Dr. Berry Pierre — Main Character Energy, 2k YouTube Vids & Trust in Healthcare

Speaker:I'm Adam Walker, a biometrics consultant, and this is the Pharma Prescribed Podcast where leaders, innovators, and hidden voices in healthcare open up, no sound bites, no spin, just raw insight, one prescription at a time. In an industry driven by data protocols and pressure, we rarely pause to ask the human questions.

Speaker:What drives us? What breaks us and what truths live behind the titles we wear?

Speaker:Board certified internist, national speaker, and host of the Lunch and Learn podcast. With over 15 years of clinical experience, he's treated patients across hospitals, rehab centers, and nursing homes, tackling everything from infectious diseases to chronic conditions.

Speaker:Dr. Pierre's impact goes far beyond the clinic. He's built a digital health ecosystem that includes blogs, vlogs, an educational series like Empower Yourself for Better Health, designed to demystify medicine and empower communities. His YouTube channel alone hosts over 2000 videos covering everything from vaccine hesitancy to the intersection of pop culture and public health.

Speaker:Dr. Pierre doesn't just inform, he inspires whether he's breaking down complex medical topics or challenging systemic inequities. His voice is reshaping how we think about health

Speaker:I'm honored now to welcome Dr. Berry onto Pharma prescribed. Welcome today.

Speaker 2: First of all, thank you for, having me as a guest. Very excited. The conversation we had was such a riveting one, that I'm excited to be here now, hopefully lend a little bit of expertise on the subject matter.

Speaker:It's such a delight to see you again.

Speaker:My son would say you have main character energy. What is it that gives you that main character energy?

Speaker 2: You know what's interesting? As a physician, you're kind of thrust into this world where you are the leader in a person's health.

Speaker 2: I remember going back to elementary school when I said, I want to be a doctor. Didn't have any doctors in the family, but I knew that this was something that I wanted to do. I thought they were magicians more than anything else. Like, how could I go into an office, give a couple symptoms, and all of a sudden they knew exactly what they needed to do.

Speaker 2: Exactly what they needed to prescribe and exactly the way to make me feel better. I always championed Dr. Gas Stone. He was my pediatrician and he was actually our community physician I'm Haitian, so he is a community physician. All of our Haitian community went to Dr. Gas stone 'cause of cultural competency.

Speaker 2: He spoke our language. More importantly, he spoke our truth and I said, you know what, if I grew up to be a little bit like Dr. Gas stone, I think I would've made it. Once I set down the path, I didn't know any better. I didn't really have a plan B, even though people say you should always have a plan B, I can't even tell you what I'd be doing right now if I wasn't a physician.

Speaker 2: And I think that's what's led me to be able to come out and just say, Hey, I am here to help you because I get a little bit more favor in my world, kind of like tucked in my back pocket if I'm able to help the community members out, more than anything else.

Speaker 2: So it's definitely something that I love and enjoy that I haven't really considered it being work, in over a decade.

Speaker:That's amazing. Thank you for sharing that. It's a fascinating point that you make. So your passion was medicine. Clearly continuing forward.

Speaker:That passion is educating others and using your platform to share your knowledge with others. How did that come about? Where did that come from?

Speaker 2: You know, it was interesting when you kind of have this dream like, Hey, I wanna be a doctor. You don't really know what's behind the scenes.

Speaker 2: you just know that, hey, this smart person's in front of me. I tell 'em my symptoms, they gimme the remedies. And then you get in the background to realize like, wow, there's actually a lot of work that goes into getting to that point where you have the confidence to direct someone's health, and more importantly, someone's life.

Speaker 2: I always say health is a matter of life or death, literally. Having that level of responsibility I was like, How can I, continue to maximize my gift, which is really helping people, but do it at a more of a grander scale because I, I went into the system of medicine and again we all are kind of bushy, tail wide-eyed.

Speaker 2: And then we run into a lot of roadblocks that are systematic in nature, unfortunately. So there's a lot of systematic issues, time restraints, insurances, language barriers, cultural competency, all of these things really started to pose a barrier in front of me and far as my ultimate goal, which is taking care of everybody.

Speaker 2: Like I was, I was hyperbole. I said, Hey, my job is to maybe take care of. Everybody in the world, right? If I could, and I realized in there that just taking care of that person that was in my office was not gonna be enough for me. Even if I only wanted to focus on that person in my office, the system wasn't gonna allow me to do so with the way it was constructed, which is why I started what we is initially, I didn't know it'd be going on this long.

Speaker 2: We're going on 10 plus years now, the lunch you learn where I would spend an hour of my lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays, shout out to my Tuesdays and Thursday bunch, on Facebook and just go live and talk about topics, whether it be hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, something that I wanted to talk to my patients in my office, but I didn't have the time.

Speaker 2: So I can spend that hour go into much more depth, much more detail, and then say, Hey, you know what? We only got five minutes. I did a video on this. Go watch the video when you get home. And if you have any questions, respond to the video. And that is where the motion started happening.

Speaker 2: Because people would come in and before they new patients, before they even saw me, they say, Hey, Dr. Pierre, I saw, I saw your videos. You got a great smile. I can't wait till you're my doctor. I realized educating people on this grander scale allowed me to build their trust and confidence before I even saw them.

Speaker 2: I thought that was the ultimate cheat code. That's where it led to blogging podcasting. That's where it just kind of grew because I was a little selfish in realizing like, I can't help the entire community if I only focus on the person sitting in front of me.

Speaker:It's an amazing point. You talked about the EE effectively, it's the one-to-one versus the one to many, isn't it? You can do the same thing and it can go to an enormous audience versus we can have a one-to-one in your consulting room and it's a very different conversation, isn't it?

Speaker:Definitely.

Speaker 2: And what's interesting, as the conversation grows you realize, you said it best. It is not like I had to have a drastic different conversation talking to a lot more people. So I was like, all right, I can have the same conversation about the topic I choose, and now instead of it reaching one person, it reaches a hundred or 200, or if it goes crazy, thousands I thought to myself, why isn't everyone else doing this?

Speaker:It's amazing because in the UK there's a guy that I follow. Called Dr. Rogan Chatterjee. He's a UK TV medic and he has similarly used podcasting and videos to inform the UK nation

Speaker:it's gone much further afield since then. He started at the beginning of the pandemic and is someone I followed very closely there are. A lot of similarities around what you're doing in not just serving mainstream, but actually serving niche communities as well.

Speaker:I wondered if you could talk about that because you mentioned about being Haitian and I don't know much about the Haitian community

Speaker:When I was a kid, after I finished high school, I stayed in The Bahamas with some family friends, I knew it was just across the water because there was Banter between Bahamians and Haitians,

Speaker 2: Yes. The west Indian banter is always, hilarious because they're so close together.

Speaker 2: Depending on which island you drop in on It's such a different world. You're like, how are you an hour away? And all of a sudden, I'm in a different world. So it's, it's always been like the west, it is always been funny, like Jamaicans, Haitians, like West Indian, like we, we all love each other, but it's always jokes,

Speaker 2: Trust is such a big thing in medicine. Historically medicine hasn't done well to the others. Right. And typically blacks and other communities. So it's taken a while for other communities to trust in what medicine can do for them.

Speaker 2: being a Haitian physician, a male physician, that being able to get online, get on a podcast, just be more visible, allowed me to break down a lot of barriers of trust that were put up, And I always say rightfully so. Like I always say as, and that, that's one of those things where, again, when you're bushy eyed and, and wide-eyed, bushy tailed, you don't realize what you're signing up for.

Speaker 2: Like say, Hey, I wanna be a doctor. And then you realize like, okay, being a doctor means I have to sign up on a team that did my community wrong. And now I have to be on the other side educating my community. Like say, Hey, I know what this system did to us in the past, but it's much better now. And it's much better now because more and more people like myself are on here going to let you know like, Hey.

Speaker 2: this isn't a scam. This is actually information you need to know. I found myself time and time again, being more the voice of reason and being the like, all right, if Dr. Pierre says it, like, all right, I'm reluctant, but I'm going to listen to him. And, and I think that's where, when, especially the, the doctors who like, get on here.

Speaker 2: Just like, just educators in general. I love it. My educators. They recognize that I may not be able to get to everyone, but I know there's a certain community that will likely only do the thing I want them to do because I'm the one saying it. And, and I think that is where we continue to grow, especially the way social media and just the internet has really broken down a lot of barriers.

Speaker 2: I can get into someone's home, into someone's ear, in a rural area, in a highly dense area, in a different country, different world. I can now talk to them, and now they say, you know what, I'm gonna listen to what he says about diabetes. Hypertension, the COVID vaccine.

Speaker 2: I'm gonna listen to what he says because there's something about him that has allowed me to trust him. I may not trust the system behind him. But I'm at least gonna trust him enough that he'll lead me down the right path.

Speaker:I love your principle around that, and I think it is an amazing statement that you make irrespective of gender, race, ethnicity.

Speaker:what we've experienced over the last five years, certainly pre pandemic and during COVID in which we, all of our lives were changed.

Speaker:There was some incredible messages that were coming from the top down, from national governments, from regional decision makers I'd love to know your personal experiences with that and how you served those communities through that.

Speaker:there was vaccine hesitancy enormously. I remember it deeply.

Speaker 2: You what? What's interesting, especially, especially 'cause how you even kind of had to title it pre pandemic and post pandemic for those in training. I was a program director, right? So I was not only was, you know, as a physician, but I was training the future physicians at the same time as a pandemic was going on.

Speaker 2: And you, there was real life lessons had to occur almost immediately because here you had a situation where, again. We're asking the, the community, the community that's been wronged for a long period of time to say, Hey, you have to trust us. And what they're seeing, they're watching on TV where world leaders are shutting down, travel, shutting down businesses, restricting like, like the what you have to wear to go to certain businesses, then telling you, there's a virus.

Speaker 2: We don't know very much about it, but we know it's a bad virus. For the conspiracy theorists, they had a field day because they were able to say like, see, I told you the government this look, they're banning to, they had an absolute field day here I was on the other side having to say, Hey, I know those conspiracy theorists are loud.

Speaker 2: I know the historical relevance of what the system has done to us. But I'm gonna have to fight that. And the conspiracy theorist and the fact that you are just afraid because you don't know. We say this all the time 'cause Fuse mind will always make up a story. I have to be the one to tell you the right story.

Speaker 2: So I found myself really, and I remember to this day. There was an app called Clubhouse. I think it's still around. Yes, clubhouse. I know it.

Speaker:Yeah.

Speaker 2: Where there was an internist, I was an internist, infectious disease microbiologist, an epidemiologist. And then there was just the general public and to hear what the general public thought of us as experts.

Speaker 2: Right in terms of they don't believe us. They don't trust us. And I was like, wow. If I don't become more vocal about what's going on, that one person who's on this panel is going to affect thousands, if not millions. And again, it was gonna be life or death. So I found myself having to be even more over the top with my education,

Speaker 2: Fight, I like to call it against misinformation and disinformation, because it was coming so rampant. And when you tack on the fact that people are just afraid. And that's one thing that people don't they won't just say like, people were just afraid. And in their fear, they were allowing whatever truths that fit their heart that was easiest for them to digest, to manifest.

Speaker 2: So I found myself, Hey, you know what? I have to get online more. I have to talk more even if I have to be aggressive in my battling against misinformation and disinformation. If I don't do this, there are gonna be people who won't be around in five years.

Speaker 2: There are people who are not here today because they listen to someone, steer them in the wrong direction. They listen to misinformation, disinformation that said, you know what, don't get the vaccine. You don't have to mask this virus isn't that bad. Like they, they listen to that and they are not here today.

Speaker 2: I tell myself if we had more physicians, educators, scientists who were willing to say no. Don't listen to that. Like how many more people we can save? 'cause we saved a lot of people. That's one thing that for some reason, they're very quiet now, right?

Speaker 2: There's detractors. A lot a lives were saved, but a lot more probably could have been saved if there wasn't, this battle of what is right or wrong.

Speaker:I'm curious around that point you make Dr. Berry, around health outcomes as well, having worked for the last four or five years in and around vaccines and companies supporting those activities, I spent a lot of time with epidemiologists, looking at large data sets, looking at health outcomes directly from things like diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure,

Speaker:Really interested to know what your experience was at the front line of dealing with patients on a day-to-day. How you have that dialogue, how you inform people that actually perhaps carrying a little bit of extra weight, not taking your inhalers, not getting out, getting exercise, getting fresh air, eating highly processed food

Speaker:Natural state foods, unchanged. I'm curious how you have those conversations with people and, and how you direct people to good outcomes. 'cause that's ultimately your, your role as a physician, isn't it?

Speaker 2: One, 100%. And what I love the best is where you mentioned all of the different caveats are available.

Speaker 2: What I find myself having to do, Especially when we're talking to patients just one-on-one, on one-on-one basis. Everyone feels that their person's story is the only thing that gets affected. Like the way they eat, the way they drink, if they take their medications or not, if they actually get the evaluations or not, it only affects them.

Speaker 2: And I always tell them you have to zoom out. You have to understand that it's not the fact that you aren't. Controlled with your blood pressure. It's the community as a whole, and there are certain systems and factors that are affecting the community as a whole. You just happen to be a part of it, right?

Speaker 2: Like there's a reason why certain foods are much more accessible than others, right? There's a reason why certain foods are much cheaper. Especially in the United States, in certain areas, right? Because like, and then you look and say, Hey, you know what?

Speaker 2: Diabetes is more prevalent there. Hypertension is more prevalent there, high cholesterol is more prevalent there. Like we start seeing all of these like, systematic diseases that just comes down from the fact that like there's a systematic process that gets you there. And if I help you zoom out and say, Hey, you know what?

Speaker 2: You having an issue with your diabetes isn't just a you problem, it's a we problem. And by we, I mean me because, and I think a lot of patients don't understand, they're like, this is a team effort. Right? If your diabetes is a controlled, I'm not doing a good job too. If your blood pressure isn't controlled, I'm also not doing a good job.

Speaker 2: It's not just you, it's not a solo thing. Once they realize this is a team effort and the doc wants me to get better, like, guess what? I may have to cut down on some of those foods. I really, really love. Right and replace 'em with healthier choices. I may have to actually get routine checkups to make sure that what I'm doing is happening correctly and appropriately.

Speaker 2: They become a little more amenable, but it doesn't happen until you, you earn their respect in their trust, and that's why I say you can be the brightest, the brightest person, scientist, epidemiologist, microbiologist, infectious disease. You can be the brightest person. If that person does not trust you, it does not matter.

Speaker 2: It just does not matter. And one of the, I think the biggest relationship that happens, especially in medicine, this doctor patient relationship is one of those things that really doesn't get talked about. A lot. It makes your life so much easier, especially as a clinician once you have it.

Speaker:Yeah.

Speaker:And I mean, in the US I know healthcare is not free in the uk we're very fortunate that we have. Healthcare at source. I live next door to my doctor's surgery. I can see it through the window behind where you're at now, so I can knock on their door and pretty much get an appointment when I need to, but that's quite unusual

Speaker:In the uk. How does that play out for not just people of color, but. People who don't have high economic value in the states, I'd love to hear it from the frontline exactly how that plays out, because health outcomes are clearly directly correlated with access to healthcare, access to medicine, information being pivotal to all of that.

Speaker:As a result of credit card before you'll be seen.

Speaker 2: Definitely. Thankfully in this day and age the world because of the internet has allowed it so that at least from an informational standpoint, the access is there.

Speaker 2: But there are a lot of communities where to get to the nearest physician may be a 30 minute trip. We're assuming they have a car, right? 30 minute trip to get to the nearest physician. And then you're hoping that physician doesn't have our wait long times.

Speaker 2: That then causes you to miss half a day of work. This is where it really starts rolling down the hill access to just having good. Healthcare providers who are readily accessible who are able to give you the information you need, to get your life together, whether blood pressure, diabetes, whatever the thing is, is something that's still taken for granted today.

Speaker 2: And then if you do. Reach the hurdle of yes, I have a doctor who may be close to me, Or especially now we're starting to get better with digital visitation. If, they prescribe a treatment then I have to decide whether I can take that treatment or if I have to feed my children.

Speaker 2: These are real life conversations people have every single day. Especially in this country here, every single day, people are having conversation on whether I choose that my health is important or whether the livelihood is important, which is why sometimes they can't even go to the doctor because going to the doctor means I have to miss a half a day of work.

Speaker 2: I can't afford to miss a half a day of work. Maybe if I get to the doctor and they prescribe a medication that I need, I can't afford it because that's half a month of groceries. So now I have to make a life death decision. Do I get groceries or do I get this medication that helps me breathe easier?

Speaker 2: Or do I just end up in the hospital? It becomes this, reciprocal nature of, yes, again, I'm, I'm in South Florida, right? This is, which is very populous city area. You throw a rock, you're gonna hit a doctor's office, but 10 minutes down the road. People who cannot go and see that dermatologist, that rheumatologist, that endocrinologist like.

Speaker 2: So even when you're within city limits, I always say there's still gonna be access to even getting to see that doctor. And that's if that doctor's available and doesn't have a wait time of three to six months, which can be true as well. And I think that's what becomes more infuriating to patients

Speaker 2: They see the world around them, right? They can go online, they can read a blog, and they can see like, all right, yep, I just need to take care of my blood pressure. But there's so many different roadblocks that are in the way of me taking care of my blood pressure that it just doesn't seem fair. So then they just regress.

Speaker 2: They say, Hey, you know what? My health is just gonna be last. 'cause I gotta take care of my family. I have to work, I have to actually live. And I'm gonna leave my health last. And we know, unfortunately when you delay care and medicine, it is always more expensive at the end. It is always like whatever cost that it might have cost in the beginning, of maybe missing a half day, it caused way more.

Speaker 2: If you see me in the hospital and I'm telling you, you just had a heart attack, you just had a stroke, I'm telling you that, hey, you just broke. It's way more expensive in the end. Don't miss a screening and then all of a sudden we're talking about cancer.

Speaker 2: it just becomes this issue that, continues to roll downhill upon itself that we unfortunately still don't really have a good, grasp on.

Speaker:Yeah, it's a powerful message you're sending out there, Dr. Berry, because. I remember my own experience before I was turning 50 and in the UK we used to have 15.

Speaker:you look good. Wow. Turning 50. You look good. Bless you. Thank you. This is all my own, by the way. I've got very good genetics. I thank my parents for that. When I turned 50, nearly two years ago now, I went to my general practitioner and I said, I want all my blood done and I wanna know what's going on for me because at that time and every day, I'm sat alongside medics and, epidemiologists and I was looking at this data thinking, what I do now is going to translate into the next 20 to 25 years if I'm lucky.

Speaker:I'm bearing in mind my dad got rest. His soul, he had a stroke at 75, lived a further 16 years to 91. But I don't want to have a stroke at 75. I want to live healthily without having had the complications that he's had and that my mom has, his primary carer had to live through. And I wanted to take action upon that.

Speaker:But actually what I found when I went to my general practitioner was that those things didn't exist, and those mechanisms that used to be in place are no longer in place in the uk. I had to insist and I said, well. I'm asking you nicely, but I want to take control of my own health and wellbeing.

Speaker:Please take my blood screenings, or I'll go online and pay to have them done, but I'm gonna have them done because that's my commitment to myself. I ensured that my wife also did the same. We both found out some very interesting things about our health from those screenings.

Speaker:Our health outcomes could and would be very different because we were both prescribed medications We both had actions that were taken as a result my concern is for the broader population who are not proactive with their healthcare, who don't listen to what's out there, who aren't as fortunate to know the things that I know that I hear every single day of my working career.

Speaker:My friends, my family, everyone I'm connected with, I just remind them about what goes in, what goes out. It's all going to have its part to play in the big outcome.

Speaker 2:

Speaker 2: what's so interesting where you kind of mentioned the fact that. Because you start out with a higher knowledge base, right?

Speaker 2: Just a foundation from the standpoint you're even able to ask the right questions. And what I find myself over these years is. People want to know these things, but they don't even know that there are questions that they should be asking. They don't even realize like, Hey, at 40 I should be asking these questions at 45, at 50, and they wander this system of healthcare aimlessly because they're just like, all right, I feel good.

Speaker 2: Nothing seems to be wrong. Nothing's falling off, so everything must be okay. And we found that those who are ready more readily equipped with the information or equipped to be able to get said information always tend to do better. Now, I know some of my colleagues may not seem to like 'em sometimes,

Speaker 2: We call them our Google patients, But I love that, Because they are taking the time. I call it empower yourself for better health. They are taking the time. To say, Hey, you know what? I wanna be in charge of my healthcare, I wanna have a part to play in how healthy I am in the next 5, 10, 15 years.

Speaker 2: The education, especially from a healthcare provider standpoint, is not only, hey, this is the right medication to take, but hey, these are the right questions to ask when you're in the situation that you're in. Because it can only help you in the long run.

Speaker 2: it's this unfortunate gap that I see sometimes widening. The reason why it's widening is because misinformation is starting to fill it. Is what tends to harm patients in the long run.

Speaker:And on that particular point, misinformation is definitely a thing, but an awareness of one's family history.

Speaker:How important do you see that in your day-to-day? Because as I said, I mentioned about my parents, I know what their. Preconditions and their medical history over the years as I do my grandparents. But I'm fortunate. I've known my grandparents and my parents, but many people are disconnected from their parents, nevermind their family histories.

Speaker 2: I

Speaker 2: 'm so glad you talked about that. You probably wouldn't be surprised how many people don't even talk about healthcare amongst their immediate families. Healthcare and their, just, their health and wellness, situation tends to be this taboo subject that like, you know what, I'm only gonna, no, I got my hypertension, I got my diabetes, I got medication.

Speaker 2: I'm gonna keep it. To myself. So they don't even tell the husband, they don't tell the wife, they don't tell the son, the daughter. For some reason it is this closed loop of information. So here I go, I say, oh well you know any family history of diabetes, hypertension. Because I know, and you know the numbers tell us that if you have a family history of certain things, there are genetic components that put you at a higher risk for getting things laid and on the run.

Speaker 2: And the amount of people who can't even give me that is sometimes Starling. So I always implore my patients to say, Hey, you have to stop making healthcare a taboo subject in your family. Everyone should know what is going on with mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, uncle. Everyone should know these things.

Speaker 2: This should not be a surprise. No one should be shocked when like uncle has gastric cancer and you don't know if the son has been like, no one should be shocked by that, but I find time and time again. Because it, it's almost like politics and money. Health is one of these things they don't like to talk about.

Speaker 2: they keep it very close to the brim, I sometimes have to yell at my mom and say, Hey, I know you just went to the doctor. What did y'all talk about? Oh, I don't know. What do you mean you don't know? It was like 30 minutes, how do you not know these things?

Speaker 2: And I just found myself time and time again that breaking down that barrier and allowing healthcare to be cool conversation at the table. Is just as important because again, I said like confused mine. If I don't do that, if I don't say, Hey, it's cool to talk about your health.

Speaker 2: It's cool to talk about your healthcare, it's cool to talk about your health situations and you keep it taboo. Like you can't help us out, right? I wanna know if I'm at a higher risk for something. I wanna know these things too. So that's why I pr but again, obviously I'm biased, right?

Speaker 2: 'cause I'm a physician, So it makes sense, but unfortunately, that family history that's a fight in and of itself.

Speaker:This is wonderful stuff, Dr. Berry. My brain is going in all sorts of different directions as to where we ought to go with this. I find it fascinating I've got two grownup kids and a wife. My kids are both at university age 21 and 22, and when they're home, we always sit around a dinner table and talk, and there are no nons subjects and that includes health. That includes wellbeing.

Speaker:Mental health is very pivotal to our family. We've all had challenges and we continue to seek the support that we need. Talking therapy to me is pivotal to who I am, and it has been for a very long time. That is something that people do not talk about.

Speaker:They don't talk about their mental health And talking about women's health now, I'm curious to know what your experiences have been in women talking around HRT. Hormone replacement therapy in and around, a certain age. So let's say early to mid forties and beyond. Because one of the things that my wife and I have spoken about a lot over the years has been the value of HRT in women of a certain age and how that is protective in bone health in longevity in.

Speaker:Fractures at a later age in women. It's something that drove me to strongly recommend that she have a conversation with our GP a few years ago and I'm so happy that she did My wife has spoken to all of her friends about it and she's well on that path to embracing it, in her early forties she was like, that's not me.

Speaker:I'll just deal with it through diet. I'll make my lifestyle choices. I don't need anything medication wise, but it's been a game changer for her and some of the symptoms she experienced through the menopause have really, really changed her. Changed her brain chemistry, changed her energy levels, sleep patterns.

Speaker:All manner of different things. I'd just love to hear your perspective on that. And so would she, by the way, 'cause when she listens to this will resonate.

Speaker 2: interesting, because my wife's 40, she turned 41 this year. And like she's at this stage now where she talks a lot about being perimenopausal.

Speaker 2: I think menopause in itself gets a very bad rap. Menopause is attached to this age and stage where they think it's later in life. What I always say, especially as a man, you're never gonna really understand what a woman is doing,

Speaker 2: But if you just think about it from a. Chemical standpoint, As their chemical balances continue to wax and wane as they get older, you would expect changes to occur just like if your oil was going lower and lower, you would expect something different to happen in your car to operate differently.

Speaker 2: And the same thing happens, especially with hormones, when women get to perimenopausal and menopausal stages, right? They don't sleep well. Hair changes. We talk a lot about hot flashes, Which gets them ridiculed, Because unfortunately our system of medicine tends to belittle women's symptoms in general.

Speaker 2: they start having these constellation of symptoms that continue to brew. When I talk to the men, I always say, just think about it. The oil is leaking. The oil is leaking, right? The car is starting torick a little bit more.

Speaker 2: It's gonna be a little bit harder to start that car, like things are happening. And that's what's happening slowly over time for women. So you tend to see the situation where they're in denial. Especially when they're Perimenopausal. I had a Dr. Lakeisha on the show and she talked about being a, perimenopausal doctor.

Speaker 2: we talked about the fact that a lot of women will almost deny the symptoms that are happening to them, even though their body is saying, Hey, this is happening. Even when people around them say, Hey, you know what? You are a little bit more feistier than normal. You're sleeping a lot more than normal.

Speaker 2: You're snapping back a little bit harder. The people around you are noticing these things, right? And you, you, you can in denial mode, especially when you're in the perimenopausal stage, right. You're in denial mode. Because with what tends to happen, especially for women as they don't start, they don't even start seeking assistance, right?

Speaker 2: Until it starts affecting their sexual health. And when, when it starts affecting the sexual health, it's like, all right, and usually it's because someone else is saying, Hey, it's affecting sexual health. Go get that taken care of. You tend to see more and more that the folks around you start realizing Hey, something is a little bit different.

Speaker 2: And then you go and say, Hey, you know what? I'm going to accept that. You know what? I'm older, right? I love our women. They don't like to accept that they're getting older. They don't like to accept sometimes. In general, I don't wanna say all, 'cause I don't want no one to be in your podcast comments killing you.

Speaker 2: In general they don't tend to accept that they're older. They want to be the young spry women that they were when they were twenties, and that's just not the case anymore. So they have to recognize that, hey, there are some bodily change that are happening that are, are chemical in nature again, chemical in nature that, that when the hormone balances kind of get fluctuated, will affect everything.

Speaker 2: We see this especially when I talk to women, Hypertension, diabetes. We know that estrogen is very cardioprotective, so when your oil supply starts getting lower, you'll notice from a data standpoint, there's a period of time where men.

Speaker 2: We'll, overtake the women when it comes to cardiovascular rated diseases and complications. But as women get older and that estrogen gets lower, the women catch right back up, again, right? Because that cardioprotective factor when it comes to their heart, when it comes to their bones as far as osteoporosis, osteopenia, calcium production, all tend to waiver.

Speaker 2: so it is an important conversation that women need to have. Because it's one of those things where there are signs earlier, that they likely tend to ignore. And when you talk to women who do end up saying, Hey, you know what? I am gonna do something about this,

Speaker 2: I am gonna look into hormone replacement therapy, and they do the labs and everything says, yeah, you probably should do it. Very rarely are they like, why did I get into this hormone replacement? Very rarely do you hear like, oh my God, why did I do that? It's always like, what took me so long?

Speaker:two men talking about menopause.

Speaker:We're talking about menopause here for all our listeners, Thank you, Dr. Barrett. It's a matter that's so close to my heart. Interestingly, also, my mother never went through menopause because she had a hysterectomy at the age of 40 and was on HRT for 20 odd years.

Speaker:she never went through any of these symptoms and has incredible skin, incredible bone health. She swims every day and she's 77 and she's the epitome of health and wellbeing, and I know that is pivotal to what happened to her, in her early forties. As does she.

Speaker:So we are all connected to women, whether it be our wives, our mothers, our daughters, our sisters. We're all connected, through women. So I think this is a shout out to all the men out there. Do your homework and support the women around you because it's really important.

Speaker:And I only found out about it by listening to certain podcasts that made me think twice about what was going on around me. So I'm delighted that you spoke about that, and I appreciate your insight into that, Dr. Berry more men need to have those conversations with the women in their lives.

Speaker 2: key point. What's worse is, and you know it right, because the men who are also with hormone replacement therapy, AKA testosterone, they recognize when something is different. So it's not like they are. Perverse to the conversation of hormone replacement therapy.

Speaker 2: They just, don't connect it with the women in their lives. Over here we get a lot of commercials about low, testosterone eat this, get better

Speaker 2: It's really interesting.

Speaker:It's interesting.

Speaker:We don't have any adverts like that because we don't have the same sort of number of channels that you do. All the visibility of those health platforms. But interestingly around low men's testosterone, I am aware that through a lot more physical activity through running, through weight bearing sports that men can.

Speaker:Naturally increase their testosterone. Without the need for medical intervention. And I think that is also a conversation that's not really happening very much either, which is we can directly influence it also through diet, reduce carbohydrates, increasing your protein intake.

Speaker:There's all manner of different things that men could do. Maybe you could speak to that point so that we balance this one out

Speaker 2: Yeah, sure, I think it's important. Men will sometimes try to use the opposite for women to say like, oh, you should be able to eat different.

Speaker 2: And it's not the same, right? Like it is the testosterone is a byproduct of typically what we have, what we're putting in ourselves, Which is why we can do extracurricular activities. Eat differently. Monitor differently to balance out the effects of a person who may have low testone.

Speaker 2: Right. Let's say the testosterone range is 100 to 300. When men get closer to 100, even though yes, they're still in normal range, they feel like, oh my God, like I, I have zero. But it's not the same for women. When women are low. Everything starts breaking down. We don't have the same complications when our hormone, right?

Speaker 2: We have more hormones, but testosterone is the one that men love. I, I is affected. So that's why we can do other things to try to help improve our state that our women just can't do. But the fact that we can do other things doesn't mean that you should automatically get testosterone replacement.

Speaker 2: try other things first. But just recognize that yeah, it may still work, it may not still work. But it may not even help because I tell people all the time, you can have the, a normal level testosterone and still feel the same way you feel it, right? It's just, it is just, unfortunately not the same.

Speaker 2: But like we, we always try to go to conservative route for men, because especially here, it's easy to get test testone. And then all of those side effects that they have to deal with, I, I, I try to help them avoid.

Speaker:This is brilliant. Thank you for balancing out that I wanted to get the yin to the yang, the men to the women, so that we cover all of our audience.

Speaker:What's the one thing that we haven't talked about today, Dr. Berry, that you think we should have spoken about before we go onto our quickfire round? I'm just curious.

Speaker 2: Oh, it's interesting. I think especially in the year, 2025, and this goes back to the conversation we had on my podcast, is how technology is going to help define.

Speaker 2: Our healthcare, right? After our conversation, I was doing deep diving, I was like, okay, as a physician, am I actually prepared for how quickly these things are coming? You opened my eyes and I was like, I thought I was there. I don't think I'm there yet.

Speaker 2: And I need to tell my friends. If I'm not there, and I'm typically a little bit more advanced on the tech side let me let folks know like, hey, there's some things coming that we need to be not concerned.

Speaker:we need to be aware of. Yeah. It's brilliant. It's a brilliant point.

Speaker:And, actually outside of this, I'll share a podcast that I was listening to earlier this morning when I was walking my dogs that I think will resonate around that particular point. And it is just the sheer speed at which large language models, AI tools are advancing. It's remarkable if we think about where we are in the last year to 18 months.

Speaker:I've been working with some AI tech companies on a three to six month trajectory, which is super quick and could really transform medical health and medical information for both of us, you know, in, in both of our realms. So I will certainly share that with you after this.

Speaker:This has been a wonderful conversation Dr. Berry I wonder what is the one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?

Speaker 2: I think being okay with not being right 100% of the time would've saved me so much trouble, especially in the beginning of my career where I was trying to solve all the problems and running into roadblocks and hesitation because I just didn't have it.

Speaker 2: If I could say, Hey, Just lock in on what, you know, be the best at what, you know. I'd probably have 700 podcasts by now. It was always that fear of like, I, I don't really know that much. I don't know if they wanna hear it from me. And I would've definitely turned up a lot quicker, a lot sooner.

Speaker:what are the three top qualities you value most when building a team?

Speaker 2: I think speed, is important, especially in this day and age of being able to get information out there, I have to fight against those who want to wrong my patient. So I have to do it faster than them.

Speaker 2: I have to be reliable, right? I have to be able to depend on what you are giving me is the factual information. 'cause like I said, I got that other team over there trying to race me. And then the ability to build trust. If I can build your trust the fastest and be the most reliable person, you'll listen to anything I say.

Speaker 2: I tell people all the time, right? Because of what I've done. I've got 400 podcasts, a whole bunch of videos, because of what I've done, I'm able to tell you something and you're gonna like, all right, you know, Dr. Pierce said it. I'm rocking with it. I don't have to go through the back and forth.

Speaker 2: You just understand that I've done enough work in the back end. He's built my trust quick and I've got my trust factor. I'm ready to run through it.

Speaker:To be clear, I think you are entirely trustworthy, and I've only met you several times on, digital platforms. I love the work that you're doing, and I think your messaging is just.

Speaker:Outstanding. So keep doing what you're doing, please just keep doing what you're doing. Thank you.

Speaker:your favorite thing outside of work, what would that be? Dr. Berry.

Speaker 2: Oh, it's interesting. I'm a big video game. I love the PlayStation. My wife will tell you when I'm not Dr.

Speaker 2: Pierre, if I put that video game in my hand, especially strategy, games, I can be lost for hours. I'll look up and it's like. Did I have dinner? I'm a big strategy one player type games where I can get lost into the world. What, what game? I just what game did I just, there, Harry Potter, what last two games I played was Harry Potter.

Speaker 2: What is it? God of War, something like that. I just get lost in those games. I'll be gone for a few hours and then I'll forget, like I got medicine stuff to do.

Speaker:You clearly need to decompress at some point and in some way, whatever works for you. And finally, your number one golden rule in life and business.

Speaker 2: Oh, to be the best that you can be. You have to be trustworthy and responsible for someone, right? Like the, like especially as a physician, right? Like if I wanna be the best physician, you gotta be able to trust me and you gotta be, know that I'm the most responsible person in the room.

Speaker 2: and then there's a, there's a pinch of confidence. You gotta have a pinch of confidence if you wanna get to that next level, because even if I'm not 100% confident, if I give you the appearance that I am, you will run through the brick wall with me.

Speaker:

Speaker:This has been an absolutely phenomenal conversation, Dr. Berry. I'm left with more questions that I haven't asked, and I know that when I walk away from, this recording today and I listen back to this, there will be questions that I've left out But really, I can't thank you enough for coming on the Pharma Prescribed podcast today.

Speaker:It's been a delight to welcome you I'd love to continue the conversation at a later point. I think there are many, many more conversations that we can have. Thank you so much for all of our audience. If they want to follow your work more, what's the best way to follow you, Dr. Berry.

Speaker 2: Sure. You know, I have my official website, Dr. Berry pierre.com has all of my platforms, and I'm at Dr. Berry Pierre pretty much everywhere. Facebook, Instagram, the Lunch and Learn with Berry Podcast, medicine Mondays with Dr. Berry on the YouTube, channel, you know, it's the, the Dr. Berry Pier is probably the central hub that'll get you to wherever,

Speaker:

Speaker:That's wonderful. And just to finish off, I have to say you maintained your main character energy from start to finish. Once again, thank you for being on. Thank you, Adam. Been an absolute.