Wild Health Podcast 502 | Dr. Sahil Chopra | How We Can Identify Health Risk Through Sleep Before Symptoms Appear
Jan 7, 2026
Dr. Sahil Chopra, a pulmonary and sleep medicine physician and founder of Empower Sleep, dives into the critical role of sleep in cardiometabolic health and longevity. He discusses the impacts of sleep deprivation, distinguishing between acute and chronic effects that can lead to serious health conditions. Sahil highlights the underdiagnosis of sleep apnea and the limitations of consumer wearables versus medical studies. He advocates for routine sleep assessments as a preventive measure, emphasizing the need to prioritize sleep for family health.
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Founding Empower From Clinical Curiosity
- Sahil Chopra left academic medicine to build Empower Sleep to practice full-spectrum sleep physiology.
- He wanted to treat sleep as a window into health, not just sleep apnea management.
Sleep Shortage Raises Major Health Risks
- Chronic under-sleeping strongly associates with higher mortality and chronic disease risk.
- Short sleep and inconsistent timing raise coronary, metabolic, cognitive, and mood risks.
Acute Versus Chronic Sleep Loss
- Acute and chronic sleep deprivation produce different physiologic effects and risks.
- Acute loss causes immediate mood, stress, BP, and glucose dysregulation while chronic loss drives long-term disease.
