Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.N., C.N.S., C.B.T., was* a board-certified cardiologist who was also board certified in internal medicine, and had additional certifications in nutrition, bioenergetic psychotherapy, and anti-aging medicine. Over his almost 50-year career as a physician, he also lectured, and facilitated workshops, worldwide and authored numerous books, peer-reviewed articles and other publications, and was a featured guest on many national radio and television shows including CNN, MSNBC, Fox on Health, the Dr. Oz, The Doctors, and 700 Club shows, and The Today Show.
After opening his own private practice in Manchester, CT in 1977, Dr. Sinatra became well-known for his integration of conventional medicine with complementary nutritional, mind-body, and other lifestyle approaches that heal the heart – that is, treating patients using the best of both conventional and alternative therapies. Dr. Sinatra was a fellow in the American College of Cardiology and the American College of Nutrition, and served two four-year terms as the Chief of Cardiology at Manchester Memorial Hospital, where he had previously been Director of Medical Education for 18 years.
Early on in his practice, Dr. Sinatra began to see that stress management was a crucial aspect of heart disease prevention. After studying bioenergetic psychotherapy for ten years, he began co-facilitating psychotherapy workshops for his patients to help them heal heartbreak and other emotional scars that had impacted their heart health.
As another early hallmark of his practice, Dr. Sinatra began using coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) to help treat a wide range of cardiac concerns several years before the conventional medical world would embrace this nutrient. It was during this time that Dr. Sinatra saw first-hand how the supplemental use of nutrients that support energy production in the body – especially CoQ10 – could make a big difference in his patients’ lives. In 1992, when Dr. Sinatra was Chief of Cardiology at Manchester Memorial Hospital, CoQ10 was placed on formulary. In November 2008, an investigation by New Zealand researchers was published in the American Journal of Cardiology demonstrating enhanced longevity in patients suffering from congestive heart failure with higher blood levels of coenzyme Q10.
When incorporating dietary supplements into his treatment protocol, Dr. Sinatra discovered that not all supplements were created equal. After realizing that no product on the market combined the separate nutrients he endorsed within a single formula, he formulated a multivitamin for his patients with high-quality ingredients and optimal potencies. He would come to formulate an entire line of nutritional supplements designed to support optimal health and well being in both his patients and the general population. Dr. Sinatra’s line of nutritional supplements is currently offered at HealthyDirections.com.
Always on the forefront of discovery and intervention, Dr. Sinatra dove into medical research and writing while practicing cardiology, so he could reach a larger audience with his heart-health advice. In 1992, he published his first book, Lose to Win: A Cardiologist’s Guide to Weight Loss and Nutritional Healing. In 1995, he began writing a national newsletter entitled HeartSense, which later became Heart, Health & Nutrition. He then began publishing his health advice digitally through his blog at Drsinatra.com (now at HealthyDirections.com). In 2009, Dr. Sinatra founded Heartmdinstitute.com, this informational website through which he aimed to increase public awareness of integrative medicine and what it means to live a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Over the years, Dr. Sinatra also wrote many books including Lower Your Blood Pressure in Eight Weeks (2003), The Sinatra Solution: Metabolic Cardiology (2005, 2008, 2011), and Reverse Heart Disease Now (2007). His latest books include The Healing Kitchen (2010), Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever?(2010), The Great Cholesterol Myth (2012, 2015, 2020), The Great Cholesterol Myth Cookbook (2014), and Health Revelations from Heaven and Earth (2015).
As adjunct faculty at the University of Connecticut (Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine) and a member of the Dean’s Council at his alma mater, Albany Medical School, Dr. Sinatra sponsored collaborative efforts for medical students to take summer courses in natural or alternative medicine at Bastyr University (Kirkland, WA), where he was a contributing lecturer. It was Dr. Sinatra’s passion and lifelong goal to see medical schools combine traditional medicine and naturopathy in one program, and he hoped this life-changing philosophy would someday be embraced by the entire medical community.
In recent years, Dr. Sinatra’s areas of interest expanded to include environmental and energy (vibrational) medicine. In 2016 and 2017 he launched two new online marketplaces – Vervana.com, through which he offered Mediterranean superfood pantry staples, and AgelessPaws.com, featuring nutritional supplements (including CoQ10) and healthy treats and food toppers for dogs and cats. His passion for educating and empowering people to lead their healthiest lives lives on through through his books, peer-reviewed articles, HeartMD Institute, and his articles and blogs at HealthyDirections.com, Vervana.com and Agelesspaws.com.
*On June 19, 2022, Dr. Sinatra passed away after a brief illness. You can read his obituary here.
Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.N., C.N.S. – Curriculum Vitae
