Dr Alo Show

Latest Episodes:

Normal Blood Pressure by Age: What the Numbers Really Mean Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

Dr.
Alo explains why there is only one true definition of normal blood pressure for adults, no matter your age, and why those common age based average charts can actually mislead you. You'll get the exact categories for normal, elevated, and stage one and two hypertension, plus decade by decade warning signs to watch. He also walks through the simple seven day home averaging method that gives you a number you can actually trust.

https://dralo.net/links

Read the full post: https://dralo.net/blog/normal-blood-pressure-by-age

Questions this episode answers:
What is a normal blood pressure reading by age?
Is 140 over 90 normal for a 70 year old?
Is 120 over 80 normal or high blood pressure?
How do I measure my blood pressure at home correctly?
What blood pressure number means a hypertensive crisis?
Why does blood pressure go up as you get older?

Keywords: normal blood pressure by age, blood pressure chart, hypertension stages, systolic and diastolic, blood pressure categories, elevated blood pressure, stage two hypertension, high blood pressure symptoms, home blood pressure monitoring, blood pressure by decade, hypertensive crisis, heart health tips

This episode is for education only and is not medical advice. Talk to your own clinician about your own situation.

#heart #cardiology #drAlo #bloodpressure #hypertension #heartattack #preventivehealth

Senator warns about bill banning private equity: a cardiologist's perspective. Sep 26, 2026

Show notes

Private practice cardiologist explains that 80% of American doctors now work for a corporation, up from sixty two percent in 2011, and Congress just introduced a bill to undo that in one stroke. This will ruin medicine for ever.

Senators Warren, Wyden and Merkley, along with Representatives Ocasio-Cortez, Hoyle and Subramanyam, introduced the Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act on September 16. Most of the medical internet celebrated it. I read the bill, and in this episode I walk through what it actually bans, the friendly physician loophole it is aiming at, the non-compete ban almost every doctor would sign tomorrow, and the question nobody is asking about who buys these practices when Wall Street is forced to sell.

https://dralo.net/links

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/9JEXKFN9B-w

Questions this episode answers:
What is the Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act?
Can private equity own a medical practice?
Why do so many doctors work for corporations now?
What is the friendly physician loophole?
Does this bill ban non-compete agreements for doctors?
Would banning private equity in medicine actually help patients?

Keywords: private equity healthcare, corporate practice of medicine, elizabeth warren bill, physician autonomy, friendly physician loophole, doctor non compete, private equity doctors, hospital consolidation, independent practice, corporate medicine, mso healthcare, healthcare policy

#heart #cardiology #drAlo #privateequity #corporatemedicine #physicianautonomy

How Cholesterol Actually Travels From Your Gut To Your Artery Wall Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

Dr.
Alo walks Hannah through the full journey of cholesterol, from the food in your gut to the plaque in your arteries, explaining absorption, HDL and LDL biology, and why apoB particle counts matter more than any single cholesterol number. It is a deep, plain English tour of lipid metabolism for anyone who has ever stared at a lipid panel and wondered what it actually means. You will learn how chylomicrons, VLDL, IDL, and LDL are all connected, and why particle count beats any single number on your labs.

https://dralo.net/links

Read the full post: https://dralo.net/blog/lipid-metabolism

Questions this episode answers:
How does cholesterol get absorbed from food into the body?
What is the difference between HDL and LDL cholesterol?
Why does apoB matter more than LDL cholesterol?
What is a cholesterol hyperabsorber and how does ezetimibe work?
How does LDL cholesterol cause plaque in artery walls?
Does high cholesterol in the blood affect the brain?

Keywords: cholesterol absorption, apob particles, ldl cholesterol, hdl cholesterol, lipid panel explained, npc1l1, reverse cholesterol transport, vldl to ldl, atherosclerosis mechanism, ezetimibe, chylomicrons, familial hypercholesterolemia

This episode is for education only and is not medical advice. Talk to your own clinician about your own situation.

#heart #cardiology #drAlo #cholesterol #apob #lipidology #heartdisease

Your Brain Makes Its Own Cholesterol, Statins Don't Starve It Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

Dr.
Alo and Hannah break down why cholesterol in your blood and cholesterol inside your brain operate as two separate systems, walking through the blood brain barrier, desmosterol, and what the largest statin and dementia studies actually show. Listeners get a clear, evidence based answer to the common fear that lowering LDL might harm memory or cognition. The episode also covers genetic risk factors, alternative drug options, and where the real research gaps still exist.

https://dralo.net/links

Read the full post: https://dralo.net/blog/brain-cholesterol

Questions this episode answers:
Do statins cause dementia or memory loss?
Can lowering LDL cholesterol hurt your brain?
What is desmosterol and why does it matter?
Is brain cholesterol different from blood cholesterol?
Does the apoE4 gene affect statin benefits?
Are there statin alternatives that do not affect brain cholesterol?

Keywords: statins and dementia, brain cholesterol, blood brain barrier, desmosterol, ldl and alzheimers, apob and dementia, pcsk9 inhibitors, bempedoic acid, apoe4 gene, vascular dementia, cholesterol myths, statin side effects

This episode is for education only and is not medical advice. Talk to your own clinician about your own situation.

#heart #cardiology #drAlo #cholesterol #statins #dementia #brainhealth #lipidology

Frank's Sign: The Earlobe Crease Cardiologists Argue About Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

Dr. Alo breaks down Frank's sign, the diagonal earlobe crease first described in 1973, and unpacks decades of studies linking it to coronary artery disease. You'll learn why the association is statistically real yet still fails as a standalone diagnostic test, plus what to actually do if you spot one in the mirror.

https://dralo.net/links

Read the full post: https://dralo.net/blog/franks-sign

Questions this episode answers:
What is frank's sign on the earlobe?
Does an earlobe crease mean heart disease?
Is the diagonal earlobe crease a real warning sign?
How accurate is the earlobe crease test for coronary artery disease?
Should I worry about a crease in my earlobe?
What causes a diagonal earlobe crease?

Keywords: frank's sign, earlobe crease, coronary artery disease, heart disease signs, cardiovascular risk factors, diagonal earlobe crease, atherosclerosis, cardiac screening, vascular health, heart attack risk, physical exam findings, preventive cardiology

This episode is for education only and is not medical advice. Talk to your own clinician about your own situation.

#heart #cardiology #drAlo #heartdisease #frankssign #preventivehealth

Colchicine and the Heart: What the Big New Trials Actually Show Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

Dr. Alo digs into the biggest colchicine trial ever run and explains why it came back neutral even though earlier studies looked so promising. He walks through CLEAR SYNERGY, CONVINCE, and multiple Cochrane reviews to separate the real signal on heart attacks from the noise around mortality and safety. You will get a clear, practical answer on whether this cheap old gout drug belongs in a heart disease prevention plan.

https://dralo.net/links

Read the full post: https://dralo.net/blog/colchicine

Questions this episode answers:
Does colchicine actually prevent heart attacks?
What did the CLEAR SYNERGY trial find about colchicine?
Is colchicine safe for heart disease prevention?
Why did the biggest colchicine trial come back neutral?
Should I take colchicine if I have coronary artery disease?
Does colchicine reduce risk of death from heart disease?

Keywords: colchicine heart disease, colchicine cardiovascular, clear synergy trial, colchicine side effects, anti inflammatory heart drug, inflammation and atherosclerosis, colchicine stroke, colchicine primary prevention, colchicine mortality, low dose colchicine fda, colchicine diarrhea, cardiovascular inflammation hypothesis

This episode is for education only and is not medical advice. Talk to your own clinician about your own situation.

#heart #cardiology #drAlo #colchicine #heartdisease #inflammation #clinicaltrials

How Repatha Cut Deaths by 20 Percent Before Any Heart Attack Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Why did a cholesterol drug take a year and a half to start saving lives, and why did people without any visible plaque benefit just as much as those with confirmed disease?
Dr. Alo and Hannah break down the VESALIUS-CV mortality data, a rare cholesterol trial that measured actual deaths instead of just heart attacks and strokes, in people who had never had either. They cover the twenty percent drop in all-cause mortality, why the benefit only appeared after eighteen months, and what this means for anyone with plaque or high-risk diabetes still sitting on a borderline LDL.

https://dralo.net/links

Read the full post: https://dralo.net/blog/vesalius-repatha-all-cause-mortality

Questions this episode answers:
Why did the cholesterol drug take so long to reduce deaths?
What is the VESALIUS-CV trial and what did it find?
Does evolocumab reduce mortality in people without a prior heart attack?
Should I stop my cholesterol medication if I feel no difference?
What is apoB testing and why does it matter more than LDL?
Does PCSK9 inhibitor therapy help people with diabetes but no visible plaque?

Keywords: repatha, evolocumab, vesalius cv trial, pcsk9 inhibitor, ldl cholesterol, apob testing, cardiovascular mortality, atherosclerosis, statin therapy, heart attack prevention, cholesterol lowering drugs, primary prevention cardiology

This episode is for education only and is not medical advice. Talk to your own clinician about your own situation.

#heart #cardiology #drAlo #cholesterol #pcsk9 #ldl #heartdisease

57% of Healthy Adults Already Have Hidden Arterial Plaque Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

A study of over 16,000 healthy adults with no history of heart disease used direct arterial imaging to check for plaque, and the results upend how doctors screen for risk.
Dr. Alo walks through the REACT study's findings on silent atherosclerosis by age and sex, why a zero calcium score can still hide dangerous plaque, and why standard risk calculators miss the vast majority of people who already have disease. You'll leave knowing which tests actually catch early plaque and why your thirties matter more than you think.

https://dralo.net/links

Read the full post: https://dralo.net/blog/atherosclerosis-healthy-adults-REACT

Questions this episode answers:
Can you have plaque in your arteries with no symptoms?
Does a zero calcium score mean my arteries are clean?
How accurate are heart disease risk calculators?
At what age does arterial plaque start forming?
What is the REACT study on atherosclerosis?
Should I get an apoB or Lipoprotein(a) test?

Keywords: arterial plaque, atherosclerosis, coronary calcium score, apob test, lipoprotein a, heart disease risk, react study, cardiovascular risk calculator, silent heart disease, carotid ultrasound, ldl cholesterol, early heart disease prevention

This episode is for education only and is not medical advice. Talk to your own clinician about your own situation.

#heart #cardiology #drAlo #atherosclerosis #heartdisease #apob #preventivehealth

Fish Oil and Your Heart: What the Trials Actually Show Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Dr.
Alo digs into decades of fish oil trials, from early Japanese observations to VITAL, STRENGTH, and REDUCE-IT, to find out whether the supplement on your counter actually protects your heart. He breaks down why prescription EPA differs from over the counter capsules, exposes what independent testing found inside most supplement bottles, and shares exactly what he would do with his own lipid panel.

https://dralo.net/links

Read the full post: https://dralo.net/blog/fish

Questions this episode answers:
Does fish oil actually help your heart?
What did the reduce it trial really show?
Is prescription fish oil different from supplements?
Should I take fish oil for high triglycerides?
Does fish oil cause atrial fibrillation?
Is eating fish better than taking fish oil pills?

Keywords: fish oil heart health, omega 3 supplements, reduce it trial, epa and dha, prescription fish oil, vascepa, triglycerides treatment, statins and fish oil, fish oil supplement quality, cardiovascular risk reduction, lovaza, omega 3 clinical trials

This episode is for education only and is not medical advice. Talk to your own clinician about your own situation.

#heart #cardiology #drAlo #fishoil #omega3 #lipidology #hearthealth

Seed Oils and Inflammation: What a New Trial Actually Found Sep 07, 2026

Show notes

Do seed oils like soybean oil actually raise inflammation, or is that just a social media myth?

This episode breaks down a new randomized controlled crossover trial from Ohio State University testing high dose soybean oil against palm oil in real people, walking through what happened to inflammatory markers, arachidonic acid, and oxidized LDL. You will also get the broader context of past studies, the study's limitations, and practical takeaways for what actually matters for your heart health.

https://dralo.net/links

Questions this episode answers:
Do seed oils cause inflammation?
Is soybean oil bad for you?
Does linoleic acid raise arachidonic acid?
What does the new seed oil study show?
Are vegetable oils bad for heart health?
Should I avoid soybean oil?

Keywords: seed oils, soybean oil, linoleic acid, inflammation study, arachidonic acid, oxidized ldl, omega 6 fats, heart disease risk, vegetable oil myth, randomized controlled trial, apob, nutrition science

This episode is for education only and is not medical advice. Talk to your own clinician about your own situation.

#heart #cardiology #drAlo #seedoils #linoleicacid #inflammation #hearthealth #nutritionscience

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