MedEvidence! Truth Behind the Data

Getting Paid To Do What You Need

• Dr. Michael Koren, Kevin Geddings • Episode 363

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There's not a lot that we both need to do and get paid to do. Dr. Michael Koren joins Kevin Geddings to discuss one of the most beneficial parts of clinical research: getting paid to do what you should be doing anyway. As an example, the doctor talks about Lp(a), a really, really, really, really bad cholesterol that increases the chances of having a heart attack and stroke. Dr. Koren explains that most people haven't had an Lp(a) test done because traditional cholesterol medications don't lower this really bad form of LDL, but that people canget an Lp(a) test done at a research center, get paid for their time and travel, and may even be referred to an Lp(a) lowering study if their numbers are high.

Be a part of advancing science by participating in clinical research.

Have a question for Dr. Koren? Email him at askDrKoren@MedEvidence.com

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Music: Storyblocks - Corporate Inspired

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Announcer:

Welcome to the MedEvidence Monday Minute Radio Show, hosted by Kevin Gedding of WSOS St. Augustine Radio Radio and powered by ENCORE Research Group. Each Monday morning, Dr. Michael Koren calls in to bring you the latest medical updates with insightful discussions. MedEvidence is where we help you navigate the real truth behind medical research with both a clinical and research perspective. So sit back, relax, and get ready to learn about the truth behind the data in medicine and healthcare. This is MedEvidence!

Dr. Michael Koren:

We were just chatting before we got on air that there are very few things in life where you can actually get paid to do something that you should be doing anyway.

Kevin Geddings:

Right.

Dr. Michael Koren:

Can you think of any other examples other than research?

Kevin Geddings:

No, no, you gotta pay to join the gym, you gotta pay to go get your teeth cleaned, et cetera, et cetera, right?

Dr. Michael Koren:

Yeah. So we have this unique opportunity of looking at this type of cholesterol problem called lipoprotein little a. And we you and I have talked about this and we've done some outreach in our local market, but we call this the really, really, really, really bad cholesterol. And it's a form of LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol, that's particularly worrisome because your body can't get rid of it. And unfortunately it runs in families and we think somewhere between fifteen to twenty percent of everybody in the United States has this problem. But people don't know about it. And the reason they don't know about it is because we haven't had any products to treat it. But that's changing very rapidly and there are now multiple drugs in development to try to treat this really, really, really, really bad cholesterol problem. And so we actually have recently received some research grants to test patients to see whether or not they have the problem. Yeah, there's some parameters around this in terms of the type of patient, but we actually have some studies that are looking to test people who are healthy but that have a family history of heart disease, for example, because this is a genetic condition, or people that have had a previous heart attack that don't want to have a second heart attack. And literally, if you come to our offices and you, you know, decide a basic informed consent, we will pay you for the privilege of learning what your Lp(a) level is.

Kevin Geddings:

Wow. Wow. And if left untreated or undetected, I guess, this could contribute to what? What would we as laymen perhaps experience?

Dr. Michael Koren:

It's a risk factor of heart disease.

Kevin Geddings:

Right, or a heart attack.

Dr. Michael Koren:

So we know that it's actually more highly predictive of having a heart attack or stroke than your level of LDL cholesterol. But the reason we check LDL is because we have multiple drugs that treat it, statins being the number one drug that we use. But for Lp(a), the statins do not work. They have no effect, statins have no effect on Lp(a). So now we develop these new products. By the way, we've already done multiple studies on these new products. These products have been tried in tens of thousands of people at this point. And we've had a lot of very high-profile publications in this space that came out of our work here in Northeast Florida.

Kevin Geddings:

Pretty amazing stuff, and what a great opportunity for our listeners to participate. And of course, you can get tested. Most of us don't know whether we have this issue or not. The testing is fairly easy, right? Relatively, you know, no pain.

Dr. Michael Koren:

Very simple blood test. Yeah.

Kevin Geddings:

Very simple blood test. After that, I guess as part of that process, a few questions are going to be asked, and that's it, right?

Dr. Michael Koren:

You got it. Now we we don't do anything in research or usually in medicine, but particularly in research, without an informed consent. So there's a basic uh little consent process. And then if you participate in that, share some data with us, we will test your Lp(a). And of course, if it's high, we're gonna tell you about a research program that may help you reduce that level.

Kevin Geddings:

And indeed, if you want to learn more about this Lp(a) issue, there's a lot of data about this and different ways to learn about it on MedEvidence.com, correct?

Dr. Michael Koren:

You bet. There's a quite a few programs that we've done, podcasts with our physicians, and just some sort of educational material where you can learn more about it. But again, it's a particularly problematic form of LDL cholesterol because it's very difficult for your body to get rid of it. But hopefully within the next few years, there'll be products on the market that will do that job. And in the meantime, you can learn your Lp(a) level and maybe even participate in one of these programs to help lower that and reduce your personal risk. And also find out about the risk of your family members.

Kevin Geddings:

Yeah. Dr. Michael Koren, thank you for taking time out to get us up to speed on this important issue. We appreciate you.

Dr. Michael Koren:

It's my pleasure. You have a great week.

Announcer:

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