In today’s episode we will be challenging the long-standing “eat less, exercise more” narrative by introducing The Toxic Food Hypothesis, a framework that shifts the focus from calorie counting and body weight to food quality and metabolic health. Inspired by Derek Thompson’s Plain English episode, “A Grand Unified Theory of Why Americans Are So Unhealthy,” we’ll explore how a food system dominated by highly processed products may be the true driver of chronic disease, affecting not only those with excess weight but also millions of lean individuals. We’ll examine why calorie-centric approaches fall short, the evidence behind improving diet quality without cutting calories, and why rethinking public health messaging may be the key to reversing America’s health crisis.

Blog Post and References:

https://kevinforeymd.com/toxic-food-hypothesis

In today’s episode, we’ll be discussing one of the most frequently discussed, and often debated, topics in preventive medicine, do statins influence the risk of dementia? You’ve probably heard some express concern that statins can cause memory loss or increase the risk of dementia, whereas others may emphasize the ability of statins to protect brain health. So what does the science really say? In this episode, we’ll explore the role of cholesterol in normal brain health, theoretical mechanisms explaining how statin therapy may cause harm as well as potential neurologic protection. We will then transition to review high quality evidence from randomized clinical trial, mendelian randomization, and even studies investigating those with genetic abnormalities resulting is exceedingly low levels of LDL throughout their lifetime genetic studies. And then most importantly, how this translates into practical decisions for those seeking to promote longevity and reduce their likelihood of dementia.

Blog Post and References:

https://kevinforeymd.com/statins-dementia/

In today’s episode, we will be diving into the topic of remnant cholesterol, a largely unknown and underappreciated risk factor of cardiovascular disease. Not only does remnant cholesterol contribute to heart attack, stroke, and peripheral artery disease, it is now recognized as an independent risk factor of atherosclerosis, even when LDL-C and ApoB levels are considered optimal. In other words, having "good" ApoB and LDL cholesterol numbers doesn't eliminate the possibility of atherosclerosis, where remnant cholesterol is now recognized to account for a meaningful amount of this "residual risk."  Even more intriguing is the mounting body of research that suggests that remnant cholesterol may actually be a stronger predictor of cardiovascular disease than LDL-C itself, yet very few people are even aware it exists. Not only am I excited to share this topic with you today, but I’m also excited to share what you can do about it.

Blog Post and References:

⁠http://kevinforeymd.com/remnantcholesterol

In today’s episode, I will be discussing a comprehensive  overview of advanced testing and early identification of insulin resistance, but more importantly, evidence-based strategies to prevent and reverse insulin resistance. We will have an in-depth analysis of the comparative effectiveness of food and nutrition, aerobic exercise at moderate and high intensity heart rate zones, and strength training. We will also look into the effect of sleep duration, sleep quality, sleep fragmentation, and psychological health and their relationship to insulin resistance. Additionally, we will touch upon commonly utilized supplements and medications for overcoming insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. 

Blog Post and References:

http://kevinforeymd.com/insulinresistance

In today’s episode, we will be discussing the shortcomings and alternatives to some of the most commonly utilized tests for longevity and preventive medicine, including LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs). With advancements in technology, there are now multiple laboratory tests that provide more accurate and useful information than LDL-C, HbA1c, or CGMs. Despite these improvements in testing, widespread awareness and adoption of these superior tests remain limited. The purpose of this podcast is to demonstrate the shortcomings of LDL-C, HbA1c, and CGMs. By examining alternative testing strategies, this podcast seeks to empower health conscious individuals and healthcare professionals in their ability to adopt more effective testing strategies for the prevention of disease and promotion of longevity. In summary,a normal LDL-C does not rule out the risk of cardiovascular disease, and thatnormal results from HbA1c and CGM data do not rule out the possibility of insulin resistance. Meanwhile, there are more effective testing strategies available to those who are seeking to optimize their health, likelihood of longevity, and ability to identify disease risk as early as possible.

Link toOriginal Blog Post andReferences.

Link toLPIR Score.

Link toTriglyceride-Glucose Index (TyG Index).

Link toHOMA-IR Calculator.

In this podcast episode we will review the evidence demonstrating the variety of strategies capable of achieving partial reversal and regression of atherosclerosis in the human body, including aerobic exercise, the targeted lowering of atherogenic lipoproteins including LDL-C and Apolipoprotein-B (ApoB), the use of Icosapent Ethyl (Vascepa) in those with and without elevated triglycerides, blood pressure lowering agents including Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs), glucose-lowering agents such as Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) Inhibitors, and medications with anti-inflammatory properties, including Colchicine. Additionally, we will review the preliminary data regarding atherosclerotic plaque regression and Glucagon-like Peptide 1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonists.

References:

https://kevinforeymd.com/reverseASCVD/

In today’s episode, we will be discussing a very specific risk factor of cardiovascular disease known as Lipoprotein(a), abbreviated as Lp(a). Lp(a) is a distinct lipoprotein particle that is not routinely measured on the lipid panel, and is instead ordered as an additional test. For those seeking to promote longevity and optimize cardiovascular risk factors, it is reasonable to obtain a Lipoprotein(a) measurement at least once. Because if you have an elevated level, you want to know about this.

References:

Character limit reached. Full references available at https://kevinforeymd.com/lpa

In today’s episode, we will be discussing what I describe as the Fundamentals of the Simple Path to Health. In other words, this is my core message and the framework that I use with my patients as well as the promotion of my own health, wellbeing, and pursuit of longevity. (1)

Character limit reached. Full references available at https://kevinforeymd.com/episode-5/

In this episode, we will discuss a wide variety of landmark clinical trials regarding food and nutrition. Specifically, we will investigate how certain dietary patterns reduce the likelihood of health outcomes like cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes, as well as a detailed discussion of the risk factors associated with these illnesses including the Lipoprotein insulin resistance score or LPIR, blood pressure, inflammation, cholesterol, lipoproteins, and more.

References:

In this episode, we will take a deep dive into the biomarkers, lab values, and other tools that we can use to measure, quantify, and predict the risk of death, disease, and many preventable medical illness. This includes cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, dementia, infertility, and more.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. Leading Causes of Death.

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm

Cancer is a Preventable Disease that Requires Major Lifestyle Changes

Anand P, Kunnumakkara AB, Sundaram C, et al. Cancer is a preventable disease that requires major lifestyle changes [published correction appears in Pharm Res. 2008 Sep;25(9):2200. Kunnumakara, Ajaikumar B. Pharm Res. 2008;25(9):2097-2116. doi:10.1007/s11095-008-9661-9

World Health Organization: Between 30% and 50% of cancer deaths could be prevented by modifying or avoiding key risk factors

https://www.who.int/health-topics/cancer

The American Cancer Society states that 60% of uterine cancers are attributed to excess body weight

https://www.cancer.org/research/acs-research-news/more-than-4-in-10-cancers-and-cancer-deaths-linked-to-modifiable-risk-factors.html

Wu S, Zhu W, Thompson P, Hannun YA. Evaluating intrinsic and non-intrinsic cancer risk factors. Nat Commun. 2018;9(1):3490. Published 2018 Aug 28. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-05467-z

International Agency for Research on Cancer acknowledged that there was sufficient evidence to suggest that avoiding benign overweight obese was protective against at least 13 different cancers

Lauby-Secretan B, Scoccianti C, Loomis D, et al. Body Fatness and Cancer--Viewpoint of the IARC Working Group. N Engl J Med. 2016;375(8):794-798. doi:10.1056/NEJMsr1606602

LPIR score is a useful predictor of future type 2 diabetes even in patients with a normal Hemoglobin A1c

Harada PHN, Demler OV, Dugani SB, et al. Lipoprotein insulin resistance score and risk of incident diabetes during extended follow-up of 20 years: The Women's Health Study. J Clin Lipidol. 2017;11(5):1257-1267.e2. doi:10.1016/j.jacl.2017.06.008

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 70% of the sodium Americans consume comes from packaged, processed foods

https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/nutrition.htm

Approximately 70-90% of total body cholesterol is found within the cell

Maxfield FR, Wüstner D. Intracellular cholesterol transport. J Clin Invest. 2002;110(7):891-898. doi:10.1172/JCI16500

Lipoprotein(a) Is Markedly More Atherogenic Than LDL: An Apolipoprotein B-Based Genetic Analysis

Björnson E, Adiels M, Taskinen MR, et al. Lipoprotein(a) Is Markedly More Atherogenic Than LDL: An Apolipoprotein B-Based Genetic Analysis. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2024;83(3):385-395. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2023.10.039

Association of Triglyceride-Lowering LPL Variants and LDL-C–Lowering LDLR Variants With Risk of Coronary Heart Disease

Ference BA, Kastelein JJP, Ray KK, et al. Association of Triglyceride-Lowering LPL Variants and LDL-C–Lowering LDLR Variants With Risk of Coronary Heart Disease. JAMA. 2019;321(4):364–373. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.20045

Elevated remnant cholesterol causes both low-grade inflammation and ischemic heart disease

Varbo A, Benn M, Tybjærg-Hansen A, Nordestgaard BG. Elevated remnant cholesterol causes both low-grade inflammation and ischemic heart disease, whereas elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol causes ischemic heart disease without inflammation. Circulation. 2013;128(12):1298-1309. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.113.003008