Epoch Health

Unexpected Drugs Found to Reverse Cancers for Many

Joe Tippens was told he had three months to live—but became cancer-free after taking a veterinary antiparasitic.

He’s not alone. Many late-stage patients are exploring fenbendazole and ivermectin instead of chemotherapy, with oncologists reporting surprising remissions.

What are doctors seeing that makes them risk their careers to recommend unapproved drugs—and could this change the future of cancer treatment?

🧵 THREAD

Joe Tippens never planned to discover a potential remedy that he credits with saving his life and thrust him into the spotlight among notable cancer survivors. The 67-year-old businessman told The Epoch Times he just wanted to beat a type of cancer with an extremely low survival rate.

In August 2016, Tippens was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer with a fist-sized tumor. After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation five times a week in Houston, the large tumor in his left lung was eliminated. However, Tippens said the treatments came closer to killing him than curing him.

When he returned home to Oklahoma after the New Year, he received devastating news. His oncologist told him he had zero chance of surviving for more than a few months.

“In January of 2017, my PET scan lit up like a Christmas tree and I had wide metastasis everywhere, including in my neck, bones, pancreas, and liver,” Tippens said.

Finding a Lifeline

Facing a prognosis of three months to live, Tippens heard an intriguing story from a veterinarian he knew: A scientist with terminal cancer reportedly cured her lab mice and then herself using fenbendazole, an antiparasitic drug.

The story was the beginning of what eventually became the “Joe Tippens Protocol.”

Fenbendazole, used for 30 years to treat intestinal parasites in animals, has not received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for human use, meaning doctors cannot prescribe it for people. However, with a terminal diagnosis and nothing to lose, Tippens decided to try it alongside his conventional treatments.

Tippens found that Panacur, a trade name for fenbendazole, was sold over the counter at outlets that carry veterinary medications.

Starting in the third week of January 2017, Tippens began taking the canine medication, Panacur, 1 gram per day for three consecutive days per week. After four days without the medication, which contains about 222 milligrams of fenbendazole per gram, he would repeat his three-day routine.

Three months later, Tippens was cancer-free.

His protocol also included Theracurmin, a form of the active compound in turmeric, and CBD, an extract of cannabis which does not cause intoxication.

Scientific Support and Mechanisms

Dr. William Makis (@MakisMD), an oncologist and cancer researcher based in Edmonton, Canada, has studied Tippens’s approach and treats cancer patients worldwide, primarily through telehealth.

“I’ve had several patients declared cancer-free after doing the protocol for a number of months,” Makis told The Epoch Times. “What made [Tippens’] situation so powerful is that he cured himself of a cancer that is very aggressive—small cell lung cancer—and he had a terminal diagnosis.”

According to Makis, the family of anti-parasitic drugs that includes fenbendazole, mebendazole, and albendazole works well—scientists have found at least 12 ways the medications can fight cancer.

The effectiveness of the drugs stems from key similarities between parasite and cancer cells: both have the capacity for autonomous survival and proliferation, resistance to cell-death pathways, and the ability to circumvent the host immune system.

Anti-parasitic drugs appear to fight cancer through multiple mechanisms:

• Boosting protein called p53: P53 is a tumor suppressor protein that helps kill cancer cells.

• Blocking glucose uptake: Cancer cells depend on sugar for energy and growth.

• Disrupting microtubules: These cellular structures are crucial for cell division of cancer cells.

• Affecting mitochondrial function: Depletes cellular energy, increases oxidative stress, and blocks a critical pathway that regulates cell growth of cancer cells.

@MakisMD A little about us: We’re a team of journalists and researchers on a mission to give you REAL and honest information about your health.

Side effects of reading our posts may include: critical thinking.

Follow us for more daily threads—backed by hard data.

—&gt; @EpochHealth 

Researchers at the Stanford University Medical Center have reported several case reports, using fenbendazole to cure Stage 4 cancer cases, Makis said. The series of case reports was published in 2021 in SciTechnol, an online, London-based publisher of scientific journal articles.

A thought-provoking review citing animal studies published in 2024 in Anticancer Research Journal concluded that fenbendazole affects energy metabolism—mainly by increasing the levels of p53 and affecting pathways that control sugar uptake. It ultimately starves cancer cells and causes them to die with minimal harm to normal cells.  The researchers concluded that fenbendazole’s effects on energy metabolism “could lead to significant advances in cancer treatment.”

Some preliminary research also suggested potential anti-cancer mechanisms for fenbendazole. A study published in Scientific Reports in 2018 by researchers in India found that fenbendazole “may be evaluated as a potential therapeutic agent because of its effect on multiple cellular pathways leading to effective elimination of cancer cells.” Specifically, fenbendazole interferes with microtubules involved in cell division.

A 2016 study published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications found that ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug approved for human use, shows promise against glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer known for treatment resistance. The drug kills glioblastoma cells and inhibits blood vessel development. In laboratory and mouse studies, ivermectin triggers cancer cell death and significantly reduces tumor growth.

Recent research has shown that a combination of fenbendazole and diisopropylamino dichloroacetate, a compound used to treat hepatitis, has shown some anticancer properties in cell cultures and animal studies. Combined, the drugs kill lung cancer cells more effectively than either drug alone.

@MakisMD Makis has found that combining fenbendazole with ivermectin can increase the protocol’s effectiveness.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/cancer-patients-recover-by-taking-repurposed-anti-parasitic-drugs-5813009

“When you combine them, you go from attacking cancer in a dozen ways to attacking cancer in two dozen ways,” Makis said. “I have found it very reasonable to include both of them in protocols if there is pre-clinical research that each of them has an effect [on] that particular type of cancer. 

Whenever you have a specific cancer, I want to look at the body of research to see if there is a proven effect of either ivermectin or fenbendazole for that type of cancer. If there is, then I share that research with my patients.”

Makis has treated patients with various cancers—from common types like breast, prostate, colon, and lung cancer to rarer forms such as cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) and sarcomas (soft tissue cancers). “I’ve had several patients declared cancer-free after doing the protocol for a number of months,” Makis said.

Although Makis has been recommending ivermectin and fenbendazole for cancer treatment, he acknowledges that many doctors refrain from this practice.

Doctors are very hesitant to help cancer patients with repurposed drugs because of repercussions from the medical boards, Makis said.

“On the other hand, you have doctors who are willing to help patients with repurposed drugs but no experience with oncology,” he said.

When asked whether he recommends that cancer patients consult with an integrative physician who approves of those treatments, Makis said it is good for a patient to have a relationship with a doctor who has experience with oncology.

“It depends on the physician’s background,” Makis said. “Some doctors have extensive experience, after seeing cancer patients for many years.”

Patient Success Stories

Donna Leland, 64, a show host on the national Moody Radio Network, was diagnosed with Stage 3 cervical and endometrial cancer in April 2023. She underwent a hysterectomy but declined the recommended chemotherapy and radiation.

“I had seen the outcome for other people who had gone that route,” Leland told The Epoch Times. “Some had gotten all cleared, but then the cancer came back. I know it diminishes your own immune system’s ability to fight off disease.”

Leland told the doctor she did not want those treatments and asked for another option. But she was offered nothing else.

“I knew there had to be a better way than to fry everything. I just said, ‘I’d rather die than fry.’”

Leland began taking fenbendazole and ivermectin. She also found support from Terry Harmon, a chiropractor and functional medicine physician in Kentucky.

Harmon says more than 100 of his patients have reported positive health benefits from using fenbendazole or ivermectin.

“The reason so many people are finding success is twofold,” Harmon told The Epoch Times. “It is addressing infections. It helps the body heal and get stronger. There is research showing this combination helps the body’s ability genetically to kill cancer and prevent cancer from growing and spreading.”

Leland said she had confirmation of the effectiveness of these alternative treatments from studies on ivermectin, fenbendazole, and other anti-parasitic drugs. Mebendazole is another anti-parasitic drug that both Makis and Harmon recommended as an effective cancer treatment.

One year after her hysterectomy, Leland said she is healthier than she has ever been, partly because of her continuing use of anti-parasitic drugs for preventive purposes.

“After being checked every three months for evidence of cancer, my oncologist continues to declare me cancer-free.”

“I feel like I’m 20 years younger,” Leland said. “God has been faithful to lead me on this journey.”

Global Impact

The Tippens Protocol has achieved significant international reach, particularly in China, where a translated blog has garnered more than 20 million views. This has led to an estimated 70,000 followers of what’s affectionately called the “Uncle Joey Protocol.”

Despite opportunities to monetize his discovery, Tippens has refused all financial gain.

“I have had search engine experts who have told me I could monetize this blog to the tune of $25,000 to $30,000 per month,” he said. “I can’t do that for a simple reason: I have hundreds of people who have told me the reason they believe me and trust me is because I am doing all this and not monetizing it. The second I monetized it, I would be just another guy out there hawking product out on the Internet, trying to make money.”

Tippens warns about fraudulent Facebook pages that falsely use his name to sell substandard drugs.

Regulatory and Medical Challenges

The FDA confirmed that it has not approved “drug products containing fenbendazole for use in humans,” said Lauren-Jei McCarthy, FDA press officer, in a statement to The Epoch Times. 

It has not gone through the rigorous testing and clinical trials required for drugs intended for human use. Fenbendazole is approved by the FDA as an antiparasitic drug for use in animals. It is commonly used to deworm dogs, cats, horses, and cattle.

Ivermectin, while FDA-approved for human use against parasitic worms, is not approved for cancer treatment. Health care providers may prescribe ivermectin to fight cancer as a repurposed medication. Both medications are available without prescriptions and are routinely purchased for veterinary use.

Makis, who has been at the cutting edge of advocating for holistic treatments that include the repurposed drugs, said he believes we are in a revolutionary era of effective cancer treatments.

“This is the first time in several generations there is a strong movement for true medical freedom, to allow for exploration of treatments that don’t benefit any big company,” he said.

Serious side effects from fenbendazole and ivermectin are rare, Makis said.

“I have seen moderate side effects, which include unpleasant visual symptoms, some dizziness, and fatigue,” Makis said.

Tippens is encouraged by ongoing research into other FDA-approved drugs that might be repurposed for cancer treatment.

“Because of my story, I think there are other efforts in research in the anti-parasitic category,“ Tippen said. ”There are seven sister drugs to fenbendazole. One medical group has used mebendazole in their protocol. I think I’ve started at least opening people’s brains to something.”

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Anger doesn’t need fists to kill you.

Just 8 minutes of anger can impair your blood vessels for 40 minutes, triggering changes that may lead to stroke, heart attack, and irreversible damage.

Unlike sadness or anxiety, only anger hijacks your blood flow—and scientists are now connecting it to early-stage heart disease.

One historical figure predicted his anger would kill him. Minutes after being contradicted, he dropped dead.

🧵 THREAD

John Hunter knew his anger might kill him. The renowned 18th-century surgeon once said his life was “in the hands of any rogue who chooses to annoy or tease me.” He was right to worry.

Hunter embodied the classic Type A personality. A driven man who labored long hours, he slept barely five hours each night. He was a highly successful and celebrated surgeon in his time. However, he was perpetually impatient and hostile, according to a historical study published in The American Journal of Cardiology. By age 45, chest pains signaled his temper was already taking a toll on his heart.

On Oct. 16, 1793, Hunter, though habitually punctual, arrived late to the hospital board meeting at St. George’s Hospital in London.

When a colleague contradicted him during the discussion, Hunter tried to restrain his emotions. He went into the next room, let out a deep groan, and dropped dead due to sudden cardiac arrest. He was 65.

Heart Under Attack

Blood vessels remember every angry moment.

A study published in the May 2024 Journal of the American Heart Association revealed the devastating effects of anger on heart health.

The researchers found that even brief bursts of anger negatively impact blood vessels by delaying the relaxation of their innermost lining of cells, known as the endothelium. The contraction and relaxation of blood vessels are crucial for maintaining a healthy blood flow.

The study participants were all healthy young adults randomized to four groups that induced anger, anxiety, sadness, or no emotion—a neutral group.

The first three groups were instructed to either recall personal memories that would evoke associated anger or anxiety or read descriptors that evoked a depressed mood. Meanwhile, the neutral group was asked to count from one to 100, ensuring that any observed physiological changes were due to the emotional experiences, rather than simply the act of speaking.

The results indicated that just eight minutes of recalling angry feelings diminished the blood vessels’ ability to dilate (relax) for up to 40 minutes. On the other hand, participants in the anxiety, sadness, and neutral groups did not show any significant blood vessel changes. The study suggests that repeated bursts of anger may have a long-term, cumulative impact on heart health by irreversibly damaging blood vessel function.

Previous research indicates that endothelial dysfunction is an early stage of atherosclerosis—a condition in which plaque builds up in the arteries, leading to hardening and narrowing. This restricts blood flow and increases the risk of stroke or heart attack.

When Rage Hijacks Reason

The word anger, from the Old Norse “angr,” means “sorrow” or “grief.” Rage, the extreme expression of anger, meant “foolhardiness” or “insanity.” The ancient Stoic philosopher Seneca viewed anger as a type of madness—a fury that impairs rational capacities.

When anger takes hold, your brain’s alarm system—the amygdala—goes haywire while your prefrontal cortex—your rational thinking center—goes offline. Simultaneously, blood flow shifts away from areas responsible for decision-making and problem-solving.

An enraged person dramatically narrows their prospects of overcoming challenges as unrestrained anger overrides the rationality of the human brain, inhibiting ethical deliberation and promoting careless thinking and risk-taking.

Further, angry people ruminate over negative experiences, making them more prone to aggression. Research conducted over the years has confirmed that unregulated anger can directly influence moral judgment and reinforce selfishness or self-serving tendencies, prompting them to display aggression or seek harsher punishments and retributions for those with whom they are angry.

The damage extends beyond the angry person, harming those at whom the anger is vented.

Even “harmless” verbal anger can permanently alter children’s developing brains, creating neural pathway changes comparable to physical or sexual abuse.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/your-heart-and-mind-keep-score-of-every-angry-moment-5872228

A little about us: We’re a team of journalists and researchers on a mission to give you REAL and honest information about your health.

Side effects of reading our posts may include: critical thinking.

Follow us for more daily threads—backed by hard data.

—&gt; @EpochHealth 

Anger Reframed: Liver on Fire

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers a different lens on anger’s toll. In TCM theory, emotions and organs are intricately connected through the flow of vital energy called “qi” (pronounced chee).

Anger first targets the liver, considered the body’s “army general,” responsible for smooth energy flow throughout your system. TCM expert Jonathan Liu explains that chronic anger creates “liver qi stagnation,” eventually igniting “liver fire.”

When the liver is on “fire,” stagnated energy rises upward, leading to high blood pressure, headaches, dizziness, and eye redness. In severe cases, it can trigger symptoms of stroke and migraine.

“The liver is usually the first victim of anger, but not last,” Liu told The Epoch Times.

As the liver is anatomically near the spleen, stomach, and gallbladder, stagnated liver qi can also impact their functions, disrupting digestion and leading to poor appetite and stomachache.

The gallbladder governs courage, judgment, and decision-making and is paired with the liver. Both organs need to be in harmony—otherwise, they negatively impact each other. A healthy gallbladder promotes a stable emotional state, and any imbalance can lead to bodily pain, digestion problems, and reflect issues related to anger and resentment.

According to the Chinese Five Elements theory, anger is related to the wood element. While wood exemplifies growth and change, it also represents inflexibility and rigidity, just like an unyielding tree that breaks under the force of the wind.

Both ancient and modern wisdom believe that the antidote to anger is to nurture kind thoughts and humility.

Taming the Flames of Anger With Humility

Psychologist and researcher Elizabeth Summerell, who explores emotions such as anger and aggression, told The Epoch Times that anger is a negative emotion that typically occurs in response to perceived threats, provocations, or blocked goals.

In 2020, Summerell and her team investigated the impact of humility on anger and aggression.

Participants were instructed to think of and write for two minutes about a past event that made them experience humility. Then, anger was induced by having them read short descriptions of scenarios likely to evoke anger while driving, such as someone speeding up when you try to pass them, being slow at parking, or holding up traffic.

The results indicated that induced humility significantly reduced aggression compared to the neutral condition. Humility tamed their rage.

Previous studies have shown that humility increases with an increase in gratitude and awe. Positive emotions associated with gratitude, like empathy, make people less aggressive, just as humility evoked by awe reduces anger.

While managing anger is a much-needed life skill, Summerell cautions that suppressing anger can have negative health consequences in the long term and may lead to passive-aggressive behavior or hostility.

Likewise, “venting” by engaging in aggressive behavior, like hitting a punching bag or breaking things in rage rooms, may strengthen the neural pathways associated with anger and aggressive behavior, she said. This may be partly because anger expression keeps the nervous system in the fight-or-flight mode, leading to an elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, and the release of stress hormones into the bloodstream.

Apart from cultivating humility, cognitive reappraisal is an effective anger regulation strategy, Summerell said. It involves changing how one thinks about and interprets anger-provoking situations—reframing or considering alternative interpretations. It helps one take a step back and view the provoking situation more objectively, from the perspective of a third person.

For instance, instead of seeing a colleague’s rude behavior as a personal attack, one might consider that the person is in a bad mood because of personal reasons. The technique guides people to identify and reappraise their negative thought patterns into positive ones.

Other mind-body practices, such as tai chi, qigong, yoga, breathing exercises, and mindfulness techniques, can facilitate the release of stress and manage negative emotions, thus paving the way to wellness. 

Liu said that embracing a lifestyle of well-managed anger or no anger makes “the highest level of health care.”

Although this medical wisdom comes too late to help Hunter, the story of his demise shows that anger’s first victim is often the angry one.

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The Unexpected Benefits of Being Humble

We’re told to be bold and assertive because confidence is the key to success.

But new science says the quietest voice in the room might be the one we should listen to most.

And it’s reshaping how we define real intelligence.

🧵 THREAD

As a young man, Benjamin Franklin rejoiced in debating with others. Well-honed in the skill, he took great pride in his victories. Even when he was technically wrong, he was always rhetorically correct. As he matured, he realized those triumphs came at the cost of alienation and animosity.

Reflecting on his prideful whims, Franklin wrote in his autobiography, “I determined, endeavoring to cure myself, if I could, of this vice or folly.” His breakthrough came through following a simple maxim: “Imitate Jesus and Socrates.”

Franklin endeavored to embody the humility of Jesus and Socrates. By softening his language with phrases such as “it appears to me,” Franklin turned his interlocutors, including those who were enemies, into friends. His change in demeanor created the diplomatic genius history now celebrates.

Yet, humility’s quiet strength extends beyond diplomacy. Emerging data show that living with humility greatly benefits both oneself and others, and even leads to exceptional success.

Embracing Uncertainty

Humility begins with an honest recognition of one’s limitations—both in ability and knowledge. It involves an accurate view of oneself, free from self-inflation or false modesty.

Most of us fail at this basic self-assessment.

In studies in which participants are given questions and later asked to estimate their performance, even modest people with low confidence radically overrate themselves. They might claim up to 70 percent accuracy when their actual score is closer to 35 percent.

Such overconfidence isn’t exclusive to the bold or prideful—it’s human nature, said Mark Leary, psychology and neuroscience professor at Duke University, who researches humility. Accordingly, we need to adapt and adjust to it. It begins by acknowledging—like Socrates—that, “I know that I know nothing.” Psychologists call this awareness of one’s own fallibility “intellectual humility.”

“Intellectual humility is simply recognizing that everything you believe may not be certain or true,” Leary told The Epoch Times, pointing out that while this realization may initially sting, it opens doors to an unparalleled potential to learn, improve, and succeed.

A series of studies published in Learning and Individual Differences found that in controlled laboratory settings, intellectually humble people are more likely to embrace challenges and persist in the face of failure.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/the-unexpected-benefits-of-being-humble-5852979 

The researchers then turned their investigation to the real world. They measured high schoolers’ intellectual humility and observed how they reacted to their math test scores. Students with higher intellectual humility demonstrated grit and a growth mindset, expressing: “For my next test, I will try to determine what I don’t understand well.”

On the contrary, students lacking intellectual humility succumbed to helplessness, agreeing to statements such as: “give up studying” and even “try to cheat.”

What drives the difference? The researchers point to curiosity as a key factor. Drawing on existing evidence, they suggest that intellectually humble people genuinely enjoy learning for its own sake. They also learn more as they double-check their assumptions, stay open to advice, and embrace uncertainty.

Elizabeth Krumrei-Mancuso, professor of psychology at Pepperdine University and humility researcher, has found similarities in her research. “We found that even though intellectual humility isn’t directly related to IQ or how smart people are, it is related to how much knowledge they possess,” she told The Epoch Times.

Mancuso breaks down the simple mechanism: “If you’re willing to admit to yourself and to others what you don’t know, then you’re also more likely to absorb and take in new information.”

Teachers who say “I don’t know” also benefit the whole classroom. A 2024 study found that when teachers openly acknowledge gaps in their knowledge, admit mistakes, and learn from their students’ perspectives, the students feel more accepted and are more likely to engage in class discussions. The change in atmosphere translated directly into better performance—grades improved by 4 percent for each standard deviation increase in teacher humility.

Humility Outperforms IQ

The role of humility in academic achievement is relatively self-explanatory. What about humility in the workplace?

Traditionally, experts recognize two primary predictors of success: mental ability—one’s intelligence—which determines one’s performance ceiling, and conscientiousness—work ethic—which determines how a person is motivated to perform. However, research published in Organization Science introduced humility to the equation, measuring how readily people take remedial action after poor performance.

The study found that humility predicted better performance than mental ability and conscientiousness. Notably, high humility could compensate for low mental ability. Those with lower cognitive ability but high humility achieved performance scores comparable to, and in some cases better than, those with higher mental ability but low humility.

The researchers stated that the “compensatory effect” of humility can be attributed to the open willingness to learn and grow from mistakes.

What about those in leadership positions? Leaders are often touted as confident and vision-driven. Wouldn’t humility be a disadvantage in roles where projecting certainty is expected?

As it turns out, the most effective leaders embody a surprising paradox.

The Inconspicuous Leaders

Jim Collins, researcher and business consultant, and his team dug through nearly 1,500 companies, looking for patterns that could explain why only a handful ever make the leap from average to extraordinary. Collins wrote his findings in his best-selling book “Good to Great.”

After combing through decades of data, the team found just 11 companies that met their criteria. These companies weren’t startups or lucky tech giants. They were companies such as Walgreens, Kimberly-Clark, and Nucor—industries that had quietly outperformed the likes of Coca-Cola, Intel, and General Electric.

The team turned their sights upwards and analyzed the leaders of these companies.

Every single one of these “great” companies had a leader with a rare and paradoxical blend: outstanding personal humility and fierce professional will.

Collins called them level 5 leaders.

Level 5 leaders are the rarest kind. Like other managers, they are effective in organizing people and resources to meet goals. The sole difference is that they shun the spotlight and deflect credit to others—they are humble.

When pressed to talk about themselves, they said things such as: “I don’t think I can take much credit. We were blessed with marvelous people.”

When things went wrong, they took full responsibility. When things went right, they pointed out the window—never in the mirror.

What stimulated the remarkable outcomes?

Leary explained that humble leaders motivate others to contribute more ideas, gathering more viewpoints and evidence before taking action, which, in the long run, allows them to make better decisions.

People are also more inclined to trust someone who displays humility because it implies honesty and a lack of ego-driven motives. Even after just 30 minutes of conversation, people can determine who is humble, and those individuals are viewed more positively.

An organizational study examining humility versus competence in coworkers found that “humble fools”—those high in humility but lower skill—were rated as more likable than “competent jerks”—those with low humility but high skill​.

When given the choice, participants consistently preferred working alongside less experienced but humble colleagues rather than highly skilled but arrogant ones.

By contrast, of the hundreds of companies Collins studied, many that were identified as “failures” had high-profile, celebrity-style CEOs—leaders who built their own legacies but not necessarily their company’s future.

“The great irony,” Collin writes, “is that the most powerful leaders often appear the least powerful. They are not larger than life. They are, in fact, often hard to spot.”

Behind the Spotlight

Perhaps the true test of humility isn’t found in boardrooms or classrooms, but in our most intimate circles—where no stockholders are watching and no corporate legacies hang in the balance. It’s in these everyday moments that humility should blossom from one’s heart.

For Leary, a lesson in humility emerged during a typical evening with his two sons, who were around 12 and 8 years old. He recalled finding himself in a common standoff: It was bedtime, but the kids didn’t want to turn off the TV. “I was in this parenting mode a lot of parents have,” Leary said. “They object, and you say, ‘I told you to turn it off.’”

His sons sometimes pointed out that the show had just five minutes left, and they could finish it, and Leary began to question whether his insistence was necessary.

So, he changed his approach.

“I sat them down and said, ‘From now on, if you think I’m telling you the wrong thing, you get one chance to object. Tell me why you think you shouldn’t have to do it. I’ll listen. I might still say no, but I might change my mind.”

To his surprise, he did change his mind—about 20 percent of the time.

Leary’s approach reduced household conflict and modeled for his children that being in charge doesn’t mean being infallible. “It showed them that it’s OK to admit you’re wrong sometimes,” Leary said.

It’s similar in friendships. Research shows that people describe their humble friends as more relatable, trustworthy, and simply more enjoyable to be around.

Humility enriches romantic relationships, too—especially during stressful times. 

A study published in The Journal of Positive Psychology found that after the birth of their first child, couples in which both partners displayed humility showed depression scores 64 percent lower than other couples. When researchers asked couples to discuss ongoing disagreements about household chores, finances, or in-laws, they found that blood pressure was 18 percent lower in mutually humble pairs.

Humble people are more likely to engage with opposing perspectives and are “more likely to actually hear what the other side has to say,” Mancuso said.

On the other hand, Leary added, “To live with somebody who is convinced that they’re always right about stuff really creates an awful lot of disagreement.”

Leary’s most recent study showed that less intellectual humility was associated with less satisfaction in romantic relationships. Intellectually humble couples are less likely to derogate their partner’s intelligence during conflicts, avoiding the common trap of assuming someone who disagrees must be incompetent.

Humility’s buffering quality in this context is referred to as a “social oil.” Akin to how oil prevents an engine from overheating, humility is theorized to buffer wear-and-tear generally caused by competition or conflict. This social amiability may also come from humility’s positive association with other virtues such as empathy, altruism, and benevolence.

Never Too Much

“You will never err in the direction of too much intellectual humility,” Leary advised. “Even the most intellectually humble people are still more sure of themselves than they probably should be.”

Assuming that you might be wrong offers a buffer. “Your track record as a human being is you’ve been wrong a hell of a lot,” Leary said. During conflicts, he suggests asking: “Am I sure I’m right? Do I have all the relevant information? Is my information biased?”

Practicing gratitude and self-reflection also nurtures humility. More practically, research shows that adults who wrote daily reflections from a third-person perspective, stepping outside their ego-centered viewpoint, showed significant growth in intellectual humility after just one month.

Mancuso sums it up: “If you have no awareness that you could be wrong, then you’re closing the door to getting closer to the truth.”

“Pride is the barrier, and humility is the pathway.”

Beyond Cholesterol Lies a New Approach to Heart Health

For decades, doctors believed lowering cholesterol was a key ingredient to better health.

Now, emerging science is telling a different story—and it challenges everything we thought we knew about cholesterol, and especially statins.

🧵 THREAD

Imagine a room full of your closest friends and family. The odds are that heart disease will affect at least one of them. 

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, claiming a life every 33 seconds. For decades, we have been told that lowering low-density liproprotein (LDL) cholesterol—so-called bad cholesterol—is the key to heart health. But with odds like that, something isn’t adding up.

“I think the current model is oversimplified and rather myopic,” Nick Norwitz, a Harvard medical student who holds a doctorate in physiology from Oxford, told The Epoch Times. “LDL is the most common biomarker now. There are better markers.”

You might have had your cholesterol checked and been told that everything looks normal. But those standard tests may only be telling part of the story. Traditional cholesterol tests, while still valuable, measure cholesterol amounts.

They miss important details about the quality and behavior of cholesterol particles and other key metabolic factors. This is why a “normal” cholesterol level isn’t always a guarantee of low risk. To understand your risk, you may need to dig deeper with advanced lipid testing.

Emerging research is painting a new picture: Focusing solely on “bad” cholesterol misses pivotal pieces of the puzzle. Factors such as the size and composition of particles of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol—the so-called good cholesterol—along with triglyceride levels and overall metabolic health, are equally, if not more, important in preventing heart disease. 

This new understanding is reshaping how we assess heart health, shifting the lens to a more comprehensive, preventive, and personalized approach that prioritizes lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise, according to Norwitz.

Metabolic Health and Heart Disease

Think of your body’s metabolic health as the engine of a car. When it’s running smoothly, you feel energetic and well.

But imagine feeling constantly tired, noticing your clothes are tighter around the middle, and struggling to keep your blood sugar in check. Now the engine isn’t running as well. These symptoms could be signs of metabolic syndrome—a cluster of health issues that increase your risk of heart disease. 

Metabolic syndrome is like having several warning lights flashing on your dashboard: belly fat, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar.

The issues associated with metabolic syndrome are often connected, with insulin resistance frequently being the root cause. High triglycerides—often a consequence of a high-carbohydrate diet—and elevated glucose levels are strong indicators of insulin resistance. 

Reduced insulin sensitivity can develop years before it shows up on standard blood tests.

The A1C test measures your average blood sugar levels over the past three months, providing your physician with a useful indicator of how well your blood glucose levels have been controlled over time. The results help assess your risk for diabetes or manage an existing metabolic condition such as diabetes.

“Insulin resistance happens 10 to 20 years before A1c is ever elevated [and] the body will do everything to correct itself until it can’t,” Shannon Davis, a registered dietitian and metabolic health specialist, told The Epoch Times via email.

Insulin helps your body use blood sugar for energy. When you’re insulin resistant, your cells don’t respond properly to insulin, leading to high blood sugar and a cascade of other metabolic problems. Together, these problems can significantly increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and other serious cardiovascular events.

To understand these complex interactions, we need to explore the roles of cholesterol and how it moves throughout the body.

Cholesterol and Its Carriers

Cholesterol is a fat-associated substance essential for building healthy cells and producing vital hormones such as vitamin D. It’s not inherently bad. Your liver produces most of the cholesterol circulating in your body. The real issue lies in how cholesterol is transported.

“Your liver makes most of the cholesterol that’s circulating around, and your body’s pretty good at maintaining a homeostasis,“ Norwitz said. ”So if you eat more cholesterol, your liver makes less. If you eat less cholesterol, your liver makes more.”

Since cholesterol doesn’t dissolve in blood, it’s transported by lipoproteins, which resemble tiny “delivery buses” on the highway of your bloodstream. LDL primarily carries cholesterol to cells, and excess LDL—especially small, dense particles—can contribute to plaque buildup. HDL helps remove excess cholesterol from the bloodstream and returns it to the liver. In short, cholesterol is the cargo, and LDL and HDL are the vehicles that transport the cargo.

According to Davis, the issue isn’t cholesterol, but rather how its carriers, lipoproteins such as LDL and HDL, behave in the body.

LDL gets its reputation as bad cholesterol because excess amounts can contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries. These smaller particles are more likely to damage the artery wall and cause inflammation. Davis compared them to tiny buses that zip in and out of traffic, increasing the chance of crashes. These “crashes” represent inflammation, which can lead to “traffic jams” or plaque accumulation.

Conversely, larger, “fluffy” LDL particles are less likely to cause problems. HDL helps clear excess cholesterol from the bloodstream and transport it back to the liver for disposal, reducing the risk of buildup.

In other words, the real concern lies in how LDL and HDL behave. It’s not the cholesterol itself but the actions of its carriers that can yield plaque buildup.

Complex Landscape

For years, we’ve been told that lowering LDL cholesterol is the primary way to protect our hearts, but the reality is more nuanced. While elevated LDL can contribute to risk, its impact is conditional, as it’s inextricably linked to overall metabolic health and other factors.

One factor is the amount of apolipoprotein B (ApoB) in your blood, a protein that transports cholesterol and other fats. This can be measured with the ApoB test.

“The risk associated with ApoB and LDL counts is context-dependent,” Norwitz said.

This context involves an intricate interaction of lipids, metabolic factors, and lifestyle.

Lipids and Lipoproteins

Lipoproteins transport cholesterol through the bloodstream, and their characteristics—such as size, density, and function—can significantly influence heart disease risk.

Particle characteristics: Beyond total LDL, particle characteristics are crucial. Research shows a complex relationship between LDL and plaque buildup. Some studies have found a weak correlation, while others have linked higher LDL levels in certain people with a higher risk of death. This highlights the importance of considering particle characteristics, including particle size and density—not just total LDL.

HDL cholesterol: HDL helps remove excess cholesterol, but quality matters as much as quantity. Larger HDL particles are more effective at carrying cholesterol to the liver. A January study in the International Journal of Cardiology found that higher levels of small HDL particles were associated with early signs of heart disease, whereas LDL cholesterol was not.

Triglycerides: High triglycerides pose a risk to heart health, regardless of HDL or LDL levels. Managing triglycerides is a key part of cardiovascular health.

Lipoprotein(a): This genetically determined risk factor for heart disease increases risk at high levels. However, its impact can be modified by other factors—most notably, diabetes. One study found that high lipoprotein(a) predicted future heart problems in those without diabetes, but not in those with diabetes, highlighting the complexity of the relationship.

Understanding these nuances allows for a more personalized and effective approach to heart health.

Metabolic Factors

Metabolic health plays a central role in cardiovascular risk. Factors such as blood sugar regulation and dietary choices can directly influence how the body handles cholesterol and inflammation.

Blood sugar control: Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is essential. Research links blood sugar to heart disease risk, even when levels are considered “normal.” Proactive blood sugar management, primarily through diet, is critical.

Ketogenic diet: Different diets can influence metabolic health. The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat way of eating that puts the body into a metabolic state in which it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. Research suggests that ketogenic diets, despite potentially raising LDL cholesterol, may not necessarily increase plaque buildup. 

This hints at other mechanisms influencing plaque development beyond just LDL levels.

Other Influences

Beyond blood markers and diet, long-term exposure and lifestyle habits also shape heart health. Preventive strategies and daily behaviors can either increase or reduce cardiovascular risk over time.

Lifetime exposure: Cumulative LDL exposure over time is a key driver of plaque accumulation. This highlights the importance of early preventive measures. Even if you’re young and healthy, maintaining healthy habits now can significantly reduce your lifetime risk.

Lifestyle factors: Daily habits such as exercise, sleep, and stress management play a major role in metabolic health and influence how LDL affects heart disease risk.

Advanced Cardiovascular Testing

Let’s say you’re concerned about your heart health. You visit your doctor, and he performs a standard cholesterol test. Your results come back normal—but you still have some nagging concerns. What if there’s more to the story?

Advanced cardiovascular testing can provide a more complete picture of your risk, allowing you and your doctor to create a personalized prevention plan. This approach can include the following:

Lipid Markers

LDL particle number: This may be a better predictor of risk than traditional LDL cholesterol, particularly in people with diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

LDL particle size: Smaller, denser LDL particles are more prone to plaque formation.

ApoB: This reflects the total number of plaque-forming lipoprotein particles.

Lipoprotein(a): Sometimes referred to as the “sticky” type of LDL particle, this genetically determined marker is linked to an increased risk of arterial blockages.

Triglyceride/HDL ratio: This marker is a valuable indicator of metabolic health and insulin resistance, as well as a predictor of heart disease. Insulin resistance causes increased triglycerides and decreased HDL cholesterol. A higher ratio suggests poorer metabolic health and a greater risk of heart disease due to a higher level of circulating fats and reduced levels of protective cholesterol.

According to Norwitz, if you have lower triglycerides—less than 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl)—and higher HDL cholesterol—more than 50 mg/dl—it is generally a sign of better metabolic health.

“I believe that triglycerides and HDL are not spoken of highly because there’s not a good medication to correct them,” Davis said.

Metabolic and Inflammatory Markers

In addition to cholesterol-related markers, tests that assess blood sugar regulation and inflammation can offer deeper insights into your overall cardiovascular risk.

Fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c): ​These tests are essential for blood sugar control. Fasting glucose measures blood sugar after an overnight fast, while HbA1c reflects your average blood sugar over the past three months. Elevated levels can indicate insulin resistance or diabetes, both of which significantly increase cardiovascular risk.

Insulin levels: These offer additional insight into insulin resistance, often preceding changes in blood sugar.

Inflammatory markers: Certain markers indicate inflammation-related cardiovascular risk. Elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels can predict future heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular events in both healthy people and those with existing heart conditions.

Lifestyle Approaches to Heart Health

Your lifestyle plays a powerful role in your heart health. While genetics contribute, the choices you make every day—such as what you eat and how active you are—have a profound effect. Making significant lifestyle changes can seem daunting, but even small, consistent steps, when combined over time, can make a big difference.

The heart is a muscle, and like any muscle, it thrives on regular exercise. While exercise is often associated with weight loss, its cardiovascular benefits extend beyond calorie expenditure. Combating sedentary behavior is also crucial, as prolonged inactivity significantly increases risk. Regardless of your overall physical activity levels, more sitting time is linked to a higher risk of heart disease.

Both aerobic exercise and resistance training are important for heart health. Aerobic exercise improves cardiovascular fitness, while resistance training builds muscle mass.

“The more muscle we have, the better our glucose will be controlled and the more insulin sensitive we will be,” Davis said.

Muscle tissue plays a major role in glucose metabolism. Increased muscle mass makes your body more sensitive to insulin, helping regulate blood sugar and reducing the risk of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. Regular exercise, especially aerobic activity, can also help raise HDL levels in some people. 

The most effective exercise regimen likely combines both aerobic exercise and resistance training for comprehensive cardiovascular benefits.

While exercise is critical, diet plays an even more significant role in cardiovascular health. Dietary recommendations for heart health are still debated within the medical community, but research continues to grow.

“I think more doctors need to understand the dangers [of] recommending a low-fat diet high in carbohydrates and ... vegetable oils while placing people on a statin,” Davis said, referring to cholesterol-lowering prescription drugs.

She recommended a low-carbohydrate approach that emphasizes fiber, healthy fats, and animal protein, combined with intermittent fasting, to improve metabolic health. Intermittent fasting involves cycling between periods of eating and not eating, typically fasting overnight and into the next morning.

A 2023 Nutrients review explored ketogenic diets, suggesting that they show promise for cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment. Benefits include improved blood lipids, anti-inflammatory effects, and positive impacts on heart function, blood pressure, and weight loss. 

Other dietary patterns—such as the Mediterranean diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats such as olive oil—have also been shown to support heart health.

A 2020 meta-analysis challenged long-standing advice to limit saturated fat, finding no clear link between reducing saturated fat and lowering heart disease risk. While saturated fats may raise LDL levels, they primarily increase the less harmful, larger particles. However, research on saturated fat is ongoing.

The impact of dietary cholesterol is also less significant than previously believed.

“Dietary cholesterol does not increase serum cholesterol in most people,” Norwitz said.

He noted that for most people, dietary cholesterol—such as that found in egg yolks—has little effect on blood cholesterol levels. He said he would choose eggs over oatmeal with bananas for better metabolic and heart health, especially in the context of Type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

Focusing solely on LDL cholesterol is not sufficient. A more comprehensive assessment of cardiovascular risk includes reviewing family history and additional blood markers. Norwitz suggested evaluating indicators such as HbA1c, insulin resistance, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol to better understand metabolic health and cardiovascular risk.

“It really is individual-dependent,” Norwitz said.

Tracking these metrics allows you to monitor the effectiveness of your lifestyle changes and make adjustments as needed. The key is to use this information to take charge of your heart health.

Thanks for reading! This article was written by Jennifer Sweenie.

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