Heart Doc VIP with Dr. Joel Kahn

The word stent is only used in cardiology circles but these small devices are used to treat well over a million people every year. For over a decade, stents have largely replaced using a balloon alone to unblock arteries (called PTCA). The history of stents is interesting and the proper use of stents is controversial. Everyone should know some information about stents and then work very hard to avoid them!

A new report from the CDC says we are not reaching an important group of middle aged persons and 75,000 a year are dying needlessly in the USA alone. The basics remain no smoking, exercising, a quality diet rich in whole plant foods, sleep, and stress management. This week we go in more depth about some hidden secrets that cause heart disease and finish we two big recommendations to improve your heart. Know Your Numbers.

One of the most important decisions in the determination of symptoms as heart burn (GI) versus angina (cardiac and serious). This week we discuss the features of heart vs. GI symptoms, what to do, when to call, and when to go to the ER. Angina is a symptom of the #1 killer in the Western world, coronary heart disease, and must be dealt with aggressively. Share with your loved ones.

Who isn't stressed? Everyone has their share at every level of life. A method to cope with stress is the key and meditation has so much evidence to support it as a useful tool. TM, KKM, and MBSR are an alphabet soup but are 3 methods with scientific support for healing and health properties. Even the ability to promote a longer life, a lower risk of heart attack, and less depression and anxiety. Yes, meditation is medication.

You may take your mouth and teeth for granted except for 1-2 visits for the dentist a year but in fact, your mouth is alive and teeming with good and unhealthy bacteria. The mouth is often overlooked as a source of disease and inflammation and can effect your blood vessels. The association with cardiovascular disease is strong. Dr. Kahn will talk about his journey with advanced dental care and why you should consider getting cutting edge care so hopefully you do not need to be cut on!

After 4 years, Dr. Kahn's smash hit book, Dead Execs Don't Get Bonuses, has been released in a revised edition, just this week. It is updated and now published by a well respected publisher to make it even easier to reach millions. It lays out how to get checked the right way to avoid being a deadly statistic. The mantra is "test not guess" but what tests to ask for? It's all spelled out win a clear, quick, and urgent manner that becomes a "must read" for 2018. Buy a lot, give them out, and share the idea that heart disease is an option and not an inevitable outcome of life. Gratitude.

The topics of ECG, Echo and Stress Testing was previously covered but now let's turn to a "hot" topic: nuclear cardiology. Dr. Kahn's roots go way over 30 years ago to training making pictures of heart blood flow and strength and participated some major advances in this field. All these years later you may still be asked to undergo a nuclear cardiology scan. Therefore, lets discuss what they are, how they are done, the risks, the alternatives, the benefits. At the end you will know thallium from cardiolite from MUGA and other doctor talk.

It may seem radical to talk about your toothpaste and deodorant, but the nearly 100,000 industrial chemicals created in the last century area part of the struggle we are having with your health. A new study in pregnant women is discussed. The role of BPA, triclosan, bromides, RoundUp and other toxicants are the focus. Strategies to boost your bodies defenses and switching out products (ewg.org and thrivemarket.com) are the key messages.

Have you heard of a documentary called the Magic Pill? How eating more fat and less fruit can heal autism, cholesterol issues, diabetes, and obesity? These are the examples given in the film populated by a few doctors, authors, and a celebrity chef with handsome eyes. But is it real? Is it the Magic Pill to eat more fat? Or is it the Magic Kill Pill? Listen and learn on this edition of Heart Doc VIP on Empower Radio.

Dr. Kahn looks at two studies that made major headlines in the last 6 months, both suggesting that vitamins are a waste of money. Also, are medical journals benefiting from the success of pharmaceutical companies as opposed to natural therapies? Do journals take millions of dollars from drug companies? Were the studies of good quality? Is there any new data? Dr. Kahn dives deep to find reasonable conclusions on this edition of Heart Doc VIP on Empower Radio.

In this weeks discussion a surprising new article by 4 prominent leaders in nutrition join forces to reach consensus on one aspect of nutrition and health: which fats are preferred. The data goes back over 60 years and a kind shout out to Ancel Keys, Ph.D. is provided by some former (and off base) critics. We are inching towards the realization that largely or solely plant diets are the best (and skip the coconut oil).

Chelation Therapy means "the claw" in Latin and refers to chemicals that may trap and remove toxins like lead and mercury from the body. Does Chelation Therapy also make heart arteries younger and cleaner? The data is growing that it does but an interesting patient today in the Kahn Center has me scratching my head. Take a listen.

The critical role of having a community is put into focus with a discussion of Roseto, Pennsylvania and the famous Roseto Effect. Alas, now a memory of modern life. In addition, two new research studies indicate that feeling lonely and living life without a partner are associated with adverse health effects for a variety of heart disease. Groups like the Plant Based Nutrition Support Group, faith groups, sports leagues, and extended family and friends are another basis for total health and longevity.

The news this week from Johns Hopkins University was that erectile dysfunction (ED) in men doubled the risk of having a heart attack, stroke or even a heart death. It is a clue NOT to be ignored. In fact, other studies have identified a risk much higher, even 50X higher, if ED is present. It may be the clue that saves a life so if you have or know anyone with ED, have them get the advanced cardiovascular check up and lifestyle training that may save their life and restore their joy and performance.

The word is that vitamins are a waste. Wait! How about a vitamin that saves lives? Reduces a serious heart disorder Congestive Heart Failure? Lowers blood pressure and cholesterol? Before you pitch your vitamin bottles, take a listen to the news on CoQ10.

The number one cause of death in the world relates to elevated blood pressure which is a shocking statistic. How do you know your risk? The best way is to monitor your blood pressure at home AND a 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor. This can tell if you have normal, elevated, white coat or masked hypertension. It can also tell if you blood pressure DIPS normally at night. You will learn more here today in a short and sweet conversation on Heart Doc VIP.

Whether it is athletes like Lebron James, Hollywood stars like Halle Barry, or some doctor like Joseph Mercola, MD, the ketogenic diet is a hot version of the Atkins Diet. What is it? Is there much science? Is it safe? Is there a safer version? Should you try it? These questions and more are the topic of this edition of Heart Doc VIP. Happy Holidays!

Although hard to define, inflammation is the flame that can burn up your health. It contributes to diseases like heart attacks, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis. This episode talks about what it is, how to measure it, acute vs. chronic, new data on whether it really matters, and what to do about it. Like a firehose, use your lifestyle to snuff it out.

In the news this month, the headlines are announcing that a high intake of eggs are safe for diabetic patients. This contradicts a decade of research showing risk and harm to type 2 diabetics eating eggs. Is the new data reliable? What about the older data that extended to heart disease, cancer, and death from any cause? Do these serious conditions go up with diets high in eggs? The newest data is discussed this week and I hope it helps you make the best choices for your health.

Why would a heart doctor report on fertility? Because diet, toxins, stress and cell phones can impact the rates of successful pregnancy AND the health of other organs including the heart. This week a new study from Australia on diet and conception is the focus. Listen and share with others. Research ewg.org and thrivemarket.com and visit please drjoelkahn.com. To health!

For thousands of years alcoholic beverages have been part of our culture. Even this year, supportive data were published and made headlines. Now a massive study questions if you should go beyond the first drink more than 5-6 times a week. This is an important consideration. Complete abstinence from alcohol is a growing trend and here is a reason why.

In the past few weeks the discussion on stress testing and EKGs created a lot of positive feedback for more. This edition: echocardiography, the special name for ultrasounds of the heart. Why, how, what types, what uses. This amazing application of technology used first in industry and now in medical care for the last 40 years is a stunning achievement. After listening to this segment you will know the ins and outs of echo, doppler, TEE and TTE.

You probably have had an ECG or electrocardiogram. But why? What can this simple test tell you? Can you learn about your heart on a simple piece of paper? This week on Heart Doc VIP you'll learn the history of recording electricity in the heart from 100 years ago to now, wanders through Ann Arbor, Michigan, and ends up with you understanding how your heart work.

One of the basic procedures recommended by heart doctors is a stress test on a treadmill. This week you will learn some of the ins and outs of this test, how it can be coupled with an echo or nuclear scan, and how it can be done in people not able to walk the treadmill well. This information can help you and your loved ones make better choices for your health.

There is so much controversy about dietary fats, healthy or not. The reality is almost all food contains some calories from fats, but there are huge differences in the amount and type and whether they are derived from animal or plant origin. But doctor, how about just one fatty meal? Please? New data provides shocking data on what happens to arteries, red blood cells, and inflammation release called MPO (myeloperoxidase).

We all want to make food choices that favor health for our families and ourselves. Is the issue of GMO, Monsanto, Glyphosate, and RoundUp and issues worth learning about? How much RoundUp is being used in agriculture and what does it appear to be doing to our health? This week Dr. Kahn tries to answer these questions. Check out ewg.org for the Dirty Dozen list as a reference. And consider restore4life.com for your health.

Stress is the "elephant" in the exam room of most visits to a doctor. It results in pains, poor habits, poor sleep and other outcomes, and often the Rx is a pill not a tool for stress control. You cannot avoid stress but you can manage it. This week we review methods to preempt and control stress in ways that are easy to learn and use. They can be shared with children too. Enjoy this episode and start using your breath to whip stress into its cage.

A common fear is the beginnings of memory loss and the slide into dementia. Two books were published in late 2017 with plans to prevent this problem. However, the two programs were as different as they were similar (everyone loves sleep and exercise). Learn Dr. Kahn's view on how to protect your brain throughout your lifetime on this edition of Heart Doc VIP on Empower Radio.

In the news is that protein powders you may be using in your smoothie may be laced with heavy metals like mercury, cadmium arsenic and lead. What are heavy metals? Where do they come from? How do you measure them? What can you do to eliminate them with food? Sweat? Supplements? Chelation? There is a lot to learn this week to protect your health. Listen and share with your friends and family.

Type 2 diabetes is being diagnosed at an explosive rate and is usually linked to obesity. But what diet favors a high blood sugar? What diet returns blood sugar to normal ranges? The headlines will leave you confused so we turn to the science of the percentage of fat in the diet short term and long term on your bodies ability to make and use insulin efficiently. There are very practical steps to take after learning that a diet high in calories from oils and animal fats can quickly make the body resistant to the blood sugar stabilizing effects of insulin. Share with your loved ones and friends.

If Dr White was right in 1955 when he said "a heart attack before age 80 is a failure of the medical system" than you need a plan to not be a statistic. Dr. Kahn will review review 4 steps to being heart attack free using technology. Then you have to do the hard work, a lifestyle centered on a plant diet, to stay young at heart by design. This podcast can save lives if you share it around. Dead Execs Don't Get Bonuses or Have Fun.

How many times have you heard that taking supplements (vitamins and more) just make your urine yellow and expensive? Maybe your health care provider told you this or your brother-in-law. Is that always true? Is there any science to taking some supplements for energy? Heart health? Even longevity? This week we review a new science paper on vitamin D3 and talk about 9 supplements that rock the science world. Listen and share. Visit kahnlongevitycenter.com and SHOP using code word wellness.

In this episode, we began a series for February Heart Month dedicated on learning how to assess and then reverse and silent or overt heart issues. We start with a bigger issue, the age of your body. Can you measure it with urine and blood tests? Can you improve upon it by changing habits and taking supplements? Yes you can and here you can learn what to ask for on your next visit to your doctor or a visit to kahnlongevitycenter.com. Learn about Russell Jaffe, MD. Ph.D and his contribution to this area of regenerative medicine. Learn about HgbA1C, hs-CRP, homocysteine, urine pH, d-Dimer and more on this edition of Heart Doc VIP on Empower Radio.

You might think that whole grains are a risk to your health after alarming but bestselling books about wheat and grains and such. What is the real truth? New data is discussed about whole grains PREVENTING type 2 diabetes and other conditions. The role of whole grains in The Longevity Diet by Dr. Valter Longo is discussed. It may go against the grain of modern confusion to eat grains but do. Unless you have Celiac Disease.

Dr. Kahn pays a visit to Crossroads Kitchen, a premier vegan destination in Los Angeles and discusses two books with so much wisdom born of personal experiences by JD Roth, executive producer of The Biggest Loser and Presto by Penn Jillette, comedian and magician. What can you learn from the most experienced coach of the super obese and a man that lost over 100 pounds fast and sustained? A lot. And a quick review of The Longevity Diet and Valter Longo, Ph.D. student for life on this edition of Heart Doc VIP on Empower Radio.

Nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress. Everyone knows that the focusing on these areas can prevent heart issues. But what about sauna therapy? Are you aware that there are not a dozen, or two dozen, but over 3 dozen scientific studies involving thousands of patients documenting the life extending advantages of sauna. Learn why Japanese, Swedish, and Finnish doctors write for sauna therapy on their Rx pads on this edition of Heart Doc VIP. Now schedule some sauna therapy for your health.

The Blue Zones are areas that people live over 100 years of age with much more frequency and health than other areas. The Blue Zones provide us many lessons to pattern our lives after as we strive for vitality and health. This week, New Year's Resolutions meet the Blue Zone Solution and practical advice on how to live your best healthy life are discussed. An important conversation to learn and share in 2018. Happy New Year!

The year is over but there were many highlights that will endure into 2018 and beyond. Headlines included the viral documentary What the Health, science on fasting, not enough science on ketogenic diets, the benefits of plant diets, and the issue of whether dietary sugar causes type 2 diabetes. Listen, read and share with your friends. Wishing you a healthy 2018. Health = Wellth.

Dr. Kahn in the Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity comments on several topics, including: 1. How to track your own ECG from your smart phone or Apple watch and why this might be a great holiday gift 2. The Plant Based Solution coming out January 1, 2018 3. His recent lecture in Las Vegas with Valter Longo, Ph.D. on the use of a fasting mimicking diet to enhance health. The fast path to regenerating and rejuvenating your health available at the clinic and drjoelkahn.com. Happy Holidays!

On this edition of Heart Doc VIP, Dr. Joel Kahn reviews 7 new health topics that dominated the news worldwide. Dr. Kahn calls these "7 to Keep You Out of Heaven" (prematurely). From multiple sclerosis and diet, to Alzheimers, the environment, skin cancer, and the plant meat industry, these 7 topics you can use are covered in a succinct manner to honor your time and drive. Check out drjoelkahn.com for more and be sure to visit GreenSpace Cafe when you're in Detroit.

On this edition of Heart Doc VIP, Dr. Kahn celebrates the beginning of year 3 of GreenSpace Cafe in Ferndale, Michigan by reviewing his top 7 medical news items of the last week. From crickets, to the NVA, to marriage, to vegetable oils and mouthwashes, these items will inform and guide you to a healthier life ahead. More on Dr. Kahn can be found at drjoelkahn.com and the kahnlongevitycenter.com.

Marc Ramirez may be approaching 50 but his spirit and health is All American. He had 4 amazing years as a guard for the University of Michigan football team and 3 trips to the Rose Bowl. Just 10 years later he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and his health was anything but victorious. It took another 10 years of illness until he learned of Forks Over Knives and the potential for reversal of diabetes. Just 3 months later he was off of all medications. Today Marc and his wife Kim are leaders in education and can be found at chickpeaandbean.com.

Is it our nature to be plant eaters? Milton Mills, MD says YES. Dr. Mills lectures and inspires many coast to coast while still practicing intensive care unit medicine in the Washington, D.C. area. You may know him from the hit documentary What The Health. His journey to plant diets began with adopting the Adventist religious philosophy as a teenager and he still relies on scripture to argue that it is our nature to be plant eaters. He is soon launching a faith based website to teach this concept more widely. He will inspire and teach you and is authentic in his passion to heal illness.

You may have seen him on his national show on The Cooking Channel, his YouTube Channel, or read his book, but we can all learn so much from long time vegan chef Jason Wrobel. His Detroit roots keep him coming back to visit his wonderful mother Susan. He travels and teaches an energetic approach to eating for health using food as the vehicle. Bon Appétit!

A trend in fashion led by Tesla, Ferrari, and recently Gucci is to replace animal sourced clothing with cruelty free alternatives. Canadian down coats are popular but the process of harvesting the down is cruel and bloody. Wully Outerwear in Toronto is taking on the Canadian Goose brand on and Dr. Kahn hopes they win. Their products are high quality and high fashion. Dr. Kahn owns their parka and can't wait for colder days ahead to wear it proudly. For more information visit wullyouterwear.com.

Beverly Lynn Bennett is a new friend from Eugene, Oregon. She contributed dozens and dozens of original recipes to Dr. Kahn's 4th book, Vegan Sex. Dr. Kahn and Beverly met in Portland and discussed how she got interested in plant cooking, how she develops recipes and what she likes to eat in a usual day. She has some plantastic suggestions of how to make foods healthier with simple adjustments. You will find this very useful and practical for your kitchen antics (or plantics). Her newest recipes are found in Vegan for One.

Dr. Kahn shares a lot of traits with Ellen Jaffe Jones of vegcoach.com and they were able to co-author the book Vegan Sex this year to share their passions (on paper only!). She is a chef, author, lecturer, food demonstrator and an accomplished and award winning athlete. Since the release of their book she has written a new one called Vegan For One which came out of some years she had when she had to prepare meals only for herself. It is a short but powerful interview done in Portland, Oregon where they were both speaking.

Dr. Daniel Chong is a naturopathic doctor in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Kahn and Dr. Chong trained together over the years and he specializes in heart issues. He just delivered a keynote address on vitamin C and the heart. In this episode he talks about the C Cleanse, Dr. Russell Jaffe, Perque vitamins, Dr. Matthias Rath and Dr. Linus Pauling. Their work combined points to the need for much higher doses of vitamin C to prevent heart disease than most of us eat or take. This is a very important discussion, particularly if you have a high Lipoprotein a (lp a) level, the sticky cholesterol.

Dr. Kahn knew Dr. Allan Kalmus when they were children but reconnected when he began a health journey to reverse obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and sleep apnea using a whole food plant diet without oil. Over the last 46 months he has lost over 100 pounds, got off medications and CPAP therapy, and has begun to run 5K races. Dr. Kalmus says, "If I can do it you can do it", and he tells us exactly how to get started in this inspiring discussion on this edition of Heart Doc VIP.

On this edition of Heart Doc VIP Dr. Kahn discusses an integrative approach to one of the most common and disabling of conditions, back pain (he also discusses headaches, neck pain and spinal issues in children at the end). Jonathan Bruner, DO, is board certified in neuromuscular medicine and is found at mobilitymedicine.com. His combination of medical training overlapping with manipulative skills is unusual while also crossing into sleep, nutrition and supplements. If you don't have back pain, listen. If you do, listen twice.