Heart Health: Recent Episodes
Heart Health
News Radio 680 WPTF invites listeners to call-in and ask their health-related questions to Cardiologist and Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Franklin Wefald.
Dr. Wefald opens mentioning he has the top 10 list for medicine. The discussion centers around the price of medication. He talks about how we’re looking at working to negotiate prices with Medicare patients. Dr. Wefald observes that, in this country, we spend 19% of our GDP on medicine. He notes this is over double that of other countries.
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Dr. Wefald revisits the new FDA approved weight loss drugs in a discussion about Wegovy and Ozempic.
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Dr. Wefald talks about how he teaches his patients to make the doctor’s appointment a better experience. He also explains how the doctor visit is different now and how the doctor and the patient need to adapt.
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Dr. Wefald talks about a new approach in the reduction of heart attacks using an old drug. Learn more about Lodoco in this podcast.
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Dr. Wefald opens with a discussion on cholesterol and LDL levels along with talk of the medicines available to lower cholesterol. He then shifts to a conversation on gut health and how the good bacteria in our gut can act as warriors.
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Dr. Wefald discusses the dangers of a misdiagnosis and stresses the need to dig deeper into the patients’ symptoms and not just look for the standard symptoms.
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Dr. Wefald discusses some of the advancements in cardiology. He talks about the medication Entresto which he says combines a couple of features. One of those works to reduce the amount of hormones the kidney excretes.
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The conversation heats up as Dr. Wefald discusses the dangers of heat stroke including the fact that your heart has to pump harder during extreme heat. He also points out that the dangers could be even greater with older people who may not be as quick to notice just exactly how hot they are.
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Dr. Wefald walks us through the different types of heart ailments and treatment options.
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Dr. Wefald talks about statin medications. In the podcast he gives us what to be aware about the drugs and benefits and he addresses fears of statins he calls “urban medical legends.”
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Joe Colucci answers Dr. Wefald's question about his upcoming surgery and the fact that he was asked if he had a will and medical power of attorney. Dr. Wefald then discusses the amount of paperwork required by Medicare.
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Dr. Wefald notes that inflammation is now recognized as a factor in many different disease states and that the practice of cardiology now focuses on anti-inflammatory medication.
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Dr. Wefald and Joe welcome guest Sal Capirchio. Sal had a cardiac event and shares his experience with Dr. Wefald.
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Dr. Wefald answers a question from a listener who shares that his uncle died of a heart attack. The listeners says he thought people did not die of heart attacks anymore and pointed out that his uncle was seeing a doctor and was on meds. Dr. Wefald notes the advancements in cardiology with the death numbers dropping but also points out the fact that the decline has leveled off. He expands on what we know and what we don’t know about heart attacks.
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Dr. Wefald tackles the issue of weight loss in addressing new weight loss medications including Mounjaro. He also talks about some scarcity and warns to be cautious who you get your weight loss program advice from.
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There’s a song Ten Thousand Miles but Dr. Wefald tackles ten thousand steps. He addresses the issue of fitness and discusses the issue of quantity or quality in fitness regimens.
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Dr. Wefald discusses the effects of covid in the area of cardio health. He talks about how he has traced some of his patients’ cardiovascular issues to the effects of covid.
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Dr. Wefald talks about bringing the bad cholesterol down but also explains what the proper target levels should be.
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Dr. Wefald welcomes his guest, Paul Battaini. Mr. Battaini shares his story of having a heart attack eighteen years ago and then undergoing bypass surgery. He also explains to Dr. Wefald how his rehabilitation process has been.
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Dr. Franklin Wefald talks about the difference between arteries and veins. He expands on this and offers interesting tidbits of information including the fact that arteries are thick and resilient to withstand the pressure and veins are thin walled. Dr. Wefald stressed the importance of not sitting too long without getting up and moving so your veins can properly contract.
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Dr. Wefald goes back through his thirty-two years in practice noting the changes in cardiology not only from the patients’ perspectives but also in the advancement in his field. He points out the changes in the approach to heart attacks noting the introduction of the clot buster that can help re-establish flood flow.
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The topics of discussion on this podcast with Dr. Franklin Wefald include the man who was scheduled for hip replacement surgery but it was determined he needed a quadruple bypass. Dr. Wefald also talks about subtle heart attack warning signs for women.
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Dr. Wefald is joined by special guest Dr. Macon Singetary. Dr. Singletary is a periodontist with North Raleigh Periodontist. Dr. Singletary described the services of his practice in a conversation with Dr. Wefald about how oral health is linked to overall physical health.
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Dr. Wefald discussed re-purposing of drugs. He shared that Viagra was originally developed because it dilated arteries but then took another direction and that studies are under way to use Viagra to reduce dementia. He also gave the example of the drug Ozempic which was originally developed for diabetes but how it was found to be effective in weight loss. He did clarify that, while Ozempic is not approved for weight loss, Wegovy is and Dr. Wefald says they are in essence the same drug.
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In a podcast dropping on the weekend of the big game, Dr. Wefald felt compelled to address football in terms of the overall health of football players and how the approach to that has changed. He touched on the prevalence of sleep apnea with players. Dr. Wefald then moved into the positive heart impacts of having healthy relationships and that includes with pets, especially the unconditional love of dogs.
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Dr. Wefald first explains how he takes a more comprehensive approach with his patients in their cardiovascular care. He adds that seventy percent of internal medicine problems are cardiovascular related. He then looks at habits to avoid for good heart health and opens with smoking. What are the best methods to lower cholesterol? That’s also part of the conversation in this podcast.
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