It is a widely known fact that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in both men and women, which puts an urgency on gaining a better understanding of them. One interesting lens to look at CVDs is through glycans. However, in order to do so, we need to uncover the answer to which came first, the chicken or the egg? Do glycans change in response to the disease? Or are they actively involved in disease development?  To figure this out, we welcomed Prof. Samia Mora to the podcast. Samia is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Centre for Lipid Metabolomics at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Her research focuses on risk factors and prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Listen in as she introduces us to a number of modifiable risk factors and the cumulative effect both positive and negative behaviours have on future disease risk.

We Discuss:

• Introduction to Cardiovascular Diseases [01:15]
• The Key Role of Inflammation in Cardiovascular Disease Development [02:41]
• The 'Good vs Bad Cholesterol' Perspective: Is It Outdated? [04:05]
• Glycans: Their Role in Predicting Cardiovascular Disease Risk [08:09]
• A Look Back: What We Can Learn from the GlycA Biomarker from the 1980s [10:41]
• Unravelling the Impact of Obesity and Weight Loss on Cardiovascular Disease [15:03]
• The Glycan Dilemma: Do They Change in Response to Disease or Are They Partake in Disease Development? [21:47]
• Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: Modifiable vs Non-Modifiable [25:55]
• Lifestyle Changes: A Proactive Approach to Prevention [31:38]
• The Effect of Weight Loss on Inflammation Levels [40:14]
• How Often Should Blood Lipid Levels Be Measured? [43:17]
• Glycans and Sex-Specific Cardiovascular Risk [48:18]
• Pregnancy and Menopause as Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease [50:02]
• Glycans: Effective Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Disease? [58:44]

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Please be advised that this show is for information only and should not be considered as a replacement or equal to medical advice.