About the Episode

Reduce and reverse heart disease!

Join practicing cardiologist and Clinical Professor of Medicine Dr. Joel Kahn as he shares his years of knowledge and experience with heart disease to help you understand, prevent, and reverse the number one cause of death in America. Dr. Kahn breaks down the causes of heart disease, how to test, and common treatments to help you live longer.

Listen now and start putting your heart health first!

What We Discuss

Heart disease has been the leading cause of death for the last 113 years, with Cancer and Covid-19 as second and third over the previous three years. Most deaths from heart disease happen suddenly as heart attacks, and with nearly one in three Americans suffering from heart disease, this is a condition that we as a society don’t talk about as much as we should.

Cholesterol is the main cause of clogged arteries, resulting in stroke, heart attack, erectile dysfunction, and vascular disease. There are many components to heart disease that stress tests and EKGs won’t tell you, making deep cardiometabolic blood panels key to determining if you’re at risk. If you haven’t checked your heart with cardio-metabolic panels and cardiovascular imaging, you are missing out on key components of your health.

Heart disease can have a genetic component, as well. 9p21 is the most predictive chromosome for developing premature coronary artery disease and is detectable on most Quest Diagnostic panels and 23andme reports. Though there’s nothing patients can do about the gene, knowing you have it can help you adapt your lifestyle to minimize the impact.

Testing and Prognosis

In 1990, a CT scan was developed to detect calcium buildup in the body. It can show where a person has calcified plaque, and no injections, Iodine, or IVs are involved. Though it can’t detect soft plaque buildup, the two tend to go hand in hand. So if the test shows calcified buildup, doctors can also assume they have soft buildup as well.

If your calcium score is zero, Dr. Kahn recommends waiting 7-8 years before testing again. If it’s high, he doesn’t repeat the test because the amount of calcified plaque doesn’t go down over time and requires treatment. It’s also an age-related phenomenon, so once the calcium score reaches about 122, or is in the 90th percentile for your age, Dr. Kahn will start recommending treatment.

A thicker artery is a sicker artery, and doctors need digital imaging to see how thick the carotid arteries are. So someone can be 48 years old but 78 years old based on the condition of their arteries. Lucky, this is a very reversible condition. Dr. Kahn fully believes disease is reversible, even though it is easier to prevent it.

Lipoprotein (a)

A panel at the Mayo Heart Clinic tested 800 patients and found that of their heart disease cases, an estimated 60% were lifestyle-related, and 40% were genetic. For example, lipoprotein (a) is widespread and can cause inflammation, premature aortic stenosis, and more.
It’s made in the liver and circulates in the blood, and 25% of us inherit the ability to make it. It’s
In addition, certain medications used to treat high cholesterol, such as Crestor, can increase Lipoprotein (a). So if people use those medications but have never been checked for Lipoprotein (a), it can cause further issues. Other medications can treat both high cholesterol and Lipoprotein (a), so if you think you might be at risk, talk with your primary doctor and get the appropriate tests.

Get Started

Heart disease is a serious condition that can be halted, prevented, and reversed. One diet plan that has shown scientific evidence for reversing soft plaque buildup is an almost entirely whole food, plant-based diet. While it’s the best choice, there’s no guarantee that switching to veganism will prevent all illnesses, and you may need to add supplements to get missing vitamins and minerals. High-quality olive oil (preferably organic and in a dark-colored glass bottle) has also shown significant health benefits in heart disease prevention.

If you have a family history of heart disease, act sooner rather than later in terms of prevention. Get tested and consult with a preventative cardiologist. Don’t assume you’re fine because looking and feeling good aren’t indicators of what’s happening inside. However, the tests are relatively inexpensive and can make a huge difference.

Start preventing heart disease now!

Guest Bio

Dr. Joel Kahn is a practicing cardiologist and a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine. Known as “America’s Healthy Heart Doc”, he has triple board certification in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, and Interventional Cardiology. He has five books in publication including Your Whole Heart Solution, Dead Execs Don’t Get Bonuses and The Plant Based Solution, and Lipoprotein(a): The Heart’s Silent Killer, and has hosted his podcast, Heart Doc VIP for over 4 years.