Statins

Q&A with Leyla, Part 2: Statins Effect on Blood Sugar
December 4, 2019
Are there any long term negative effects of taking a daily 325 mg aspirin to prevent heart disease?; Is there such a health condition that would cause the loss of body fat, especially subcutaneous fat?; Soon after I started taking a statin, my blood sugar went up! Do you agree that I should take Metformin? Click HERE for part 1.

Intelligent Medicine Radio Show for November 30, Part 2
December 2, 2019
A caller with a blood sugar of 32 on a glucose tolerance test; “Brain fog” linked to inflammation; Certain antibiotics may set the stage for Parkinson’s Disease; EBT heart scan for determining need for statins; A breakthrough home urine test for prostate cancer detection/monitoring; 43% have misdiagnosed themselves after Googling symptoms. Click HERE for part 1. Click HERE for articles and resources relating to this podcast episode.

Q&A with Leyla, Part 2: Prostate Biopsy
June 5, 2019
My urologist wants me to have a prostate biopsy given my PCA3 urine test was a 32 but the MRI was negative. What should I do?; My doctor demanded I go on a statin for my cholesterol and without asking me anything about my diet, said: "Get off the cheese"; How valuable is Apolipoprotein B in predicting heart disease?; Tired of specialists writing prescriptions without listening to the patient's concerns! Click HERE for part 1.

Intelligent Medicine Radio Show for March 2, Part 1
March 4, 2019
Is the Keto craze crushing Weight Watchers stock value? Are statins mandatory after a stroke or TIA? Judge muzzles plaintiff’s attorney in landmark Roundup trial; Hospital patients demand quiet to facilitate recovery; Does your blood type predict how much grey matter your aging brain will retain? Mothers’ vitamin D levels predict their offsprings’ muscle strength; Solutions for winter allergies; Supplements for osteoporosis. Click HERE for part 2. Click HERE for articles and resources relating to this podcast episode.

Intelligent Medicine Radio Show for March 2, Part 2

Treatment for CFS and Fibromyalgia; Insurers contain costs by issuing blanket denials for necessary medical procedures; Will stool test kits supplant colonoscopy screening for colon cancer? Should negative media reports prompt consumers to shun probiotics? Is laser hair removal safe? Should all diabetics routinely be prescribed statins? Smoking in pregnancy triples kids’ risk of ADHD. Click HERE for part 1. Click HERE for articles and resources relating to this podcast episode.

“Young at Heart” Part 1
February 19, 2019
Optimal heart health with Jim LaValle, a nationally recognized clinical pharmacist, author, and board-certified clinical nutritionist. He discusses the American Heart Association's “Life’s Simple 7” for optimal Heart Health and why aged garlic extract is among the most commonly used supplements in people with heart disease. Numerous studies suggest aged garlic extract may help improve risk factors for heart disease, including supporting healthy blood pressure levels, keeping bad cholesterol in check, increasing a hormone that helps protect against inflammation and atherosclerosis as well as helping improve insulin sensitivity and the management of blood sugar, thinning your blood, and staving off plaque in arteries. Click HERE for part 2.

ENCORE: Integrative Cardiology, Part 1
January 24, 2019
Integrative Cardiology with Dr. Dennis Goodman. Dr. Goodman is a board-certified cardiologist who is Director of Integrative Medicine at New York University Hospital. He is well-versed in conventional medicine as well as natural modalities. Dr. Goodman discusses how advanced lipid profiles can be used to assess cardiovascular risk; additional information can be gleaned from non-invasive studies like EBT heart scans and carotid ultrasound. Should doctors rely on statins for prevention? Is the cholesterol hypothesis wrong? What’s the best diet for cardiovascular prevention? Dr. Goodman describes the cardiovascular benefits of magnesium and vitamin K2. He further recommends vitamin D, fish oil and coenzyme Q 10. He discusses the role of B vitamins in mitigating the risk posed by high homocysteine. Click HERE for part 2.

ENCORE: Integrative Cardiology, Part 2

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Dr. Dennis Goodman, a board-certified cardiologist who is Director of Integrative Medicine at New York University Hospital. Click HERE for part 1.

ENCORE: The Truth About Statins, Part 1
August 21, 2018
The Truth About Statins: Risks and Alternatives to Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs. Cardiologist Barbara Roberts, M.D. dishes on the exaggerated benefits and underplayed risks of statins. One in 4 U.S. adults aged 40-75 takes these cholesterol-lowering drugs. Dr. Roberts asserts that the American Heart Association, which wholeheartedly endorses statins, is merely a marketing arm of the pharmaceutical industry. Statin side effects include muscle aches, liver problems, cognitive decline, fatigue, cataracts, and a markedly higher risk of diabetes, especially in women. Reported benefits of statins are hyped with statistical manipulation and publication bias. Drugs that “halve the risk of heart problems” may only confer a 1% reduction in absolute risk with use over five years. Scores and sometimes hundreds of patients need to take statins unnecessarily with their accompanying side effects to save a single patient from heart attack or death. Yet, the indications for statin use have been extended to encompass millions more “at risk” Americans according to new, dubious criteria. Dr. Roberts argues that, while a small percentage of patients need statins, the vast majority of people can favorably impact their risk with a Mediterranean diet and exercise. For some groups, particularly older Americans and most women, statins are of minimal benefit and may be downright harmful. Studies show that low cholesterol is associated with higher risk of death among seniors—which is bad news for the new raft of PSK-9 lipid drugs currently under consideration for approval that lower cholesterol even more dramatically than statins. Click HERE for part 2.

ENCORE: The Truth About Statins, Part 2

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Cardiologist Barbara Roberts, M.D. about her book, The Truth About Statins: Risks and Alternatives to Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs. Click HERE for part 1.