The Two Cholesterol Numbers Your Doctor Isn't Checking

Cardiologist Reveals: The Cardio That Actually Protects Your Heart

📌 Learn more about Dr. Mona Shah: www.drmonashah.com There is a way to exercise that cuts your heart disease risk by nearly 50%. Most people never hear about it from their doctor. They just get told to do cardio, and that advice means almost nothing on its own. In this episode, I'm going to show you the exact combination of training that protects your heart far more than steady cardio alone, plus the one fitness number that predicts how long you'll live. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Cardiologist Reveals: The Cardio That Actually Protects Your Heart 0:33 Why moderate cardio alone is not enough 1:35 The VO2 max number your doctor never mentions 2:36 The three things that actually raise VO2 max 3:39 Three questions to check if your workout plan works 5:04 The three part plan for maximum heart protection 5:20 How to structure real HIIT training 6:53 Resistance training and heart disease risk 8:49 Your first week plan, day by day 9:02 A safety note before you increase intensity ❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED Q: What is the best type of cardio for heart health? A: The best approach combines moderate aerobic activity with high intensity interval training and resistance training twice a week. Moderate cardio alone only reduces cardiovascular mortality risk by 18 to 29%, while adding resistance training raises that to 40 to 46%. Q: What is VO2 max and why does it matter for heart health? A: VO2 max measures how well your heart and body perform under real physical effort, and it predicts risk of death more strongly than blood pressure, cholesterol, or diabetes. Raising it requires workouts with real intensity, not just steady, comfortable movement. Q: How often should you do HIIT and resistance training for heart protection? A: Aim for two HIIT sessions and two resistance training sessions per week, alongside two to three days of moderate aerobic activity. This combination produces significantly more cardiovascular protection than cardio alone. 📱 RESOURCES Website: www.drmonashah.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/drmonashahmd/ Blog: https://drmonashah.wordpress.com/ 🔔 Subscribe for weekly content on what preventive cardiology actually looks like, including the tests, labs, and conversations most cardiologists never start. ABOUT DR. MONA SHAH:  Dr. Mona Shah is a triple board-certified cardiologist in cardiology, holistic medicine, and coronary CT. After 20 years inside conventional cardiology, she left to build a practice that does what the standard system rarely does: look inside the artery wall before something goes wrong. She uses advanced imaging, including coronary CTA with AI analysis, to give patients a real picture of their cardiac risk. She specializes in patients with a family history of heart disease, elevated ApoB or Lp(a), and anyone who has been told they're fine but still isn't sure. #HeartDisease #PreventiveCardiology #CoronaryCTA #HeartAttackPrevention #HolisticCardiologist

Heart Doctor Reveals Frightening Results From Own Heart Scan

You got a scan back and something scared you. Maybe it was a lab number. Maybe your doctor mentioned plaque and moved on to the next patient. Now you have a list of things to start, stop, take, or avoid, and no idea which one actually matters first. I have guided thousands of patients through this exact moment, and I went through it myself. In this epidose, I'm going to walk you through the exact order I made decisions after finding plaque in my own arteries, and why most people get the sequence backward. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 I Spent 20 Years Telling Patients Not to Panic. Then I Got My Own Results. 0:32 Why diet overhaul feels right but isn't the first move 1:47 The problem with changing your diet before you know your risk 2:16 Why supplements and statins are premature too 3:20 Soft plaque versus hard plaque explained 5:41 Four questions to ask before you treat anything 8:20 The scan and labs I would get first 10:11 The architect analogy for your heart health 10:53 Three steps to prepare for your next appointment ❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED Q: What should you do first after finding out you have plaque?  A: Get a coronary CTA scan that classifies your plaque as soft, hard, or mixed, along with advanced labs including ApoB, Lp(a), high sensitivity CRP, fasting insulin, and homocysteine, before changing your diet or starting any supplement or medication. Q: Why is diet not the right first step after a plaque diagnosis?  A: Changing your diet before you know what is actually driving your plaque means you might fix a problem you don't have while ignoring the one that is progressing fastest. Q: What is the difference between soft plaque and hard plaque?  A: Soft plaque and hard plaque behave differently and respond to different treatments, so knowing which type you have determines which interventions will actually work for you. 📱 RESOURCES Website: www.drmonashah.com IG: https://www.instagram.com/drmonashahmd/ Blog: https://drmonashah.wordpress.com/ 🔔 Subscribe for weekly content on what preventive cardiology actually looks like, including the tests, labs, and conversations most cardiologists never start. ABOUT DR. MONA SHAH:  Dr. Mona Shah is a triple board-certified cardiologist in cardiology, holistic medicine, and coronary CT. After 20 years inside conventional cardiology, she left to build a practice that does what the standard system rarely does: look inside the artery wall before something goes wrong. She uses advanced imaging, including coronary CTA with AI analysis, to give patients a real picture of their cardiac risk. She specializes in patients with a family history of heart disease, elevated ApoB or Lp(a), and anyone who has been told they're fine but still isn't sure. #HeartDisease #PreventiveCardiology #CoronaryCTA #HeartAttackPrevention #HolisticCardiologist

7 Blood Tests That Could Save Your Life (Your Doctor Probably Isn't Ordering Them)

📌 Learn more about Dr. Mona Shah: www.drmonashah.com Every week I see patients who passed their last physical with flying colors. When I run the seven tests I actually care about as a triple board-certified holistic cardiologist, something is wrong in almost every single case. Your doctor told you your labs look fine. What they did not tell you is that the standard lipid panel has not meaningfully changed since the 1970s. In this episode, I'm going to walk you through all seven tests, explain what each one actually measures, and give you the exact words to use at your next appointment to get them ordered. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS  0:00 - Why "Your Labs Look Fine" Is Not the Same as "Your Heart Is Safe"  1:01 - Test 1: ApoB (The Particle Count Your LDL Panel Doesn't Show)  2:14 - Test 2: Lp(a) (The Genetic Risk That Doesn't Respond to Diet or Exercise)  4:03 - Test 3: hs-CRP (The Inflammation Marker That Predicts Plaque Rupture)  5:57 - Test 4: Fasting Insulin (How Insulin Resistance Builds Cardiac Risk Silently)  7:39 - Test 5: Triglycerides (An Early Warning Sign Most Doctors Dismiss)  10:02 - Test 6: Homocysteine (Why Elevated Levels Often Respond to B Vitamins)  12:15 - When Elevated Inflammation Doesn't Match Your Lifestyle  13:56 - These Tests Are Available Now (What to Say at Your Next Appointment) ❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED What is ApoB and why does it matter more than LDL?  ApoB counts the number of cholesterol-carrying particles actively hitting your artery walls. LDL only estimates the amount of cholesterol. It is the particles that push through and start the plaque-building process, so ApoB gives a more accurate picture of actual cardiac risk. Can you have normal cholesterol and still be at risk for heart disease?  Yes. Normal LDL does not mean your artery walls are safe. Elevated ApoB, Lp(a), or homocysteine can indicate significant cardiovascular risk even when a standard cholesterol panel looks completely normal. What blood tests should a preventive cardiologist order?  A thorough preventive workup includes ApoB, Lp(a), high-sensitivity CRP, fasting insulin, triglycerides, and homocysteine in addition to the standard lipid panel. Most of these are available at any major lab and can be ordered at a regular blood draw. 📱 RESOURCES  Website: www.drmonashah.com  IG: https://www.instagram.com/drmonashahmd/  Blog: https://drmonashah.wordpress.com/ 🔔 Subscribe for weekly content on what preventive cardiology actually looks like, including the tests, labs, and conversations most cardiologists never start. ABOUT DR. MONA SHAH:  Dr. Mona Shah is a triple board-certified cardiologist in cardiology, holistic medicine, and coronary CT. After 20 years inside conventional cardiology, she left to build a practice that does what the standard system rarely does: look inside the artery wall before something goes wrong. She uses advanced imaging, including coronary CTA with AI analysis, to give patients a real picture of their cardiac risk. She specializes in patients with a family history of heart disease, elevated ApoB or Lp(a), and anyone who has been told they're fine but still isn't sure. #HeartDisease #PreventiveCardiology #CoronaryCTA #HeartAttackPrevention #HolisticCardiologist

What Women With A Family History of Heart Disease Are Never Told at Their Cardiology Appointment

If you’re a woman with a family history of heart disease, there is information your cardiology appointment was never designed to give you. You've been told your numbers look fine. But if you have a family history of heart disease, that answer might not mean what you think it means. Noting a family history and actually measuring what it points to are two completely different things. Most cardiology appointments do the first. Almost none do the second. In this episode, I'm going to break down what your family history is actually pointing at, why the standard workup falls short for women, how menopause changes your cardiac risk picture, and exactly which three tests to ask for before your next appointment. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS  0:00 What Women With A Family History of Heart Disease Are Never Told at Their Cardiology Appointment  2:29 What I found when I tested myself (a cardiologist with elevated Lp(a))  4:23 Why cardiac benchmarks weren't built for women  5:47 How menopause accelerates cardiovascular risk  7:47 The 2024 study: what happens when LDL, Lp(a), and hsCRP are all elevated  9:47 Three tests and one question to bring to your next appointment ❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED Q: What is lipoprotein(a) and why does it matter if you have a family history of heart disease?  A: Lp(a) is a genetically inherited particle that drives plaque formation in the arteries, independent of diet or exercise. It requires a separate blood test not included on a standard lipid panel, and a family history of early heart disease is one of the strongest signals that it may be elevated in you. Q: How does menopause affect heart disease risk in women with a family history?  A: Estrogen protects the arteries by reducing inflammation and slowing plaque formation. When it drops at menopause, that protection lifts, and for women with elevated Lp(a) or other genetic risk running in the background, risk that looked manageable at 45 can look meaningfully different at 55. Q: What three blood tests should women with a family history of heart disease ask for?  A: Ask for Lp(a), ApoB (not just LDL), and high-sensitivity CRP. Research shows that when all three are elevated together, lifetime cardiovascular risk is 163% higher, yet none of the three are included on a standard lipid panel. 📱 RESOURCES  Website: www.drmonashah.com  IG: https://www.instagram.com/drmonashahmd/  Blog: https://drmonashah.wordpress.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrMonaShahMD 🔔 Subscribe for weekly content on what preventive cardiology actually looks like, including the tests, labs, and conversations most cardiologists never start. ABOUT DR. MONA SHAH:  Dr. Mona Shah is a triple board-certified cardiologist in cardiology, holistic medicine, and coronary CT. After 20 years inside conventional cardiology, she left to build a practice that does what the standard system rarely does: look inside the artery wall before something goes wrong. She uses advanced imaging, including coronary CTA with AI analysis, to give patients a real picture of their cardiac risk. She specializes in patients with a family history of heart disease, elevated ApoB or Lp(a), and anyone who has been told they're fine but still isn't sure. #HeartDisease #PreventiveCardiology #CoronaryCTA #HeartAttackPrevention #HolisticCardiologist

Reactive Cardiologist vs. Preventive Cardiologist: Most People See the Wrong One

You left cardiology with a clean stress test and a pat on the back. Something in you still didn't believe it. That feeling was right. You were asking a preventive question and getting a reactive answer. Most people have no idea that mismatch is even happening to them. In this episode, I'm going to walk you through what each type of cardiologist actually does, where each approach breaks down, and how to know which one you need right now. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS  0:00 Reactive Cardiologist vs. Preventive Cardiologist: Most People See the Wrong One 2:12 Why 50% of people have a first heart attack with no prior warning at all  3:32 What a preventive cardiologist looks for before any symptoms appear  4:47 The real limit of preventive cardiology and who it works for  5:57 The variable that decides which approach you need: timing  6:32 How to know if you are still in the preventive window right now  10:19 How to find a preventive cardiologist and what to say at the first visit ❓ QUESTIONS ANSWERED Q: What is the difference between a reactive and a preventive cardiologist?  A: A reactive cardiologist responds to symptoms and acute events using tools like stress tests, stents, and bypasses. A preventive cardiologist looks for problems before symptoms develop, using advanced imaging and lipid markers like ApoB and Lp(a) to find and address risk while there is still time to change it. Q: Can you have a heart attack even after a normal stress test?  A: Yes. A normal stress test only confirms that a severe blockage is not present at that moment. It cannot detect soft plaque quietly building inside your arteries, and 50% of first-time heart attacks arrive with no prior warning at all. Q: How do I find a preventive cardiologist?  A: Look for a practice focused on early detection, coronary CT angiography with AI plaque imaging, and advanced lipid testing including ApoB and Lp(a). If the practice only runs standard annual panels and stress tests, that is a reactive practice, not a preventive one. Keep looking. 📱 RESOURCES  Website: www.drmonashah.com  IG: https://www.instagram.com/drmonashahmd/  Blog: https://drmonashah.wordpress.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrMonaShahMD 🔔 Subscribe for weekly content on what preventive cardiology actually looks like, including the tests, labs, and conversations most cardiologists never start. ABOUT DR. MONA SHAH:  Dr. Mona Shah is a triple board-certified cardiologist in cardiology, holistic medicine, and coronary CT. After 20 years inside conventional cardiology, she left to build a practice that does what the standard system rarely does: look inside the artery wall before something goes wrong. She uses advanced imaging, including coronary CTA with AI analysis, to give patients a real picture of their cardiac risk. She specializes in patients with a family history of heart disease, elevated ApoB or Lp(a), and anyone who has been told they're fine but still isn't sure. #HeartDisease #PreventiveCardiology #CoronaryCTA #HeartAttackPrevention #HolisticCardiologist