First thing in the morning it's important to listen to Bach or System of a Down or whatever music relaxes you. Your heart attack risk is greatest in the AM -- cortisol levels are high and platelets are stickiest -- so anything you can do to calm stress will help you avoid ticker trouble.
Statins are frequently hailed as miracle drugs, but they have their limits. A starter dose can lower cholesterol by 40 percent, yet to get the bigger drop many doctors prescribe often requires that amount to be doubled or even quadrupled -- leaving patients at higher risk for muscle pain and other side effects. That's where that other wonder drug, Metamucil, comes into play. Before upping your statins, try three unsweetened 1-1/2 tsp. servings of the venerable fiber laxative a day. A study has shown it produces the same drop in LDL as an extra statin, side effect-free.
Starting 48 hours before your next long flight, take a baby aspirin each day. It'll thin your blood just enough to prevent clots from forming in your legs.
Laughter may be the key to life, but it's hell on asthma. A recent study indicates that it's among the most common triggers of asthma attacks (even more common than dust mites and mold). So if Dave Chappelle has been leaving you gasping on the floor, it's a good sign you need to get your condition under better control.
Early Warning Any problems in bed? Still waking up with an erection? How's the rigidity been? Depending on your answers to those questions, you may want to talk to your doctor about scheduling a heart exam. Two recent major medical conferences have held seminars on the use of the penis as an early detection tool for heart disease. It has to do with the parallels between the two popular body parts: The same cholesterol plaque that impedes coronary arteries can also block arteries in the penis. The difference, as you see here, is that penile arteries are a lot smaller, meaning the effects of any blockage are likely to show up that much sooner.