Addressing Metabolic Failure in the United States

In this eye-opening episode of Decoding Health, Dr. Urban A. Kiernan breaks down a startling statistic from a 2022 Journal of the American College of Cardiology meta-analysis revealing that only 6.8% of Americans are metabolically healthy. Using five key health metrics—waist circumference, BMI, blood pressure, blood glucose, blood lipids, and cardiovascular event history—Dr. Kiernan explains how widespread metabolic failure is driven not only by lifestyle factors but also by reliance on medications that mask underlying issues. The conversation challenges the conventional cholesterol narrative, highlights the hidden risks behind “normal” lab results, and underscores the importance of addressing insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome before chronic diseases take hold.