by Mark Houston, MD and Sara Gottfried, MD In the past, most of the emphasis on treating dyslipidemia and dyslipidemia-induced heart disease such as coronary heart disease (CHD) and myocardial infarction (MI) was directed toward low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (LDL-C). The mainstay in the traditional cardiovascular community for treating LDL-C has been to prescribe statins. Herein a two-fold problem emerges. First, many people cannot take statins due to their adverse effects; others choose not to take them. Second, evaluation of…

 by Mark Houston, MD and Sara Gottfried, MD A precision and personalized medicine approach to dyslipidemia and dyslipidemia- induced cardiovascular disease—including high LDL cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and HDL function, and other related cardiometabolic conditions such as insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome—is completely different from the conventional medicine approach. In this article, we will review the major paradigm shift that has emerged in the past 10 to 15 years regarding HDL, which is best known for its…

by Sara Gottfried, MD; Kari Hamrick, PhD, RD; Lewis Chang, PhD We all know that it’s time for mainstream science to investigate—rigorously and on a large scale—whether eating a particular diet can help reduce or reverse chronic disease. While we have growing evidence on the Mediterranean diet, we know little about the molecular benefits and risks of eating certain foods, not eating specific macronutrients, or other emerging condition-based protocols that involve nutritional modulation, particularly related to insulin and glucose signaling.…

by Erik Lundquist, MD Metagenics Institute sat down with family physician Erik Lundquist, MD for a Q&A session to bust some myths about the Cannabis plant and glean current insights for our readers on the clinical utility of phytocannabinoids naturally found in Cannabis, like cannabidiol (CBD). Read on to learn how, based on the scientific literature and in Dr. Lundquist’s clinical experience, these unique bioactives with actions in the endocannabinoid system (ECS) may be relevant to you and your patients.…

Host: Deanna Minich, PhD Guest: Erik Lundquist, MD In this discussion, Erik Lundquist, MD and Deanna Minich, PhD explore thyroid physiology, assessment, and clinical pearls for treating patients with thyroid dysfunction or disorders. The crux of the discussion is treating the individual patient, not the labs. You will learn valuable insights and effective clinical strategies that Dr. Lundquist utilizes every day in his clinic to provide personalized support to patients with thyroid disorders. Dr. Lundquist shares that in his medical school…

by Sara Gottfried, MD and Melissa Blake, BSc, ND Hormones drive the many functions of our body and mind. For example, hormones and their receptors influence metabolic function, heart rate, appetite, tissue growth, and development. Ultimately, the body relies on the hormonal signals of a strikingly choreographed endocrine system. Most of the endocrine system is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-thyroid-gonadal (HPATG) axis, which is instrumental in regulating mood, reproductive health, and general homeostasis.1 Unfortunately, the HPATG axis is remarkably sensitive to…

by Sara Gottfried, MD, and Kari Hamrick, PhD, RD Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a problem of hormone dysregulation that can lead to irregular menstrual cycles, high androgens, and its downstream sequelae such as acne and hirsutism, infertility, weight gain, and cardiovascular disease. As practitioners and their affected female patients anguish over the root cause and solutions, one part is very clear: up to 85% of women with PCOS are insufficient in vitamin D.1 For our patients with PCOS, correcting…

Host: Deanna Minich, PhD Guest: Kara Fitzgerald, ND In this discussion, Kara Fitzgerald, ND and Deanna Minich, PhD explore the active process of inflammation resolution and how to provide clinical support to quench inflammation chronicity in your patients. Dr. Fitzgerald thinks of inflammation broadly, as a complex immune response to a variety of inputs. The offensive input could be a pathogenic insult like a bacterial or viral infection, and the inflammatory response is acute and protective to the patient. But when…

by Lewis Chang, PhD and Noelle Patno, PhD New research continues to demonstrate that the benefits of probiotics are strain-specific,1 and their effects go beyond supporting digestive health. A recent example is the strain Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis 420 (B420), which was previously shown in a 6-month randomized clinical trial to support weight management in adults affected by overweight or obesity.2 Recently, new data analysis from that study found other potentially beneficial metabolic benefits associated with B420.3 The original trial…

by Sara Gottfried, MD and Bianca Garilli, ND, IFMCP Introduction We’re just starting to understand the full spectrum of toxic threats to the human body, including obesity. What’s clear is that the body doesn’t know what to do with our myriad exposures to toxins. They clog the liver, then get stored in fat, and ultimately back up into the brain. Since the brain is almost two-thirds fat (the fattiest organ in the body), it makes sense that it’s likely the…