Venu G Jasti M.D.

The New England Journal of Medicine recently published research linking height and coronary artery disease through the study of genetics. Doctors have known since the 1950s about the link between short stature and coronary artery disease, “but the reason behind this really hasn’t been completely...

A recent CDC report shows that many of the foods used in restaurants and foods sold in grocery stores have the potential to increase sodium levels in the body when consumed. Breads and rolls were noted to be the most important culprits among the variety of foods that do this. Some foods that...

Experts are of the opinion that phytosterols improve the body’s ability to lower cholesterol levels. Like other cholesterol-lowering foods, including salmon and oats, phytosterols are supposed to lower the levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol, LDL. Phytosterols, or plant sterols and stanol esters, are...

What is cholesterol?Cholesterol is primarily produced in the liver, which makes approximately 1,000 milligrams of cholesterol per day. However, it can also be produced by the cells lining the small intestines and also by each cell present in the body. Abnormally low cholesterol levels would mean...

Atrial fibrillation refers to irregular heart rhythm with rapid heartbeat that affect the blood flow in the body.  In this condition, the irregular heartbeat starts in the upper chambers of the heart, the atria. The irregularity in the heart beat results from the problem in the electrical system of...

What is muscular dystrophy?Muscular dystrophy is a group of disorders that cause skeletal muscle degeneration, decreased flexibility, and progressive weakness. In muscular dystrophy, the abnormal mutation of genes interferes with the production of proteins, which are needed for healthy muscle...