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The SCVC Blog

Cardiovascular care news and articles from our expert team

Dietary Fats: From Villain to Vital Nutrient – Rethinking Fat in a Heart-Healthy Diet

Dietary fats have been wrongly maligned for much of modern nutritional history. But as the science evolves, it's clear that fat – far from being harmful – is a vital macronutrient that supports energy metabolism, hormonal health, brain and heart function, and even weight control.Rather than fearing fat, we should focus on:Avoiding refined carbohydrates and ultra-processed foods. Prioritising whole food sources of fat, including nuts, seeds, dairy, eggs, fish, and healthy oils. Understanding individual needs, especially in those with insulin resistance or carbohydrate sensitivity. Viewing nutrition in context, rather than isolating single nutrients as heroes or villains.The time has come to move beyond fat-phobia and embrace a more nuanced, evidence-based approach to eating. In a balanced, whole-food diet, fat is not the problem — it’s part of the solution.

How a daily junior aspirin can save millions of lives

Aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid, is one of the oldest and most widely used medications in the world. Well known for its analgesic effects, it was later discovered to be effective in much smaller doses in preventing platelet aggregation that had a pivotal role in arterial thrombosis. Its  role in inhibiting platelet activity has made it a cornerstone in the prevention and treatment of arterial thrombosis. In this article, we will explore the fascinating role of platelets in acute coronary thrombosis, the mechanisms by which aspirin exerts its protective effects, and the clinical considerations for its use.

So what does determine your LDL (‘bad’) Cholesterol?

Statins are a mind boggling biological 'ruse'. When this medication is taken orally, it causes liver cells to become deficient in essential cholesterol, so they respond by increasing the number of cell surface LDL receptors, thereby enhancing their capacity to extract LDL particles from the blood, significantly lowering circulating LDL levels. Statins remain the most effective and well-known way that doctors can lower LDL levels to prevent or treat coronary heart disease.

LAD-Stenosis

Is coronary artery calcification good or bad?

Recognition that significant coronary artery disease exists without calcification led to the wider user of contrast-enhanced CT scans to detect both calcified and noncalcified plaques. Even more advanced scans identify not only the non calcified plaques, but also areas of inflammation (using data processing to measure FAI), that a non-contrast CT (such as a CAC scan) would otherwise miss. Sequential CAC to follow up disease progression quickly established that an increase in CAC with age was inevitable in most patients and not linked to clinical course, so is not widely practiced.