Heart & Lung Health

Beyond Cholesterol: Holistic Approaches to Cardiovascular Health, Part 2
September 18, 2024
Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Jim LaValle, Clinical Pharmacist, Author, Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist, and Heart Health Expert, about the benefits of Aged Garlic Extract. Click HERE for part 1.

ENCORE: Q&A with Leyla, Part 1: L-arginine for Erectile Dysfunction?
August 22, 2024
Save Our Supplements!; Taking statins in the setting of low-carb diets; Are there any downsides to taking L-arginine for erectile dysfunction?; I've developed aphasia and it's progressive. Am I doomed to this neurological deterioration? Click HERE for part 2.

ENCORE: Q&A with Leyla, Part 2: Atrial Fibrillation
August 15, 2024
I'm taking warfarin for atrial fibrillation. Can I take Kyolic aged garlic extract?; Can you discuss the amount of ionizing radiation patients are subject to with calcium scoring tests? Are there alternatives?; I have a Complement C4a test that is very high. What is the significance of this result?; What is the significance of a Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone test in the normal range? Click HERE for part 1.

Leyla Weighs In: A Metabolic Approach to Heart Failure
August 2, 2024
Nutritionist Leyla Muedin delves into the rising prevalence of chronic heart failure and critiques conventional treatments. She emphasizes the importance of understanding heart failure as a condition marked by low cardiac energy and dysfunction. Leyla discusses the shortcomings of current dietary guidelines and the negative impact of statins on heart health. Highlighting the 'awesome foursome' proposed by Dr. Steven Sinatra—Coenzyme Q10, L-Carnitine, D-Ribose, and Magnesium—she explains how these supplements support mitochondrial function and improve heart energy. Leyla advocates for integrative and functional medicine approaches, which, coupled with lifestyle changes, offer promising improvements in managing heart failure without the side effects of standard medications.

Women’s Heart Health: A Deep Dive with Jane Jansen, Part 1
June 18, 2024
Although cardiovascular disease is usually thought of as a man’s disease, almost as many women die each year of heart problems. Jane Jansen, a naturopathic practitioner from the Tree of Life Wellness Center in Massachusetts brings a unique perspective with her extensive background in cardiovascular labs and non-invasive cardiology. She sheds light on the gender disparities in cardiovascular research, the critical periods for women's heart health, especially during perimenopause and menopause, and the evolving understanding of hormone replacement therapy. The episode highlights the importance of early diagnosis, lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise, and the benefits of specific supplements like aged garlic extract. Jansen addresses the underestimation of women's cardiovascular risks compared to breast cancer and offer practical advice on managing stress and improving sleep quality. This comprehensive conversation aims to break stereotypes and provide actionable insights for better heart health among women. Click HERE for part 2.

Women’s Heart Health: A Deep Dive with Jane Jansen, Part 2

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Naturopathic Practitioner, Jane Jansen of the Tree of Life Wellness Center in Massachusetts. Click HERE for part 1.

ENCORE: How Big Pharma Corrupts American Healthcare, Part 1
June 4, 2024
According to today’s guest, Dr. John Abramson, Americans are getting less bang for their buck when it comes to ever more pricey pharmaceutical drugs. Despite enormous expenditures—17.7% of our GDP—Americans are less healthy and life expectancy lags behind other developed nations. Dr. Abramson, formerly a family practice physician, turned his attention to critiquing the pharmaceutical industry when he realized over-the-top marketing of drugs was at odds with his patients’ interests. He wrote Overdosing America, and became an expert witness in a landmark class action lawsuit over the now-withdrawn drug Bextra. His new book, "Sickening: How Big Pharma Broke American Health Care—And How We Can Repair It," exposes the sleight-of-hand involved in studies that gain approval for new drugs, and how the profit motive distorts optimal drug and device development. Dr. Abramson cites the example of statins as drugs that, while helpful for some, have been vastly overhyped and overprescribed on scant evidence. He takes aim at physician education—both in medical school and post-graduate—as indoctrinating doctors to prescribe drugs with questionable efficacy and undisclosed harms. Dr. Abramson offers an insider’s critique of the medical provisions of the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act—which in fact does little to cap Americans’ skyrocketing outlays for prescription drugs. Click HERE for part 2.

ENCORE: How Big Pharma Corrupts American Healthcare, Part 2

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Dr. John Abramson, author of "Sickening: How Big Pharma Broke American Health Care—And How We Can Repair It." Click HERE for part 1.

ENCORE: The Role Lifestyle Plays in Enhancing Resilience, Part 1
May 29, 2024
The Covid pandemic should’ve served as a wake-up call, highlighting our vulnerabilities as a nation. Ross Arena, Ph.D., professor of physical therapy at the University of Illinois Chicago, is spearheading a bold initiative called HL-PIVOT to underscore the role that healthy lifestyle plays in enhancing resilience. He is lead author of a new paper that demonstrates the roles that obesity, poor diet, smoking, and inadequate sleep play in setting the stage for poor Covid outcomes. Instead of a pandemic, he argues that we’re experiencing a “syndemic”—a perfect storm of chronic diseases that in themselves exact a terrible toll of chronic illness, but at the same time render Americans more susceptible to Covid. The surprising disparity between US regions with healthier, more active populations versus sedentary precincts within “food deserts” spotlights the important role lifestyle plays as a mediator of Covid severity. Arena argues that this has important social justice implications, with underserved populations experiencing the brunt of the syndemic. Click HERE for part 2.

ENCORE: The Role Lifestyle Plays in Enhancing Resilience, Part 2

Dr. Hoffman continues his conversation with Ross Arena, Ph.D., professor of physical therapy at the University of Illinois Chicago. Click HERE for part 1.