In 2013, the American Heart Association (AHA) thought it had heart disease prevention all figured out with their trusty "risk calculator." Fast forward a decade to the new and improved PREVENT equations, promising to reflect a more diverse and current U.S. population. While the old calculator had us popping statins like candy, the new equations suggest many of us might not need them after all. Welcome to the latest chapter in the never-ending saga of heart health guidelines.

Influencers are not new, but their popularity has exploded since the advent of social media. They have become an easy place to go for health advice and recommendations, but that’s not necessarily good.

Given the evident mental impairment and startling ignorance of certain politicians, maybe the nation's law- and policy-making would benefit from politicians undergoing voluntary periodic testing of mental status and intelligence.

Let's dive into the rollercoaster of expectations, disappointments, and the occasional triumph as I document every twist and turn in my journey with the much-hyped Ozempic that promises to whip my cardiovascular risks into shape while conveniently shedding a few pounds. 

Ischemic heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, has long puzzled researchers. While high serum cholesterol levels are linked to cardiovascular risk, the role of dietary fat remains unclear. The copper deficiency theory, suggesting a strong link between decreased copper intake since the 1930s and the rise of ischemic heart disease, can provide a new perspective on prevention and treatment.

Social media is a significant purveyor of health misinformation (including outright falsehoods), seeded and fertilized by celebrity know-nothings and a handful of contrarian physicians, and abetted by disreputable organizations with legitimate-sounding names. One recent scam misreports an American Heart Association (AHA) study, falsely claiming that the COVID vaccine is tied to heart defects.

However, the dangers of misinformation aren’t limited to vaccines and haven’t stopped with diminished vaccine uptake.

As the DEA relentlessly tightens regulations on pain meds, the FDA refuses to approve a safer alternative already being used in similar countries. With Dr. Jeffrey Singer.

Congestion pricing a troubled dream.
Congress, in its gridlock, stands, laws abandoned to executive hands.
The machines don't believe or see, AI’s errors, seen anew.
BLM and lockdown protestors go hand in hand.

Nuclear power, both peaceful and military, is based on atomic fission, unleashing titanic amounts of energy via splitting the nucleus of certain atoms, mainly enriched Uranium U235. In 1944, Otto Hahn received the Nobel Prize for its discovery. Omitted from recognition was his co-discoverer, the first female physics professor in Germany, Dr. Lisë Meitner.

KSCJ radio host Mark Hahn and I discussed a range of topics, starting with the controversy surrounding "Gain of Function" laboratory research, which I explained is often misunderstood and not inherently dangerous if proper biosafety measures are followed. Then we turned to medical issues: a new medical technology to measure bone health and a new vaccine to prevent recurrent urinary tract infections.