Oh, ho, ho. This is too funny. Thanks, Fox News. According to that worthy network, the owner of the Heart Attack Grill of Phoenix, Arizona, won't be changing his fat-laden menu. Nope. Jon Basso - who likes to call himself "Dr. Jon" - seems to see himself as a sort of last bastion of American manhood, standing strong against the forces of heart healthy eating. To him, heart healthy means pointless political correctness, and he don't like it!

All the main dishes at the Heart Attack Grill are proudly cooked in lard. In addition, other foods contain dangerous trans fats. But Basso says he won't cut them out just to (in his words) "meet societal tastes." When you go out to eat, opines Basso, you should go to have fun and "eat to the fullest. And don't worry about what people are telling you." Pure lard, says Basso, gives meat a "taste worth dying for." That's why Basso's Quadruple Bypass Burgers are staying on the menu. It's about freedom, people.

Basso has just published a book: The Heart Attack Grill Diet. Good Lord.

Click here to read a transcript of Jon "Heart Attack" Basso's interview with Fox host Neil Cavuto.

Famed bluesman Bo Diddley (78) is in a Gainesville, FL, hospital following a heart attack. Diddley is famous for ever-cool tunes such as "Who Do You Love" and "I'm a Man." Well, at least he was in the right location: Diddley was actually at the hospital for a checkup when the heart attack struck. This ensured he got prompt care that may very well have saved his life.

It appears Diddley suffered the heart attack on Friday of last week, but it was only announced today. This afternoon a spokeswoman stated that the now-elderly guitar hero felt unwell during his Friday checkup and was transferred to the emergency room, which is where the heart attack occurred. Diddley had surgery soon after to have a stent fitted. This will improve blood flow to the heart. Today he was transferred out of intensive care. As of earlier today his condition was said to be stable but serious.

Interesting factoids: Diddley's real name is Ellas Bates. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. The legendary musician has not been enjoying the best of health lately: he had a stroke in May of this year, which has impaired his speech and speech recognition. He has also lost some of his toes to complications of diabetes.

I was fascinated to read about the baby boy who survived 120 days on an artificial heart. What an incredible device. Now here comes another news story. Same device, but this time it's about a Canadian teen. Fifteen-year-old Melissa Mills spent 146 days connected to her artificial heart. During that time she and her family were waiting for a transplant opportunity. Like the UK baby, however, her heart healed itself and she's now doing just fine - no surgery required! "For sure it's a miracle," one heart specialist was quoted as saying.

Even a few years ago, it would have been considered just about impossible for someone like Melissa to survive without a heart transplant. Indeed, it was not altogether certain Melissa would survive her illness, and her parents were told to prepare for that possibility. This particular device, also called a "Berlin Heart," is what's made the difference in both this and the UK baby case.

The Berlin Heart was designed especially for children, with the intention of keeping sick children alive during long and harrowing waits for heart transplants. However, cardiologists have been delighted to find that hooking a child up to the Berlin Heart not only keeps the child alive, but also gives the heart a chance to rest and repair itself. Heart cured. Wow.

Click here to read the full story on CTV's website and to view a photo of Melissa holding her artificial heart.

British baby Jack Vellam (13 months) went home from the hospital recently after an astounding 120 days on an artificial heart. Apparently, it was a record-breaking stay: that is the longest anyone so young has stayed on an artificial heart.

Five months ago, Jack was diagnosed with myocarditis - inflammation of the heart muscle. He had fallen ill suddenly and suffered a heart attack, then spent several days in intensive care. He became so ill that his mother agreed with doctors' recommendation that his life-support machine be turned off. "It was a heart-breaking ordeal for all of us," said his mom Danielle.

Then the docs unexpectedly came up with another option: a transplant, if a donor heart could be found. The parents reluctantly agreed, feeling they should give their little one a chance at life. That's when the artificial heart came in. Jack's artificial heart consisted of a pump (the "heart") outside of his body, connected to him via four tubes in the chest.

At that point, however, the myocarditis was discovered and the parents were informed that Jack might recover without a transplant. And, happily, that's what happened. Eventually, Jack underwent surgery (risky in and of itself) to disconnect him from the artificial heart. Said an elated pediatric cardiologist who helped save Jack's life: "This is the best of days for us; this is what we work for."

The Thai government says the heart drug Plavix is way overpriced. And it's going to do something about it: it will begin importing generic versions of Plavix from India. The first batch of two million pills will arrive soon, says the chairman of Thailand's Government Pharmaceutical Organisation. The imported version of Plavix, a blood-thinner, will cost only the equivalent of three US cents per pill. Compare this with the current cost for Thai heart patients: two US dollars per pill!

In order to do all this, the Thai government approved a temporary suspension of patent protections for expensive medications. Needless to say, this has seriously ticked off the big pharmaceutical companies! (Plavix, by the way, is sold by Sanofi-Aventis and Bristol Myers-Squibb.) However, the Thai government has not limited itself to heart meds; it is also planning to import generic versions of pricey AIDS drugs, and is considering including cancer drugs in the measure, too.

Now, I don't know how legitimate the Thai government's measures are. But what would happen if governments elsewhere around the world started doing the same thing? The United States, perhaps? Ha! Don't hold your breath. But it's a nice thought, isn't it? Government leaders saying: "enough, already. Our people can't afford these over-priced drugs. Let's do something!"

Ever wondered what would happen if you overdosed on Red Bull? Answer: your heart could stop ticking. I am not kidding.

Australian man, Matthew Penbross (28), found that out recently after drinking eight of the super-highly caffeinated beverages during a five hour period. I guess eight is his unlucky number, because after downing that last one he collapsed. An ambulance was called and the first aid crew found Penbross having a heart attack. Realizing his heart had stopped, they had to use a defibrillator to get his heart pumping again.

The obvious question: why was he drinking so much darn Red Bull?? Answer: he was competing in a motocross (motorcycle racing) event and wanted to get his adrenalin pumping. "It was to get a bit of a buzz and keep down my reaction time," says Penbross.

Penbross has gone public since his unfortunate RB-related incident. He says the product should sport a decent warning label. He says that current labels, which warn against consuming more than two cans per day, are inadequate. I guess a brush with death is more of a jolt than he was looking for...

Here's the thing: Penbross admits that prior to the heart attack he'd routinely drink four cans of Red Bull daily, which is twice the recommended maximum. Not only that: he also admits he continued to drink it even after experiencing chest pains. C'mon! I have no sympathy for the guy.

Two grams per day of sterols and/or stanols can promote heart health, reducing cholesterol levels by around ten percent in as little as two weeks. They are most beneficial for people whose cholesterol levels are already elevated. According to one study, sterols and stanols together are more effective than a double-dose of cholesterol-lowering medications! Not bad for a bunch of little-known plant compounds, huh?

The catch with sterols and stanols is working out how to get enough. Two grams daily. Doesn't sound like much. And, true, sterols and stanols are found in a great many foods - avocados, corn oil, apples, oranges, beans and peanut butter, to name a few. But they occur in minute amounts, making it hard to get as much as two grams daily. Example? The olive oil shown in the picture I've used at right only contains about 0.03 grams of sterols per tablespoon.

To the rescue (for a price!) come food manufacturers. Eager to cash in on a growing demand for the healthful compounds, these companies are releasing sterol- and stanol-fortified foods onto the market at a steady pace. A couple of examples: CocoaVia chocolate covered almonds, Rice Dream Heartwise vanilla-flavored rice milk, and Minute Maid Heartwise orange juice. With heart disease the number one killer in the US, demand for such products will likely continue to grow. Want to know more? Click here to view a handy dandy chart of easy-to-find supermarket foods containing sterols/stanols.

Listen. You can't make this stuff up. According to an Australian news source, McDonald's is slapping a healthy heart logo on its products, even the famed-for-its-fat Big Mac. How could you happen, you ask? Well, it's all about money, apparently. McDonald's pays the Australian Heart Foundation $330,000 annually. I guess this is considered a donation of sorts. In return, McDonald's gets to use the heart foundation's healthy heart logo.

What has shocked and angered consumer advocates and medical professionals is that McDonald's is using the logo and other heart-related imagery (like sesame seeds arranged in a heart shape atop a burger bun) on advertisements for its entire product line, not just for the healthier offerings on the menu. (And, yes, there are a few: milk, juice, yogurt, salads and the like.) Critics say the company is deliberately manipulating consumer perceptions of its foods, implying that eating at McDonald's is heart-healthy. Dr. Rosanna Capolingua, president of the Australian Medical Association, says the advertisements are a "tragedy" and amount to subliminal advertising. The Australian Heart Foundation, she says, should step in and alter the terms of its contract with the fast-food giant.

Ironically, this whole episode is likely to hurt the Australian Heart Foundation more than it hurts McDonald's, cheapening its image through association.

In a handful of states it's now possible to access death rates and quality assessments of heart surgeons and hospitals where heart surgery is performed. Pennsylvania is one such area, and The Philadelphia Inquirer recently took a look at how this is impacting the surgeons themselves. So, what's the view like from the other end of the stethoscope? Will the possibility of public scrutiny encourage talented surgeons to base their careers elsewhere?

The Inquirer profiles one surgeon who has just moved back to Pennsylvania from Virginia, and who did so knowing that his patient outcomes records would be on the table for all to see. His conclusion? He definitely took this openness into consideration in deciding whether or not to relocate. But he also feels the data helped him assess the quality of care at the hospital at which he now works before making a decision to move.

If you were undergoing heart surgery would you want to know your surgeon's track record beforehand? I would. Attitudes towards medical professionals have changed a lot in the past generation or two. Who, in this day and age, would not consider it a given that some surgeons are stellar while others are maybe less so? And who could blame you for wanting to make sure your own surgeon was one of the stellar ones?

Consider the down-side first, however. The data can be misleading and could lead patients to form unduly positive or negative opinions of hospitals or surgeons. Example: some heart surgeons specialize in the really high-risk patients that others can't or won't treat. The fact is that those surgeons are therefore likely to accumulate higher patient mortality rates, yet this is most definitely not a reflection on their surgical skills. Bottom line: you have to do your homework.

Greetings, friends. I've been blogging off and on for some time over at The Diabetes Blog, but now I've joined The Cardio Blog's crew too. You will start seeing my blogs pop up from now on, so I thought I'd better introduce myself. I'm interested in health news of the sort you can read right here. But let me warn you: I'm no marathon running, pilates guru. I'm just a gal who tries hard to live a healthy life and build a healthy heart. Ahh, if it weren't for my eternal weakness for bread and chocolate, I'd be a darn sight healthier ... but I do my best!

When it comes to heart health, I rely on walking for fitness. Now, I pride myself on walking fast and maintaining that pace, but I've faced a few lifestyle hurdles lately because I'm now a mom. First, came pregnancy. What a shock! It was like the growing baby got the big, juicy slice of my energy pie, while I was left with the little squibber-sized leftovers. Talk about your cardio workout, though!

I have vivid memories of slogging up hills, way way behind my husband -- who always used to be the straggler. But the body is nothing if not adaptable, and I soon adjusted. Then the baby arrived and so for the last few months I've been toting her on my walks in her fabulous Baby Bjorn front carrier. But there's a fine line between an enjoyable workout and a difficult slog, people. Now that the babe is knocking twenty pounds, I think I may have crossed that line. Enter, the Super Stroller. I just placed my order for a state-of-the-art all-terrain stroller, so my darling can ride in luxury without giving mommy a heart attack. I can't wait to try it out! Added bonus: by making exercise fun and part of the weekly routine, I hope I'm setting a good example for my daughter, so that she can grow up fit and healthy. Just call me Super Stroller Mama!