Heart Health

Dear Doctor: I’m 75, healthy, and want to stay that way in spite of a bad family history regarding hearts and arteries. I have taken 10 milligrams of Lipitor for several years, but am wondering if I should try coconut oil to lower my cholesterol. [...]

Dear Doctor: I’ve been taking niacin for years to lower my cholesterol.  Do you think it really helps? First, let’s look at niacin and its role in the body. Niacin is a B vitamin that the body needs to create the [...]

It has been six weeks since my husband, who is 57, had a heart attack, and I’m afraid he’s depressed. His doctors say he’s doing really well but he’s getting more quiet and withdrawn. How can we help him? Dr. Elizabeth Ko and Dr. Eve [...]

Dear Doctors: I've been taking fish oil capsules daily over the last 5 years.  Is there any benefit in doing this? Small studies have shown that fish oil may be linked to a slight reduction in the formation of plaque in [...]

Dear Doctors: Everyone in my partner’s family loves coffee but I’m like the rest of my family  – we can take it or leave it. Is it possible that a love of caffeine is in their genes? [...]

Dear Doctor: If you don't have risk factors for having a heart attack, should you be taking aspirin every day? Let’s consider the risk factors, how aspirin works and the numbers. The risk factors for having a heart attack include diabetes, [...]

Dear Doctors: I read that sugar might be worse for your heart than fat. Should I give up sweets? If you’re one of the millions of Americans with a sweet [...]

The American College of Cardiology recently updated existing blood pressure guidelines based on findings from the 2017 Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT). Previously, guidelines labeled people with a blood pressure reading of 140/90 as high risk. Now, if your reading is 130/80 you are high risk. This [...]

If you’ve been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you know the importance of limiting your salt consumption. Too much sodium can cause excess water build up, causing blood pressure to rise and straining your heart and blood vessels. But despite this warning, a new study found that patients [...]

Mediterranean Diet Pyramid Learn more about Heart Services at UCLA.