Clear, concise, occasionally life-changing info from the Gravity Health team.
Did you know? Meet Lp(a) — the once-in-a-lifetime test you've probably never had.
Lp(a) (lipoprotein little-a) is the sneaky cousin your standard cholesterol panel has been ghosting. It's over 90% genetically determined by the LPA gene, which means kale, CrossFit, and clean living barely move the needle — your level is basically set, stable, and yours for life. The catch? It's about 6x more atherogenic than LDL-C, and it drives cardiovascular risk completely independently of your LDL.
Clinically, >100 nmol/L is where we start paying attention (that's the 80th percentile in Caucasian populations). It's also a major health equity issue: African American patients average ~75 nmol/L vs ~20 nmol/L, and roughly 40% are above 100 nmol/L, with 20% above 150 nmol/L — yet this test is still massively underordered.
The beautiful part: you only need to measure it once in a lifetime. One tube of blood, one time, potentially a very different plan for your heart, your kids, and your family screening. Add it to your bucket list — and ask us at your next visit.
How beta blockers made the internet anxious, the irony
A reel I posted about using propranolol (a beta blocker) for situational anxiety quietly exploded: between Instagram and TikTok, it's now been watched over half a million times. The wild part is how many people in the comments were anxious about the idea of using medication for anxiety — while describing exactly the kind of high-stakes, body-freak-out moments these meds can help with. Propranolol doesn't "cure" anxiety or replace therapy; it blunts the fight-or-flight surge (racing heart, shakes, sweating) so your brain can stay online for the things that matter. This is the nuance we live in at Gravity: meds aren't "good" or "bad" in isolation — they're tools, and the real question is whether they fit your body, your history, and your actual life.
Botox, but make it therapeutic
Dr. Emma Lee is now offering therapeutic Botox at Gravity for chronic migraines, TMJ pain, and excessive sweating. This isn't about "frozen" selfies — it's tiny, targeted injections that calm overactive nerves and muscles so you can have fewer headaches, less jaw pain, and less "I can't lift my arms because of sweat" energy. If you've already tried the usual meds, mouth guards, or topical antiperspirants and you're still struggling, it might be time to talk to Emma about whether therapeutic Botox fits your situation.
Whitehorse, we still love you long time
One small, behind-the-scenes change: Paul and I are getting rid of our dedicated "Whitehorse" shift on Jane. What's not changing is that we're still your doctors. If you're in Whitehorse, you can now just book in under the Vancouver location and we'll see you virtually — same faces, same brains, same Yukon-level loyalty.
If you want in-person care in Whitehorse, you can also book with Madison, who is amazing, fantastic, the greatest ever — and you still have us in your corner. Whitehorse, we're not going anywhere; we're just making the scheduling software slightly less weird.
See you out there,
The Gravity Health team
