Knife Down
"Knife Down" is what a surgeon says in the OR when she puts her scalpel down so no one gets hurt — and it’s the mission here: put the knife down, long before anyone needs to use it.
Knife Down is a podcast about how to actually invest in your health so you can live longer, stronger, and with less time in doctors’ offices. The core focus is the world’s leading cause of death—cardiovascular disease—and what to do about it before it shows up as a catastrophe.
Hosted by a vascular surgeon on a mission to put herself out of business, the show translates cutting-edge science on prevention, metabolic health, and longevity into real-world strategies you can use in clinic or at your kitchen table. Expect evidence, nuance, and zero wellness hype—plus the occasional dark joke about the state of modern medicine.
Episodes
29 episodes
Is Lower LDL Actually Better? New Research Has an Answer
Is lower LDL cholesterol actually better for your heart? In this video, I break down the brand-new results from the EZ-Pave study to answer the question that keeps my patients up at night: How low should your cholesterol really go?
The Truth About Aspirin and Heart Attack Prevention
I've seen daily aspirin save lives from heart attack — and cause fatal bleeds. As a vascular surgeon, here's my honest take on heart health.The answer isn't yes or no — it depends entirely on who you are.In this video I break do...
Ask Me (Almost) Anything With Dr Johnston | Live Q&A
We hit all the high points today! Nutrition, exercise, lipids, dental health, hormones, and more. We had amazing participation and it was wonderful to have a chance to interact with everyone in real time. Thanks SO much for taking some of your ...
Can You Unclog Arteries? A Vascular Surgeon Reacts to Dr Kevin Ham
Plaque reversal is one of the most debated topics in preventive cardiology, so in this video I react to Dr. Kevin Ham’s CAST protocol for plaque reversal: Causes, Adding Cures, Strengthening the Body, and Training the Mind and Body.Over...
I'm a Vascular Surgeon — Stop Getting Repeat CAC Scans. Here's Why
If you’ve had a positive calcium score (CAC score), you’ve probably asked the obvious next question: when should I repeat it?In this video, I explain why I generally do not order another calcium score if the first one is positive—and wh...
Is Your Candle Slowly Poisoning You? Vascular Surgeon Reacts to Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan got half a million people talking about what's happening inside their blood vessels. As a vascular surgeon, I've spent my career trying to do exactly that. So when a celebrity does it for me, I pay attention (and thank my lucky stars ...
GLP-1 Drugs Cut Heart Attack Risk — And It Has Nothing to Do With Weight
SELECT trial explained: does semaglutide reduce cardiovascular risk because of weight loss, or is something else going on? In this video, I break down the SELECT trial and the follow-up analysis examining whether the cardiovascular benefit of s...
What We Get Wrong About Poor Circulation (with Vascular Surgeon Dr. Jackie Majors)
When people hear “poor circulation,” they often assume the answer is a procedure. Not so fast. In this episode of Knife Down, Dr. Jacqueline Majors and I talk about when opening a blocked artery helps, when it backfires, and why the real work o...
They Don’t Want You Well. They Want You Worried.
Are supplements safe? Not automatically. In this video, I explain why supplements are really drugs, why the industry has so little oversight, which products worry me most, and how I think about using supplements more safely in real life.
When "Healthy" Is a Lie: @DrFordBrewer on Insulin Resistance, Hidden Plaque & His Prevention Pivot
• Feeling “healthy” is not a screening test. In this episode, Dr. Ford Brewer ( @DrFordBrewer ) tells the origin story: an ER doc who believed he was doing ...
The Blood Pressure Myth That Won't Die: A Vascular Surgeon Reacts to @DrAlexWibberley
Hypertension isn’t a mystery. It’s physics. And it’s quietly remodeling your arteries while you’re out here arguing with your salt shaker.In this reaction to @DrAlexWibberly, I’m mostly nodding along—because he nails the big idea: blood...
HIIT vs Heart Plaque: Randomized Trial Deep Dive
In this research report deep dive, I walk through a randomized trial that asked a very specific, very modern question: can high-intensity interval training (HIIT) measurably change coronary atherosclerotic plaque—not just your VO₂ max?W...
My CIMT Walkthrough: How I Spot Plaque in 30 Minutes or Less
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/Wondering what a CIMT (carotid intima-media thickness) exam is actually like? In this quick “what to expect” walkthrough, I show you how the test works, wh...
ChatGPT’s Medical Reply - Vascular Surgeon Fact Check!
A subscriber asked about statins—so I made ChatGPT answer first… and then I fact-checked it as a vascular surgeon. We’re talking cholesterol, LDL, ApoB, plaque growth and plaque rupture, and what “prevention” actually means when the goal is avo...
New Drugs Cut Lp(a) Over 90%...Will They Prevent Heart Attacks?
In this video, we explore the exciting pipeline of drugs targeting lipoprotein a and its implications for cardiovascular disease prevention. We'll examine how these cholesterol drugs are designed to work, including those utilizing sirna technol...
The Cholesterol Myth That Won’t Die – A Vascular Surgeon Reacts to @Physionic
Original video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJLKTyKy-14&list=WL&index=31We’ve been obsessed with this cholesterol number for decades — but what if we’ve been chasing the wrong thing this whole time?In this video, I’m ...
High Lp(a)? Here's What Works (And What Doesn't)
High Lp(a) cholesterol is common—and frustrating—because there’s no single drug that fixes it (yet).In this video, I walk through how I manage elevated lipoprotein(a) today, using the tools we actually have: metabolic health optimization, L...
A Meal to Unclog Arteries? Watch This First (Dr. J Reacts to @LeonidKimMD )
In this video, I react to a recent post from Dr @LeonidKimMD a physician who shares evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine content here on YouTube. ...
1 in 5 People Have This — And Most Never Get Tested
Lp(a) Explained: The Genetic Cholesterol Most Doctors Don’t Check (And Why It Matters)You can be fit, lift heavy, eat “clean,” and still have a hidden cardiovascular risk most standard cholesterol tests miss.In this video, I bre...
My First No Incision Bypass | Advanced Treatment for Arterial Blockages
Is it possible to fix a blocked artery without major open surgery? In this video, I explain the Detour procedure (Percutaneous Transmural Arterial Bypass)—a new, minimally invasive technique that routes blood flow around blockages to restore ci...
5 Things I've Learned On Call as a Surgeon
What Is It Really Like Being On Call as a Surgeon? | Life, Death, Burnout & Decisions at 2AMWhat does being on call as a surgeon actually mean—beyond the pager, the scrubs, and the stereotypes?In this video, a board-certifie...
Are We Treating Cholesterol Completely Wrong? | Vascular Surgeon Explains
Cholesterol isn’t the villain you were taught to fear — it’s the fuel. And in this video, I’m breaking down why fuel isn’t the same thing as fire, and why most people are fighting the wrong battle when it comes to heart disease.If you’v...
Hormones, Hot Flashes, & Heart Disease: Your Doctor Didn't Tell You THIS
Dr. Lily Johnston is back to discuss why women are often underdiagnosed and undertreated for heart disease, highlighting often-overlooked risks in standard assessments. She addresses common menopause myths surrounding menopausal hormone therapy...
3 Myths About Menopause & Heart Health — A Surgeon Explains
Most women have been taught to fear menopausal hormone therapy.Blood clots. Heart attacks. Strokes.A generation of headlines convinced millions that estrogen was dangerous—even when the science didn’t actually say that.As a vasc...
The Scan That Reveals Heart Disease Years Before Symptoms
In this video, I break down CAC (coronary artery calcium score), CIMT (carotid intima–media thickness), and CCTA (coronary CT angiography) — the three imaging tests that reveal your real cardiovascular risk. If you’ve ever been told your choles...