Today would have been my dad's 98th birthday! I miss him every day. I see his good qualities in my nephew Brad. His zest for life, willingness to help others and ready to scoop any business opportunity or stock promotion. My dad would be very proud of his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was taken at 51 years by coronary heart disease. We know now smoking, hypertension, obesity and high cholesterol all contribute to heart disease. In 1965 when my dad suffered his first heart attack little was know about heart disease. I remember his doctor walking into his hospital room, picking up his package of "Players" cigarettes, throwing them out the window and saying "this is what put you here". As a teenager you never forget those moments.
The cholesterol-lowering properties of nicotinic acid were discovered in 1955 by Canadian pathologist Rudolf Altschul. The studies continued and statins were introduced in 1987. These drugs are a life saver to millions.
Don't smoke (he did), overweight, (yes to that) and stress (he was a Captain of the Vancouver Fire Department). It's important that you get you get regular checkups and have you blood tested. Know you numbers!
