Author: Suzanne B. Robotti

Are you worried about ACE inhibitors and coronavirus? You may be hearing that one of the entry methods for the coronavirus in humans is by attaching to the ACE-2 enzyme. This has raised alarms among those with heart disease who use ACE inhibitors (with names ending in -pril, such as lisinopril), and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs, with names ending in -sartan, such as valsartan). Those having severe cases of COVID-19 are often those with hypertension and either type 1 or Type II diabetes and those patients are often taking ACE-1 inhibitors and ARBs. Both diabetes and these drugs increase…

Can we use a different endocrine disruptor to predict BPA effects, including cardiovascular problems? Maybe so. Many scientists are working to discover the effect of endocrine disruptors such as BPA (bisphenol A) to predict what that effect might be on people. Some studies have raised concern that exposure to endocrine disruptors may be positively linked with cardiovascular disease. Endocrine disruptors essentially confuse the mechanism in human bodies that tells genes when to turn on (e.g., start puberty) and when to turn off (e.g., stop growing hair). Because BPA is ubiquitous in our environment, it is nearly impossible to isolate a…

Is your cholesterol high? Has your doctor suggested you might be at risk for heart disease? If so, you have some decisions to make. You need to know that you can likely improve your health and lower your cholesterol by simple lifestyle changes like exercise and changing your diet. You also will likely have the option of taking a statin. The fact that people have choices in their health care is very important and something we explore at MedShadow, an online nonprofit I founded to inform the public about the side effects, risks and benefits of medicine, both prescription and…