Dr Mark L Meyer, MD

A recent NY Times article cited a number of recent long-term studies that linked greater optimism to a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease and other chronic ailments, and to fostering "exceptional longevity."

It's turning out that cannabis may not be the panacea many once had professed it to be. While recreational consumption still appears to have a fairly low level of health risk for the average person, a new study suggests that there's a potential cardiovascular impact for those managing heart disease.

In 2017, Stanford University researchers began a study sponsored by Apple that looked at the effectiveness of cardiac apps installed in the Apple Watch. Last month, those researchers published their paper in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In smaller studies of predominantly overweight young and middle-aged adults, there appear to be benefits for many health conditions. While I am not encouraging or discouraging this form of dieting, there does seem to be something to it, and perhaps the greatest limitation is one’s ability to stick to it.

One of the least mentioned factors that can contribute to heart disease is sleep. There are several risk factors that people can’t control such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, and family history.