What’s Hiding in Your Arteries?

It’s been said that it’s what’s on the inside that counts, but that’s especially true in talking about your heart and arteries. New research is helping doctors gain insight into yet another hidden danger of cholesterol, atherosclerosis, which is characterized as swelling, thickening and hardening of the arteries and can lead to heart disease, the number one killer of both men and women in the U.S. We all start with healthy arteries, but over time, they become vulnerable to the damage cholesterol can cause. It is something you cannot see or feel, so knowing your risk factors is key to staying healthy. A recent front-page article in the New York Times helped to explain atherosclerosis and plaque build-up in arteries. Dr. Brian Swirsky helps make sense of these new findings and to offers simple steps to help keep their heart healthy. He explains the link between cholesterol, atherosclerosis and heart disease and what people of all ages can do to control risk factors through healthy eating, exercise and medication. For more information please visit: http://www.goalstandard.comm More about Dr. Brian Swirsky: Dr. Swirsky, FACC, is a cardiologist and an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut as well as an attending physician at Yale-New Haven Hospital. He is also the Co-Director of the Lipid Clinic at St. Raphael Hospital in New Haven and has a private cardiology practice there.