EP298: Blue Light Glasses and Smells to Remember

Welcome to my podcast. I am Doctor Warrick Bishop, and I want to help you to live as well as possible for as long as possible. I’m a practising cardiologist, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and the creator of The Healthy Heart Network. I have over 20 years as a specialist cardiologist and a private practice of over 10,000 patients. Doctor Warrick Bishop discusses the risks of heart disease and introduces his podcast aimed at helping listeners understand factors like blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol. He reads an article questioning the effectiveness of blue light glasses, noting that screens expose us to only a tiny fraction of blue light compared to daylight and glasses filter only 10-25% of that. The episode also covers a study finding that inhaling pleasant scents during sleep was linked to dramatically improved memory and brain activity, with those exposed to essential oils experiencing a 226% boost in memory performance. This preliminary research suggests the olfactory system may directly impact memory centers in the brain. Takeaways: Heart disease is a major cause of death in Australia and other Western countries, responsible for over 9 million deaths globally per year. The podcast aims to educate listeners about modifiable risk factors for heart disease like blood pressure, weight, and cholesterol. A study found that blue light blocking glasses likely do not reduce eye strain from screen time or improve sleep, as the amount of blue light from screens is very small compared to natural daylight. Inhaling pleasant scents during sleep, like rose, orange, and eucalyptus essential oils, was linked to a dramatic 226% improvement in memory performance. Functional MRI scans showed those exposed to the scents had improved brain activity in areas linked to memory and cognition. The olfactory nerves connect directly to memory areas of the brain, providing a "super highway" of input not seen with other senses. Websites like virtualheartcheck.com.au can assess an individual's heart disease risk factors and provide recommendations. One person dies of a heart attack every 30 minutes in Australia and every 60 seconds in the United States. Heart disease causes over 9 million deaths globally per year. Regular breaks, limiting screen time before bed, and cutting down on overall screen time can help reduce eye strain. Australia, like the rest of the western world, has a heart problem. Over 9 million people around the world die from heart disease every year. Every 10 minutes, someone in Australia suffers a heart attack. And 21 lives are lost daily because of it. The devastating fact in all of this is…  Almost every one of those cases could have been prevented.  This podcast is for anyone who wants to improve their health literacy and gain information to help them make the best decisions about their risk of heart attack, their cholesterol, blood pressure, risk of diabetes, weight loss and general health. Join me on my personal mission journey to prevent Heart Attack on a global scale. If you like this podcast, I would be honoured by a 5-star review and appreciate if you let your friends and family know about this podcast; you may even save the life of someone you love! Are You at Risk of a Sudden Heart Attack? How Healthy is Your Heart? Really? Heart disease is the #1 killer in the Western World. In Australia, someone dies every 28 minutes from heart disease. That’s 51 people a day. In the US, someone has a heart attack every 40 SECONDS! Fortunately, many heart attacks are preventable. However, regular exercise and eating healthy are no guarantee you won’t succumb to this silent killer. 94% of Australians have at least One Ri