Is modern medicine fighting the wrong battle? In this episode of The Health Curve, host Dr. Jason Arora speaks with Karl Pfleger - former Google engineer turned geroscience investor and advocate - about why focusing on individual chronic diseases is failing us, and why targeting the fundamental biological drivers of aging is the ultimate leverage point for human health.

Karl breaks down the Geroscience Hypothesis, why "preventable" chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and dementia are actually inevitable without intervention, and how upcoming therapeutics could eliminate age-related pathology altogether.

⏱️ Chapter Markers

00:00 - Welcome 
00:20 - From Google to Aging Biology 
02:50 - Why Chronic Disease Is Not Preventable 
06:15 - The Geroscience Hypothesis Explained 
10:15 - Why Karl Rejects the Word "Longevity" 
13:06 - Slowing Aging vs. Rejuvenation 
17:31 - When to Start Intervening 
18:42 - The End Goal of Success 
19:35 - What We Can Do Today 
24:10 - Therapies Close to Real Use 
28:18 - Where GLP-1 Drugs Fit 
35:58 - Funding & Regulation Bottlenecks 
45:04 - What the Future Looks Like 
51:47 - Equity & Global Impact 
56:41 - Final Takeaways

Karl's website: agingbiotech.info

• New and expectant parents
• Partners and caregivers who want to better support breastfeeding journeys
• Anyone confused or overwhelmed by conflicting advice online
• Clinicians and health professionals interested in patient-centered postpartum care

• The biology and benefits of breastfeeding for both baby and parent
• What actually happens when milk “comes in”
• Common breastfeeding challenges (pain, low supply, engorgement, mastitis)
• Pumping, combo feeding, and when formula makes sense
• Cultural myths, internet misinformation, and unnecessary guilt
• Why feeding your baby — however that looks — is what matters most

You might already be losing your hearing, and not even realize it.

Over 1.5 billion people worldwide live with some degree of hearing loss, yet for most, it goes unnoticed until it starts affecting conversations, relationships, and daily life. 

In this episode of The Health Curve Podcast, we explore why hearing loss is a silent global health crisis, and what you can do to protect yourself.

Host Dr. Jason Arora is joined by Dr. Joe Manjaly, NHS Ear Nose & Throat surgeon and ear specialist at the The London Ear Clinic, to break down what hearing loss actually is, why it’s so common, and why so many people miss the early signs. Together, we unpack how modern life, from headphones and constant noise exposure to aging and genetics, is shaping your hearing over time.

We also explore what’s happening inside your ears when hearing starts to decline, why many people only notice it in noisy environments, and why sudden hearing loss is something you should never ignore. The conversation goes beyond the ears, looking at how hearing loss affects mental fatigue, relationships, work performance, and even brain health.

Most importantly, this episode is about awareness. Because once you notice the signs, there are simple steps you can take - from testing your hearing to protecting it - that can make a meaningful difference over time.

If you’ve ever found yourself turning the volume up, struggling to follow conversations, or asking people to repeat themselves, this episode will change how you think about your hearing.

Follow The Health Curve for evidence-based conversations that help you navigate your health with clarity, and check out @earsurgeonjoe to learn more about this topic! 

Why do people walk out of hot yoga feeling like a completely different person?

In this episode of The Health Curve Podcast, we explore the science, psychology, and real-world impact of hot yoga, and why it’s become one of the most addictive and enduring practices in modern wellness.

Host Dr. Jason Arora is again joined by Val Sklar Robinson, his own first teacher in this style, and a former student of Bikram Choudhury. She draws on her nearly three decades of experience to unpack what actually happens inside your body and mind in a hot yoga class. From the iconic 26-posture sequence to the intense heat and structure of the practice, we break down why this method has stayed so popular for so long, and why so many people swear by it.

Together, we explore how hot yoga builds strength, flexibility, and balance in ways that traditional workouts often miss, while also training something deeper: focus, discipline, and the ability to stay calm under stress. We dive into why the same class can feel completely different every day, how the heat changes your physiology, and why the practice often leads to mental clarity, emotional release, and unexpected insights.

We also discuss who hot yoga is really for, why it’s surprisingly accessible to beginners, and why it has become a powerful tool not just for physical health, but for mental resilience, stress reduction, and even habit change.

At its core, this episode is about more than yoga. It’s about learning how to sit with discomfort, regulate your mind, and come out stronger on the other side. both inside and outside the studio.

If you’ve ever been curious about hot yoga, or wondered why people keep coming back to it, this conversation may change how you think about it.

Follow The Health Curve for evidence-based conversations that help you navigate your health with clarity.

The postpartum period - often called the fourth trimester - is one of the most raw, emotional, and transformative stages in a woman’s life. Yet postpartum health remains one of the most overlooked areas of modern healthcare. Hormones shift dramatically, physical recovery begins, sleep becomes fragmented, and parents navigate a deep identity transition.

In this episode of The Health Curve, host Dr. Jason Arora speaks with OBGYN Dr. Stacey Silverman Fine of Maven Clinic to demystify postpartum recovery and explain what truly happens after birth. They cover the physical and emotional changes of postpartum, breastfeeding challenges, pelvic floor healing, postpartum anxiety and depression, and why the traditional six-week checkup is far from sufficient.

You’ll also learn what real postpartum support should look like - from partners, families, workplaces, and the healthcare system.

If you want an honest, evidence-based conversation about life after birth, this episode is your postpartum guide.

🏥 Roughly 1 in 5 Latino adults in the U.S. lacks health insurance, the highest uninsured rate of any major demographic group. Latino families often wait longer for care, receive less preventive screening, and experience worse outcomes for chronic diseases, despite making up nearly 20% of the U.S. population and representing the youngest, fastest-growing demographic in the country.

In this episode of The Health Curve, Dr. Jason Arora is joined by Erik Cárdenas, entrepreneur and healthcare builder at Zócalo Health, to unpack why the U.S. healthcare system consistently fails Latino communities, and what we can do about it.

Together, they explore how structural barriers shape health outcomes: Medicaid access gaps, primary care shortages, language barriers, underrepresentation of Latino clinicians (fewer than 6% of U.S. physicians), and a fee-for-service model that leaves little room for trust, prevention, or whole-family care. They examine why Latino adults are ~50–70% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, face higher rates of obesity, liver disease, and kidney disease, and are significantly less likely to receive timely preventive care, even though many of these conditions are preventable or far more manageable when caught early.

The conversation also digs into the so-called “Hispanic paradox” - why newer immigrants often live longer than U.S.-born Latinos - and why that advantage erodes over time as families encounter the realities of American food systems, work patterns, housing insecurity, and healthcare access. They discuss how fear, immigration policy, and administrative complexity further discourage people from seeking care, even when they are eligible.

Crucially, this episode doesn’t stop at diagnosis. Erik and Jason explore what does work: community-based care models, culturally fluent teams, community health workers, and healthcare designs that meet people where they are: at home, in families, and in communities. 

This is not a niche issue. It’s a test case for whether the U.S. healthcare system can deliver equitable, effective care at scale - for Latino communities and beyond.

Can art and creativity actually heal you?

In this episode of The Health Curve Podcast, we explore a powerful idea at the intersection of science, culture, and health: that music, art, movement, storytelling, and creative expression don’t just enrich life. They can actively shape our brains, our mental health, and even our physical well-being.

Dr. Jason Arora is joined by Susan Magsamen (Johns Hopkins, Your Brain on Art), Ruth Katz (Aspen Institute), and Sarah Lyding (Music Man Foundation) to unpack the emerging field of neuroarts—and what the science is now beginning to show.

Together, we break down how engaging with the arts can influence brain function, stress, emotional regulation, connection, and recovery. From Parkinson’s disease and dance, to music and Alzheimer’s, to trauma, youth mental health, and community healing—this is a field that’s rapidly moving from intuition to evidence.

But this conversation goes beyond science.

We ask a bigger question: what if the arts aren’t a luxury, but a core pillar of health?

We also explore why this field is only now gaining traction, how initiatives like the NeuroArts Blueprint are pushing for research and policy change, and what it would take to bring creativity into mainstream healthcare, education, and everyday life.

If you’ve ever felt better after listening to music, writing, moving, or creating something, this episode explains why that matters more than you think.

Follow The Health Curve for evidence-based conversations that help you navigate your health with clarity.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro
00:04 What is neuroarts, and why does it matter?
02:22 Defining neuroarts
03:38 What counts as “art”?
05:43 What does the evidence show?
08:44 Making vs experiencing art
10:48 The science of art and the brain
15:14 Where the evidence is strongest
21:26 Art and human evolution
26:42 Why is this field still new?
29:13 The NeuroArts Blueprint
38:36 Global perspectives
41:38 Bringing neuroarts into healthcare
48:07 Practical takeaways
50:09 Closing

Are dating apps really helping us connect, or are they damaging our mental health?

In this episode of The Health Curve Podcast, Dr. Jason Arora sits down with Jen Hecht, Executive Director of Building Healthy Online Communities, to explore a modern question that affects millions of people: what are dating apps really doing to our minds, our relationships, and our well-being?

Dating apps have transformed how people meet, date, and form relationships. For many, they’ve created opportunities that might never have existed otherwise. But they’ve also introduced a new kind of emotional environment - one shaped by constant swiping, ghosting, rejection, comparison, ambiguity, and the sense that connection has become both more available and more toxic at the same time.

In this conversation, Jen brings a public health perspective to the mental health side of digital dating. She explains how online interactions can become especially painful when they happen in intimate contexts, why negative experiences within one’s own community can cut particularly deep, and how repeated exposure to disrespect, discrimination, or silence can affect anxiety, self-esteem, and emotional well-being.

They explore whether the problem is mainly the behavior of people on the apps, the design of the apps themselves, or the combination of both. From dopamine-driven reward loops to the loss of normal social cues, this episode looks at how digital environments can amplify some of the worst parts of human behavior, and why that matters even more when people are searching for closeness, validation, or love.

The conversation also asks a more constructive question: can dating apps be designed in ways that support healthier experiences? Jen shares what she and her team have learned from working directly with dating platforms, including how profile design, moderation tools, community guidelines, and better safety features can reduce harm and improve the experience for users.

The episode also touches on sexual health, especially where it intersects with mental and relational well-being. From STI testing and health information to clearer communication and public health messaging, Jen explains how these platforms can be used not just to facilitate connection, but to support healthier decisions too.

Most importantly, this is a conversation about how to use dating apps without letting them use you. If you’ve ever felt drained, anxious, discouraged, or emotionally worn down by digital dating, or if you’re trying to navigate these platforms in a more intentional way, this episode is for you.

Follow The Health Curve for evidence-based conversations that cut through hype and help you navigate your health with more clarity.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro
00:03 Welcome and opening remarks
00:27 Jen Hecht’s background in public health
04:18 Why dating app companies are so hard to reach
06:49 How dating apps changed human connection
13:15 What apps change about relationships and behavior
17:06 User behavior vs app design
19:45 Can platforms create healthier digital environments?
23:02 Subscribe and share
23:47 Have dating apps changed sexual health patterns?
27:30 Sexual health tools built into the apps
31:32 Where public health messaging belongs on dating apps
34:08 Free at-home testing and smarter sexual health support
35:50 How to use dating apps in a healthier way
37:53 Final takeaways and thank you

Poor diet is one of the biggest drivers of chronic disease worldwide. 

In this episode of The Health Curve, we explore one of the most basic but most confusing questions in health: what should people actually eat?

Host Dr. Jason Arora is joined by Dr. Jaime Schehr - integrative medicine physician, naturopathic doctor, registered dietitian, and Peloton's official Nutritionist @OnePeloton 🚴 - to cut through the noise on food, wellness, and the diets people are constantly told to follow.

Together, they break down the nutrition principles that matter most: why whole, recognizable foods matter, why most people need more fiber, how to think about protein, carbohydrates, fats, dairy, and micronutrients, and why so much of the confusion around food comes from misinformation, overprocessing, and convenience-driven eating.

The conversation also gets practical. What does a healthy plate actually look like? How should people think about smoothies, sugar, seed oils, hidden fats, and ultra-processed foods? And how can someone eat well even on a tight budget?

At its core, this episode is about simplifying nutrition. Not fad diets. Not food fear. Just the core principles that help most people eat better, feel better, and reduce their long-term risk of disease.

Follow The Health Curve @thehealthcurve for evidence-based conversations that make it easier to navigate health with clarity.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:23 Dr. Jaime Schehr's background
03:13 Wellness trends and what's changed
07:53 Where nutrition fits in health today
11:22 Why nutrition feels so confusing
13:03 What a healthy diet actually looks like
17:01 What changed in the food pyramid
18:31 Do people eat enough protein?
21:43 How to eat healthy on a budget
24:52 Seed oils and ultra-processed foods
30:53 Why fiber matters so much
35:03 Carbohydrates explained
37:39 Smoothies, fruit, and sugar
42:21 Dairy explained
44:21 What micronutrients are
46:27 Where nutrition needs to go next
47:44 Closing thoughts

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the world.

In this episode of The Health Curve, we explore how to actually reduce your risk - what matters, what doesn’t, and what most people get wrong.

Host Dr. Jason Arora is joined by Dr. Thomas Dobbs, NHS plastic surgeon and skin cancer specialist, to break down the basics: what skin cancer is, why it’s so common, and how it develops.

Together, we unpack the key risk factors (sun exposure, burns, tanning beds, skin type, age, and more), the main types of skin cancer, and what to look for on your own skin.

We also get practical about prevention. When should you use sunscreen? What does SPF actually mean? Do you need it on cloudy days? And how should you apply it properly?

Finally, we cut through the noise on some of the biggest myths online - does sunscreen actually cause cancer? Does it block vitamin D? Are certain ingredients unsafe? - and bring it back to what the evidence actually says.

If you care about your long-term health, this is one of the simplest areas where small habits can make a big difference.

Follow The Health Curve  @thehealthcurve for evidence-based conversations that help you navigate your health with clarity.