Uploaded August 2019 | Updated September 2026, 20 minutes ago
Hosted by Dave Feldman :: Produced by Siobhan Huggins
0:00 Intro and Ethan’s background
3:33 Cholesterol Skeptics and Concerned Medical Professionals – meeting in the middle.
( cholesterolcode.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/CholesterolScience-with-Ethan-Weiss.png )
8:20 How many patients does Ethan feel reach a decent level of knowledge about lipidology and cardiology?
10:15 Navigating the discussion on the benefits/risks of lipid changes from diet
17:15 When cholesterol is elevated for a metabolic reason alone – does it pose a greater risk?
( cholesterolcode.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/CholesterolScience-with-Ethan-Weiss-1.png )
( cholesterolcode.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/key-question.png )
23:00 Giving doctors the benefit of the doubt – are doctors just trying to help?
27:10 Dave’s disappointment with perceived lack of curiosity from the medicalsphere.
30:15 The difficulty in discussing possible benefits from lipoproteins and potential influence on all-cause mortality
36:50 Nuances of data collection and statin trials
- Study mentioned: MRC/BHF Heart Protection Study of cholesterol lowering with simvastatin in 20 536 high-risk individuals: a randomised placebo controlled trial thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(02)09327-3/fulltext
Note from producer:
In the efficacy and safety statement for the trial mentioned it lists Merck Sharp & Dohme (manufacturers of simvastatin) as well as Hoffmann-La Roche (manufacturers of the vitamins used) as providing partial funding for the study:
-- "The study is being funded by the UK Medical Research Council, the British Heart Foundation, Merck Sharp & Dohme (manufacturers of simvastatin[…]) and Hoffmann-La Roche (manufacturers of the vitamins[…])" doi.org/10.1053/euhj.1998.1350
- However in the published paper of the results it states the following:
-- "The Clinical Trial Service Unit has a staff policy of not accepting honoraria or other payments from the pharmaceutical industry, except for the reimbursement of costs to participate in scientific meetings." doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(02)09327-3
44:56 If there were a trial that showed that people with high HDL, high LDL, and low triglycerides didn’t benefit from statins would [Ethan] want to know that information? (twitter.com/erreyedoc/status/1162070100037574656)
- Study mentioned: Influence of Low High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Elevated Triglyceride on Coronary Heart Disease Events and Response to Simvastatin Therapy in 4S ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/hc5001.100624
52:40 Open data, machine learning, and possibilities moving forward
56:20 Non-HDL and mortality from the NHANES dataset
twitter.com/DaveKeto/status/1133177415486693376?s=20
58:30 Changes in ability to connect with researchers and scientists
1:00:05 What does Dave mean by risk?
1:04:10 Modifications to low carb to achieve lower LDL
1:08:55 What Dave has learned about the importance of rigorousness in self-experimentation
1:13:29 Can self-experiments have benefits applicable to people beyond the person doing them?
1:17:29 Cholesterol biosynthesis
1:18:40 Reverse causality – is there a possibility that the lipoproteins are reflecting a problem and not causing it?
Note from producer: I attempted a follow-up to see if I could find any studies looking at the impact of infusion of native mouse lipoproteins on atherosclerosis development, but I have not found any thus far.
1:24:33 Clotting, vascular injury, and engineering
1:29:55 The impact of placebo
Podcast mentioned: The Hidden Brain: The Untapped Potential of Placebos to Heal (transcript available) npr.org/2019/04/29/718227789/all-the-worlds-a-stage-including-the-doctor-s-office
1:33:23 The impact of seeing lipids change – could this impact the results of the study?
1:35:56 If it were dose dependency would all drugs that lower LDL have a likewise decrease in cardiovascular disease mortality?
1:38:46 Drug trials – ideals, replication, and funding
1:42:35 Wrap up and outro
Ethan Weiss Contact:
Twitter: @ethanjweiss
Hosted by Dave Feldman :: Produced by Siobhan Huggins
0:00 Intro and Ethan’s background
3:33 Cholesterol Skeptics and Concerned Medical Professionals – meeting in the middle.
( cholesterolcode.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/CholesterolScience-with-Ethan-Weiss.png )
8:20 How many patients does Ethan feel reach a decent level of knowledge about lipidology and cardiology?
10:15 Navigating the discussion on the benefits/risks of lipid changes from diet
17:15 When cholesterol is elevated for a metabolic reason alone – does it pose a greater risk?
( cholesterolcode.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/CholesterolScience-with-Ethan-Weiss-1.png )
( cholesterolcode.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/key-question.png )
23:00 Giving doctors the benefit of the doubt – are doctors just trying to help?
27:10 Dave’s disappointment with perceived lack of curiosity from the medicalsphere.
30:15 The difficulty in discussing possible benefits from lipoproteins and potential influence on all-cause mortality
36:50 Nuances of data collection and statin trials
- Study mentioned: MRC/BHF Heart Protection Study of cholesterol lowering with simvastatin in 20 536 high-risk individuals: a randomised placebo controlled trial thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(02)09327-3/fulltext
Note from producer:
In the efficacy and safety statement for the trial mentioned it lists Merck Sharp & Dohme (manufacturers of simvastatin) as well as Hoffmann-La Roche (manufacturers of the vitamins used) as providing partial funding for the study:
-- "The study is being funded by the UK Medical Research Council, the British Heart Foundation, Merck Sharp & Dohme (manufacturers of simvastatin[…]) and Hoffmann-La Roche (manufacturers of the vitamins[…])" doi.org/10.1053/euhj.1998.1350
- However in the published paper of the results it states the following:
-- "The Clinical Trial Service Unit has a staff policy of not accepting honoraria or other payments from the pharmaceutical industry, except for the reimbursement of costs to participate in scientific meetings." doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(02)09327-3
44:56 If there were a trial that showed that people with high HDL, high LDL, and low triglycerides didn’t benefit from statins would [Ethan] want to know that information? (twitter.com/erreyedoc/status/1162070100037574656)
- Study mentioned: Influence of Low High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Elevated Triglyceride on Coronary Heart Disease Events and Response to Simvastatin Therapy in 4S ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/hc5001.100624
52:40 Open data, machine learning, and possibilities moving forward
56:20 Non-HDL and mortality from the NHANES dataset
twitter.com/DaveKeto/status/1133177415486693376?s=20
58:30 Changes in ability to connect with researchers and scientists
1:00:05 What does Dave mean by risk?
1:04:10 Modifications to low carb to achieve lower LDL
1:08:55 What Dave has learned about the importance of rigorousness in self-experimentation
1:13:29 Can self-experiments have benefits applicable to people beyond the person doing them?
1:17:29 Cholesterol biosynthesis
1:18:40 Reverse causality – is there a possibility that the lipoproteins are reflecting a problem and not causing it?
Note from producer: I attempted a follow-up to see if I could find any studies looking at the impact of infusion of native mouse lipoproteins on atherosclerosis development, but I have not found any thus far.
1:24:33 Clotting, vascular injury, and engineering
1:29:55 The impact of placebo
Podcast mentioned: The Hidden Brain: The Untapped Potential of Placebos to Heal (transcript available) npr.org/2019/04/29/718227789/all-the-worlds-a-stage-including-the-doctor-s-office
1:33:23 The impact of seeing lipids change – could this impact the results of the study?
1:35:56 If it were dose dependency would all drugs that lower LDL have a likewise decrease in cardiovascular disease mortality?
1:38:46 Drug trials – ideals, replication, and funding
1:42:35 Wrap up and outro
Ethan Weiss Contact:
Twitter: @ethanjweiss
