Do You Need a Calcium Score?

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

A stress test can show plugged up arteries that are about 50% or more. It took almost 30 years for the American Heart Association to say, okay, you can use a calcium score and they gave very specific parameters. A lot of times it's actually protective if we put you on statins and your arteries calcify or the plaques calcify, they're not going to rupture. But like I said, four years of follow-up is nothing in the progression of atherosclerosis.

In Episode #244, cardiologist Dr Mohammed Alo joins me to talk about cardiovascular disease myths, many of which he has been brilliantly covering on Tik Tok over the past year.

Is it perfectly ok to eat a lot of saturated fat and red meat if your triglycerides and HDL are normal? Does a coronary artery scan of zero mean we won’t have a heart attack? What’s better - a coronary artery scan or a CT angiogram for measuring plaque in our coronary arteries. Are statins beneficial? Is too low cholesterol a problem? Does this affect brain health and hormone production? Eggs, fish and fish oil, cooking oils - the list goes on.

Specifically, we discuss:

Intro (00:00)
Fighting Misinformation on Cardiovascular Disease and Nutrition (03:49)
TikTok and Cardiology: Reaching Diverse Audiences and Navigating Challenges (18:30)
The Risks of the Carnivore Diet and False Claims on LDL Cholesterol (26:50)
Atherosclerosis, Familial Hypercholesterolemia, and Treatment Options (36:30)
The Importance of Non-HDL Cholesterol as a Predictor of CVD (43:41)
Optimizing LDL Cholesterol Levels and Avoiding Unnecessary Medications (49:39)
Assessing Cardiovascular Risk in Prediabetes (55:21)
Cardiac Imaging and Detecting Heart Attack and Stroke Risk (57:24)
Artery Calcification in Endurance Athletes: Understanding Imaging Tests (1:08:48)
Debunking Myths on Coconut Oil and Fish Oil (1:20:02)
Oils of choice and Dr. Alo's stand on canola oil (1:30:00)
Eggs and Cholesterol: How much is too much? (1:32:40)
Can Unprocessed Red Meat Raise Your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease? (1:36:39)
Grass-Fed vs. Grain-Fed Beef: Examining the Debate (1:46:39)
Salt, Salt Substitutes, and Hypertension (1:57:25)
Outro (2:00:04)

We covered a lot.

To explore more of Dr Mohammed Alo’s work, check out his website or connect with him on YouTube and TikTok.

Discover more insights and supporting studies in the full show notes.

The best way to support the show is to use the products and services offered by our sponsors. To check them out, and enjoy great savings, visit theproof.com/friends.

Enjoy, friends.

Simon

Want to support the show?

The best way to support the show is to use the products and services offered by our sponsors. To check them out, and enjoy great savings, visit theproof.com/friends. You can also show your support by leaving a review on the Apple Podcast app and/or sharing your favourite episodes with your friends and family.

Simon Hill, MSc, BSc (Hons)

Creator of theproof.com and host of The Proof with Simon Hill

Author of The Proof is in the Plants

Watch the episodes on YouTube or listen on Apple/Spotify

Connect with me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook

Nourish your gut with my Plant-Based Ferments Guide

Download my complimentary

two-week meal plan and high protein Plant Performance recipe book