Lifers with Christina Farr

Are there better alternatives to Ozempic with Sami Inkinen, CEO of Virta Health

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This week on Second Opinion, we're featuring Christina Farr, Ash Zenooz, and Luba Greenwood's conversation with Sami Inkinen, CEO of Virta Health. They discuss the company's mission to reverse type 2 diabetes and obesity through personalized nutrition and intensive telemedicine.



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LINKS: 

Virta Health: https://www.virtahealth.com/ 

PHTI: https://phti.org/


Caroline Pearson on Second Opinion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbo3T654g6c


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FOLLOW:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/samiinkinen/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinafarr/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lubagreenwood/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashzenooz/


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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE:

  • Sami Inkinen is an "accidental healthcare entrepreneur" who founded Virta Health after discovering he was pre-diabetic despite being a world championship triathlete.
  • Sami's key insight was that "you cannot outrun a bad diet" – excessive processed carbohydrates lead to insulin resistance regardless of exercise level.
  • Virta Health's mission is to reverse type 2 diabetes and obesity in 1 billion people through nutrition, lifestyle changes, and telemedicine support.
  • Virta spent five years running clinical trials that demonstrated they could reverse type 2 diabetes and deliver sustained weight loss (13% at one and two years).
  • They highly individualize treatment plans based on each person's circumstances, whether they're eating from a casino, a 7-Eleven, or McDonald's.
  • Unlike traditional quarterly doctor visits, Virta provides 2-3 interactions daily, monitoring biomarkers and adjusting in near real-time.
  • Their approach doesn't rely on willpower – patients eat to satiety, which is key to long-term success.
  • Patients typically get free access to Virta, with employers or health plans paying because Virta saves them about $600/month per patient.
  • The Peterson Health Technology Institute found Virta was the only digital diabetes program that actually worked.
  • Sami believes the ideal obesity treatment combines nutrition (as first-line defense) with GLP-1 drugs when necessary, not an either/or approach.
  • Virta employs full-time doctors and coaches who form long-term relationships with patients, empowered by software and AI.
  • The company is focusing on scaling their current services, becoming profitable in 2025, and potentially becoming a public company.
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    Lifers with Christina FarrBy Christina Farr
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