Women account for nearly one in three cardiovascular deaths, yet many of the biggest risk factors are still overlooked. In this episode of The Curious Cardiologist, Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj sits down with functional medicine expert Cynthia Thurlow to discuss why women's cardiovascular health deserves a completely different approach.
Together they explore the relationship between menopause, metabolic health, hormone replacement therapy, intermittent fasting, advanced cholesterol testing, GLP-1 medications, and personalized medicine. They discuss why traditional lipid panels often fail to identify cardiovascular risk, how pregnancy can reveal future metabolic disease, and why markers like ApoB and Lp(a) are transforming preventive cardiology.
You'll also learn how fasting differs between men and women, why muscle preservation becomes increasingly important during menopause, and how physicians can move beyond one-size-fits-all medicine toward truly individualized care.
Whether you're interested in heart health, hormones, longevity, metabolic health, or evidence-based functional medicine, this conversation offers practical insights grounded in both clinical experience and emerging research.
Topics include:
• Why heart disease remains the #1 killer of women
• Menopause and cardiovascular disease
• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
• ApoB vs LDL
• Lipoprotein(a) Lp(a)
• Advanced lipid testing
• GLP-1 medications beyond weight loss
• Intermittent fasting for women
• Muscle preservation during menopause
• Personalized preventive cardiology
If you're interested in functional medicine, longevity, metabolic health, women's hormones, or preventive cardiology, this conversation is packed with practical insights.
What is The Curious Cardiologist?
Rethinking heart health, one question at a time.
I’m Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj—interventional cardiologist, functional medicine expert, and lifelong student of what really keeps us well. In this podcast, we go beyond prescriptions and procedures to explore the deeper drivers of health, disease, and healing.
From inflammation to intuition, cholesterol to consciousness, I sit down with doctors, researchers, and changemakers who are reshaping how we think about the heart—and the whole human behind it.
Whether you're a fellow clinician, a health seeker, or someone navigating your own transformation, this show will challenge what you thought you knew—and invite you to stay curious.