steven nissen and marc gillinov are experts at the cleveland clinic. they have just released one of the most complete guide to heart health called "heart 411." >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where walmart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> held happens in neighborhoods. learn more. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. tavis: in case you did not know, february is american heart month. almost all americans either experience heart disease or to the struggle of a friend or family member. it remains the leading cause of death in this country, believe it or not. i am pleased to have to be joined by two of the leading heart health experts in america, steven nissen and marc gillinov. they are authoress of "heart 411: the only guide to heart health you'll ever need." good to have you on the program. >> thank you. tavis: why is heart disease so rampant today? what are the risks some much

steven nissen helped run the study and was amazed by the results.in fact, many of the patients were taken off their diabetes medicine. >> even though there are no medications, they had a completely normal blood sugar. their diabetes essentially went away. >> reporter: over time, parker dropped 130 pounds, but he lost the diabetes immediately after the surgery. study leader dr. philip schauer said that was common. >> we had patients in the study within literally hours or days of the operation before they lost any weight reach normal blood sugar. >> wasn't expecting it that fast. am i thrilled it happened that way? totally. >> reporter: it's unclear why patients were able to get off diabetes meds so soon after surgery, before losing significant weight. one theory, scott, is that the procedure somehow allowed patients to more effectively use their own naturally produced insulin. >> pelley: fascinating. thank you, jon. dick cheney continues his recovery from a heart transplant operation. a family spokesperson told cbs news that the former vice president

steven nissen is chair of cardiovascular medicine at cleveland clinic. >> i suspect they're drinkings along with bugars and fries and other kinds of unhealthy fast foods. so it's very likely that people that choose to drink sugared soft drinks actually have a variety of health habits which are not heart healthy. and it may well be those health habits that are responsible for the increase in risk. >> pelley: jon, you can hear the folks at home saying "great, another medical study, what am i supposed to do with this"? what are you going to tell your patients? >> reporter: i know, scott. my phones will be ringing off the hook on this one. first i'm going to point out this is an association, it does not prove cause and effect. but then especially for those patients of mine who are already at high risk of heart disease, they have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, not exercising and especially they're obese. think about it. if you cut out one 12-ounce sugary drink a day, at the end of the year you'll lose 15 pounds of fat. that's a good incentive. >> pelley: can't hurt. thanks, jon we