Cedars-Sinai Blog
Social Media Trends: What to Know About Heart Health and Obesity
It’s tempting to consult the internet when you have questions about your heart or your weight—two major sources of health issues in the U.S. But obesity and cardiovascular disease can be complicated, and health advice in social media posts might not apply to you or be accurate, even when it seems to come from professionals.
Here, expert cardiologist Martha Gulati, MD, addresses a few prevalent social media trends about heart health and obesity.
Martha Gulati, MD
Claim: Hormone therapy can be used in place of statins.
Hormone therapy cannot replace statins, said Gulati, director of Preventive Cardiology, associate director of the Cedars-Sinai Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center and the Anita Dann Friedman Chair in Women’s Cardiovascular Medicine and Research.
About one in three U.S. adults takes a statin, a drug to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Separately, hormone therapy can be prescribed to alleviate symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, such as hot flashes. But if you’re on a statin and you’re prescribed hormone therapy, you should continue taking your statin.
"Hormone therapy is not a substitute for statins."
“I see people online who say that if you’re on hormone therapy, you don’t need to be on statin therapy, as if hormones are a cure-all,” Gulati said. “Hormone therapy is not a substitute for statins.”
Studies show hormone therapy does not provide a cardiac benefit. In fact, you should always have a conversation with your doctor about the risks and benefits of hormone therapy, especially if you have or are at risk for heart disease.
Claim: Intermittent fasting helps you lose weight and improves heart health.
Intermittent fasting involves reducing calories for a specific period—either a day, or a window during the day.
“If you consume fewer calories, you are more likely to lose weight,” Gulati said. “It’s true that losing weight is not always as simple as ‘eat better, move more,’ but intermittent fasting is OK, as long as you’re eating nutritious, healthy food.”
However, no evidence shows intermittent fasting lowers your risk for cardiac events. Some studies do show intermittent fasting may improve insulin sensitivity more than other forms of dieting. Talk to your doctor if you’re considering whether intermittent fasting is right for you.
Claim: Anyone can use weight-loss medications for quick and easy weight loss.
Weight-loss medications, such as semaglutide injections, should only be obtained from a reputable source and taken under the guidance of a doctor. Such drugs are intended for patients with obesity, or those who are overweight with comorbidities. They are also prescribed for patients with diabetes.
“These are not drugs that people should take temporarily to get rid of a few pounds,” Gulati said.
People who take injectable weight-loss drugs sold through compounding pharmacies or medical spas are at risk of complications and side effects.
“If you care about the safety of the drugs you’re injecting, and if you need them, you should not use compounding pharmacies or med-spas,” Gulati said.
The drugs are meant to be paired with changes in exercise, to combat muscle mass loss, and with a physician’s (and often also a dietitian’s) guidance.
“We’ve never been able to help patients with weight the way we can now,” Gulati said, “but part of the prescription is still lifestyle changes. With these drugs, it’s important to eat a more heart-healthy, fiber-rich diet with adequate protein, and to increase resistance training. These are key components to the weight loss therapy.”
