The ABCs of heart disease

Vitamin E: Believing that vitamin E can help fight heart disease seems to make good sense. After all, it's an antioxidant and therefore supposed to promote good health. But a new Canadian-led study shows that vitamin E does nothing to prevent heart disease and, in fact, may be harmful to people who have existing heart problems such as blocked arteries, diabetes or other heart disease risk factors. The Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends that you get your vitamin E naturally -- in fruit, vegetables and fish -- but not in capsule form.

Waiting lists: You've heard about them; you may even have been on one of them. Waiting lists for cardiac surgery, such as bypass operations, are part and parcel of the Canadian health-care system. Having to wait for surgery is stressful and, in many cases, presents an economic burden to people who must take time off work. But now Canadians in seven provinces can use the internet to track wait times for health services, including cardiac surgery. This allows patients to make more informed decisions about where they seek their health care. However, all sites stress that prior to making any changes to your medical treatment, you should discuss the decision with your physician or specialist.

X Syndrome: Chances are you know someone whose cholesterol levels are normal and who eats a low-fat diet but still suffered a heart attack. Many of these people may have Syndrome X, a metabolic disorder that is being talked about more and more in medical circles. People with this disorder can't move glucose into designated cells properly. Unlike people with type 2 diabetes, people with Syndrome X manufacture enough insulin to overcome insulin resistance so they avoid becoming diabetic. However, the very high levels of insulin that remain in their bloodstream promote damage to arteries, which can precipitate a heart attack.

Youth: Thanks to sedentary lifestyles, many heart-related risk factors such as plaque buildup in arteries already exist in adolescence. That's why it's important for families to instill heart-healthy habits when kids are young.

Zzzzz: People with certain sleep disorders are more likely to have high blood pressure, which puts them at greater risk for heart problems. One recent study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association also showed that sleep apnea, a serious interrupted breathing pattern sometimes characterized by snoring, could signal the presence of high blood pressure.