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.
Knife Down
The Cholesterol Myth That Won’t Die – A Vascular Surgeon Reacts to @Physionic
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Original video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJLKTyKy-14&list=WL&index=31
We’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 reacting to Physionic’s powerful “We Were Wrong” episode on cholesterol, where he argues that one widely celebrated marker has never actually been shown to be a therapeutic target in major trials.
We break down:
• Why we’ve overvalued this marker, despite never having RCTs proving that raising it prevents heart disease
• What the guidelines and trials actually say (spoiler: less impressive than we were taught)
• The concept of function vs. quantity — and why that’s where the real action is, even if we’re still figuring it out
This is a must‑watch if you’re tired of the same oversimplified cholesterol spiel and want to know what actually matters for cardiovascular risk.
Sign up for more information on my own practice here: https://corsighthealth.com/
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🧬 About Dr. Lily Johnston
Dr. Johnston is a double board-certified vascular and general surgeon in San Diego, specializing in metabolic and cardiovascular prevention. She’s the founder of CorSight Health and a passionate advocate for reimagining how medicine approaches chronic disease.
This video is for general education and discussion only and does not establish a doctor‑patient relationship. None of this content should be interpreted as personal medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. Always consult your own physician or qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health, medications, or lab values. Guidelines and evidence evolve, and what I say here reflects my understanding at the time, not a substitute for your own clinical judgment (or your doctor’s).
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