Heart Attacks are Preventable!

Welcome to my podcast, I am Doctor Warrick Bishop, and I want to help you to live as well as possible for as long as possible. I’m a practising cardiologist, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and the creator of The Healthy Heart Network. I have over 20 years as a specialist cardiologist, a private practice of over 10,000 patients.

Australia, like the rest of the western world, has a heart problem.

Over 9 million people around the world die from heart disease every year.

Every 10 minutes, someone in Australia suffers a heart attack. And 21 lives are lost daily because of it.

The devastating fact in all this is… 

Almost every one of those cases could have been prevented. 

This podcast is for anyone who wants to improve their health literacy and gain information to help them make the best decisions about their risk of heart attack, their cholesterol, blood pressure, risk of diabetes, weight loss and general health. Join me on my personal mission journey to prevent Heart Attack on a global scale. If you like this podcast I would be honoured with a 5-star review and let your friends and family know, you may even save the life of someone you love!

Episodes

EP298: Blue Light Glasses and Smells to Remember

Welcome to my podcast. I am Doctor Warrick Bishop, and I want to help you to live as well as possible for as long as possible. I’m a practising cardiologist, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and the creator of The Healthy Heart Network. I have over 20 years as a specialist cardiologist and a private practice of over 10,000 patients. Doctor Warrick Bishop discusses the risks of heart disease and introduces his podcast aimed at helping listeners understand factors like blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol. He reads an article questioning the effectiveness of blue light glasses, noting that screens expose us to only a tiny fraction of blue light compared to daylight and glasses filter only 10-25% of that. The episode also covers a study finding that inhaling pleasant scents during sleep was linked to dramatically improved memory and brain activity, with those exposed to essential oils experiencing a 226% boost in memory performance. This preliminary research suggests the olfactory system may directly impact memory centers in the brain. Read more

EP297: Treating Kids Cholesterol and Testosterone Therapy

Welcome to my podcast. I am Doctor Warrick Bishop, and I want to help you to live as well as possible for as long as possible. I’m a practising cardiologist, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and the creator of The Healthy Heart Network. I have over 20 years as a specialist cardiologist and a private practice of over 10,000 patients. Dr. Warrick Bishop discusses two important health stories in the podcast. First, he disagrees with a US task force recommendation against screening children for high cholesterol, citing evidence that early treatment can help those with a genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolemia. Second, he outlines findings from a large trial showing that testosterone therapy for men aged 45-80 does not increase risks of heart issues or prostate cancer. However, it may slightly raise risks of atrial fibrillation, kidney injury, and pulmonary embolism. Interestingly, it also seemed to increase fracture risk, possibly because the men felt better and became more physically active. Read more

EP296: Ingredients to Happiness & Screening Cancers

Welcome to my podcast. I am Doctor Warrick Bishop, and I want to help you to live as well as possible for as long as possible. I’m a practising cardiologist, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and the creator of The Healthy Heart Network. I have over 20 years as a specialist cardiologist and a private practice of over 10,000 patients. Dr. Warrick Bishop hosts a podcast about health and wellness. He discusses findings from the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which found that close relationships and good health were the two major factors for happiness. Strong relationships were actually a better predictor of good health outcomes than other factors like career success. The study also showed that happiness fluctuates and loneliness can be problematic if one does not have close relationships. Dr. Bishop then talks about research on detecting cancers like colorectal cancer through blood tests by finding abnormal DNA and RNA fragments in the bloodstream. He highlights that non-invasive blood tests for cancer may soon replace colonoscopies. In closing, Dr. Bishop encourages living well and building relationships for a happy life. Read more

EP295: Bitter Sweets

Welcome to my podcast. I am Doctor Warrick Bishop, and I want to help you to live as well as possible for as long as possible. I’m a practising cardiologist, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and the creator of The Healthy Heart Network. I have over 20 years as a specialist cardiologist and a private practice of over 10,000 patients. Dr. Bishop discusses heart health and the importance of controlling blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol. He then reports on two recent studies. The first found that some dark chocolate bars contained potentially harmful levels of heavy metals like lead and cadmium. The second study surprisingly discovered that the artificial sweetener aspartame may increase anxiety-like behaviors in mice and possibly even affect their descendants. This indicates aspartame's effects may not be as harmless as previously thought and more research is needed. Read more

EP293: Heart Rate Variability

Welcome to my podcast. I am Doctor Warrick Bishop, and I want to help you to live as well as possible for as long as possible. I’m a practising cardiologist, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and the creator of The Healthy Heart Network. I have over 20 years as a specialist cardiologist and a private practice of over 10,000 patients. In this episode, Doctor Bishop delves into the complex topic of heart rate variability and its implications for overall health. Doctor Bishop acknowledges that understanding heart rate variability is challenging but emphasizes the importance of exploring it further. Heart rate variability has been linked to the health of the heart, gut, and gas exchange in the body. It is influenced by the autonomic nervous system and can fluctuate over time. Doctor Bishop expresses optimism about the future of understanding and utilizing heart rate variability, especially with the help of wearable monitoring devices. Read more

EP291: Cardiac Testing Explained - How Doctors Assess The Heart

This episode discusses various tests cardiologists use to evaluate heart health. Simple tests like blood pressure checks and listening to the heart are routinely done in the clinic. Electrocardiograms and echocardiograms provide further information about heart function. Stress tests while monitoring the heart can reveal issues during exertion. Blood tests for proteins can indicate if the heart is under strain. Magnetic resonance imaging and heart biopsies are also options but used less frequently. Coronary artery disease is a major killer, so evaluating risk factors is important for prevention. Read more

EP290: Undestanding Blackouts: Causes and Treatments

Blackouts can have many causes including heart issues, brain problems, low blood pressure, and nerves. The heart can cause blackouts due to valve problems, fast rhythms, or slow rhythms. The brain can cause blackouts from strokes or seizures. Low blood pressure, especially in older people or those on medication, can lead to blackouts. Simple faints from overheating or stress on the nerves are the most common cause of blackouts. Tests like echocardiograms and electroencephalograms can help determine the root cause. Driver's licenses may be held until the cause of blackouts is properly identified to ensure safety. Read more

EP289: Cardiovascular Treatment

Welcome to my podcast. I am Doctor Warrick Bishop, and I want to help you to live as well as possible for as long as possible. I’m a practising cardiologist, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and the creator of The Healthy Heart Network. I have over 20 years as a specialist cardiologist and a private practice of over 10,000 patients. Australia, like the rest of the western world, has a heart problem. Over 9 million people around the world die from heart disease every year. Every 10 minutes, someone in Australia suffers a heart attack. And 21 lives are lost daily because of it. The devastating fact in all of this is…  Every one of those cases could have been prevented. Read more

EP287: Heart Attack vs. Heart Failure and the Role of AI

Heart attack occurs when an artery to the heart is suddenly blocked, depriving the heart muscle of blood and oxygen. Heart failure means the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body's needs, causing fatigue and fluid buildup in the lungs and legs. Early detection of heart failure is important so medication can be started promptly. New AI tools show promise in speeding up diagnosis of heart conditions but privacy concerns must be addressed before widespread adoption. While AI could save doctors time, questions remain about data ownership and protection of patient information. While AI may revolutionize medicine, proper safeguards must be put in place to ensure patient privacy and integrity of care. Read more

EP286: Heart Anatomy and Function

The heart is the most important organ as it pumps blood to supply oxygen to cells and remove carbon dioxide waste. Blood returns to the heart through veins and is pumped to the lungs by the right side of the heart. In the lungs, blood releases carbon dioxide and takes up oxygen. Oxygen-rich blood then enters the left side of the heart which pumps it to the body tissues. The heart has valves to ensure blood flows in one direction. Each heart cell can generate its own electrical signal which coordinates the heart's pumping action. The electrical system acts like a timing mechanism for the heart's pumping function. Read more