor, for example, at over $26 billion in global sales, was the world’s biggest selling drug, manufactured by the world’s biggest drug company, Pfizer.

Because of their effectiveness in managing cholesterol levels, statins are often prescribed to lower total cholesterol in the belief that lower numbers will mean fewer heart attacks. Most people who are prescribed statins are healthy people who don’t have heart disease but who simply have high cholesterol. They will take these drugs for the rest of their lives, making statins a dream drug for the pharmaceutical companies that make them. Continue reading “Women at greater risk for side effects when taking statin drugs for cholesterol” →

In praise of slowness: how ‘la dolce vita’ can help our heart health

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 3 Comments

slowness coverby Carolyn Thomas  ♥ @HeartSisters

When I worked in corporate PR, I was on a plane at least two mornings most weeks, flying off to Very Important Meetings with Very Important People to discuss my Very Important Projects. At the airport book store one day, I picked up what I thought would be just the perfect thing for somebody as busy as I was:  one of those ‘Ten Best Business Books Condensed on Tape’. What a great idea! I could save time while cramming all this Important Business Savvy into my overstuffed brain while driving to the airport and back each week!  But something hit me, somewhere between Total Quality Management and Seven Habits:

“This is exactly what’s wrong with my life!” 

I realized that I was so busy that I no longer felt able to enjoy settling in with a good book anymore. Even reading – my great love – had turned into just another item on an overloaded To Do list.

I was a heart attack waiting to happen.  Continue reading “In praise of slowness: how ‘la dolce vita’ can help our heart health” →

10 baby steps to improve women’s heart health

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 4 Comments

baby steps sand

Did you know that up to 80% of heart disease is entirely preventable?  Most of us know the basics of that prevention – healthy diet, more exercise, not smoking – but when you start thinking of how many big changes that might mean, it can look like a pretty daunting lifestyle makeover all at once.

The first change should be a baby step. You’re more likely to succeed by making small changes, according to Dr. Catherine Champagne, professor of research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System.

“If you totally overhaul your diet or start an ambitious exercise program, you’re less likely to stick with it.”

Start small, go slow, and before you know it, those baby steps will start adding up to better cardiovascular health. Micro-improvements do more than chip away at a larger objective — they accomplish plenty on their own. Some of these are cumulative; do several and you’ll see an even bigger benefit.  Here are 10 baby steps to get you started:   Continue reading “10 baby steps to improve women’s heart health” →

My favourite recipes for heart-healthy slow cooker dinners

~ Carolyn Thomas ~ 7 Comments

slow cooker soup

Can you feel it?  The days are getting shorter, the leaves tinged with red, nippy early morning walks with the gloves on!  Cold weather is here, and that means hot, bubbly dinners cooking away all day in the slow cooker. If you haven’t discovered slow cookers yet ( …where have you been?) here are some fabulous recipes from Heart Healthy Living. 

These recipes include Classic French Dip (low fat and low cholesterol lean beef served on whole wheat baguettes), Sesame Ginger Turkey (only 222 calories per serving) and Chili Bean Stuffed Peppers (a vegetarian dish with only six heart-healthy ingredients that takes about half an hour to prep plus a whole day of bubbling away in the slow cooker while you are busy not thinking about dinner).

Throw together a crisp salad – and maybe my heart-smart chocolate fudge brownies for dessert – and you have an easy, delicious and healthy meal.

Want more heart-smart hits? Check out my other favourite heart-healthy recipes for:

Do you have a favourite heart-healthy slow cooker recipe to share?