kym mcnicholas

Join Interventional Cardiologist Dr. John Phillips and Emmy Award-winning Journalist Kym McNicholas in a compelling episode of "The Heart of Innovation." This week, our guest is micronutrient expert and health coach Steph Vukovich, known for her specialization in micronutrients and their impact on overall metabolic health.

In today's world, chronic diseases stand as the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, presenting a formidable global health challenge. Understanding the interplay of genetic and environmental factors throughout life is paramount in addressing the predisposition to obesity and other non-communicable diseases. Substantial evidence has underscored the pivotal role of macronutrients and micronutrients in programming metabolic diseases early in life.

This episode aims to shed light on the critical role of micronutrients in developing effective preventive strategies to counter the global burden of non-communicable diseases. By delving into the intricate relationship between micronutrients and metabolic health, our guest, Steph Vukovich, will provide invaluable insights and actionable strategies for promoting overall well-being.

Don't miss this enlightening conversation on the transformative potential of micronutrients in shaping a healthier future. Tune in to "The Heart of Innovation" and be part of the movement toward preventive health strategies.

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: This week on *The Heart of Innovation* Hosted by Interventional Cardiologist Dr. John Philips and Emmy Award Winning Journalist Kym McNicholas, The focus is on groundbreaking treatment for hard-to-treat blood pressure. The featured guest is Interventional Cardiologist Dr Eric Secemsky, Director of Vascular Intervention at BIDMC and Section head of Intervetional Cardiology and Vascular research at the Richard. A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology at BIDMC. Dr. Secemsky delves into the prevalence of high blood pressure, affecting nearly half of American adults, with many being unaware of their condition or facing challenges in consistently accessing or adhering to medications. Shockingly only one in four individuals with high blood pressure have it under control, underscoring the urgency of addressing this public health concern. The discussion highlights the subset of patients facing treatment resistant hypertension, where standard medication prove ineffective or intolerable, posing increased risks of heart of disease, stroke, and cardiovascular complications. Dr. Secemsky introduces the pioneering procedure of renal denervation (RDN), which involves permanently disrupting the nerves, controlling the kidneys' arteries. This innovative approach, developed, offers a potential solution for bringing treatment resistant hypertension back under control, offering hope for patients facing persistent challenges in managing their condition. The episode provides a comprehensive exploration of the groundbreaking RDN procedure, offering valuable insights into a first-of-its kind treatment for high blood pressure. Dr. Secemsky's expertise and the innovative advancements in cardiovascular care showcased in this episode underscore the ongoing pursuit of transformative solutions in the field of interventional cardiology. Tune into * The Heart Of Innovation* for an in-depth discussions on this breakthrough treatment for hypertension and its potential impact on reshaping the landscape of vascular care.

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Individuals with Chronic Kidney Disease have an increased risk of developing limb-threatening plaque build-up in their leg arteries that restricts blood flow, a disorder known as peripheral artery disease (PAD). That’s why Terry Litchfield, who fought alongside her husband Bill who was a dialysis dependent CKD patient for more than 50 years, is sinking her teeth into prevention efforts and advances in treatment for those with advanced disease that tends to settle in the calf and foot arteries, which are tougher to tackle. She joins hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips in talking about gaps in care for CKD and PAD patients and innovative ways in which sees care evolving to help patients live a longer, healthier life. Terry has dedicated her life to advocacy, turning her passion into her profession as President of Access Solutions, which offers patient Advocacy consulting services related to the renal dialysis field. She’s also an author and expert in patient engagement and satisfaction so you don’t want to miss highlights from her
publications. 

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We are LIVE at the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Intervention, or SCAI, Conference in Phoenix, Arizona learning about physicians and medical device makers are trying to make procedures safer and improve patient outcomes. One of the technologies we discuss on this episode is an Intravascular Ultrasound, or IVUS, which is an imaging technique that uses a transducer to generate sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of blood vessels. Physicians are mainly using this device during angiograms for diagnostic and treatment of coronary artery disease and peripheral artery disease. Guests include David Chalyan, Director of Evidence Transformation and Medical Safety Officer at Philips IGT-Devices and Royal Philips Chief Safety Officer Steve C de Baca

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One of the most common medical disorders in the United States that is also one of the most underdiagnosed is chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) It's a disease of the veins, which makes it difficult for blood to return to the heart from the legs. It happens when the wall of the veins and/or the valves stop working properly and blood starts leaking into tissue or pooling. It can happen in your deep veins, which are the largest ones that are deep in your body and run through the muscle, your superficial veins that are close to your skin's surface, or your perforating veins that actually connect the deep and superficial veins. If you have CVI, you may experience symptoms such as leg swelling, pain, and throbbing while standing, muscles aches, leg cramps, itching, even varicose veins. Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Robert Coronado joins hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips to talk about the prevalence of CVI, how to talk to your doctor about getting tested, how its diagnosed, and treatment options.

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Marathon runner Mark Easter is traveling the world to raise awareness for Peripheral Artery Disease (P.A.D.), a circulation issue impacting mainly the leg arteries. He shares why this cause is personal to him and what is powering every step he takes to the finish line. He'll also talk about the races he will run this year, how you can
follow his successes, and support his campaign to reduce P.A.D. related amputations. In this episode of Save MyPiggies, Jesse Waters shares his P.A.D. journey and how an early diagnosis led to lifestyle modifications which
have stalled progression of this disease.

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Research has repeatedly shown that people of faith report feeling better and healthier. Yet faith healing practice remains neglected in health care literature. In this episode, hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips talk to Dr. Mark Kauffman, who has a doctorate of Divinity, about how and why individuals seek faith healing modalities in an age when western medicine is touted as the most effective treatment for most diseases.

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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.

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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. 

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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 mitigatory 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.’

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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.

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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."

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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. 

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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 Pants," 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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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Foods that are considered “healthy” and labeled as “natural” contain many harmful chemicals used as food preservatives and flavor enhancers. Dietitian Melissa Hooper joins hosts Kym McNicholas and Dr. John Phillips, along with guest co-host Nurse Practitioner Kay Smith to reveal hidden hazards companies have creatively hidden
in food that are labeled in a way that make you think you are making healthier choices. We all know that fresh, local ingredients are always the best. But our store shelves are stocked with boxes, cans, bags, and jars that might be more attractive with creative labeling! How do you know if your go-to favorites have ingredients also found in jet fuel and embalming fluid? Dietitian Melissa is going to refine your radar for those harmful man-made chemicals that acidify your body pH, which in turn accelerates bone loss and inflammation. Even more, she will also reveal the truth about the ingredients you may 'think' are 'healthy?' 

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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!

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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.

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