How To Catch Heart Disease, Alzheimer’s and Cancer Early: Tests You Need To Know About, Genetic Risk Factors, and Key Lifestyle Habits that Make a Difference with Dr. Eric Topol

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Sep 17, 2025

Dr. Eric Topol, a leading cardiologist and molecular medicine professor, discusses the power of early disease detection. He explains how polygenic risk scores can assess individual risks for heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's. The conversation reveals the pros and cons of different testing methods, including heated debates on CT scans versus calcium scans. Topol emphasizes lifestyle choices and environmental factors in disease prevention while highlighting the role of emerging technologies. Prepare to rethink your approach to health management!

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INSIGHT

Long Preclinical Window For Major Diseases

Cardiovascular, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases incubate for 20+ years before symptoms appear.
This long preclinical window creates a major opportunity for early detection and prevention.

ADVICE

Use Polygenic Risk Scores Early

Get a polygenic risk score from a saliva sample to cheaply assess disease risk for heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's.
Use a high score as a trigger for further assessment and stronger prevention actions.

INSIGHT

Genetics Reveal Hidden Risk Patterns

Polygenic scores aggregate hundreds of common gene variants to reveal hidden inherited risk not visible in family history.
They predict risk across multiple diseases and have large supporting datasets.

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This episode is brought to you by One Skin and Momentous.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide. But today, we no longer have to wait for symptoms to understand our risk. Advances in technology now make it possible to get a clear snapshot of individual risk, not only for heart disease, but also for cancer and neurodegenerative conditions, empowering us to take proactive steps to lower risk and support long-term health. Our guest today breaks down what’s truly worth investing in and what we can skip.

Today on The Dhru Purohit Show, Dhru sits down with Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist and Professor of Molecular Medicine at the Scripps Research Institute. Dr. Topol shares insights on the importance of preventive health, with a focus on cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative conditions. He explains the role of polygenic risk scores in assessing individual risk, explores the strengths and limitations of various testing methods, and highlights how lifestyle choices shape disease prevention. Dhru and Dr. Topol also discuss emerging technologies in health monitoring, the influence of environmental factors like air pollution, and what the future may hold for aging and health management.

Dr. Eric Topol is Executive Vice President and Professor of Molecular Medicine at Scripps Research and founder of the Scripps Research Translational Institute. A practicing cardiologist and one of the ten most-cited researchers in medicine, he is renowned for his wor in AI, genomics, and digital clinical trials. Named to the Time 100 Health list in 2024, he also writes the Ground Truths newsletter and is the author of The Creative Destruction of Medicine, The Patient Will See You Now, Deep Medicine, and Super Agers.

In this episode, Dhru and Dr. Topol dive into:

Cardiovascular disease causes, risks, and prevention (1:07)
Polygenic risk genetic links to disease and understanding your risk (7:56)
Heart health with Dr. Topol’s key recommendations (13:21)
Cancer testing types of tests and how to approach results (27:47)
Medical guidance mistrust, confusion, incidental findings, and the importance of evidence-based practitioners (34:20)
Alzheimer’s detection, blood work, testing, and the role of AI (43:13)
Environmental risks, air pollution, and sleep irregularity, and why these factors must be addressed (53:20)
Parkinson’s disease: the fastest-growing neurodegenerative condition (57:01)
Prevention and lowering your risk of developing major diseases (59:52)
Gut health and the gut-hormone connection (1:02:05)
Aging and immunity: links between age-related diseases and the immune system (1:06:19)
Measuring biological age (1:08:14)
Final thoughts and takeaways (1:16:27)

Also mentioned in this episode:

For more on Dr. Topol, follow him on X/Twitter, The Scripps’ socials: X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Threads, LinkedIn, Bluesky, or visit their Website.

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