Episode Details

After performing thousands of open-heart surgeries, Dr. Philip Ovadia recognized that the vast majority were preventable…if his patients had improved their metabolic health in the first place. In this episode, Dr. Chris Motley sat down with heart surgeon, author and podcaster Dr. Philip Ovadia to learn about the underrated relationship between insulin resistance and heart disease, and what you need to know to arm yourself at home and in the doctor’s office. Small correction from the intro: Dr. Ovadia is a board-certified cardiac surgeon, not a cardiologist. He has performed over 3,000 heart surgeries across 25-plus years

If heart disease has been the number one killer for so long, isn’t it possible that we’re tackling it the wrong way? Dr. Ovadia’s belief is that our emphasis on cholesterol has done us a disservice when it comes to heart health. 

If you have a family history of heart issues, or a heart condition yourself, learn how Dr. Ovadia believes you can stay off his operating table. 

Timestamps

[00:00:00] Cold open: 95% of heart patients had this, and it was not high cholesterol

[00:00:56] Every 40 seconds: the killer that has held first place for a hundred years

[00:02:41] "The patient is never as good after they have the surgery"

[00:04:26] From five years old to 3,000 open hearts, and what the first one is like

[00:08:47] The cholesterol answer a heart surgeon is not supposed to give

[00:12:26] Insulin resistance, sugar, and the linkage he says is far stronger

[00:14:56] The five markers of metabolic disease, and the one your doctor watches instead

[00:17:33] Statins: how "high" fell from 140 to 70, and what the 33% really means

[00:21:37] "What are we saving?" Mitochondria, muscle aches, and the diabetes signal

[00:24:07] Four words to ask at your next appointment

[00:27:49] The signs your body gives years early: the belly, the face, skin tags, low energy

[00:31:18] The $10 test that comes years before symptoms, and the number to look for

[00:32:49] Real food, vitamin K2, CoQ10, and a heart surgeon defending red meat

[00:37:44] Build muscle first, because muscle is where the sugar goes

[00:40:57] Valves, strep, and the heart disease insulin does not explain

[00:44:18] Genetics load the gun. Your habits pull the trigger.

[00:46:17] Optimism, stress, and the family in the waiting room: what a surgeon looks for

[00:48:36] The elimination diet, the meat reset, and the permission slip

[00:55:23] Where to find Dr. Ovadia, and why his own team tells him to stop

In this episode you will learn:

Why cholesterol and LDLs are not the real enemy of the heart and how sugar is the real culprit when it comes to heart disease. 

Why 70 years of cholesterol-focused medicine hasn't reduced heart disease — and what the data actually shows about LDL's role in cardiac events

The Kraft Test: Ovadia is referring to the work of Dr. Joseph R. Kraft, a pathologist who ran insulin assays on 14,384 patients and concluded that "those with cardiovascular disease not identified with diabetes are simply undiagnosed." The peer-reviewed analysis of his database (Crofts et al., 2016) found that more than half of patients with entirely normal glucose tolerance were nonetheless hyperinsulinaemic.

Why your fasting insulin level is the most important number most doctors never order — and how to get it tested for around $10

What exactly to ask your doctor about insulin resistance, and signs and symptoms for it: waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

How stress plays a role in heart conditions, and how emotional support can make a difference in patients’ outcomes.

Why statin drugs can be problematic, in that they hide the symptom rather than attacking the root of