The Man Who Had No Heart

Stan Larkin lived for 555 without a heart.
Image: Shutterstock

It’s a story that sounds like science fiction, but it’s true: a Michigan man lived for 555 days without a heart. Stan Larkin, a 25-year-old from Ypsilanti, had his real heart removed in November of 2014, but there wasn’t a heart to replace it. Instead, Larkin received an artificial heart, called a “Freedom Driver,” whose power source he carried with him in a backpack. The artificial heart allowed him to live a mostly normal life at home so he didn’t have to wait in the hospital for a transplant.

Larkin didn’t know anything was wrong with his heart until nine years ago. He suddenly collapsed while playing basketball, and doctors discovered he had a genetic heart condition called arrhythmogenic dysplasia, which causes arrhythmias and failure on both sides of the heart. This condition occurs when heart muscles stretch and enlarge at least one heart chamber, so blood can’t pump the way it’s supposed to.

Larkin’s brother, Dominque, also has the condition. But while Dominique only had to use his artificial heart for six weeks before he received a transplant, Larkin had to wait much longer. Doctors decided that because Larkin was doing so well with the machine he could leave the hospital with it to see if he could live an ordinary life.

“I was shocked when the doctors started telling me that I could live without a heart in my body and that a machine was going to be my heart. Just think about it—a machine,” Larkin said. The machine Larkin took home with him included chambers and four valves, like an organic heart. Two tubes that exited Larkin’s body under his ribcage connected the device to a 13-pound power source called the Freedom Driver, which was carried in the backpack.

The machine both powered the artificial heart and delivered compressed air into its ventricles so that blood could be pumped through the rest of Larkin’s body. Larkin says that the device felt just like a real heart. “It’s just in a bag with tubes coming out of you, but other than that, it feels real,” he said. The device had to be replaced about ten times because Larkin was living such an active life.

Larkin was able to have a successful heart transplant 555 days since the Freedom Driver was implanted. He is doing well and recovering quickly, and he’s glad to be healthy again. Larkin’s situation is very promising for other people waiting for transplants.

“I think there’s good science here, and there have been really great advancements in this area,” said Dr. Laman Gray, chair of cardiovascular surgery at Jewish Hospital at the University of Louisville. “We’re making great progress, and people are living normal lives. There’s definitely a place for total artificial hearts and a need for them.”

Heart Disease: The Numbers

Back in December 2013, I wrote a post on heart disease and how it's very quietly killing millions of people every year. It's the number one cause of death in the United States and in the world... and yet, it tends to get overlooked frequently. And it's not just in the United States; in fact, about 80% of the deaths caused by heart disease each year occur in low- and middle-income countries.

About half of all adults have at least one risk factor for heart disease, which approximately doubles your risk--do you know if you are in danger?

The good news about heart disease is that it's largely preventable. We can reduce our risk of heart attack or stroke by up to 80% if we choose to.

I had the honor of being contacted by Healthline with this beautiful infographic about heart disease--check it out to see heart disease by the numbers, see where in the world heart disease is most prevalent, find out if you are at risk, and learn how to drastically reduce your chance of heart attack or stroke.

Heart Disease: The Silent Killer

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the nation. Every year, it claims the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. My grandmother had it—she had at least one heart attack, a stroke, and open-heart surgery. My mother hasn’t shown any sign of it yet, but it’s something I think about all the time. I have a heart murmer, which thus far has been deemed to be harmless, but it’s still a concern at the back of my mind. What if? It’s a scary thought.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.
It's known as the "Silent Killer."
Image: Shutterstock

So, if there’s one medical research venture I feel connected to, it’s that. Not just how to better treat heart disease, but also how to prevent it. Luckily, I’m not alone in supporting the cause. Recently the Dalio Foundation gifted $20 million to the New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College. The two groups plan on using that money to launce the Dalio Institute of Cardiovascular Imaging, which will “combine research, clinical care, and education to uncover new answers about preventing heart disease.”

According to the press release, a focus will be placed on preventing heart disease specifically in at-risk individuals like my mother and me. And because the new institute has such generous seed money, its methods and tools will be state-of-the-art and future focused.

According to researchers, there is something called the venerable plaque, which is “the specific coronary lesion that is responsible for a future heart attack or sudden cardiac death.” Unfortunately, it has proven difficult to identify—which is why the Dalio Institute of Cardiovascular Imaging will focus on it. Dr. James K. Min calls the venerable plaque the “holy grail in the diagnostic work-up of individuals with suspected coronary artery disease.”

One of the most upsetting facts about heart disease is that more than half the people who die from sudden heart attacks, strokes, or cardiac death don’t even know that they are at risk. Underlying heart conditions can often be missed and therefore go untreated. Hopefully, this new institute be able to develop new ways to identify these individuals and get them the treatment they need to lead a happy, healthy life.

The New York Presbyterian Hospital “provides state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventative care in all areas of medicine,” and has six locations across New York. Some of the newest members of its board of trustees are Alex Navab, Dr. Robert J. Min, Ogden Phipps, and Lenard B. Tessler.

Weill Cornell Medical College was founded in 1898 and has been affiliated with NYP since 1927. It’s one of the top medical and clinical research facilities in the nation. Its board of overseers is headed by Sanford I. Weill, Antonio M. Gotto, Robert Appel, Jeffrey Feil, Barbara Friedman, and Arthru J. Mahon.

If you had $20 million to donate to medical research, which cause would you donate to?

Mediterranean Diet Craze

The Mediterranean Diet calls for plenty of
fruits and veggies every day.
Image: Shutterstock

It seems like all I’ve been reading about in the past few days are the Oscars and the Mediterranean diet. I didn’t watch the Oscars, but I’ll admit I jealously perused all the gorgeous gowns afterwards. And of course once I was done with that, I could move on to reading about the Mediterranean diet.

Of course, I’d heard of it before, but I had never looked into the specifics. Now it’s all the craze. That’s because a recent study confirmed that eating a Mediterranean diet can help reduce the risk of developing heart disease. A survey of about 1.5 million healthy adults showed that those who ate Mediterranean diets had a reduced incidence of not just heart disease, but also cancer, cancer mortality, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

These are the key components of the Mediterranean diet, according to the Mayo Clinic (information taken directly from their site):

The Mediterranean Hierarchy
Image from diet-blog.com

• Getting plenty of exercise
• Eating primarily plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts
• Replacing butter with healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil
• Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor foods
• Limiting red meat to no more than a few times a month
• Eating fish and poultry at least twice a week
• Drinking red wine in moderation (optional)

Part of what makes the diet so great is that it is very low in LDL cholesterol, which we call “bad” cholesterol. It also has a good amount of healthy fats in it, which come mostly from nuts and fish. Grains are not avoided in this diet; rather, whole grains are eaten in moderation.

Mediterranean cookbook, Cook Yourself Sexy
Image from candicekumai.com

The hierarchy of foods is laid out like this: on the first tier (largest) are olive oil, fruit, nuts, vegetables, and whole grains; on the second tier (middle) are fish and poultry; and on the third (smallest) tier are red meats, dairy, processed meats, and sweets.

“The fear of fat is so 1980s,” said Candice Kumai, author of Cook Yourself Sexy. “That’s not what’s making you fat. It’s the overconsumption of grains, heavy meats, the wrong type of fats, refined sugar and processed foods.” Kumai’s new book features Mediterranean recipes like Lox, Caper and Rocket Salad; Roasted Tomatoes with Barley; Clams in White Wine Sauce Over Linguine; and Cherry-Pistachio Biscotti—all full of nutrients and omega-3s. Yum!

Fast Food Accounts for 11% of American Diet

Fast food accounts for 11% of the American diet

Image: Shutterstock

We try to eat healthy as much as possible at home. We consume far more fresh produce than I ever did in my youth (when most of my veggies came from cans) and most of our meals consist of about 75% veggies and 25% meat. Sugar, salt, butter, cream, and all those delicious but overly-used additions are used sparingly. And while we might order the occasional pizza on a Saturday night, I honestly can’t remember the last time we made our way through a fast food drive-thru.

I count myself lucky in that fast food has never settled well with me. My stomach is especially sensitive and I’m a picky eater, so even as a teen I didn’t usually find fast food all that appetizing. But we still ate it from time to time because it was cheap and easy to come by.

Image from impawards.com
We are still a "Fast Food Nation"

But the sad truth is that many don’t feel the same, or they can’t afford to. Fast food accounts for more than 11% of the total American diet, according to federal health officials. And though that’s down two percent from a few years ago, that’s still a frightening amount, especially for young people.

The decisions we make as young adults can affect our health for the rest of our lives, and struggling with obesity in our 20s can put us at a high risk for metabolic syndrome (high blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar levels, and abdominal fat), diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, among others.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), people aged 20 to 39 got 15% of their daily calories from fast food, while those older than 60 came in at just 6%. Young black people aged 20-39 were even higher, with 21% of their daily calories coming from fast food.

Image from livingachangedlife.blogspot.com
FRUIT is fast food!

And it seems that obesity only compounds the issue, as a survey of weight groups revealed that obese young adults got the highest percentage of calories from fast food—18%. For the most part, income didn’t seem to have much effect on how much fast food people ate. That means at this point it’s more a battle with bad habits and ease of obtainment than anything else.

I’m all for having food that’s available quickly, especially since sometimes I’m on the road or in a hurry and need a quick bite. I’ve been happy to see some fast food establishments offering more healthy options in the past few years, and I hope that trend continues. Obesity is a dangerous problem that should be addressed, particularly by those establishments that are largely responsible for the issue.

Do you eat fast food? If you do, do you choose to do so because it is 1) inexpensive, 2) quick, 3) easily obtained, or 4) because you enjoy it?

Vegetarians Have Healthier Hearts

Eating meat could affect your heart health.
Image: Shutterstock

It’s easy to assume that a diet full of lots of meat (protein) is healthy. In fact, many people feel a meal isn’t quite complete without at least a small serving of meat. But the truth is, meat’s not all it’s cracked up to be. No question about it, meat is a great source of protein—but it’s also a big source of saturated fat and sodium.

When it comes to ischemic heart disease, two of the main risk factors are high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Saturated fat is the biggest dietary factor that contributes to the production of cholesterol. As for sodium, it’s the biggest dietary determinant of high blood pressure, according to Dr. Peter McCullough, cardiologist for St. John Providence Health System.

Vegetarian diets had a lower risk of heart disease.
Image: Shutterstock

Because a vegetarian diet leaves out meat, which can be full of sodium and saturated fat, vegetarians are 32% less likely to develop heart disease than meat eaters. This is according to a British study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study surveyed over 44,000 people, 34% of which were vegetarians.

Of course, one doesn’t necessarily need to become a vegetarian to cut saturated fat and sodium from their diets. It certainly makes it easier, but vegetarianism can also come with problems like not getting enough protein and consuming too many sugars. Cheese, which vegetarians tend to consume in larger amounts, is also a big source of saturated fat.

Image from acanaturalmeats.com
Beef is the unhealthiest source of protein.

Being choosy about meat products can go a long way in lowering the chance of heart disease. Fish is the healthiest source of protein, followed by beans and nuts. The least healthy source of protein is beef, since it’s usually quite fatty. McCullough recommends staying away from the “three s-es:” sugars, starches, and saturated fats to lower health risks.

I generally eat about half my main courses vegetarian and the other half with a serving of meat. Do you eat meat, or are you a vegetarian? I’d love to hear your input in the comments below!

10 Perks of Drinking Beer

Drinking beer can be good for your health.
Image: Shutterstock

Most people know all about the harmful effects of drinking too much beer, but did you know that there are some great benefits that come with drinking beer in moderation? Just like a glass of red wine a night can be good for your health, so too can drinking a nightly brewski.

While keeping in mind that bingeing on any type of alcohol has more negative effects than positive, consider the following benefits:

Because beer has high levels of silicon (especially pale ales) drinking it in moderation can help strengthen your bones. This is true for up to two beers a night. Beware, though: those who drank more than two beers a night actually had a higher risk for fracturing bones. 

Like wine, beer can also contribute positively to heart health. A pint of beer daily has been shown to reduce the risk for heart disease, though bingeing increases the risk. It’s also been shown that moderate drinking reduces the risk of heart attacks and death from cardiovascular disease by up to 40%. This is because beer contains HDL, which can help raise good cholesterol and prevent artery clogs. This also means a lower risk of stroke.

Benefits of drinking beer include a lower risk of stroke.
Image: Shutterstock

A brewski or two a night can also boost kidney health. The risk for kidney stones can be reduced by nearly 40%, though researchers are unsure whether this is due to alcohol’s high water content or the hops’ ability to slow calcium leeching from our bones.

Drinking beer also helps prevent brain health problems like Alzheimer’s and dementia by up to 20 percent. Moderate drinkers also have a reduced cancer risk, since beer and wine are both high in antioxidants. Beer-marinated steak was found to have 70% fewer carcinogens as well, which researchers theorize is due to the beer’s sugars.

Beer can reduce the risk of developing
Alzeheimer's & dementia by up to 20%.
Image: Shutterstock

Since beer contains high levels of vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid, drinking one or two a night leads to boosted vitamin levels. Drinking small amounts of alcohol also increases insulin sensitivity, so adults who have one or two per day have a 25% reduced risk for developing type 2 Diabetes.

Lastly, drinking beer helps lower blood pressure, meaning a lower risk for heart attack and other stress-related problems. Moderate drinkers tend to live a longer life as well, since they are at a reduced risk for so many health problems.

This is good news for the people who are involved in ownership of the big brewery companies.  People like Peter Coors and Eric Molson are still involved in the family companies that bear their names. Brian Grossman is heavily involved in his father’s Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, and breweries like the Bavaria Brewery often act as important parts of the portfolios of families like the Santo Domingos (which include members Tatiana and Andres Santo Domingo.)

All of these effects are relevant only for one or two drinks per day. Drinking more than that often has an adverse effect, putting beer drinkers at a higher risk for some problems. But for moderate drinkers—rejoice (and don’t feel bad for having a pint or two)!

3 Exercises to a Happy, Healthy Heart

One of the most common and fatal
health problems today is heart disease.
Image: Shutterstock

One of the most common and fatal health problems these days is heart disease. And just like it’s easier to maintain a social life than it is to find one, it’s always better to prevent heart problems before they start.

Your heart is a muscle—a very important muscle. And like any other muscle in your body, it needs to be active and exercised regularly to stay healthy. If you don’t work it, it can become weak and inefficient, making you more susceptible to future problems.

Did you know that if you are overweight, you are 80% more likely to develop heart disease? Staying physically fit will not only keep your body fit, but it will also strengthen your heart and help prevent heart disease. These three types of exercise are the most effective at keeping your whole body in shape:

Aerobic Exercise, such as walking, running, swimming, dancing, and rowing help your body absorb oxygen from the blood stream and spread it throughout your body. This increases heart strength and boosts your fat and carbohydrates burning metabolism.

Dancing is an aerobic activity that can help
prevent heart disease.
Image: Shutterstock

Resistance Training strengthens bones, muscles, and joints. Free weights and other exercises that challenge your strength are all resistance exercises. Unlike aerobic exercise, resistance training doesn’t directly affect heart health, but it does keep your weight down and your metabolism up, making you less susceptible to heart disease.

Flexibility Exercises help increase blood flow throughout your body. Stretching helps lengthen muscles and keep you from getting stiff. You should try to stretch for 5-10 minutes per day. Classes like Yoga and Pilates can greatly improve your flexibility while at the same time gently strengthening your core muscles and heart.

Do you already do some of these types of exercise? Which ones do you prefer/practice more often? I enjoy yoga for the relaxation it offers. I also enjoy various aerobic exercises because it helps me with stress relief and leaves me feeling extremely satisfied.