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Cycling Wed General Medicine Healthy Living inflammation

CW: Really good news about the safety of statin drugs

There was important news this month on statin drugs. As one of the world’s most effective and commonly used medications, statins provide great writing topics. Lots of people have high cholesterol–including cyclists. Lots of people are interested in avoiding our mostly deadly disease. I’d like to tell you about a recently-published (Lancet) landmark study that […]

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Cycling Wed

Cycling Wed on leave this week

I’ll have to take a break this week. Most of the blood in my writing centers is being diverted to the digestion of AHA material. It was a great meeting. One in which I learned a lot, presented our own research and met some European colleagues. There was not a lot to like–except flying home […]

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Atrial fibrillation Cycling Wed Healthy Living

CW: You have a ticket…Enjoy the show

I want to apologize in advance. I did something this week that induced my goofy neurons to run amok. I took a day off and went to the movies with my wife and son. (Yes, the iPhone stayed in the car.) We saw MoneyBall. It’s a beautiful Sports Life story. You should go see it […]

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Cycling Wed Exercise Nutrition

CW: Does a doctor’s weight and fitness matter?

There was a very controversial presentation made at a recent meeting of heart doctors in Canada. I’ve been stewing about what to say about it for a week. The title speaks to its inflammation: Fat, unfit, unmotivated: Cardiologist, heal thyself The presenter that made the stir, pediatric cardiologist, and IronPerson, Dr Brian McCrindle (Toronto) argued […]

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Cycling Wed Healthy Living inflammation

CW: Believing the future will be better…is heart-healthy?

An athletic lifestyle offers many health benefits. This is hardly news. Exercise, attention to good eating and getting adequate rest makes everything better: lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, higher heart rate turbulence and better survival in the event of heart attack and Cancer, just to name a few. The list of positives approaches infinity. […]

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Cycling Wed General Medicine Healthy Living

CW: If good nutrients are delivered in pill form, are they still good?

Vitamins were in the news this week. It turns out that older woman (in the Iowa women’s study) who reported taking vitamins had a slightly higher chance of dying. The authors concluded: “In older women, several commonly used dietary vitamin and mineral supplements may be associated with increased total mortality risk; this association is strongest […]

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Cycling Wed Healthy Living

CW: Success through less?

One of the best things about writing a blog is when life provides Eureka moments. I read an essay this weekend that literally jolted the blogger in me. If you are an athlete seeking a pinnacle; (That about covers all of us.) Or a doctor striving to be the best that you can be–for humanity; […]

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Cycling Wed Cyclocross Healthy Living

CW: More on taking tests

The decision to write about exercise-related topics on Wednesdays wasn’t a coincidence. Across the globe, for cyclists’ with jobs, Wednesdays are frequently the training day. It’s that way here. So it is that I often write a Wednesday post immediately after what you could call a robust ride. Some say spirited, or heavy. You get […]

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Cycling Wed Exercise Health Care Reform Healthy Living

CW: Can Government Prevent a Million Heart Attacks?

Imagine if there was an emerging epidemic of slow cyclists. It wasn’t always like this. Despite their lack of feather-light bikes, carbon-soled shoes, wind-cheating lycra, people used to go really fast on their bikes. Are you still imagining? Imagine if people spent more money on “things” that might make them faster: they buy better equipment, […]

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Cycling Wed Healthy Living inflammation

CW: Is the Ironman triathlon heart-healthy?

Before I even start, let me say this to my triathlete friends… I really like you all. And…I am sorry for how I feel about your sport’s pinnacle, the Ironman triathlon. But I was poked into writing this post. When asked the question of whether the Ironman is safe for the middle-aged heart, what was […]

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Cycling Wed Healthy Living inflammation

CW: The feeling human heart

How could it have happened? He was strong; do you remember how he could get uphill? He was fit; can you ever recall seeing him out of shape? His blood pressure was perfect, low even. He bragged about his exemplary cholesterol levels. He was lean and mean. Wait a minute…what was that about being mean? […]