Researchers in Scotland are using Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) as a method of pain relief for people suffering from peripheral artery disease (P.A.D.), a circulation issue that causes leg pain and leg cramps while walking. Walking is the best medicine for P.A.D. patients because it helps stimulate the body's ability to establish a collateral network of vessels that can re-route blood flow around blockages and severely narrowed areas in the arteries. The problem is each step can be painful for these patients due to the nerve pain caused by restricted blood flow to muscles, tissues and nerves in the lower extremities. Physiotherapist Dr. Chris Seenan and Doctorate student and researcher Daniel Tiboldi have been studying this issue and trying to get a greater understanding on physical, emotional, and behavioral barriers limiting mobility. One research project led by Dr. Seenan involves attaching a TENS unit to strategic areas on these patients where the pain is occurring while they walk. This study found improved walking distance in those patients who wore the TENS unit. Dr. Seenan talk with hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips about the results and next steps in their research.
A study released in 2019 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology states that 1 in 10 people with end-stage renal disease, which is those who have kidney disease and are on dialysis, undergo a major amputation of one of their legs in their last year of life. How does kidney disease lead to leg loss. That's the heart of this episode's discussion. If you've listened to this show for awhile, co-hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips talk a lot about Peripheral Artery Disease, which is plaque build-up in mainly the leg arteries, that restricts blood flow to the feet, leading to amputation. A new study by Interventional cardiologists at the University of Pennsylvania, that was presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) Annual Scientific Meeting recently, reinforces conclusions of previous studies that people with end stage kidney disease are more likely to undergo lower extremity amputation. We have Dr. Rotimi Badero an Interventional CardioNephrologist - a very unique practice, who will talk about this serious issue, which impacts 10% of medicare fee for service spending.
April is Limb Difference Awareness Month so we are focusing on a big problem you may not be aware of in America. Did you know more than 2 million people in America are limb different, meaning they have had an amputation for one medical reason or another? However, Sixty-percent of those amputees don't have a prosthesis, and remain immobile. Paul Kent, founder and CEO of the disAbled Life Alliance, hopes to change that with a new Prosthesis for Every Limb initiative. During this episode, he will talk about the gaps in care for amputees and his strategy to help ensure all who desire to be mobile, can get back on their feet and thrive limb different.
Hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips are LIVE in Venice, Italy at one of the most advanced educational events for doctors treating peripheral artery disease, a circulation issue impacting mainly the legs that impacts three-in-five people who suffer a heart attack. It's also the leading cause of amputation in the country. CLI-C Global, founded by Dr. Mariano Palena and Dr. Marco Manzi share best practices at the event for treating the most advanced stages of this disease. Hear some of the most impactful moments from this event during this week's episode.
Jenny couldn’t wait for her Mom to meet her firstborn. So she flew her in from the Congo and within days she fell ill and was hospitalized. She was placed on machines and medications to try and save her life but didn’t realize at that time it might be at the expense of her limbs. Jenny’s Mom is a live thanks to the ECMO machine and vasopressors but she now has to learn to live without all four limbs. Jenny and her sisters are hoping their Moms story will help save others from the same fate.
Serial Entrepreneur Jeff Stevens is not a doctor. He’s never worked in medicine in any capacity. But he is making the changes we all want to see in medicine as a computer scientist. He cut his teeth on healthcare innovation, combining what he learned about the physics of a microphone when he worked as a music engineer intern starting in college, with data analytics he practiced as a risk mitigator and technology futurist on Wall Street. Listen to how Jeff’s life unfolds from a boy on a paper route, to learning computer programming languages, to capitalizing on those manipulating the stock markets, to music engineer, to technology futurist and evangelist, to developing a diagnostic tool for expecting Moms that caught the attention of NASA, to ultimately creating what could bridge the gap in healthcare, putting potentially life-saving medical grade diagnostics in your hands that can be remotely monitored by your healthcare team. Hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips get inside the heart and the mind of this self-proclaimed ‘dreamer.’
Society of Vascular Surgery Executive Director Ken Slaw, Ph.D, and his wife Anne Slaw, JD, share their quest to save their son who was diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening, genetic, neurologic disease present at birth. Familial Dysautonomia, abbreviated FD, at the time of diagnosis, had a life expectancy rate of 10 years. That wasn't acceptable to Ken and Anne. Ken reached out to his life-long network of healthcare professionals and attended pediatric conferences in search of researchers while Anne launched FD Now, a 501(c)(3) and started fundraising. They teamed up with Dr. Berish Rubin and Dr. Sylvia Anderson, who through the partnership launched The Laboratory for Familial Dysautonomia Research at Fordham University, New York, which is dedicated to studying the molecular biology of this disease. In addition to the discovery of the gene mutation that causes FD, research at the laboratory has produced numerous life-changing treatment breakthroughs. Listen in to hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips interview Ken and Anne about their story, which they hope will inspire others to not give up hope.
William Shakespeare said eyes are the windows to the soul. But they're so much more than that. Eyes are the windows to vascular health. Your eyes are windows to the live action of blood vessels, nerves and connective tissues throughout your body. Problems spotted in the eye are often the first signs of disease lurking elsewhere. Dr. Harvey Fishman is here to talk about traditional and innovative diagnostics that can give you not only insight into your eye health, but also your vascular health with indicators that show diabetes, high blood pressure, blocked vessels, aortic aneurysm, and more. Dr. Harvey Fishman is an ophthalmologist who's always on the cutting edge of what's new and next in eye care. A former Chief Resident in Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Department of Ophthalmology, he is now medical director of Fishman Vision while always continuing to pursue multiple entrepreneurial ventures. He provides a window to the future of your eye exam as a key source of information for your overall health.
We all know that lowering risk of heart attack, stroke, and amputation is up to us. We know we need to eat right. We know we need to exercise? Are we faithful at making healthy choices all the time. No one is perfect. In this episode, hosts Dr. John Phillips and Kym McNicholas talk about what makes especially the healthier food choices tough. They also provide easy ways to improve our diet starting with simple substitutions and small compromises. All the information is available in a new handbook available for sale on Amazon, called “Food For Thought: A P.A.D. Warriors Handbook for Healthier eating.” P.A.D. Is an acronym for peripheral artery disease, which is restricted blood flow in mainly the leg arteries due to plaque build-up. Three-in-five heart attack sufferers have P.A.D. Most don’t know it, if it all, until it reaches advanced stages and heart attack, stroke, and/or amputation are eminent. If someone has plaque build-up in their leg arteries, it’s likely systemic. So, while this handbook discussed is geared toward P.A.D. Patients, it addresses overall artery health and how to start on the road to making healthier food choices. After the food discussion, Dr. John Phillips discussed important diagnostics, how to know when you should feel confident in your heart health, and how to decide when an intervention is necessary to clear some plaque from your coronary arteries and have a stent placed.
What we eat is central to our health. It can prevent, maintain, cure, and cause different diseases. It can be argued
that the number one killer in America, heart attack, might occur prematurely because of poor food choices. That's
why Dr. Michael Dansinger is leading our discussion during this episode about how we cure America of its deadly
eating habits. He talks to hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips about what he's learned throughout his
medical career, which is heavily focused on research and education on the power of dietary selection, including
his time working with hit cable TV show, 'The Biggest Loser." Dr. Dansinger most recently served as the Medical
Director for the Lifestyle Program at Boston Heart Diagnostics since 2011. Other career highlights include, credits
as a "Nutrition Doctor" for "The Biggest Loser," author of the Tufts University Popular Diet Trial, which was
published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in January of 2005, and he's served as an
expert with Medscape and WebMD since 2005. He says, "I quickly recognized during my fellowship training that
much of the underlying cause of our broken healthcare system has been fueled by the growing financial burden
of “Lifestyle Diseases”. I came to understand that the epidemics of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and related
conditions were not only making millions of people sick, but also overwhelming our healthcare system. A few
months into my fellowship program I decided I’d like to train in the prevention and reversal of lifestyle diseases."
We acknowledge American Heart Month every year but are we using the information provided to take our health
into our own hands? Heart Disease, the number one killer, is manageable if you are willing to take the steps to
mitigate your risk. Lifestyle changes are the most impactful preventative measure. What's stopping you? During
this episode, hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips talk to Doctor of Physical Therapy, Ofir Isaac, with All
Care PT out of Brooklyn, New York, about how he's getting people to take their health into their own hands. He
talks about some new, innovative approaches, to cardiac rehabilitation. Joining the discussion in this week's Save
My Piggies series, Learn to Love To Exercise (LTLTE) founder Linda Terjesen talks about her journey to prevent
genetics from taking control of her life and through her story you will be inspired to do the same.
How do we improve our mental health in the face of adversity? One in four adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. People with chronic physical illnesses are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety or depression as their physically healthy counterparts. Coach Christine Meyer, author of "Keep It Simple Smarty Paants," says the biggest mistake people make in trying to dig their way out of depression is trying to jump from depression to happiness. She explains that it's a guaranteed recipe for failure. During this episode, hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips talk to Christine about creative games we can play with our mind that guide us step-by-step to better feeling thoughts which become more sustainable. Christine demonstrates how effective her methods work by coaching three patients LIVE who have Peripheral Artery Disease, restricted blood flow in mainly the leg arteries that cause debilitating pain and ultimately depression.
Larry "Shorty" Coleman practices what he's preached his entire career as a Harlem Globetrotter, the power of positive thinking, even as he stands up against amputation of his right leg, two years after his left was lost due to complications from Peripheral Artery Disease (P.A.D.). P.A.D. is restricted blood flow in mainly the leg arteries due to plaque build-up. He didn't know other advanced options might be available to save his right leg so he never sought a second opinion. With his left leg on deck, he reached out to peripheral artery disease advocacy organization The Way To My Heart, which has found him a different doctor with an advanced set of limb salvage skills, who is exhausting all efforts available to keep "Shorty" on his feet. Throughout "Shorty's" fight for life and limb he has continued to maintain a powerful positive mindset much in thanks to his faith and has continued to hold clinics to not help kids learn some of his pro hoop tricks on the court, but to also raise money for those with disabilities like himself due to amputation.
If you are over age 50, your physician may urge you to have a colonoscopy to check for cancer. You might also be urged to have your lower gastrointestinal tract checked using a colonscope and upper GI tract checked using a camera held on to a flexible tube called an endoscope that slips down your throat. An alternative to a procedure which some facilities offer is to swallowing an imaging device shaped like a pill that follows your intestinal tract down through excretion. The limitation with that versus a manual scope is that the current device you swallow can't be directed and so it may miss problem areas. That's why inventor and entrepreneur Torrey Smith started Endiatx. It's a company that's building a newer version called a Pillbot, a type of robot you can swallow, that can be controlled remotely while you are in clinic with your healthcare team. He talks to hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips about gamifying the gut exam and future use cases for robotics in examining the arteries and other areas of the body. Smith sees microrobotics as a game-changer in diagnostics and interventional medicine, at some point even sprouting surgical instruments to treat real-time. Prior to this project, Smith helped invent a device that would remove plaque from the arteries, which is still in use today.
To continue honoring her Mom, Marilyn Lou Baum McNicholas, who transitioned almost one year ago due to an undetected Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA), Kym McNicholas and cohost Dr. John Phillips are keeping the conversation about detection, prevention, and treatment alive to prevent others from suffering the same fate. While Kym's Mom couldn't get diagnosed and treated in time, David Williams is a survivor of an aortic dissection, who shares his long, painful, but successful, fight for his life. The physician who David credits for saving his life joins the discussion. It's aortic specialist, Dr. George Arnaoutakis, Cardiothoracic Surgeon at University of Texas (UT), Austin, who recently moved from the University of Florida, Gainesville, to build a specialty center at UT. He and Dr. Phillips talk about the prevalence of aortic dissection and aneurysms, the difference between the two life-threatening conditions, how to prevent them, and how to know if you need to seek treatment for one.
Podiatrist Dr. David Alper joins co-hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips to talk about the cold weather dangers for those with poor circulation and how to protect their life and limb, especially feet.
Mindset is medicine for both the physician and patient. Medicine already recognizes the persuasive power of beliefs. The use of placebos is a great example of that. But it's much more than that, especially with chronic, painful vascular ailments such as peripheral artery disease (P.A.D.), which is restricted blood flow in mainly the leg arteries due to plaque build-up. Patients with P.A.D. feel at times as though a tourniquet is wrapped tightly around their legs when they walk. Sometimes the leg pain and cramping wake them up at night. Dr. Paramjit Romi Chopra joins hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips to talk about the powerful combination of science and spirituality to help patients and physicians persevere in challenging life and limb-saving situations.
Open Enrollment just wrapped up and call centers were center stage, handling a high volume of calls from patients looking to secure their health insurance for 2023. On the front lines ready to prevent call center failure was Cyara, a quality assurance technology company that helps organizations, including those in healthcare, spot problems and find resolve of them before the customers discover them and hang up. Show hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips talk to Cyara Senior Vice President of Customer Experience Dennis Reno about the biggest call enter fails and how to fix them. Also, a former Highway Patrol Call Center Supervisor, Connie, shares her limb saving story in our Save My Piggies series. She continued to help facilitate potentially life-saving calls for others while fighting for her own life.
Show co-host Kym McNicholas is dedicating this how to her Mom Marilyn Lou Baum McNicholas who transitioned earlier this year due to an undetected abdominal aortic aneurysm that ultimately ruptured. Marilyn’s cardiologist told Kym that there’s still so much doctors don’t know about aneurysms and because of that, there are gaps in care, which lead to premature death. Marilyn was diagnosed with having a 4cm thoracic aneurysm six months prior to her transition. Her cardiologist would only say it’s not at a size to worry about since a surgeon typically does not treat an aneurysm until it’s at least 5cm. Her cardiologist never discussed how to preventthe aneurysm from growing, what symptoms to look for, or her increased risk of having an abdominal aortic aneurysm because of it. So, not further testing was done despite textbook symptoms of symptoms of increasing erratic blood pressure, tachycardia, a pulsating feeling around her belly button, an abdominal mass, and severe radiating pain in her back. Her cardiologist, a vascular surgeon, and an emergency room doctor told her there was nothing life-threatening with her symptoms. They told her to take muscle relaxers and prescribed physical therapy, along with traction. The autopsy revealed what doctors missed.
Should Marilyn’s 4cm thoracic aneurysm have been taken more seriously? Should she have been tested for an abdominal aortic aneurysm after being diagnosed with a thoracic aneurysm? Should her symptoms have been a red flag for doctors?
In this episode, co-host Dr. John Phillips leads the discussion with guest Cardiac Surgeon Dr. Arnaoutakis, about specifically thoracic and thoraco abdominal aneurysms. For those who aren’t familiar with what an aneurysm is and how it forms, they will go through the basics. But the primary discussion will be around the current gaps in care, new innovative approaches to diagnosis and treatment, as well as critical questions to discuss with your healthcare team. Also, Retired Veterinarian, triathlete, and author Dr. Kevin Morgan shares his personal story about how he diagnosed his own aortic aneurysm, found the right treatment, and continues to compete in running and cycling events.
A great time for family and friends to show support for those with vascular diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD), restricted blood flow in the arteries around the heart that restricts blood flow, and peripheral artery disease (PAD), which is restricted blood flow in the leg arteries due to plaque build-up, also chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), diabetes, and Raynaud's Syndrome. Hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips, along with guest co-hosts Nurse Practitioner Kay Smith and Revitalist CEO Kathryn Walker offer some innovative ideas to help with mental well-being, exercise regimens, health monitoring and more. PAD Warrior and PAD Life Outdoors Youtube channel creator Robert Castleberry joins to share his favorite holiday gift gets for those who are seeking adventure!
Get ready for the unhealthiest time of year -- the holidays! Research shows half of Americans will break their diet to give into the temptation of holiday food. A little cheat here or there -- well - we are all human. But you don't want to make a holiday habit of eating foods that will light your arteries on fire. The more logs on the fire --- the more retardant you will need to put out the flames. In body speak, the more fats and cholesterol being called in to patch up the artery damage. Don't worry, we are not here to be scrooge and tell you not to enjoy your holiday favorites. We are going to be your Holiday Angels, offering some healthier ways to enjoy them! The Way To My Heart has released its first publication called, "Food For Thought," and one of the largest sections is all about healthier substitutes. So during the next hour, hosted by Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips, co-hosted by Nurse Practitioner Kay Smith, we are going to show you how to healthify your holidays. Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease, restricted blood flow in mainly the leg arteries caused by plaque build-up, share their favorite holiday hacks. Dietitian Melissa Hooper rounds out the broadcast with some of her non-negotiables for anyone trying to stick to their medical diets
Since November 14th is World Diabetes Day, hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. Phillips are joined by guest co-hosts Podiatrist Dr. David Alper and Nurse Practitioner Kay Smith, to talk about one of the most prevalent complications of Diabetes, amputation. Every 20 seconds globally, a limb is amputated due to diabetes. Why? Extra sugar in the blood can damage the artery walls, allowing for fats and cholesterol to sneak in and push the artery wall out, hindering blood flow to the feet. Sometimes the first sign a diabetic has restricted blood flow in the leg arteries, known as Peripheral Artery Disease (P.A.D.) is when an ulcer appears on their foot or toe that won't heal. Every 1.2 seconds somewhere in the world there is a new diabetic foot ulcer that appears on someone. Diabetic Foot Ulcers are responsible for more hospitalizations than any other complication of diabetes, driving direct costs through the roof. Innovators at Sensoria® Health and Defender believe they have one way to help heal diabetic wounds faster, minimize related amputations, and reduce costs. Dr. Jason Hanft, podiatrist, and Michael DiTullo, a former shoe developer at Nike, have created the Foot Defender® to help patients expedite the healing time for their diabetic ulcers. The Foot Defender is designed to help heal diabetic foot ulcers and reduce the risk of amputations by improving patient adherence to mechanical offloading, monitoring patient usage, activity, improving outcomes, and reducing healthcare costs. A patient supported by P.A.D. advocacy organization The Way To My Heart shares his long journey trying to save his legs from amputation as well as his feedback after trying out The Foot Defender® for a few weeks.
Since November 14th is World Diabetes Day, hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. Phillips are joined by guest co-hosts Podiatrist Dr. David Alper and Nurse Practitioner Kay Smith, to talk about one of the most prevalent complications of Diabetes, amputation. Every 20 seconds globally, a limb is amputated due to diabetes. Why? Extra sugar in the blood can damage the artery walls, allowing for fats and cholesterol to sneak in and push the artery wall out, hindering blood flow to the feet. Sometimes the first sign a diabetic has restricted blood flow in the leg arteries, known as Peripheral Artery Disease (P.A.D.) is when an ulcer appears on their foot or toe that won't heal. Every 1.2 seconds somewhere in the world there is a new diabetic foot ulcer that appears on someone. Diabetic Foot Ulcers are responsible for more hospitalizations than any other complication of diabetes, driving direct costs through the roof. Innovators at Sensoria® Health and Defender believe they have one way to help heal diabetic wounds faster, minimize related amputations, and reduce costs. Dr. Jason Hanft, podiatrist, and Michael DiTullo, a former shoe developer at Nike, have created the Foot Defender® to help patients expedite the healing time for their diabetic ulcers. The Foot Defender is designed to help heal diabetic foot ulcers and reduce the risk of amputations by improving patient adherence to mechanical offloading, monitoring patient usage, activity, improving outcomes, and reducing healthcare costs. A patient supported by P.A.D. advocacy organization The Way To My Heart shares his long journey trying to save his legs from amputation as well as his feedback after trying out The Foot Defender® for a few weeks.
If you have symptoms A, B, and C, it is likely your physician will follow a decision-tree that leads them to choose X as treatment. Treatment algorithms exist across healthcare. They're detailed, step-by-step flow charts that outline the recommended treatment for patients with a specific disorder. These algorithms are a critical foundation for any physician. They're also critical for standardizing treatment around the world so as to provide equitable care. In this week's show hosts, Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips are joined by The Way To My Heart's Nurse Practitioner Kay Smith and Rush Hospital's Dr. Kumar Madassery about the value of treatment algorithms as well as where they fall short for patients, costing life and limb. They also discuss critical questions patients can ask their doctor to determine their treatment algorithm so they can weigh it against another physician who may use a different flow chart for treatment. During the Save My Piggies segment in the second half of the show, a patient, John, and his wife, Amy, who discovered almost too late that different doctors have different treatment algorithms, share their plight to save his life and limb and the importance of getting a second opinion.