Hypertension

DASH Diet

An eating pattern developed specifically to lower blood pressure — one of the best-studied dietary approaches in cardiology, confirmed by multicenter NIH-funded trials.

Metabolic Syndrome

A cluster of five risk factors — from abdominal obesity to elevated triglycerides — that multiplies the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but is largely modifiable through lifestyle change.

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

The most commonly ordered laboratory test in the world — a seemingly simple printout hides information about immunity, oxygen transport, and blood clotting, if you know what to look for.

Mediterranean Diet

The best-studied eating pattern for cardiovascular health and longevity.

Sauna (Thermal Heat Therapy)

Regular sauna use is linked in cohort studies to lower cardiovascular mortality risk — the strongest data comes from Finland.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

The polyunsaturated fatty acids EPA and DHA have one of the strongest evidence bases among cardiometabolic supplements — but the effect depends heavily on baseline blood levels, not just the dose on the label.

TRT and Your Heart — Does Testosterone Therapy Raise Heart Attack Risk?

For a decade, testosterone therapy operated under the shadow of an FDA warning about heart attack risk. The large randomized TRAVERSE trial from 2023 finally gave a clear answer — though not as simple as the headlines suggested. We walk through the whole story, from controversial observational studies to where the evidence stands today.

Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC)

A non-invasive CT scan that directly measures the amount of calcification in the coronary arteries — one of the strongest available predictors of a future heart attack in people without symptoms.

TRT and Blood Pressure — Can Testosterone Therapy Raise It?

In some men, testosterone therapy measurably raises blood pressure — the effect is usually modest but real, and most strongly tied to a rise in hematocrit. That's not a reason to avoid TRT, but it is a parameter worth adding to routine monitoring alongside blood count, lipid panel, and PSA.

August 15, 2026

Sauna and Blood Pressure: What Do RCTs Show, Not Just Observation?

A Finnish cohort links regular sauna use to lower cardiovascular risk — but that's observational data, not an experiment. The newest meta-analysis of randomized trials checks what happens when you actually test heat's effect on blood pressure and other metabolic markers. The result is more measured than it might seem.

August 22, 2026

Vitamin K2 and Bone and Heart Health: What Does the Research Actually Confirm?

Vitamin K2 is often marketed as a supplement that simultaneously strengthens bones and "cleans" arteries of calcification — an attractive, two-part promise that sounds too good not to check against the source material. A meta-analysis of randomized trials does confirm the first part of that promise, but the best-designed, two-year clinical trial on the heart gives an answer that will surprise many — and shows why "the biomarker improved" isn't the same as "the hard clinical endpoint improved."

August 25, 2026

Alcohol and Health: Is There a Safe Dose? What New Research Changed

For decades, "a glass of red wine a day protects the heart" was one of the most repeated, seemingly scientific health recommendations. Classic observational studies really did show that pattern — but a newer research method, one that eliminates a key methodological flaw underlying those studies, gives a fundamentally different answer. This is one of the most instructive examples of how a change in research method can overturn decades of seemingly settled knowledge.

August 25, 2026