Local cardiologist has new website- NutritionHeart.com

Dr. Roehm’s practical nutrition advice on the internet is very different from a flippant cardiologist speaker I once heard. That speaker was asked about whether to start with diet before pills; he remarked: “I personally start by writing a prescription that costs a lot. When they return, they seem very interested in my discussion about behavior changes that they could make to eventually get off those expensive meds!” Let’s have that discussion now. Better yet, stop reading this article and type in NutritionHeart.com; then sit back and watch some entertaining videos that will teach you some things.

You will learn about diets that have proven to lower heart attacks and overall death rates. In the process you will find out about different type of studies. So the next time your buddy reads some headline in an ad or even in the news like: “95% of people who take vitamins are healthy”, you will know what to ask. Was that an observational study? (duh, people who already are health conscious are more likely to turn to vitamins, and anyway, the majority of people are “healthy” by many definitions). Or you might ask if two groups of similar people were randomized to take vitamins or not.


There is actually a study where they randomized similar groups of people to either go on a diet very similar to that of Crete or no change in diet. This Lyon Diet Heart Study had amazing end results: not only was there a decrease in further heart attacks by 70%, there was a decrease in overall death by 60%! This is more scientific proof of benefit than has ever been shown by low fat diets, South Beach diet and even the DASH diet.
On this web site you will get Dr. Roehm’s practical advice as an experienced cardiologist, who practiced in Round Rock. He says that what is important to watch in a study are end results. We care more about how to be a person without a heart attack, even though his numbers like cholesterol might be higher than a person who died from a heart attack with “great numbers”. (In this study both groups had similar LDL & HDL cholesterol as well as blood pressure .


So what is this special type of Mediterranean diet? It’s not vegetarian but your vegetarian friends might like seeing that it has low amounts of animal products. Besides lots of fruits and veggies, they like their beans,peas, nuts, whole grains and yogurt. They get plenty of protein without eating much meat although they do eat chicken and fish. Avoiding fatty meats keeps down the harmful saturated fats. But don’t think you have to stop all the fat because you can use good olive oil and canola oil. Instead of white bread and desserts, they enjoy cheese and a 5 ounce glass of red wine a day. But as Dr.Roehm explains in his video, any change in alcohol intake or diet changes should be discussed with your health care provider


So what’s the best answer: diet and behavior changes or prescription meds? The answer is often both.You will hear how Dr.Roehm dealt with many people with hypertension over the years whose BP could not be controlled even with multiple pills. Individually he worked with his patients to taper off sodium/salt and change some lifestyle behaviors. Many were able to be taken off some of their meds. Now he offers this web site for all who want to learn some things about nutrition and the heart.


Have you heard how to stop high blood pressure with a change in your diet, where you don’t have to lose weight? National Institutes of Health studied the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (D.A.S.H). With this diet and lowering your salt in your food, you can lower your BP as much as a mild blood pressure pill.
Who hasn’t heard of the benefits of fish oil? But how does it work and how much do you need? Short answer – check the label for a total of 1000 mg of omega-3 from fish. Long answer- NutritionHeart.com. But you’ll learn some things about mercury in the oceans and even about reducing joint inflammation and fish oils.

There are quick links to his videos, handouts, transcripts, scientific background and web links for Low Sodium Diet, Mediterranean Diet, DASH Diet and Fish Omega-3 Fat. Also listed are topics on how the Mediterranean diet relates to Alzheimer, diabetes & cancer. Be sure to read about alcohol and heart disease, alcohol and women’s health and future topics on exercise.
NutritionHeart.com not only has the video talks from a cardiologist, it allows for printable handouts, transcripts and summaries. It is a nice web site with no ads, no registering, just down-home health information for you and your loved ones.