MedEvidence! Truth Behind the Data

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Michael Koren joins Kevin Geddings to explain how having a conversation with a medical professional who is tuned into your personal situation can help you understand the confusing and sometimes counterintuitive world of medical information. Cardiologist Dr. Koren uses the examples of coronary calcium scores and total cholesterol levels, which must be interpreted in the context...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Michael Koren Joins Kevin Geddings to discuss how the current political situation in Washington, D.C. is interfering with clinical research. They discuss the Vaxart trial, that is looking at the next generation of oral COVID vaccines, and how it has been affected by the Trump administration's inconsistent orders regarding vaccines. Dr. Koren points out that the Vaxart tri...

Send us Fan Mail Radiologist Sue Jane Grosso-Rivas, MD joins cardiologist and clinical researcher Michael J. Koren, MD to share her inspiring journey from aspiring secretary to Medical Co-Director of Breast Imaging at Summit Health. The doctoral duo discuss how Dr. Grosso-Rivas’s career was shaped by a school counselor who recognized her potential and encouraged her ambition. Dr. Grosso-Rivas expl...

Send us Fan Mail Dermatologist Dr. Kristen Stewart digs deep to get to the root of psoriasis, a skin condition that affects approximately 3% of Americans. She talks about the role of systemic inflammation and how excessive inflammation can impact multiple body systems beyond just the skin. Dr. Stewart reviews her experience treating psoriasis, differentiating it from eczema, and the improvements i...

Send us Fan Mail The back-to-school season represents an ideal time to reset health priorities and schedules, potentially more impactful than New Year's resolutions. Dr. Michael Koren joins Kevin Geddings to discuss how the changes that come with a new school year also include health changes and the inevitable spread of the flu. They talk about how new initiatives like BARDA, sponsored by the...

Send us Fan Mail Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Mustafa "Dr. Kurk" Kurkluoglu joins cardiologist Dr. Michael Koren to discuss three mechanisms that affect heart health: Oxidative stress, dangerous charged particles that can damage cells Inflammation, an immune process that can get out of control Endothelial dysfunction, cells that line blood vessels stop working properly The two doctors disc...

Send us Fan Mail Cardiologist Dr. Michael Koren joins Kevin Geddings to talk about how we can learn a lot about medicine by knowing our history. The duo discuss how the history of healthcare, including smallpox inoculation in the 1800s, can inform us of the benefits of life-saving medicines like vaccines. They also talk about the history of obesity, the old city of St. Augustine, and how this all...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Michael Greger joins Dr. Michael Koren to discuss his life's work spreading nutritional knowledge. Dr. Greger talks about how a change in diet and lifestyle helped add 31 years to his grandmother's prognosis and how this event convinced him to go into medicine. He explains how a healthy diet is more about adding healthy foods than removing unhealthy foods and that ea...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Michael Koren joins Kevin Geddings to discuss how clinical research sites like ENCORE Research Group and medical information companies like MedEvidence can build and give back to communities by sharing what they know. Dr. Koren explains that medical experts can help people understand complex topics such as obesity and the skin condition hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and help w...

Send us Fan Mail Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is the most common inherited kidney disease. Those with PKD have a 50% chance of passing it on to their children and have progressively worse kidney function as they age. World-known PKD researcher Dr. Fouad Chebib joins Dr. Michael Koren to discuss the symptoms, risks, genetic cause, and treatment options for PKD. They also get into some new treatm...

Send us Fan Mail Over the past 100 years, the poorest Americans have shifted from being underweight to becoming the group most likely to be overweight. Dr. Michael Koren joins Kevin Geddings to explore some of the social determinants of health underlying this trend. They touch on the complex biological, economic, and environmental factors contributing to higher obesity rates among economically dis...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Michael Koren sits down with Dr. Allan Rosenfeld, a Canadian physician specializing in occupational medicine. The two doctors explore some of the realities of Canadian healthcare by moving through Dr. Rosenfeld's career in family practice, occupational medicine, and his personal use of the healthcare system. Dr. Rosenfeld offers candid insights that challenge common perce...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Michael Koren joins Kevin Geddings to introduce the concept of "scienceploitation." He explains that many marketing tactics in the health and supplement industry are disguised as scientific claims. For example, phrases like "supports immune health" often sound convincing but are meaningless without specific, evidence-based backing from rigorous clinical tri...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Michael Koren hosts Brian Achille, the Chief Operating Officer of the Certified Clinical Research Professionals Society (CCRPS). Brian draws a distinction between doing clinical research casually and doing it professionally. The distinction highlights how professional training and attitudes prove to be a benefit to research and the community at large. The duo discuss how CCRPS...

Send us Fan Mail Cardiologist Michael Koren joins Kevin Geddings to discuss how kidney disease can offect other body systems, including the heart. The doctor explains that people with kidney dysfunction have significantly higher risks for cardiovascular problems including heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes. Dr. Koren differentiates between typical, insurance-driven care and the attentive cl...

Send us Fan Mail Surveys show that 97-99% of participants who participate in one clinical research study would sign up for another. We wind out why in this episode, recorded in front of a live audience. Dr. Michael Koren and Nalini Jones, CCRC are joined by three clinical research patients to review the good, the bad, and the ugly in the history of clinical research. They also discuss the ins and...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Mitchell Rothstein joins Dr. Michael Koren to wake us up to the dangers of insomnia. Insomnia is a common sleep disorder affecting approximately 30% of adults and is characterized by poor sleep on at least three nights a week for three months or more. Dr. Rothstein reviews what insomnia is, what is happening in the brain, and what sufferers can do about it. He explains how lif...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Michael Koren joins Kevin Geddings to explain biomarkers, which he describes as biological indicators that may mark the presence of disease. Researchers are increasingly looking at biomarkers for their potential in early detection of disease before symptoms appear. Dr. Koren brings it home with a personal story of how current research studies looking into lung cancer biomarker...

Send us Fan Mail Steve Satek joins Dr. Michael Koren to share his journey from bench researcher to founding his own community clinical trial site. The entrepreneur describes how he pioneered embedding clinical research directly in Chicago neighborhoods to form a strong integration with the community. He talks about the importance of building trust through education and by helping the community whe...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Koren joins Kevin Geddings to reflect on his conversations with Harvard Medical School classmates at his class reunion. He recounts stories of these Harvard medical doctors struggling to navigate the healthcare system despite their medical training and how clinical trials provide a valuable resource for helping patients navigate healthcare complexities. Be a part of advancing...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Michael Koren interviews Lavern Dowell, an advanced registered nurse practitioner who specializes in diabetes care. They discuss her approach to treating the whole person and how mental health can impact everything from diet and exercise to the ability to go see a physician. They also emphasize the need to increase diversity in medical research and the importance of delivering...

Send us Fan Mail Dermatologist Dr. Michael Bernhardt joins Dr. Eric Schramm to discuss hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a debilitating skin condition that affects skin creases such as the armpits and groin. HS is an inflammatory condition that can be misdiagnosed for years. New medications target the underlying inflammation. Treatments are currently in clinical trials as part of an effort to tackle...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Michael Koren joins Kevin Geddings to discuss the motivations of clinical trial veterans who repeatedly participate in medical research studies. Dr. Koren shares that these participants consistently cite the desire to "Make a Difference" as their primary motivation, pushing science and medicine forward for generations to come. Be a part of advancing science by partic...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Nikhil Kapila joins Dr. Michael Koren on this live MedEvidence! presentation. Dr. Kapila, a liver disease specialist, explains why we can't live without our liver. The doctors review what the liver does, what can cause damage to the liver, and what can go wrong when the liver suffers damage. They also discuss the importance of early testing, treatment options for some con...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Michael Koren joins Kevin Geddings to discuss how Knowledge is Power - especially when it comes to medicine. The doctor explains how diagnostic tests like high sensitivity C-reactive protein (HSCRP) empower physicians and patients by giving insight into heart attack and stroke risk. Dr. Koren also tells us that even simple things like knowing you are in a research study can im...