The Dr. Gundry Podcast – Episode 380.B

Title: "OVERLOOKED Signs Of Heart Disease - Dr. G's Quick Health Tip"
Release Date: December 4, 2025
Host: Dr. Steven Gundry (PodcastOne)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dr. Steven Gundry launches a new mini-series designed to clarify common and overlooked symptoms of cardiovascular disease, drawing on his 40+ years as a cardiothoracic surgeon and cardiologist. The episode aims to empower listeners to recognize hidden warning signs of heart disease—especially those often dismissed or misdiagnosed—and to advocate for actionable, science-based testing and prevention, going beyond Internet myths and textbook symptoms.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Classic vs. Overlooked Heart Disease Symptoms

• Textbook Symptoms:
  • Jaw or neck pain (especially on the left side)
  • Left shoulder and arm pain
  • Chest pain (not always center-chest)
  • Heaviness or tightness in the chest, especially with exertion
• Notable Gender Differences:
  • Women often do not show “classic” signs.

    “Many women never get the typical signs of heart disease, like neck or arm or shoulder pain. ... Their presentation of angina... is [often] nausea or even vomiting.”
    — Dr. Gundry [02:00]

  • Nausea can be a key indicator for women, instead of chest discomfort.

2. Subtle Warning Signs from Patient Stories

• Exertion-Related Heaviness/Nausea:

  “He didn’t get short of breath, he didn’t have chest pain. It was this heaviness that he reported that tipped me off.”
  — Dr. Gundry on his father’s subtle symptom, leading to a positive diagnosis [03:52]

• Everyday Fatigue:
  • Unexplained tiredness doing routine activities may reflect compromised heart pumping capability or valve issues
• Pulmonary Hypertension & Fatigue:
  • Rising prevalence of pulmonary hypertension, sometimes autoimmune-related; manifests as exertional tiredness/shortness of breath

3. Mythbusting: Sleep Apnea and Heart Disease

• Clarification:

  “Google MD says sleep apnea is a sign of heart disease. Wrong. But sleep apnea is a really good cause of heart disease. So heart disease does not produce sleep apnea... but it absolutely can cause heart disease.”
  — Dr. Gundry [05:24]

• Sleep apnea is a major risk factor but not an actual symptom of heart disease.

4. Erectile Dysfunction (ED) as a Cardiac Symptom

• ED as Early Artery Damage:

  “Erectile dysfunction is a very early sign of arterial damage to blood vessels. And what goes on in the lower parts goes on in your coronary arteries.”
  — Dr. Gundry [05:58]

• Clinical Practice:
  • Dr. Gundry requires a stress test before prescribing erectile dysfunction medications due to their implication for underlying heart disease.

5. Peripheral Vascular and Carotid Artery Disease

• Leg Pain & ‘Leg Angina’:
  • Cramps or tightness in calves/feet that fade with rest can suggest narrowed leg arteries (Peripheral Vascular Disease, PVD).

  “It’s the same sort of feeling you get in your heart...leg angina. This is a classic sign of narrowing in the blood vessels to your leg.”
  — Dr. Gundry [08:59]

• Symptoms of Carotid Artery Disease:
  • Amaurosis fugax—sudden "shade" over vision, like blinds coming down briefly; sign of small retinal artery clots

  “It lasts for a few seconds, maybe half a minute or a minute, and then the shade goes back up.”
  — Dr. Gundry [10:12]

  • Dizziness from quick head movement, or hearing a “whoosh” in one ear when lying down may signal vertebral or carotid artery narrowing.

6. Diagnostic Strategies: What to Ask Your Doctor

• Blood Work:
  • Routine cholesterol tests may miss critical information.
  • Gundry prefers markers of inflammation:
    • High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP)
    • LP-PLA2 (plaque test)
    • Myeloperoxidase (Cleveland Clinic-preferred marker)

  “What’s far more important is to look for markers of inflammation.”
  — Dr. Gundry [13:11]

• Stress Tests:
  • Nuclear stress scans common, but not infallible (miss 15–20% of true disease)
• Imaging Advances:
  • Recommends CT coronary angiograms, especially the Cleerly test—leverages AI to spot hidden plaque, minimally invasive

  “The beauty of the Cleerly test is that it uses artificial intelligence to look underneath calcified areas in blood vessels.”
  — Dr. Gundry [14:16]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Nausea as a Heart Symptom in Women:
  “Nausea is frequently one of [women’s] biggest complaints.” [02:00]
• On Erectile Dysfunction’s Surprising Connection:
  “I won’t give a man a prescription for... erection drugs without having them pass a stress test.” [06:09]
• On Ignored Vision Symptoms:
  “People get this experience of literally having a shade come down over one eye... It’s actually a sign of a tiny blood clot.” [10:12]
• On New Technology in Heart Imaging:
  “A CT coronary angiogram is a minimally invasive test that really gives you a 3D picture of what’s going on.” [14:36]

Important Segment Timestamps

• Classic and Unusual Symptoms of Heart Disease: [00:25–05:20]
• Sleep Apnea and Heart Health Mythbusting: [05:24–05:56]
• Erectile Dysfunction as a Heart Disease Warning: [05:58–06:34]
• Peripheral Vascular and Carotid Artery Disease: [08:57–11:23]
• Recommended Blood Tests and Imaging for Heart Disease: [13:06–15:28]

Tone and Language

Dr. Gundry mixes approachable, candid, and sometimes wry advice (“Son of a…”; “Sorry to use the pun...”) with clear explanations and actionable steps, empowering listeners to notice what their bodies may be signaling—and to push for sophisticated, insightful diagnostics over shallow assumptions.

Summary for New Listeners

This concise, practical episode is valuable for anyone concerned about heart health—especially those at risk or with unexplained symptoms. Dr. Gundry’s main message: heart disease often hides behind non-textbook, easily-dismissed symptoms (nausea, fatigue, erectile dysfunction, vision changes). He urges listeners to take such signals seriously, get advanced testing if warranted, and challenge outdated or simplistic advice from the Internet.

Key takeaway:
Be alert to subtle or atypical signs, insist on meaningful tests (especially for inflammation and with advanced imaging), and don’t ignore your body’s “red flags”—they could save your life.