Dr. Bruce Clarke: Beyond Cholesterol
from The Elevated Health Podcast Hosted by elevatedhealthtexas
In this episode of the Elevated Health Podcast, host Amanda Jones talks with Bruce Clarke, MD about his journey into family medicine and his growing focus on cardiovascular health through a functional medicine lens. They discuss how traditional medical training emphasizes acute care, while prevention of heart disease requires a broader view of inflammation, lifestyle, and metabolism. The conversation covers how plaque forms, the role of LDL and HDL, and why cholesterol alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Dr. Clarke explains advanced testing options (ApoB, Lp(a), NMR lipid panels, insulin, high-sensitivity CRP, and coronary calcium scoring) and how fatty liver and insulin resistance contribute to cardiovascular risk. They also review practical prevention strategies: realistic dietary changes, intermittent fasting, sleep, stress management, and exercise (including simple, scalable options). The hosts stress meeting patients where they are, using small steps to reduce inflammation, and combining lifestyle approaches with medications when appropriate. Listeners will come away knowing which additional tests to ask for, why prevention matters, and simple lifestyle actions that make a measurable difference in heart health.
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Chapters
- 0:03 Introduction to Elevated Health Podcast
- 0:32 Journey into Family Medicine
- 3:49 Exploring Cardiovascular Health
- 4:50 The Shift to Functional Medicine
- 6:10 Understanding Cholesterol and Plaque
- 11:05 The Role of Lifestyle in Heart Health
- 14:54 Importance of Comprehensive Testing
- 22:09 The Impact of Inflammation
- 26:26 The Role of Autophagy
- 29:27 Sleep and Cardiovascular Recovery
- 34:46 Dietary Recommendations for Heart Health
- 38:54 Exercise and Cardiovascular Fitness
- 45:14 Conclusion and Future Discussions
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