Episode 491: Heart Disease in Masters Athletes: What to Do?

This week, Dr. Kahn dives into heart disease in "masters athletes," highly active individuals over 35 who train and compete at a serious level. Despite their fitness, research shows they may face equal—or even higher—rates of cardiovascular issues like arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, and aortic dilation. A new consensus statement breaks down what to watch for and recommends advanced screening like EKGs, coronary calcium scans, and detailed blood work. Beyond that, Dr. Kahn shares insights from his own recent mitral valve surgery recovery and explores why common heart risk calculators often miss people who go on to have heart attacks. He highlights better testing options, including coronary calcium scoring, and discusses a study showing most heart attack patients would have been labeled "low risk" using standard tools.  The episode also covers research on plant-based diets lowering dementia risk and reducing environmental impact, plus findings that avocados and mangos may improve vascular health. Sleep gets a spotlight too, with evidence that irregular sleep patterns can double heart attack risk, and that both too little and too much sleep may increase dementia risk. This episode is sponsored by the Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club at getfreshdrkahn.com , featuring a limited $1 offer on high-quality olive oils.