ISSUE 15: DECEMBER 2025 

 

As we approach 2026, I hope everyone makes a resolution to speak up for your health. Knowing how to do that isn’t intuitive, and my hope is for my TV segments, podcasts, and this newsletter to give you practical ideas for advocating for yourself and those you care about.

 

This month’s newsletter centers on a simple idea: better information leads to better decisions—when we understand its limits. From emerging technology and evolving science to prevention, trauma, and healing, each section below highlights why nuance and details matter. 

 

Apple Watch Blood Pressure Monitoring: Smart tech is getting smarter—but knowing what it can’t tell you matters as much as what it can.

Cardiac CT Scans with AI: Traditional scans show blockage; scans enhanced by AI reveal even more. 

Melatonin and Heart Failure: The headline was alarming, but the science is far more nuanced—and the real concern lies elsewhere.

Sexual Abuse in Sports:  This is an uncomfortable topic, but a reality. Prevention depends on recognizing risk early and putting safeguards in place to protect your child.

Menopause and the FDA Black Box Update: Longstanding misinformation about hormone therapy is being corrected—and women are finally being given evidence instead of fear.

Overcoming PTSD: Mental health services and medication are important elements of a treatment plan, but for some, healing doesn’t always begin in a clinic. 

 

Learn something new—and something that helps you Speak Up For Your Health.
lnks are in bold, red, and underlined. 

 

Happy Holidays. Be Well. 

DoeS the Apple Watch Really Measure BP?

The newest feature on Apple's watch doesn’t give you a blood pressure measurement (like 120/80) or diagnose hypertension. What it does do is tell you if there's been a change in how quickly blood is flowing in your wrist. 

 

Here's how it works: sensitive optical sensors in the watch can detect the speed and force of blood as it moves through your arteries. It analyzes patterns over 30 days to learn what is normal for you. When the watch detects a meaningful change, it alerts you to the possibility of high blood pressure. 

 

The feature is only 41% sensitive which means it will miss more than half of those with hypertension. So, when it does flag a concern, pay attention. For the millions of Americans with undiagnosed or under-treated hypertension, this feature provides an important prompt to follow up with a traditional cuff and a clinician. 

Here's a link to the segment on KSTP: 

Cardiac CT + AI HAS big ADVANTAGES

Cardiac CT scans are a major advancement because they can identify cholesterol blockage in the heart’s arteries without an invasive procedure (like a cardiac catheterization). But even if the scan shows minimal blockage, cholesterol plaque can still be present. And if that plaque is unstable, it can rupture without warning and trigger a heart attack. This explains why some people have a “normal” scan and still experience a sudden cardiac event.

 

Adding AI to cardiac CT scan analysis can identify patients who are truly high risk: those without significant blockage but with unstable plaque. Studies show that this added information leads to faster, more decisive, and more aggressive treatment—rather than a “let’s wait and see how much diet and exercise improve your cholesterol” approach. And the best news: Medicare and many major private insurers now cover the added cost. You can learn more about it here. 

Recent headlines linking melatonin to heart failure was based on another attention-grabbing press release from the American Heart Association.  If  you read the details, the study showed an association, not causation, was not peer-reviewed, and had significant methodological limitations. Here's what you need to know: 

Watch this segment to hear more about why you don't need to toss out your sleep aid. 

Sexual Abuse in Sports: What Parents Should know

Sexual abuse in sports is not rare—and it’s not limited to one coach, one sport, or one level of competition. I spoke with Carrie Kehring, whose teenage daughter was groomed and sexually assaulted by her 59 year old coach – a former Olympian who later pled guilty and went to prison. Rather than revisiting the trauma itself, our conversation focused on what parents and athletes need most: how to recognize signs of grooming and even more importantly, how to prevent it before something goes wrong.

 

Menopause and the FDA Black Box Update

I had the privilege of sitting down with Dr. Sharon Malone at the Let’s Talk Women: The Change Summit—a physician, bestselling author, menopause expert, and trusted advisor to Michelle Obama. Our conversation landed at a pivotal moment: just days before the FDA announced it is removing the black box warning from estrogen and progesterone therapies used for menopause. This change is long-overdue and is one step in helping to make sure women have accurate information on the risks and benefits of menopause hormone therapy. 

OVERcoMING PTSD: Purpose Matters

Bryan Fuller is a military veteran whose service as a counter-intelligence agent left him with PTSD. His life unraveled until the day he sat down on a rowing machine. And then, by his own description, he became “obsessed”. Bryan went on to row across the Atlantic Ocean (!), set a world record and then founded a rowing school. In this episode, Bryan shares how finding his sense of purpose became a critical “medication” in managing his mental health. You can listen to the podcast with Bryan here.

 You can find previous editions of ArcHealth on my website. 

This newsletter is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional medical advice. Always consult a healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.