The Cardiologist Who Stopped Prescribing Statins Explains the Real Cause of Heart Attacks | Dr. Aseem Malhotra - ENCORE

Mark Hyman

Dec 24, 2025

Episode description

This week, in a special holiday edition of The Dr. Hyman Show, I’m revisiting a powerful conversation with Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a leading cardiologist and advocate for ethical, evidence-based medicine, where we unpacked the uncomfortable truths about cholesterol, statins, and what really drives heart disease. Wishing you a peaceful holiday week.

We unpack:

• Why LDL cholesterol isn’t the whole story when it comes to heart disease

• How reducing inflammation and insulin resistance can better protect your heart

• What statins can—and can’t—do to improve real cardiovascular outcomes

• How industry influence shapes the prescriptions patients receive

Better heart health starts with better information and real progress begins when we stop treating numbers and start treating what’s actually causing disease.

Hope you have a peaceful holiday week. I look forward to continuing this journey together in the new year.

View Show Notes From This Episode

Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman

https://drhyman.com/pages/picks?utm_campaign=shownotes&utm_medium=banner&utm_source=podcast

https://drhyman.com/pages/longevity?utm_campaign=shownotes&utm_medium=banner&utm_source=podcast

Join the 10-Day Detox to Reset Your Health

https://drhyman.com/pages/10-day-detox

Join the Hyman Hive for Expert Support and Real Results

https://drhyman.com/pages/hyman-hive

This episode is brought to you by Big Bold Health, Sunlighten, Function Health and Pique.

Get 20% off HTB Immune Energy Chews at bigboldhealth.com and use code DRMARK20. Head over to sunlighten.com and save up to $1400 or more this holiday season with code HYMAN. Join today at functionhealth.com/mark and use code MARK2026 to get $50 OFF toward your membership. Receive 20% off FOR LIFE + a free Starter Kit with a rechargeable frother and glass beaker at piquelife com/hym

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Reevaluate statin use for low-risk individuals to prevent heart attacks

For low-risk individuals, 100 people need to take a statin for five years to prevent just one non-fatal heart attack, with no benefit in prolonging life by a single day.

#heart

#statin

Recognize healthy metabolism to understand statin limitations

Subgroup analysis of statin trials found that patients with normal triglycerides and HDL cholesterol received no benefit from the drugs, even if they had already had a heart attack.

#metabolism

#statin

Recognize commercial influence on medical knowledge for informed decisions

Medical knowledge is largely controlled by commercial interests, but most doctors are unaware of this influence, leading them to make decisions based on biased and corrupted information.

#healthcare

#research

Reverse heart disease through daily Raj Yoga meditation

A cardiologist in India demonstrated a 20% reversal in coronary artery blockages, with the only independent factor for reversal being 40 minutes of Raj Yoga meditation per day.

#heart

#meditation

Address insulin resistance and lipoprotein(a) in genetic high cholesterol risk

In people with familial hyperlipidemia (genetically high cholesterol), the risk of heart disease is driven by insulin resistance and lipoprotein(a), not the high LDL itself.

Manage coronary artery disease through lifestyle changes

Coronary artery disease is not a plumbing problem of clogged pipes but a chronic inflammatory condition that can be effectively managed with lifestyle changes.

#chronic-disease

#heart

Expose fraudulent practices in statin trials to reveal true adverse reactions

Drug companies design trials with a 'pre-randomization running phase' to remove participants who experience early side effects, which means the final published results massively under-report the true rate of adverse reactions.