Episodes
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Can vitamin K2 slow coronary artery calcium? A new JAMA Cardiology randomized trial found that MK-7 may reduce CAC progression over 2 years — but the real story is more complicated.
TL;DR: In this randomized trial, people with symptomatic coronary artery disease and CAC scores between 50–400 took either MK-7, a form of vitamin K2, at 360 mcg daily or placebo for 2 years. The MK-7 group had slower progression of coronary artery calcium and calcium mass, with no major safety signal. But this study did not prove fewer heart attacks, fewer stents, or lower mortality — so this is interesting, not a miracle. Especially important: do not start vitamin K supplements without medical guidance if you take warfarin/Coumadin.
Article link: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2850256
In this video, I break down the VitaK-CAC trial: who was studied, what dose was used, what happened to CAC scores, why plaque calcification is biologically complicated, and what I would — and would not — take away from this as a vascular surgeon.
⏰ Chapters
0:00 - New vitamin K study: why this matters
0:39 - The paper: MK-7 and coronary artery calcium
1:42 - Vitamin K1 vs K2, why MK-7
2:13 - What the VitaK-CAC trial tested
3:08 - Calcified plaque vs total plaque burden
3:28 - Study design: randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind
4:41 - Who was included and excluded in the trial, plus why it matters
6:32 - What “symptomatic CAD” actually meant here
8:47 - The intervention: 360 mcg MK-7 daily
9:13 - CT scans, CAC scoring, and calcium mass
10:59 - How vitamin K status was measured
12:29 - Primary outcome: CAC progression, not heart attacks
13:03 - Statistical methods and “fast progression”
16:44 - LDL levels, statins, and a possible data discrepancy
18:25 - Baseline characteristics of the study population
22:12 - Adherence, adverse events, and vitamin K blood levels
23:31 - Matrix Gla protein: did MK-7 do what it was supposed to?
24:58 - Primary results: CAC progression slowed with MK-7
26:21 - Why the effect is exciting but modest
29:17 - Fast progressors: no significant difference
30:07 - Calcium mass and intention-to-treat analysis
32:02 - Secondary outcomes: plaque type and stenosis
33:32 - The big question: is less calcification always better?
35:40 - Discussion: promising, but clinical significance unknown
37:13 - Why MK-7 does not “remove” existing calcium
38:23 - Vitamin K biomarkers and possible under-dosing
42:25 - Study limitations
43:41 - Funding, conflicts of interest, and final takeaways
44:48 - My clinical take on vitamin K2/MK-7
This video is for education only and is not personal medical advice. Do not start, stop, or change supplements or medications based on YouTube — especially if you take warfarin or any medication affected by vitamin K. Talk with your own clinician.
High Quality 3rd-party tested supplements at Fullscript (10% discount): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ljohnstonmd/store-start
Other tools for optimal health (note these are affiliate links):
Home BP Cuff: https://amzn.to/49Cq7rh
Sonicare Toothbrush: https://amzn.to/3KllfMS
WaterPik: https://amzn.to/4894Xi8
Apple Watch with sleep & HR monitoring: https://amzn.to/3XaUn5d
Oura Ring with sleep, cycle, and recovery monitoring: https://amzn.to/4riyhLS
Intake Breathing Nasal Support: https://amzn.to/48dfQQ1
Personal Blender: https://amzn.to/4pyNGGl
True Nutrition Protein: https://oken.do/q2xzqeqw
Glass Meal Prep Containers: https://amzn.to/4ocEPJ2
Sleep Mask: https://amzn.to/48fSJV5
Air Purifier: https://amzn.to/4puzTQZ
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease. -
In this Q&A session, Dr. Lily Johnston dives into complex viewer questions regarding cardiovascular health and emerging medical research. She covers the impact of hormone therapies on LP(a), the nuances of managing cholesterol after a heart attack, and how to interpret advanced imaging like CIMT and Calcium Scores.
The episode concludes with a fascinating look at a novel, experimental microsurgical approach for Alzheimer’s disease being studied in China, which aims to improve the brain's waste clearance through lymphatic connections. Dr. Lily breaks down the mechanistic rationale, the early clinical data, and the significant physiological and ethical concerns surrounding this "brain plumbing" surgery.
Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: Meet Dr. Lily Johnston, Vascular Surgeon & Cardiometabolic Specialist.
00:16 – Q&A 1: Can hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or testosterone reduce LP(a)?
02:53 – Q&A 2: Recovery after a STEMI—Statins vs. PCSK9 inhibitors and the role of Colchicine.
06:49 – Q&A 3: How to distinguish between stable and inflamed plaque using CIMT tests.
09:34 – Q&A 4: High Calcium Score (CAC) vs. CIMT results—Is a heart cath or CT angiogram next?
12:39 – Q&A 5: Does starting Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) late increase cardiac risk?
16:48 – Addressing the "Omega minus-3" nomenclature (A quick biochemistry deep dive).
17:53 – Q&A 6: Does taking Phosphatidylcholine improve fish oil absorption?
19:02 – Q&A 7: Krill oil vs. traditional fish oil.
20:47 – Deep Dive: Deep Cervical Lymphovenous Anastomosis—A surgical treatment for Alzheimer's?
25:40 – Reviewing clinical evidence and controversies of Alzheimer's surgery.
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
High Quality 3rd-party tested supplements at Fullscript (10% discount): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ljohnstonmd/store-start
Other tools for optimal health (note these are affiliate links):
Home BP Cuff: https://amzn.to/49Cq7rh
Sonicare Toothbrush: https://amzn.to/3KllfMS
WaterPik: https://amzn.to/4894Xi8
Apple Watch with sleep & HR monitoring: https://amzn.to/3XaUn5d
Oura Ring with sleep, cycle, and recovery monitoring: https://amzn.to/4riyhLS
Intake Breathing Nasal Support: https://amzn.to/48dfQQ1
Personal Blender: https://amzn.to/4pyNGGl
True Nutrition Protein: https://oken.do/q2xzqeqw
Glass Meal Prep Containers: https://amzn.to/4ocEPJ2
Sleep Mask: https://amzn.to/48fSJV5
Air Purifier: https://amzn.to/4puzTQZ
___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease.
#MetabolicHealth #CardiovascularPrevention #HeartHealth #Longevity #InsulinResistance #DrLilyJohnston #DrLily #WomenInMedicine #Surgeon #VascularSurgeon #PreventiveMedicine #PADPrevention #HeartAttackRisks #HealthPortfolio #California #SanDiego #Arizona #Virginia #Minnesota -
Missing episodes?
-
Can you have a heart attack with “normal” labs and no warning signs? Or are we missing the warning signs because our thresholds are too late and our prevention model is too reactive?
Today I react to a fascinating video from Dr Brad Stanfield, BUT STICK AROUND because then we take a deep dive into the actual JACC paper behind the headline that “99% of people who had a heart attack had at least one warning sign beforehand.”
We break down:
* Why “normal” isn’t always optimal
* The difference between diagnosed risk factors vs actual exposure
* Why blood pressure of 128/82 may still matter
* The hidden role of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome
* ApoB vs LDL-C vs non-HDL cholesterol
* Why prevention needs to start decades earlier
* The problem with reactive medicine
* What Jim Fix’s story actually teaches us about cardiovascular disease
This is not a message of fear. It’s a message of agency.
Because clogged arteries rarely appear out of nowhere. Most of the time, the body whispers long before it screams.
⏰ Chapters ⏰
0:00 The “99% of Heart Attacks” claim
0:57 Did people really have NO risk factors?
2:23 Why “SMURF-less” heart attacks confused cardiology
3:02 Are our thresholds too high?
4:21 Insulin resistance may be the missing link
5:14 The massive 9-million-person study
5:57 Over 99% had at least one non-optimal risk factor
6:50 Diagnosed risk factors vs actual exposure
7:18 The underdiagnosis problem in medicine
8:02 Why billing data can be misleading
10:13 Cardiovascular risk is continuous, not binary
11:42 Prediabetes still damages arteries
13:43 Why granular patient data matters
14:50 The tragic story of Jim Fix
16:47 “The second most common symptom is denial”
17:31 Exercise didn’t cause his heart disease
19:17 Why this data is actually hopeful
20:03 Reactive medicine vs prevention
20:32 “I lost weight… isn’t that enough?”
22:03 How aggressive should prevention targets be?
23:50 ApoB explained simply
25:29 My take on ApoB vs LDL-C
28:05 Deep dive into the JACC paper
35:28 Which risk factor was most common?
37:21 Most patients had MULTIPLE risk factors
39:26 Does this only apply to older people?
41:34 What happens when we use standard clinical cutoffs?
43:43 Why non-HDL cholesterol matters
45:47 The boring prevention advice still wins
46:38 Residual risk after lifestyle transformation
47:00 Why the fundamentals still matter most
High Quality 3rd-party tested supplements at Fullscript (10% discount): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ljohnstonmd/store-start
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
Other tools for optimal health (note these are affiliate links):
Home BP Cuff: https://amzn.to/49Cq7rh
Sonicare Toothbrush: https://amzn.to/3KllfMS
WaterPik: https://amzn.to/4894Xi8
Apple Watch with sleep & HR monitoring: https://amzn.to/3XaUn5d
Oura Ring with sleep, cycle, and recovery monitoring: https://amzn.to/4riyhLS
Intake Breathing Nasal Support: https://amzn.to/48dfQQ1
Personal Blender: https://amzn.to/4pyNGGl
True Nutrition Protein: https://oken.do/q2xzqeqw
Glass Meal Prep Containers: https://amzn.to/4ocEPJ2
Sleep Mask: https://amzn.to/48fSJV5
Air Purifier: https://amzn.to/4puzTQZ
___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease.
This video is for educational purposes only and does not constitute personalized medical advice. Please discuss your individual health risks, labs, medications, and treatment decisions with your own physician. -
Are omega-3s really the #1 supplement for heart disease prevention? In this reaction to Dr. Boz, I break down the nuance: atrial fibrillation risk, rancid oils, DHA vs EPA, heavy metal testing, delivery forms, omega level testing, and why small fatty fish may beat supplements for most people.
High Quality 3rd-party tested supplements at Fullscript (10% discount): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ljohnstonmd/store-start
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
Other tools for optimal health (note these are affiliate links):
Home BP Cuff: https://amzn.to/49Cq7rh
Sonicare Toothbrush: https://amzn.to/3KllfMS
WaterPik: https://amzn.to/4894Xi8
Apple Watch with sleep & HR monitoring: https://amzn.to/3XaUn5d
Oura Ring with sleep, cycle, and recovery monitoring: https://amzn.to/4riyhLS
Intake Breathing Nasal Support: https://amzn.to/48dfQQ1
Personal Blender: https://amzn.to/4pyNGGl
True Nutrition Protein: https://oken.do/q2xzqeqw
Glass Meal Prep Containers: https://amzn.to/4ocEPJ2
Sleep Mask: https://amzn.to/48fSJV5
Air Purifier: https://amzn.to/4puzTQZ
___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease.
#MetabolicHealth #CardiovascularPrevention #HeartHealth #Longevity #InsulinResistance #DrLilyJohnston #DrLily #WomenInMedicine #Surgeon #VascularSurgeon #PreventiveMedicine #PADPrevention #HeartAttackRisks #HealthPortfolio #California #SanDiego #Arizona #Virginia #Minnesota -
A live, unfiltered Ask Me Anything on preventive cardiology and metabolic health — recorded on about three hours of sleep after a night in the OR, which tends to make me a little more candid than usual.
We cover the questions you actually ask: how plaque forms and how to stabilize it, what the "best" diet for cardiovascular health really is (spoiler: it depends on you), statins from every angle, Lp(a) and ApoB, the lean mass hyper-responder phenotype, GLP-1s and dementia risk, coronary CT angiograms and the AI tools reading them, carotid disease and how I think about stenting vs. surgery, and a few honest detours into supplements, what I eat, and why medicine is so much better at rescue than prevention.
No oracles here — just an informed guide working the front lines, thinking out loud with a curious, generous audience. Use the chapters below to jump to whatever you came for.
⚠️ Educational content only. This is general information, not personal medical advice. Talk to your own clinician before changing any medication, supplement, or treatment plan.
Chapters
0:00 — Welcome + how this AMA works
0:58 — High CAC score but a clean carotid duplex: how can both be true?
3:45 — Cleerly vs. HeartFlow: which AI coronary CT analysis is better?
6:26 — The "best" diet for cardiovascular health (there isn't just one)
10:59 — How to actually find a preventive / metabolic cardiologist
13:08 — Amlodipine, dizziness, and tachycardia after weight loss
14:41 — Do you need an ApoB test if LDL is already low on a PCSK9 inhibitor?
16:26 — The fibrous cap: can you thicken it and stabilize plaque?
18:59 — How does arterial plaque actually form? (Atherosclerosis 101)
23:47 — Beta blockers, AFib, and valve repair: a medication for life?
28:09 — When statins raise Lp(a) but lower ApoB
30:10 — How is familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) diagnosed?
32:20 — Erectile dysfunction and vascular health
33:46 — Statins, the full picture: benefits, side effects, and monitoring
45:23 — Lean Mass Hyper-Responders (LMHR), high LDL, and a clean CT
51:59 — Gene therapy for high cholesterol: promise and unknowns
56:04 — Rosuvastatin every other day vs. daily
57:20 — Best statin for ApoE4 carriers + the obicetrapib (CETP) story
1:00:57 — Easing statin muscle pain: CoQ10, vitamin D, gentler statins
1:02:15 — Is high cholesterol a sign of a liver problem?
1:04:24 — GLP-1s and dementia risk: what the data show
1:09:20 — Can your LDL be too low?
1:12:02 — Longevity influencers and GLP-1s
1:13:23 — Saturated fat and LDL cholesterol
1:15:22 — How often to order coronary CT angiograms — and why AI overlays worry me
1:23:19 — What tests prove your heart is healthy? (Why stress tests miss plaque)
1:28:24 — Citrus bergamot with statins or PCSK9 inhibitors
1:29:55 — Bypass conduits: mammary artery, leg vein, and radial artery
1:30:47 — What supplements I personally take
1:34:13 — What I personally eat
1:37:17 — Weak, rolling veins and difficult blood draws
1:38:12 — Why there's still no screening program for the #1 killer
1:44:42 — Is there a CIMT-style test for the heart?
1:45:43 — Post-COVID and post-vaccine vascular problems
1:48:13 — Can surgeons operate from a CTA, or is an angiogram needed?
1:51:25 — Do we use robots in vascular surgery?
1:54:29 — Carotid stenting vs. endarterectomy (and the CREST-2 results)
2:02:19 — Lp(a) of 295, Repatha, and when new Lp(a) drugs may arrive
2:04:17 — At what degree of carotid narrowing do you intervene?
2:07:01 — Book recommendations (and a preview of "Disconnected")
2:13:46 — Bonus: how much do I trust the gut microbiome science?
Resources mentioned
Bale-Doneen Method provider directory: https://baledoneen.com/find-a-provider/
"Healthy Heart, Healthy Brain" by Dr. Brad Bale & Amy Doneen: https://amzn.to/4o3GvGv
My Lp(a) video series — start with the first explainer on how Lp(a) is measured (mg/dL vs. nmol/L) and the "Lp(a) — what now?" follow-up:
https://youtu.be/i761M_-zjJQ?si=7yjVJ46GC60Mk85a
https://youtu.be/ZdUxECOqd1o?si=i8DhYKF55lKLSafy
My two videos on the lab tests I recommend beyond a standard annual physical (Lp(a), hs-CRP, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and more):
https://youtu.be/vPw38B9QzjM?si=E1HJqn-bKwOW10Xb
https://youtu.be/vwORTxzeEMg?si=CpFnD3-MRJjbw39p
Let's keep going
If you'd like this to become a monthly feature, say so in the comments — and tell me which questions you want answered next time. Got a bike-tour recommendation? Drop it in the comments!
High Quality 3rd-party tested supplements at Fullscript (10% discount): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ljohnstonmd/store-start
___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease. -
Peripheral artery disease Q&A — including one of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to “walk off” PAD symptoms.
In this video, we break down:
• Why erectile dysfunction is actually a sign of vascular disease
• What an ankle-brachial index (ABI) actually measures
• Normal ABI ranges and what abnormal results can mean
• Whether you should have vascular testing done at home or in a certified vascular lab
• The difference between artery disease and vein disease (including spider veins and varicose veins)
• PAD treatment options — from walking programs to procedures and surgery
• Recovery times after PAD interventions
• How to use progressive overload with walking so you actually improve over time instead of staying stuck
As a vascular surgeon, one of the hardest parts of PAD is that people are often given oversimplified advice: “just walk more.” But how you walk, how you progress, and how you interpret symptoms actually matters.
Hopefully this helps make the whole thing a little less confusing — and gives you a framework that’s practical, realistic, and evidence-based.
Question: Have you or someone you know ever had an ABI test or been diagnosed with PAD?
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
High Quality 3rd-party tested supplements at Fullscript (10% discount): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ljohnstonmd/store-start
Other tools for optimal health (note these are affiliate links):
Home BP Cuff: https://amzn.to/49Cq7rh
Sonicare Toothbrush: https://amzn.to/3KllfMS
WaterPik: https://amzn.to/4894Xi8
Apple Watch with sleep & HR monitoring: https://amzn.to/3XaUn5d
Oura Ring with sleep, cycle, and recovery monitoring: https://amzn.to/4riyhLS
Intake Breathing Nasal Support: https://amzn.to/48dfQQ1
Personal Blender: https://amzn.to/4pyNGGl
True Nutrition Protein: https://oken.do/q2xzqeqw
Glass Meal Prep Containers: https://amzn.to/4ocEPJ2
Sleep Mask: https://amzn.to/48fSJV5
Air Purifier: https://amzn.to/4puzTQZ
___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease. -
Got APOE4? Here’s the exact prevention strategy I would use to protect my own brain if I carried this gene.
In this video, I walk through the major modifiable dementia risk factors identified by the Lancet Commission — and how I would actually approach them in real life as a vascular surgeon specializing in cardiometabolic prevention.
We cover:
* ApoB, vascular disease, and why “brain health” starts in the arteries
* What you can do NOW without any clinical support
* Blood pressure, insulin resistance, exercise, sleep, and inflammation
* Hearing loss, social isolation, alcohol, smoking, and other overlooked dementia risks
* Which interventions matter most
* How I prioritize prevention clinically
* What people with APOE4 often misunderstand about risk
⏰ Chapters:
0:00 Almost Half of Dementia Cases May Be Preventable
0:24 APOE4 Is Not Fate
0:53 Why a Vascular Surgeon Cares About Dementia
2:05 Meet “Carol”: APOE4, Family History, and Fear
3:11 The Lancet Commission’s 14 Modifiable Risk Factors
5:29 Why APOE4 Carriers Still Have Real Hope
6:48 What You Can Start Doing Without a Prescription
7:08 Exercise: The Biggest Lever for Brain Health
8:49 The 4 Exercise Buckets I Recommend
11:56 How to Eat for an APOE4 Brain
16:49 Why I’d Keep Alcohol Near Zero
19:16 Loneliness, Social Connection, and Dementia Risk
21:29 When to Bring Your Doctor Into the Plan
22:11 Make Your Lipids Boring
24:47 Obicetrapib, pTau217, and New Alzheimer’s Biomarkers
29:58 Blood Pressure and APOE4 Risk
32:06 Sleep, Sleep Apnea, and the Brain’s Cleaning System
33:54 Insulin Resistance Is a Brain Problem
36:54 Hearing Loss and Cognitive Decline
38:39 The Shingles Vaccine Dementia Data
41:23 Bonus: Hormones, Homocysteine, and Dental Health
45:37 Why Supplements Are Part 3
APOE4 is NOT destiny. But it is a signal to get serious earlier, and there's so much you can do TODAY to head in the right direction.
Missed Part 1? Check it out here:
https://youtu.be/y8vkJE_Zy7A
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
High Quality 3rd-party tested supplements at Fullscript (10% discount): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ljohnstonmd/store-start
Other tools for optimal health (note these are affiliate links):
Home BP Cuff: https://amzn.to/49Cq7rh
Sonicare Toothbrush: https://amzn.to/3KllfMS
WaterPik: https://amzn.to/4894Xi8
Apple Watch with sleep & HR monitoring: https://amzn.to/3XaUn5d
Oura Ring with sleep, cycle, and recovery monitoring: https://amzn.to/4riyhLS
Intake Breathing Nasal Support: https://amzn.to/48dfQQ1
Personal Blender: https://amzn.to/4pyNGGl
True Nutrition Protein: https://oken.do/q2xzqeqw
Glass Meal Prep Containers: https://amzn.to/4ocEPJ2
Sleep Mask: https://amzn.to/48fSJV5
Air Purifier: https://amzn.to/4puzTQZ
___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease.
Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or establish a doctor-patient relationship. -
What's the optimal ApoB level to reduce Alzheimer’s risk? Is lifestyle or genetics more important? And what does a pTau217 result actually mean for your brain health?
In this Brain Health Q&A, I answer your questions about ApoB, APOE2, dementia prevention, blood-based biomarkers, and what the science actually says right now.
Missed the first video? Check it out here: https://youtu.be/y8vkJE_Zy7A
Topics include:
• How low I think ApoB should ideally be for brain health (and what matters more!)
• How to think about lifestyle vs genetic risk like APOE4
• What current guidelines recommend for pTau217 and its limitations
• What I’d personally focus on for long-term brain protection (and teasers for our upcoming videos in the series)
As a vascular surgeon specializing in cardiometabolic prevention, I spent years treating the downstream consequences of vascular disease after the damage was already done. Brain health is no different. Prevention matters most before symptoms start.
The brain is not magically separate from the rest of the body. Blood vessels, inflammation, metabolic health, sleep, exercise, and genetics all interact over decades. So let’s talk about how to think about that risk honestly — and practically.
👇 Drop your questions in the comments for the next Q&A.
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
High Quality 3rd-party tested supplements at Fullscript (10% discount): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ljohnstonmd/store-start
Other tools for optimal health (note these are affiliate links):
Home BP Cuff: https://amzn.to/49Cq7rh
Sonicare Toothbrush: https://amzn.to/3KllfMS
WaterPik: https://amzn.to/4894Xi8
Apple Watch with sleep & HR monitoring: https://amzn.to/3XaUn5d
Oura Ring with sleep, cycle, and recovery monitoring: https://amzn.to/4riyhLS
Intake Breathing Nasal Support: https://amzn.to/48dfQQ1
Personal Blender: https://amzn.to/4pyNGGl
True Nutrition Protein: https://oken.do/q2xzqeqw
Glass Meal Prep Containers: https://amzn.to/4ocEPJ2
Sleep Mask: https://amzn.to/48fSJV5
Air Purifier: https://amzn.to/4puzTQZ
___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease.
#MetabolicHealth #CardiovascularPrevention #HeartHealth #Longevity #InsulinResistance #DrLilyJohnston #DrLily #WomenInMedicine #Surgeon #VascularSurgeon #PreventiveMedicine #PADPrevention #HeartAttackRisks #HealthPortfolio #California #SanDiego #Arizona #Virginia #Minnesota -
If you've been told APOE4 means you're destined for Alzheimer's, the science says something very different.
As a vascular surgeon who has spent years treating the end-stages of preventable disease, I want to give you a clearer picture of what APOE4 actually does, and what it doesn't.
In this video, I break down:
- What the APOE4 gene is and how it affects your brain
- Why it raises Alzheimer's risk — but doesn't guarantee it
- The surprising evolutionary reason APOE4 exists in the first place
- What the science actually says about Alzheimer's prevention if you carry the allele
APOE4 is the most significant genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's. But risk is not destiny. Understanding the biology gives you real options — and that's exactly what this channel is about.
🔔 Subscribe for evidence-based prevention medicine — straight from the OR to your screen.
📩 Questions? Leave them below — I read everything.
I advise you to go through your clinician for testing. But if you want to do it on your own, you can order it here: https://www.ultalabtests.com/partners/lilyjohnstonmd/test/cardio-iq-apoe-genotype-test
Chapters:
0:00 APOE4 is not fate
0:24 What ApoE does in the brain
1:54 ApoE2, ApoE3, and ApoE4 explained
3:22 How APOE4 became linked to Alzheimer’s
4:23 How much APOE4 raises risk
5:37 Why APOE4 does not guarantee Alzheimer’s
6:50 What APOE4 is actually doing
9:46 Amyloid, lipid trafficking, and brain fuel
11:07 Why does APOE4 still exist?
11:29 APOE4 is the original gene
14:51 APOE4 as an immune-modulator gene
17:05 Ancient immune system, modern environment
19:03 The blood-brain barrier feedback loop
20:02 Same gene, different environment
21:36 The gene is fixed, but the provocation isn’t
22:55 What we’ll cover in Part 2
23:40 Should you test for APOE4?
25:04 Knowing turns fate into a head start
This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your physician.
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
High Quality 3rd-party tested supplements at Fullscript (10% discount): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ljohnstonmd/store-start
Other tools for optimal health (note these are affiliate links):
Home BP Cuff: https://amzn.to/49Cq7rh
Sonicare Toothbrush: https://amzn.to/3KllfMS
WaterPik: https://amzn.to/4894Xi8
Apple Watch with sleep & HR monitoring: https://amzn.to/3XaUn5d
Oura Ring with sleep, cycle, and recovery monitoring: https://amzn.to/4riyhLS
Intake Breathing Nasal Support: https://amzn.to/48dfQQ1
Personal Blender: https://amzn.to/4pyNGGl
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___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease.
#MetabolicHealth #CardiovascularPrevention #HeartHealth #Longevity #InsulinResistance #DrLilyJohnston #DrLily #WomenInMedicine #Surgeon #VascularSurgeon #PreventiveMedicine #PADPrevention #HeartAttackRisks #HealthPortfolio #California #SanDiego #Arizona #Virginia #Minnesota -
You asked 349 questions about my LDL video. I'm answering the ones that matter most — including who paid for the study.
Last week I broke down the LDL cholesterol trial. The comments flooded in — and several of you asked exactly the right questions. In this follow-up, I'm going through the most important ones as a vascular surgeon who's spent years treating the consequences of bad cardiovascular advice.
In this video:
🫘 Kidney function & muscle toxicity — one commenter raised a sharp mechanistic point worth spelling out: statins can cause muscle damage → muscle damage could reduce muscle mass → less muscle mass means less creatinine production → which can look like improved kidney function on labs, even if your kidneys haven't actually improved. We walk through whether this confound holds up in the data.
📊 Number Needed to Treat (NNT) — the stat based on ABSOLUTE risk reduction that keeps drug effects in perspective
🔬 Plaque measurements vs. clinical outcomes — why these are NOT the same thing
💰 Funding sources — who sponsored the trial and how to weigh that when reading the results
✅ A genuine surprise at the end — something the authors did that I didn't expect, and that actually matters for how much we can trust this data
If you're on a statin, managing ldl cholesterol, or trying to understand heart disease risk beyond what your doctor has five minutes to explain — this video is for you.
Watch the original video first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2lvd9ND7rA
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
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___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease.
#MetabolicHealth #CardiovascularPrevention #HeartHealth #Longevity #InsulinResistance #DrLilyJohnston #DrLily #WomenInMedicine #Surgeon #VascularSurgeon #PreventiveMedicine #PADPrevention #HeartAttackRisks #HealthPortfolio #California #SanDiego #Arizona #Virginia #Minnesota -
Does lowering LDL cholesterol cause dementia? And how much dementia is actually “vascular” dementia versus Alzheimer’s disease?
In this video, I’m answering two viewer questions about dementia, vascular risk, statins, LDL cholesterol, and brain health. First, we look at the relative prevalence of vascular dementia compared with Alzheimer’s dementia — and why that distinction gets messy fast. Vascular dementia may be less common as a primary diagnosis, but vascular disease often contributes to cognitive decline even when the label is “Alzheimer’s.”
Then we spend most of the video on the bigger fear: whether lipid-lowering therapy — including statins and achieving low LDL-C — increases dementia risk. The short answer: no. Based on the evidence we have, lowering LDL does not appear to cause dementia, and in many patients, reducing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk may actually help protect the brain over time.
This is not about pretending statins are perfect or ignoring legitimate questions about brain health. It’s about looking carefully at the evidence instead of letting fear drive the conversation.
If you’re worried about statins, low LDL, Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, or how heart health and brain health overlap, this one is for you.
If you missed the original: https://youtu.be/Rzz2g9gRL_8?si=z5Fcd-e8o2pYT19j
Chapters:
0:00 Viewer questions on dementia and lipid lowering
0:40 Is vascular dementia less common than Alzheimer’s?
2:00 Why dementia diagnoses overlap
3:17 The vascular contribution to cognitive decline
5:22 Why cardiovascular prevention matters for brain health
6:43 Can very low LDL or ApoB cause dementia?
8:16 Lipid-lowering drugs and the blood-brain barrier
10:14 What the overall evidence says
12:02 Randomized trials, meta-analyses, and dementia risk
13:30 Very low LDL in PCSK9 inhibitor trials
16:09 Could statins reduce dementia risk?
18:34 Midlife cholesterol and later dementia
20:00 The PCSK9 genetics question
22:15 Evidence strength: what we know and what we don’t
Are you more worried about heart disease risk, dementia risk, or the tradeoff between the two?
Disclaimer:
This video is for general educational purposes only and is not individual medical advice. Please talk with your own physician before making changes to medications or treatment plans.Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
High Quality 3rd-party tested supplements at Fullscript (10% discount): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ljohnstonmd/store-start
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___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease.
#MetabolicHealth #CardiovascularPrevention #HeartHealth #Longevity #InsulinResistance #DrLilyJohnston #DrLily #WomenInMedicine #Surgeon #VascularSurgeon #PreventiveMedicine #PADPrevention #HeartAttackRisks #HealthPortfolio #California #SanDiego #Arizona #Virginia #Minnesota -
A common cholesterol drug might protect your brain from Alzheimer's — but I read the actual study, and there's a red flag nobody is talking about.
Nick Norwitz covered this story. I went further — I pulled the original paper published in Aging Biology and read every line. Here's what I found.Researchers ran a hypothesis-free screen of FDA-approved drugs to find compounds that could disrupt the 14-3-3/hexokinase protein interaction — a mechanism implicated in the protein aggregation that drives Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
Six drugs emerged from the screen. Ezetimibe was one of them, and it stood out for one reason: it can cross the blood-brain barrier. That's where the excitement starts. But it's also where you need to slow down. Because buried in the study design, I found something that changes everything.
As a vascular surgeon who has spent years watching patients lose their brains — and their lives — to preventable disease, this is the kind of detail I can't ignore. It's exactly why I won't be prescribing this for dementia prevention in my practice.This video is for anyone who heard the ezetimibe-for-dementia claim and wanted the full picture — not the highlight reel.
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
High Quality 3rd-party tested supplements at Fullscript (10% discount): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ljohnstonmd/store-start
Other tools for optimal health (note these are affiliate links):
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___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease.
#MetabolicHealth #CardiovascularPrevention #HeartHealth #Longevity #InsulinResistance #DrLilyJohnston #DrLily #WomenInMedicine #Surgeon #VascularSurgeon #PreventiveMedicine #PADPrevention #HeartAttackRisks #HealthPortfolio #California #SanDiego #Arizona #Virginia #Minnesota -
Is lower LDL cholesterol actually better for your heart? In this video, I break down the brand-new results from the EZ-Pave study to answer the question that keeps my patients up at night: How low should your cholesterol really go?
As a vascular surgeon, I see the end-stage results of heart disease every day.
We’ve heard the "lower is better" mantra for decades, but new research is finally providing the hard evidence we need to settle the debate.
Study link: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2600283
We’re looking at how LDL cholesterol levels impact actual cardiovascular events and whether adding medications like ezetimibe truly changes the outcome for your heart health.
If you’ve been skeptical about statins or confused by conflicting health trends, this breakdown of the latest science is for you. My mission is to put myself out of business by giving you the truth about prevention before you ever need to see me in the operating room.
For educational purposes only. Not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before changing any treatment plan.
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
High Quality 3rd-party tested supplements at Fullscript (10% discount): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ljohnstonmd/store-start
Other tools for optimal health (note these are affiliate links):
Home BP Cuff: https://amzn.to/49Cq7rh
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___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease.
#MetabolicHealth #CardiovascularPrevention #HeartHealth #Longevity #InsulinResistance #DrLilyJohnston #DrLily #WomenInMedicine #Surgeon #VascularSurgeon #PreventiveMedicine #PADPrevention #HeartAttackRisks #HealthPortfolio #California #SanDiego #Arizona #Virginia #Minnesota -
I've seen daily aspirin save lives from heart attack — and cause fatal bleeds. As a vascular surgeon, here's my honest take on heart health.
The answer isn't yes or no — it depends entirely on who you are.
In this video I break down the three groups you need to know:
✅ Who SHOULD take daily aspirin — if you've already had a heart attack, stroke, or stent, aspirin for secondary prevention of heart disease is still one of the most evidence-backed interventions we have.
❌ Who SHOULD NOT — the 2022 USPSTF guidelines quietly changed the recommendations for primary prevention. If you haven't had a cardiovascular event, daily aspirin may be doing more harm than good.
⚠️ The gray zone — two situations where the answer gets complicated: elevated coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores and high Lp(a) (lipoprotein a). Both raise your cardiovascular risk in ways the standard guidelines don't fully account for.
This is the conversation your doctor should be having with you — but often doesn't have time for.
I'm a vascular surgeon teaching the prevention side of medicine — the part most doctors don't have time to cover. Subscribe for more evidence-based answers on heart disease, metabolic health, and longevity.
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
High Quality 3rd-party tested supplements at Fullscript (10% discount): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ljohnstonmd/store-start
Other tools for optimal health (note these are affiliate links):
Home BP Cuff: https://amzn.to/49Cq7rh
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___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease.
#MetabolicHealth #CardiovascularPrevention #HeartHealth #Longevity #InsulinResistance #DrLilyJohnston #DrLily #WomenInMedicine #Surgeon #VascularSurgeon #PreventiveMedicine #PADPrevention #HeartAttackRisks #HealthPortfolio #California #SanDiego #Arizona #Virginia #Minnesota -
We hit all the high points today! Nutrition, exercise, lipids, dental health, hormones, and more. We had amazing participation and it was wonderful to have a chance to interact with everyone in real time. Thanks SO much for taking some of your precious weekend to talk cardiovascular health, heart scans, CAC scores, and all the other nerdy prevention things with me. Hope you enjoyed it! If you want me to do more of these in the future, please say so in the comments!
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___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease. -
Joe Rogan got half a million people talking about what's happening inside their blood vessels. As a vascular surgeon, I've spent my career trying to do exactly that. So when a celebrity does it for me, I pay attention (and thank my lucky stars ;).
In the clip, Dr. Shauna Swan joins Joe Rogan to discuss the surprising hazards linked to everyday household products. In my reaction, I go through the actual studies behind the microplastics- and forever chemicals-cardiovascular disease conversation: what the data show, where the evidence is genuinely alarming, and where the certainty online is running about three years ahead of the science. Because both things are true.
What we cover:
— Microplastics found inside arterial plaques — and what that study actually says
— PFAS (forever chemicals), phthalates, and other endocrine disruptors
— Why association isn't causation and why that matters for your next doctor's appointment
— What to actually do with genuine scientific uncertainty
The signal is real. The panic is premature. You deserve to know the difference.
If this video has you wondering whether you already have plaque — that's exactly the right question. Here's where to go next: https://youtu.be/-lt_2swYFhY?si=bRiZyDVY5QAxVvu8
📚 Studies referenced:
1. Marfella R, Prattichizzo F, Sardu C, Fulgenzi G, Graciotti L, Spadoni T, et al. Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Atheromas and Cardiovascular Events. N Engl J Med. 2024;390(10):900–10. doi:10.1056/nejmoa2309822
2. Dunder L, Salihovic S, Varotsis G, Lind PM, Elmståhl S, Lind L. Plasma levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and cardiovascular disease - Results from two independent population-based cohorts and a meta-analysis. Environ Int. 2023 Nov;181:108250. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108250. PMID: 37832261.
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
High Quality 3rd-party tested supplements at Fullscript (10% discount): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ljohnstonmd/store-start
Other tools for optimal health (note these are affiliate links):
Home BP Cuff: https://amzn.to/49Cq7rh
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___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease.
#MetabolicHealth #CardiovascularPrevention #HeartHealth #Longevity #InsulinResistance #DrLilyJohnston #DrLily #WomenInMedicine #Surgeon #VascularSurgeon #PreventiveMedicine #PADPrevention #HeartAttackRisks #HealthPortfolio #California #SanDiego #Arizona #Virginia #minnesota -
If you’ve had a positive calcium score (CAC score), you’ve probably asked the obvious next question: when should I repeat it?
In this video, I explain why I generally do not order another calcium score if the first one is positive—and what I prefer to use instead to follow atherosclerosis over time.
We walk through what a coronary artery calcium score actually measures, why it’s really just the tip of the iceberg, and why a higher repeat score does not necessarily mean your treatment failed. I also explain the difference between calcified plaque and soft, lipid-rich plaque, why that distinction matters for heart attack and stroke risk, and why serial CAC testing often adds less useful information than people think.
I also cover:
• why calcium scores can be helpful as a one-time risk assessment tool
• why I’m more cautious about relying on CAC in younger patients
• when I will repeat a calcium score
• why I prefer more informative tools like CCTA and CIMT for tracking disease over time
If you’re trying to understand calcium score progression, plaque stabilization, soft plaque, coronary artery disease, heart disease prevention, stroke prevention, ApoB, Lp(a), statins, and cardiovascular risk, this video is for you.
Let me know in the comments: If your first calcium score was positive, would you want to repeat it—or would you rather use a different test to follow your risk?
#CalciumScore #CACScore #HeartDiseasePrevention #Atherosclerosis #CardiovascularHealth #CIMT #CCTA
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
High Quality 3rd-party tested supplements at Fullscript (10% discount): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ljohnstonmd/store-start
Other tools for optimal health (note these are affiliate links):
Home BP Cuff: https://amzn.to/49Cq7rh
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___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease.
#MetabolicHealth #CardiovascularPrevention #HeartHealth #Longevity #InsulinResistance #DrLilyJohnston #DrLily #WomenInMedicine #Surgeon #VascularSurgeon #PreventiveMedicine #PADPrevention #HeartAttackRisks #HealthPortfolio #California #SanDiego #Arizona #Virginia #Minnesota -
Plaque reversal is one of the most debated topics in preventive cardiology, so in this video I react to Dr. Kevin Ham’s CAST protocol for plaque reversal: Causes, Adding Cures, Strengthening the Body, and Training the Mind and Body.
Overall, I think this is a thoughtful framework and I agree with much of it. But as a vascular surgeon who treats advanced atherosclerosis, I also add some nuance around what “plaque reversal” really means, what may be missing from this conversation, and where I’d want more granularity in a real-world cardiovascular prevention plan.
We talk about the causes of plaque buildup, metabolic health, lifestyle change, cardiovascular risk reduction, and the difference between improving risk factors versus actually changing plaque biology. I also share where I think protocols like this can be helpful—and where they risk oversimplifying atherosclerosis.
If you’re trying to understand plaque reversal, atherosclerosis, heart disease prevention, metabolic health, LDL, ApoB, inflammation, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular risk, this video will help you think more clearly about the problem.
Let me know in the comments: Do you think “plaque reversal” is a useful term, or does it create more confusion than clarity?
#PlaqueReversal #Atherosclerosis #HeartDisease #CardiovascularHealth #MetabolicHealth #Prevention
High Quality 3rd-party tested supplements at Fullscript (10% discount): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ljohnstonmd/store-start
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___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease. -
SELECT trial explained: does semaglutide reduce cardiovascular risk because of weight loss, or is something else going on? In this video, I break down the SELECT trial and the follow-up analysis examining whether the cardiovascular benefit of semaglutide was directly mediated by weight loss. The answer matters, because the data suggest the reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events was not simply a function of people losing more weight.
I’m a board-certified vascular surgeon focused on cardiometabolic prevention, and in this video I walk through what the SELECT trial actually showed, what the subsequent analysis adds, and why this changes how we think about GLP-1 receptor agonists, obesity, heart disease, and prevention. If you’ve been wondering whether semaglutide’s heart protection is just about the number on the scale, this is where we separate mechanism from marketing.
In this video, I cover:
• The SELECT trial design and main cardiovascular outcomes
• How semaglutide affected heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death risk
• The follow-up mediation analysis on weight loss
• Why the cardiovascular benefit does not appear to be explained by weight loss alone
• What this may mean for inflammation, metabolism, and vascular protection
• How I think about semaglutide clinically in the bigger picture of cardiometabolic health
If you care about semaglutide, GLP-1 drugs, cardiovascular disease prevention, obesity medicine, insulin resistance, plaque, and the real mechanisms behind cardiometabolic risk reduction, you’re in the right place.
Question for you: when you think about semaglutide, do you mainly think “weight loss drug,” or has the cardiovascular data changed your view?
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
High Quality 3rd-party tested supplements at Fullscript (10% discount): https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/ljohnstonmd/store-start
Other tools for optimal health (note these are affiliate links):
Home BP Cuff: https://amzn.to/49Cq7rh
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Sleep Mask: https://amzn.to/48fSJV5
Air Purifier: https://amzn.to/4puzTQZ
___________________________
🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease.
#MetabolicHealth #CardiovascularPrevention #HeartHealth #Longevity #InsulinResistance #DrLilyJohnston #DrLily #WomenInMedicine #Surgeon #VascularSurgeon #PreventiveMedicine #PADPrevention #HeartAttackRisks #HealthPortfolio #California #SanDiego #Arizona #Virginia #minnesota -
When people hear “poor circulation,” they often assume the answer is a procedure. Not so fast. In this episode of Knife Down, Dr. Jacqueline Majors and I talk about when opening a blocked artery helps, when it backfires, and why the real work of saving legs often starts long before the operating room.
We get into what patients with poor circulation, blocked leg arteries, leg pain with walking, smoking-related vascular disease, and diabetes actually need to know. We talk about when a procedure helps, when it can make things worse, why not every blockage should be opened, and how lifestyle change, medical therapy, and careful decision-making can sometimes save a limb better than another stent.
We also talk about what vascular surgery training gets right and what it misses, how Dr. Majors built a limb salvage-focused private practice, why strength training matters for vascular patients, and how to help people make meaningful changes without shame, perfectionism, or all-or-nothing thinking.
Dr. Jacqueline Majors, MD is a board-certified vascular surgeon, Co-Owner, and Director of Limb Salvage at Zenith Vascular & Fibroid Center in Memphis, Tennessee. She is CEO of Vascular Excellence, PLLC, a consulting firm spanning expert witness work and locum tenens. She is also Founder and CEO of AnatomyPad, a patient education and operative planning product. She has performed multiple first-in-state procedures in Tennessee, including absorbable stents, retrievable BTK stents, advanced thrombectomy, and intravascular lithotripsy.
Dr. Majors is a two-time Castle Connolly Top Doctor and multiple Top Doctor in Tennessee award recipient. She serves as an industry KOL, speaking nationally on drug-coated balloon therapy, intravascular lithotripsy, carotid disease, and limb salvage. She hosts Center of Excellence courses in Memphis, is the Vice Chair of the Young Physicians Association for the Tennessee Medical Association, and serves on the Board of the Memphis Medical Society.
A former Division I athlete and nationally licensed soccer coach, she brings that same discipline to medicine, business, and patient care. Her philosophy: excellence is not an outcome. It is a discipline.
Find Dr. Majors here:
https://www.instagram.com/zenithmemphis/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/zenith-memphis/
https://www.facebook.com/zenithmemphis
This episode is for education only and is not personal medical advice. If you have symptoms of poor circulation, a nonhealing wound, rest pain, or concern for blocked arteries, please talk with your own physician.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:18 Why prevention matters in vascular surgery
04:07 Nutrition, sleep, stress, and the athlete mindset
08:07 Why she chose vascular surgery
10:57 Talking to patients about new procedures
14:13 What vascular training misses about lifestyle
16:43 Nutrition philosophy: from “eat healthy” to low-carb Mediterranean
22:38 Patient stories: saving limbs without rushing to procedure
27:12 Why not every blocked leg artery should be fixed
31:24 Why poor circulation is underrecognized
34:35 Building a limb salvage-focused private practice
43:24 Social media, physician education, and the modern doctor
49:59 How Dr. Majors approaches food, exercise, and habit change
57:05 Walking, strength training, and insulin resistance
01:01:00 Helping patients who aren’t ready to change
01:05:44 Smoking, diabetes, and whether all plaque is the same
01:08:05 What medical management vascular surgeons should own
01:11:34 How to get screened for poor circulation
01:13:53 The top 3 ways to prevent blocked leg arteries
01:15:15 Favorite procedures, resources, and AnatomyPad
01:19:30 Where to find Dr. Jacqueline Majors
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
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