docmcquaid.com - a medblog about vascular health

Advanced Blood Testing

emcquaid — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:55:49 +0000

More than half of Americans suffer from one or more chronic diseases. Each year millions of people are diagnosed with chronic disease, and millions more die from their condition. By our calculations, the most common chronic diseases are costing the economy more than $1 trillion annually— and that figure threatens to reach $6 trillion by [...]

High Vitamin D Linked to 50% Lower Crohn’s Risk in Women

emcquaid — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 17:26:24 +0000

I think we all know our North American diet is insufficient for the needs of a well and healthy body. There is study after study showing that vitamin deficiencies can be linked to various types of dis-ease and forms of disease. Many patients are deficient in Omega-3 essential fatty acids and most of [...]

Acid vs. Alkaline Foods Chart

emcquaid — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:39:34 +0000

The human body is a delicately balanced machine. As with many other health indicators, human blood pH should be slightly alkaline (7.35 – 7.45). Below or above this range will manifest symptoms and disease. A pH of 7.0 is neutral, pH below 7.0 is acidic and pH above 7.0 is alkaline. An acidic body pH [...]

A List of Bad Fats

emcquaid — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 22:41:56 +0000

This article from Harvard School of Public Health breaks bad fat into two categories: Bad and Very Bad. The message is clear: choose good fats over bad whenever possible. You’ll live longer, be healthier and have a much lower chance of seeing a specialist like me. excerpts from the article: Most people don’t get enough [...]

A List of Good Fats

emcquaid — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:28:53 +0000

I pinched this list of good dietary fats from Zach Smith’s great article at shapefit.com. Check out the entire article for full explanations on each item and why they are good to inlcude in a healthy, well-rounded diet. I left the great explanation on coconut oil to show you what you can expect if you [...]

Dermatitis and Skin Problems

emcquaid — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:35:56 +0000

Flaky dermatitis on the legs can be caused by many different problems. I frequently see this associated with varicose veins. This leads to venous hypertension and poor oxygenation of the tissue and skin, resulting in discoloration and dermatitis. Diagnosis is easy with examination and simple ultrasound, both done in my Frisco, TX office. If I [...]

North Texas Vascular: Our Procedures and Services

emcquaid — Sat, 22 May 2010 13:21:57 +0000

Many people have vein problems and may not even know it. Large bulging veins are certainly dangerous and should be treated, but sometimes relatively small abnormalities like spider veins or even skin problems and dermatitis on the legs can be signs of underlying vascular problems. Symptoms such as tiredness, aching legs, heaviness, pain, swelling, redness, [...]

Flaxseed Oil May be Linked to Better Cancer Outcomes… in chickens.

emcquaid — Wed, 12 May 2010 20:04:53 +0000

An article from Science Daily chronicles the studies of University of Illinois researchers: Flaxseed-Fed Chickens Shed Light on Ovarian Cancer Flaxseed is rich in alpha-linolenic acid, one type of omega-3 fatty acid. In a previous post, I pointed out that sometimes we are so focused on reducing fats in our diets that we end [...]

A Women’s Guide to Heart Disease and Stroke

emcquaid — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:12:49 +0000

Until recently, cardiovascular disease was considered a “man’s disease.” Virtually all major studies on heart disease and stroke recruited men as participants and reported their findings based on disease in men. Unfortunately, heart disease recommendations were made in both men and women based on this limited information. As a result, heart disease and stroke was [...]

Low-carb diets linked to atherosclerosis and impaired blood vessel growth

docmcquaid — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:40:25 +0000

Harvard researchers have found a link between low-carb diets and a decrease of endothelial or vascular progenitor cells (EPC) production in mice. Low EPC counts in humans have been linked to atherosclerosis, or arterial plaque buildup, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes mellitus. EPC are critical for the natural function of the epithelium, the interior lining of [...]