How to Avoid a Heart Attack

About this episode

Dr. Humayun Naqvi breaks down how to actually prevent a heart attack, separating primary from secondary prevention and explaining what a heart attack really is at the level of coronary plaque rupture. He digs into the lab markers that matter most, including LDL, ApoB, lipoprotein(a), and hs-CRP, plus the role of coronary calcium scoring, statins, ezetimibe, bempedoic acid, and PCSK9 inhibitors like Repatha and inclisiran. The episode also covers South Asian risk, the LDL-times-age formula, and why supplements rarely beat proven therapy.

What we cover in this episode

1. primary vs secondary heart attack prevention
2. what actually causes a heart attack
3. lipoprotein(a) testing and risk
4. ApoB vs LDL cholesterol
5. coronary artery calcium score explained
6. are statins safe and do they cause dementia
7. South Asian ethnicity heart disease risk
8. can diet and exercise alone lower cholesterol
9. PCSK9 inhibitors and newer cholesterol drugs

Your hosts

Dr. Humayun NaqviPreventive Cardiologist · West Houston Heart Center

Dr. Adil AhmedOrthopedic Surgeon · Baylor College of Medicine

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