National Rich Valdes Show recently asked Dr. Fahmi Farah to come on the air in Nationwide, Iowa to discuss zero-calorie sweeteners that are popular in keto diets and their link to strokes and heart attacks. Dr. Farah, a board-certified invasive cardiologist based in Texas, who is also the founder of the Global Health Alliance Foundation, provided insight into a study that currently shows how artificial sweeteners are not the best for our health, particularly for our cardiovascular system. According to Dr. Farah, erythritol, an artificial sweetener that increases platelets’ clotting, increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. She advised against its use, particularly in diabetic patients who seem to be at the highest risk of complications related to erythritol. Inflammation in the vascular system, which degrades the integrity of blood vessels in many ways over time, is another reason to limit it. Instead of using artificial sweeteners, Dr. Farah suggests going back to the original, healthiest sugar, which is just sugar, in moderation.
Dr. Farah also discussed the high risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension during pregnancy and childbirth in the United States, which poses a shockingly dangerous experience that kills a woman every two minutes. Dr. Farah claimed that less than 50% of women hoping to get pregnant have good heart health, and hypertension is one of the key factors responsible for maternal mortality. Women with pre-existing high blood pressure are even more susceptible to health complications such as pre-eclampsia or eclampsia, which can complicate pregnancy significantly. Dr. Farah recommends pregnant women undergo regular cardiovascular screening, such as EKG, echocardiogram, and stress tests. Finally, Dr. Farah shared awareness about a unique heart failure condition in pregnant women called peripartum cardiomyopathy, which can lead to poor prognosis and even death, making early detection and treatment critical to survival.