Episodios

  • BLA 168: How To Stay Up To Date With Medical Research
    Feb 24 2026

    It is literally impossible to keep up with the firehose of new medical data—knowledge now doubles every 73 days. In this video, I’m helping you move past the stress of "trying to read everything" by building a personalized learning system. Whether you’re a minimalist who wants high-yield summaries delivered to your inbox or a fellow nerd looking to build a custom RSS pipeline using PubMed and Zotero, I’ve got you covered with free and paid options to ensure you never feel left behind again.

    Stop stressing over every health detail & start living! My FREE 'Necessary Nine' PDF cuts through the noise, giving you the essential things you need for a healthy life.

    ➡️ Download Here: https://www.jrennickemd.com/necessaryninepdf

    CHAPTERS:
    00:00 - Intro
    00:37 - Just-in-Time vs. Just-in-Case Learning
    02:05 - The Minimalist Approach: Choosing a Journal
    02:32 - Electronic Table of Contents (eTOC)
    03:42 - Paid Curation: NEJM Clinician
    04:43 - Read by QxMD: The Social Media of Research
    05:49 - The Optimizer Path: Custom RSS Feeds
    07:51 - Risks of Going DIY with PubMed
    08:22 - Social Media, Podcasts, and YouTube
    10:20 - Final Thoughts: Verifying Your Sources

    SELECTED REFERENCES:
    eTOC Example: https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/solutions/ovid/new-england-journal-of-medicine-624
    NEJM Clinician: https://clinician.nejm.org/
    Read by QxMD: https://read.qxmd.com/
    Pubmed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
    Feedly: https://feedly.com/
    Zotero: https://www.zotero.org/

    *Disclaimer*
    This podcast is for entertainment, education, and informational purposes only.
    The topics discussed should not solely be used to diagnose, treat , or prevent any condition.
    The information presented here was created with an evidence based approach, but you please keep in mind that science is always changing and at the time of listening to this there may some new data that makes this information incomplete or inaccurate.
    Always seek the advice of your personal physician or qualified health care provider for questions regarding any medical condition.

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    12 m
  • BLA 167: The New Dietary Guidelines for Americans
    Feb 17 2026

    The new 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines just dropped, and the internet is already losing its mind. But are they actually that bad? Today, we are taking a look at the actual document—ignoring the online rage for a second—to see what the government is actually recommending. We walk through the shift to an "inverted pyramid," the surprisingly higher protein targets, and the controversial stance on saturated fats versus "healthy oils." We also look at the new emphasis on "eating real food" to combat chronic disease. Let's cut through the noise, look at the text directly, and see if these new rules can actually make us healthy again.

    Stop stressing over every health detail & start living! My FREE 'Necessary Nine' PDF cuts through the noise, giving you the essential things you need for a healthy life.

    ➡️ Download Here: https://www.jrennickemd.com/necessaryninepdf

    CHAPTERS:
    00:00 - Intro: The Internet is Mad
    00:19 - The New "Inverse Pyramid"
    00:58 - The Core Message: "Eat Real Food"
    01:20 - America's Chronic Disease Crisis
    02:35 - New Protein Recommendations (1.2-1.6g/kg)
    03:39 - Dairy & Gut Health
    04:08 - Fruits & Veggies: Eat the Rainbow
    04:51 - Healthy Fats & The Saturated Fat Controversy
    05:30 - Grains & Limiting Processed Foods
    06:31 - How to Spot Added Sugars
    07:12 - Alcohol & Sodium Updates
    07:58 - Guidelines for Infants & Pregnancy
    09:15 - Chronic Disease & Low Carb Diets
    10:36 - My Take: The Saturated Fat Contradiction
    12:35 - The "Processed Food" Problem & Incentives
    14:29 - Conclusion: Will This Actually Change Anything?

    SELECTED REFERENCES:
    https://cdn.realfood.gov/DGA.pdf

    *Disclaimer*
    This podcast is for entertainment, education, and informational purposes only.
    The topics discussed should not solely be used to diagnose, treat , or prevent any condition.
    The information presented here was created with an evidence based approach, but you please keep in mind that science is always changing and at the time of listening to this there may some new data that makes this information incomplete or inaccurate.
    Always seek the advice of your personal physician or qualified health care provider for questions regarding any medical condition.

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    16 m
  • BLA 166: Carnivore Influencer Changes His Mind?
    Feb 10 2026

    Carnivore influencer Dr. Kiltz recently revealed a shocking update about his heart health, sparking a massive debate in the nutrition world. In this episode, we dive into his story with empathy and use it as a teaching moment. We'll break down what his test results actually mean, explain the difference between a Calcium Score and a CT Angiogram, and discuss why "feeling fine" isn't always enough when it comes to heart disease.

    Stop stressing over every health detail & start living! My FREE 'Necessary Nine' PDF cuts through the noise, giving you the essential things you need for a healthy life.

    ➡️ Download Here: https://www.jrennickemd.com/necessaryninepdf

    CHAPTERS:
    00:00 - Intro
    00:51 - The Problem with Online Polarization
    02:10 - Dr. Kiltz's Health Update: CAC Score & Colitis
    02:44 - Why "Feeling Fine" Can Be Dangerous
    04:06 - The Road Construction Analogy: How Plaque Hides
    06:02 - What is a Coronary Artery Calcium (CAC) Score?
    07:22 - Understanding Calcium Score Ranges
    08:48 - The "Blind Spot" of Calcium Scores
    09:20 - CT Coronary Angiogram Explained
    10:35 - Dr. Kiltz's New Protocol

    SELECTED REFERENCES:
    Original video: https://youtu.be/UzYd2Zf9Gn8?si=zJXiRfnJiS3laai9
    https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacadv.2025.101686

    *Disclaimer*
    This podcast is for entertainment, education, and informational purposes only.
    The topics discussed should not solely be used to diagnose, treat , or prevent any condition.
    The information presented here was created with an evidence based approach, but you please keep in mind that science is always changing and at the time of listening to this there may some new data that makes this information incomplete or inaccurate.
    Always seek the advice of your personal physician or qualified health care provider for questions regarding any medical condition.

    Más Menos
    23 m
  • BLA 165: Can A Medication Reduce Heart Attacks By 25%?
    Feb 3 2026

    A recent paper just dropped claiming an injection can cut heart attack risk by 25%—even for those who have never had one before. But is this a medical breakthrough or just expensive hype? In this episode, I’m diving deep into the Vesalius trial to separate the science from the headlines.

    We’ll break down how PCSK9 inhibitors work (using a baseball analogy, of course), analyze the impressive relative risk reduction, and honestly discuss the "gray areas" like mortality benefits and the diversity gap in the data. My goal isn't to be a guru, but to help you cut through the noise so you can make evidence-informed decisions about your heart health. Let's dive in.

    Stop stressing over every health detail & start living! My FREE 'Necessary Nine' PDF cuts through the noise, giving you the essential things you need for a healthy life.

    ➡️ Download Here: https://www.jrennickemd.com/necessaryninepdf

    CHAPTERS:
    00:00 - Intro
    00:30 - Nerding Out on History: Statins & Previous Trials
    01:03 - The PCSK9 Context: FOURIER & ODYSSEY
    02:40 - Mechanism of Action: The "Catcher's Mitt" Analogy
    03:47 - Vesalius Trial Design & Demographics
    06:06 - The Endpoints: What is MACE?
    07:16 - Addressing the "Big Pharma" Funding
    08:28 - Primary Results: LDL Drop & 25% Reduction
    09:34 - Absolute Risk vs. Relative Risk (The Real Numbers)
    10:12 - Number Needed to Treat (NNT)
    11:13 - The Mortality Question: Did it Save Lives?
    12:06 - Safety Profile: Diabetes, Brain Fog & Muscle Pain
    13:16 - Limitation 1: The Mortality "Provocative Signal"
    13:57 - Limitation 2: The Ezetimibe Head-Scratcher
    15:23 - Limitation 3: The Diversity Gap
    15:52 - Bottom Line: Guidelines, "Big Rocks" & The Future

    SELECTED REFERENCES:
    https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2514428
    https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1801174
    https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1615664

    *Disclaimer*
    This podcast is for entertainment, education, and informational purposes only.
    The topics discussed should not solely be used to diagnose, treat , or prevent any condition.
    The information presented here was created with an evidence based approach, but you please keep in mind that science is always changing and at the time of listening to this there may some new data that makes this information incomplete or inaccurate.
    Always seek the advice of your personal physician or qualified health care provider for questions regarding any medical condition.

    Más Menos
    21 m
  • BLA 164: Is Whey Protein Really A Waste?
    Jan 27 2026

    The internet loves a good absolute black and white story. Today, I'm reacting to a viral clip claiming that whey protein is essentially "trash" and only 18% usable by the human body.

    Stop stressing over every health detail & start living! My FREE 'Necessary Nine' PDF cuts through the noise, giving you the essential things you need for a healthy life.

    ➡️ Download Here: https://www.jrennickemd.com/necessaryninepdf

    CHAPTERS:
    00:00 - Intro
    00:40 - Who is John Jaquish?
    00:58 - The "Dirty History" of Whey Protein
    02:51 - Is Byproduct the Same as Trash?
    04:15 - The Claim: Whey is Only 18% Usable
    05:52 - Investigating Net Nitrogen Utilization (NNU)
    06:30 - Hunting Down the "Ghost Paper"
    09:14 - Digestibility vs. Usability (The Morifuji Study)
    11:27 - The $105 Solution
    12:37 - Are Essential Amino Acids Better Than Whey?
    14:46 - The Breast Milk Logic Test
    16:48 - Is Plant Protein Really Garbage?
    19:58 - Don't Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Good
    22:38 - The "So What?" Test: Mechanisms vs. Outcomes

    SELECTED REFERENCES:
    https://doi.org/10.1080/15502783.2023.2263409
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20614926/
    https://pubmed-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.usu01.idm.oclc.org/?term=Lucà-Moretti+M&cauthor_id=14964348
    https://www.jaquishbiomedical.com/products/fortagen?variant=33067984093266
    Original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ia-doSc_OA

    *Disclaimer*
    This podcast is for entertainment, education, and informational purposes only.
    The topics discussed should not solely be used to diagnose, treat , or prevent any condition.
    The information presented here was created with an evidence based approach, but you please keep in mind that science is always changing and at the time of listening to this there may some new data that makes this information incomplete or inaccurate.
    Always seek the advice of your personal physician or qualified health care provider for questions regarding any medical condition.

    Más Menos
    26 m
  • BLA 163: Does Running Give You Arthritis?
    Jan 20 2026

    You've heard it a thousand times: "Running destroys your knees." It intuitively makes sense—friction, load, wear and tear. But here is the thing: you aren't a car, and your joints aren't tires. In this episode, we dive into a massive meta-analysis of over 114,000 people that suggests recreational running might actually protect your knees from arthritis. We'll break down the specific mileage where the risk flips, why "just slowing down" might be bad advice, and the practical "big rocks" you need to keep running for life. Let's get into it.

    Stop stressing over every health detail & start living! My FREE 'Necessary Nine' PDF cuts through the noise, giving you the essential things you need for a healthy life.

    ➡️ Download Here: https://www.jrennickemd.com/necessaryninepdf

    CHAPTERS:
    00:00 - Intro: Welcome & The "Wear and Tear" Myth
    02:16 - The "Car Tire" Fallacy: Why You Aren't a Machine
    02:49 - The Data: What 114,000 Runners Tell Us
    03:23 - Sedentary vs. Recreational vs. Elite Runners
    04:03 - The Limit: When Running Becomes Destructive (57 Miles/Week)
    04:39 - The Sponge Analogy: Inflammation & Metabolic Health
    06:29 - Why "Just Slow Down" Can Hurt Your Knees
    07:50 - The 3 Real Causes of Knee Arthritis
    08:47 - Action Step 1: The 10% Rule
    10:10 - Action Step 2: Strength is Non-Negotiable
    10:51 - Action Step 3: The Cadence Check
    11:25 - The 24-Hour Pain Rule
    12:52 - Disclaimer

    SELECTED REFERENCES:
    https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2017.7137
    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6395418/
    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2556152/
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18550323/
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22729505/

    *Disclaimer*
    This podcast is for entertainment, education, and informational purposes only.
    The topics discussed should not solely be used to diagnose, treat , or prevent any condition.
    The information presented here was created with an evidence based approach, but you please keep in mind that science is always changing and at the time of listening to this there may some new data that makes this information incomplete or inaccurate.
    Always seek the advice of your personal physician or qualified health care provider for questions regarding any medical condition.

    Más Menos
    13 m
  • BLA 162: Does Coffee Cause A-Fib?
    Jan 13 2026

    For years, we've told AFib patients to cut the caffeine. But new data from the DECAF trial suggests that might be wrong. In this episode, we’re trying a new format: first, the highlights from my latest video, and then a podcast-exclusive deep dive. We’ll explore why coffee might stabilize the heart, break down the earlier CRAVE trial, and look at the nitty-gritty methodology that changes how we interpret these results. Let's dive in.

    Stop stressing over every health detail & start living! My FREE 'Necessary Nine' PDF cuts through the noise, giving you the essential things you need for a healthy life.

    ➡️ Download Here: https://www.jrennickemd.com/necessaryninepdf

    CHAPTERS:

    00:00 - Intro: The New Format

    00:01:31 - The DECAF Trial (Video Start)

    00:02:32 - Why We Thought Coffee Was Bad

    00:03:25 - Study Design

    00:04:23 - Results: Coffee vs. Abstinence

    00:05:34 - 3 Proposed Mechanisms

    00:06:50 - Limitations (Video Version)

    00:08:05 - Practical Takeaways

    00:08:38 - Podcast Deep Dive: The CRAVE Trial

    00:09:50 - PACs vs. PVCs

    00:11:07 - Activity & Sleep Findings

    00:12:10 - DECAF Methodology Details

    00:15:20 - The Open Label Limitation

    00:17:12 - Summary & Final Thoughts

    SELECTED REFERENCES:

    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41206802/

    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24009307/

    https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Articles/2021/11/08/12/02/sun-8am-crave-aha-2021

    Disclaimer

    This podcast is for entertainment, education, and informational purposes only. The topics discussed should not solely be used to diagnose, treat , or prevent any condition. The information presented here was created with an evidence based approach, but you please keep in mind that science is always changing and at the time of listening to this there may some new data that makes this information incomplete or inaccurate. Always seek the advice of your personal physician or qualified health care provider for questions regarding any medical condition.

    Más Menos
    20 m
  • BLA 161: How We Understand Osteoarthritis Is Changing Forever
    Jan 6 2026

    What if osteoarthritis isn't just 'wear and tear'? We've been told OA is inevitable, but new research shows it's an active inflammatory and metabolic disease we can actually treat. In this deep-dive, I break down the massive paradigm shift in how we understand OA, the surprising metabolic connection, and the actionable lifestyle therapies that target the root cause of the inflammation.

    Stop stressing over every health detail & start living! My FREE 'Necessary Nine' PDF cuts through the noise, giving you the essential things you need for a healthy life.

    ➡️ Download Here: https://www.jrennickemd.com/necessaryninepdf

    CHAPTERS:
    00:00 - Intro
    00:14 - Is Osteoarthritis (OA) Really "Wear and Tear"?
    01:03 - Deconstructing the "Wear and Tear" Misnomer
    02:35 - The New Model: OA as a Disease of the "Joint as an Organ"
    03:20 - The 3 Key Players: Cartilage, Subchondrial Bone, & Synovium
    04:33 - Why OA is Not One Single Disease (Heterogeneity)
    06:06 - Inflammation as a Central Driver, Not a Side Effect
    06:41 - The Vicious Cycle: How Inflammation Begets Inflammation
    08:20 - A Critical Distinction: OA Inflammation vs. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
    10:34 - The Pain Paradox: Why X-Rays Don't Match Patient Symptoms
    12:06 - Meta-Inflammation: The Systemic Link to Joint Failure
    14:03 - The "Smoking Gun": The Link Between Obesity and Hand OA
    1Game-changing- The "Double-Hit" Hypothesis of Obesity
    16:40 - How Type 2 Diabetes Creates a Toxic Joint Environment (AGEs)
    17:47 - Mechanism 2: Insulin Resistance in the Joint
    19:10 - Mechanism 3: Dyslipidemia (Lipotoxicity)
    19:40 - Mechanism 4: How Hypertension May Starve the Cartilage
    21:31 - The Gut-Joint Axis: A Unifying Theory
    24:25 - It's Not Just Bad Signals, It's an Absence of Good Ones
    25:50 - The Surprising Role of GLP-1 in Protecting Cartilage
    27:16 - Translating This New Science Into Practice
    28:02 - Foundational Therapy: Anti-Inflammatory Diets
    28:44 - Foundational Therapy: The Metabolic Benefits of Exercise
    29:56 - The Future of OA Pharmacology
    30:35 - Potential Drug Target: GLP-1 Agonists (Semaglutide, etc.)
    32:39 - Potential Drug Target: Senolytics ("Zombie Cell" Killers)
    33:38 - The Major Hurdle: We Can't Treat What We Can't Measure
    34:26 - Summary: Bringing It All Home
    36:11 - The Future: Precision Medicine for OA Phenotypes
    37:48 - Outro

    SELECTED REFERENCES:
    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3366018/
    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12145975/
    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6350005/
    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3956093/
    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4930555/
    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12307352/
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40179178/
    https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Osteoarthritis-treatment-via-the-GLP-1-mediated-FXR-Yang-Hao/1f42f8588677bd24fddafc7d3f0e5c3f7b2ce29f

    *Disclaimer*
    This podcast is for entertainment, education, and informational purposes only.
    The topics discussed should not solely be used to diagnose, treat , or prevent any condition.
    The information presented here was created with an evidence based approach, but you please keep in mind that science is always changing and at the time of listening to this there may some new data that makes this information incomplete or inaccurate.
    Always seek the advice of your personal physician or qualified health care provider for questions regarding any medical condition.

    Más Menos
    39 m