Dr. Sunny Sharma

Dr. Sunny Sharma More than a doctor 🌱
Personalized care 🩺
Primary care with a personal touch 💚

The hardest parts of recovery don’t always make it onto social media.I’ve shared the good parts of my acoustic neuroma j...
09/02/2026

The hardest parts of recovery don’t always make it onto social media.

I’ve shared the good parts of my acoustic neuroma journey. The treatments. The progress. The wins.

But there has been a lot happening behind the scenes too.

Fatigue. Raynaud’s. Facial numbness. Eye symptoms. Facial spasms. Treatments that didn’t work. And eventually, stopping exercise—the thing that has always been one of my biggest outlets for both physical and mental health.

Then came a breakthrough.

After four months without an intense workout, I finally pushed myself again.

60 minutes of VO₂ max work using a Norwegian-style interval strategy.

Heart rate: 180.

No full facial spasm.

It wasn’t my fastest workout.

It wasn’t my strongest.

But it reminded me that progress doesn’t have to look perfect to be progress.

And it reminded me that I don’t want a facial droop or my own self-consciousness to keep me from showing up.

Social media gives us snapshots.

We rarely see the whole story.

So give people some grace.

Check in.

You never know what someone is carrying.

And if you’re fighting something right now:

Keep going.

I’m not done. ❤️

09/02/2026

You probably think you know what my recovery has looked like.

You don’t.

Because what you see online is the good stuff. You don’t always see what’s happening behind the scenes.

Last fall, I shared my journey through Gamma Knife radiation for my acoustic neuroma.

First came months of fatigue. Then severe Raynaud’s—which isn’t exactly ideal in Chicagoland. 🥶

After my birthday, I developed numbness in my tongue and face, a heavy feeling around my right eye, and blurry vision.

Then came facial spasms.

Exercise and heat could trigger them. Steroids didn’t help. Botox slowed them down, but left me with a heavier eye and facial droop.

Eventually, I stopped working out.

That was HARD.

Exercise is my outlet. My stress relief. My mental reset.

Suddenly, the thing I relied on most wasn’t something I could do.

So I had to practice something I’m not particularly good at:

Patience.

Keep taking care of myself. Keep showing up. Trust the process.

Recently, after FOUR months without an intense workout, I finally pushed myself again.

A full hour of VO₂ max intervals.

My heart rate hit 180.

And my face didn’t go into a full-on spasm.

That was a HUGE breakthrough.

But I realized something else.

I’d become self-conscious about being on camera. The facial droop. The asymmetry. People noticing.

And I decided I don’t want that to stop me from showing up.

So here I am.

Showing up anyway.

Because social media gives us snapshots. One picture. One accomplishment. One smiling face.

But there can be an entire story happening outside the frame.

Give people some grace. Check in.

You never know what someone is carrying.

And if you’re fighting something right now:

Keep going.

I’m not done fighting.

And I hope you’re not either. ❤️

Statins aren’t the only tools we have to lower cholesterol.After talking about statins and PCSK9 inhibitors, let’s look ...
09/01/2026

Statins aren’t the only tools we have to lower cholesterol.

After talking about statins and PCSK9 inhibitors, let’s look at some of the other lipid-lowering medications that can be incredibly useful.

💊 EZETIMIBE (Zetia)

Blocks cholesterol absorption in the intestine.

➡️ LDL-C ↓ ~15–20%

It’s oral, generic, inexpensive, generally well tolerated, and is often the first medication added to a statin when LDL-C remains above goal.

And importantly, adding ezetimibe to a statin has been shown to reduce cardiovascular events.

💊 BEMPEDOIC ACID

Inhibits ATP-citrate lyase (ACL), an enzyme involved in cholesterol production upstream of the pathway targeted by statins.

➡️ LDL-C ↓ ~15–25%

Particularly useful for people who can’t tolerate statins or need additional LDL lowering.

In the CLEAR Outcomes trial, bempedoic acid reduced major cardiovascular events by 13% in high-risk patients who were unable or unwilling to take recommended statin doses.

💉 INCLISIRAN

Targets PCSK9—but differently than the injectable PCSK9 antibodies we discussed earlier.

It’s an siRNA that reduces PCSK9 production in the liver.

➡️ LDL-C ↓ ~50%

Its infrequent dosing schedule is appealing, but definitive cardiovascular outcomes data are still being established.

🧪 ICOSAPENT ETHYL

This isn’t primarily an LDL-lowering medication.

It’s purified EPA used in selected patients with elevated triglycerides and cardiovascular risk.

In REDUCE-IT, major cardiovascular events were reduced by about 25%.

And don’t forget:

Fibrates → primarily triglycerides
Bile acid sequestrants → LDL lowering

The big takeaway?

Lipid management isn’t “statin vs. no statin.”

We can target LDL-C, ApoB, triglycerides and different parts of lipid metabolism with different medications.

The right choice depends on the patient’s:

🫀 Cardiovascular risk
📊 LDL-C & ApoB
🧪 Triglycerides
🧬 Lp(a)
💊 Statin tolerance
🎯 Treatment goals

The goal isn’t a prettier lipid panel.

The goal is fewer heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular events.

We are arguing about the WRONG thing.I want to correct something from my earlier post:Pennsylvania reported TWO MEASLES-...
08/31/2026

We are arguing about the WRONG thing.

I want to correct something from my earlier post:

Pennsylvania reported TWO MEASLES-ASSOCIATED DEATHS.

That wording matters.

One involved a newborn who tested positive for measles. The Lancaster County coroner has said the immediate cause of death was a ruptured spleen and that measles was not determined to be a contributing cause.

So yes—let’s be precise.

Medicine demands precision.

But here’s where this conversation has gone completely off the rails:

People are obsessing over whether these should be called “measles deaths” or “measles-associated deaths” as though winning that semantic argument makes measles less dangerous.

It doesn’t.

This is the distraction.

Measles remains one of the most contagious viruses we know. It can cause pneumonia, encephalitis, hospitalization, immune suppression and death.

And we have a vaccine that has been preventing this disease for decades.

Pennsylvania is experiencing a major measles outbreak.

Vaccination coverage has fallen in some communities, allowing a disease we once eliminated from sustained transmission in the U.S. to come roaring back.

And remember: babies under 12 months aren’t routinely eligible for their first MMR dose.

They depend on the rest of us.

So the question shouldn’t just be:

“Was this technically a measles death?”

It should be:

“Why are we allowing measles to come back in the first place?”

I’m a physician. If new information changes my wording, I will correct myself.

That’s not weakness.

That’s science.

What I won’t do is pretend that uncertainty about one death means measles suddenly isn’t dangerous.

It is.

MMR works.

Measles is preventable.

And the people who cannot yet be vaccinated deserve a community willing to protect them.

Stop arguing about the wrong thing.

Look at the outbreak. Look at the vaccination rates. Look at the hospitalizations.

That’s the story.

IT’S 2026. COVID IS CLOSING SCHOOLS AGAIN.And we’re still arguing about 2020.In Louisiana, Park Ridge Achievement Academ...
08/28/2026

IT’S 2026. COVID IS CLOSING SCHOOLS AGAIN.

And we’re still arguing about 2020.

In Louisiana, Park Ridge Achievement Academy closed for a day after 20 teachers and 80 students were out sick with COVID.

In Texas, San Perlita ISD suspended ALL school operations for two days because of rapid COVID spread.

But this isn’t just Texas or Louisiana.

COVID activity is increasing across the country, with infections growing or likely growing in 47 states.

And now millions of kids are back in classrooms.

🏫 Classrooms
🚌 School buses
🏈 Sports
🎭 Activities
👩‍🏫 Teachers
🏠 Families

More people mixing together creates more opportunities for respiratory viruses to spread.

Yet we’re still fighting about masks, lockdowns, mandates and who was right in 2020.

Meanwhile, COVID is circulating in 2026.

And let’s be clear:

2026 ≠ 2020.

We have better treatments, more immunity, more experience and better surveillance.

We don’t need panic.

But COVID didn’t disappear.

And yesterday, the FDA approved the updated 2026–27 COVID-19 vaccines, designed to better match currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Will vaccination prevent 100% of infections?

No.

But almost nothing in medicine provides 100% protection.

The goal isn’t eliminating risk.

THE GOAL IS REDUCING IT.

I’m getting the updated COVID vaccine as soon as I’m able.

And as a physician, I plan to STOCK IT, RECOMMEND IT and ADMINISTER IT.

And I’ll be clear about my position:

I RECOMMEND COVID VACCINATION FOR EVERYONE. 💉

Not because I’m afraid.

Because I’m paying attention.

COVID isn’t 2020.

BUT COVID ISN’T GONE.

Get vaccinated. Protect yourself. Protect your community.

🚨 THIS IS WHY SCIENCE MATTERS.A new drug just changed the conversation around one of the deadliest cancers we have.Pancr...
08/27/2026

🚨 THIS IS WHY SCIENCE MATTERS.

A new drug just changed the conversation around one of the deadliest cancers we have.

Pancreatic cancer.

It’s aggressive, often diagnosed late, and incredibly difficult to treat.

The overall 5-year relative survival for pancreatic cancer is only about 13.7%.

And unlike some other major cancers, we currently have NO proven screening test for average-risk people that reliably detects pancreatic cancer before symptoms develop.

Then came a major breakthrough.

The FDA approved Rasonque (daraxonrasib), a targeted oral therapy for certain patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

In a phase 3 clinical trial:

💊 Daraxonrasib: 13.2 months median overall survival
💊 Chemotherapy: 6.7 months

That’s nearly DOUBLE the median survival.

The drug targets RAS signaling, a pathway that plays a critical role in pancreatic cancer. For decades, researchers have been trying to figure out how to target this pathway effectively.

And now that research is helping patients live longer.

Is it a cure? No.

Does it work for everyone? No.

But in metastatic pancreatic cancer, where treatment options have historically been limited, this is a BIG deal.

And here’s what I really want people to understand:

This is what science looks like.

🔬 Years of basic research
🧬 Understanding cancer biology
🧪 Clinical trials
📊 Phase 3 evidence
💊 Drug development
🏥 Regulatory review

And eventually…

More time for patients.

We still need better treatments.
We need earlier detection.
We need better biomarkers.
We need prevention strategies.
And ultimately, we need a cure.

But we don’t get there by pretending we already know the answers.

We get there by asking better questions and continuing to learn.

So celebrate this breakthrough.

Then let’s fund the next one.

Because today’s “impossible” medical problem could become tomorrow’s breakthrough.

This is why we need science.
This is why we need research.
And this is why we can NEVER stop learning. 🔬❤️

Two people just died from measles in the United States.And honestly?This should make us angry.Not because measles is som...
08/26/2026

Two people just died from measles in the United States.

And honestly?

This should make us angry.

Not because measles is some mysterious disease we haven’t figured out how to prevent.

Quite the opposite.

We know exactly how to prevent it.

The U.S. has reported 2,777 measles cases in 2026—already exceeding the total from 2025—and this is now the worst U.S. measles outbreak in more than 30 years.

Two unvaccinated people in Pennsylvania have now died.

But here’s the part I don’t want us to miss:

Death isn’t the only bad outcome.

About 1 in 5 unvaccinated people who get measles in the U.S. are hospitalized.

Up to 1 in 20 children with measles develop pneumonia.

About 1 in 1,000 children develop encephalitis—brain swelling that can cause seizures, permanent neurologic disability, or hearing loss.

And roughly 1–3 children out of every 1,000 who become infected die.

And measles is absurdly contagious.

If an unvaccinated person is exposed, roughly 9 out of 10 will become infected. The virus can remain infectious in the air for up to 2 hours after an infected person has left a room.

Now compare that with the vaccine:

1 dose of MMR → ~93% effective

2 doses → ~97% effective against measles.

We didn’t stumble into measles elimination.

We vaccinated.

And vaccination prevented millions of deaths globally. WHO estimates measles vaccination averted nearly 59 million deaths between 2000 and 2024.

This isn’t about pretending vaccines are perfect.

They’re not.

It’s about recognizing the overwhelming difference between a very effective prevention tool and letting a highly contagious, potentially devastating disease circulate again.

Measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000.

Now we’re watching it come back.

This is what happens when we forget what prevention looks like.

Preventable disease doesn’t become less tragic because we have a vaccine.

It becomes more tragic.

Because we didn’t have to be here.

Dolly Parton was more than a country music legend.She was a public-health intervention in rhinestones. 💔She understood s...
08/26/2026

Dolly Parton was more than a country music legend.

She was a public-health intervention in rhinestones. 💔

She understood something we sometimes forget:

You don’t improve people’s lives only by treating disease.

You improve lives by giving people opportunity.

By giving children books.

By investing in education.

By supporting science.

By helping families through disasters.

By making healthcare research possible.

By giving people a reason to believe that their circumstances don’t have to determine their future.

Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, more than 300 MILLION books have been gifted to children since 1995.

Think about that.

300 million opportunities to learn.
300 million opportunities to imagine.
300 million opportunities to dream bigger than your circumstances.

And during COVID, Dolly quietly donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for vaccine research—an investment that helped support the science behind the Moderna vaccine.

She supported pediatric research.
She supported scholarships.
She helped disaster victims.
She helped employees pursue college.
She invested in children over and over again.

And perhaps that’s the part of Dolly’s legacy that matters most to me as a physician:

She understood that health is not just what happens inside a doctor’s office.

Health is literacy.
Health is education.
Health is opportunity.
Health is community.
Health is access.
Health is prevention.
Health is hope.

Dolly didn’t just entertain generations.

She spent her life asking:

“What can I do to make someone else’s life a little better?”

And then she actually did it.

That’s a legacy worth remembering.

That’s a life worth celebrating.

And maybe the best way to honor Dolly isn’t simply to listen to her music today.

Maybe it’s to do what she did.

Give more.
Help more.
Learn more.
Care more.

And leave this world a little better than you found it.

Thank you, Dolly. ❤️

You were truly More Than a Doctor’s kind of role model.

Yesterday we talked about PCSK9 inhibitors.Today, let’s talk about the most studied cholesterol medication in history: S...
08/25/2026

Yesterday we talked about PCSK9 inhibitors.

Today, let’s talk about the most studied cholesterol medication in history: STATINS.

And here’s what I want you to remember:

Statins aren’t prescribed to make your cholesterol numbers look pretty.

They’re prescribed because lowering atherogenic lipoproteins can reduce heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular death.

How do statins work?

Statins inhibit HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme involved in cholesterol production in the liver.

The liver responds by increasing LDL receptors.

More LDL receptors → more LDL pulled from your bloodstream → lower LDL-C.

But LDL-C isn’t the whole story.

LDL-C tells us how much cholesterol is being carried in LDL particles.

ApoB gives us information about the number of atherogenic particles circulating in your blood.

And those particles are what can enter the artery wall and contribute to atherosclerosis.

Now for the part that really matters:

In large randomized statin trials, every 39 mg/dL (1 mmol/L) reduction in LDL-C was associated with approximately:

❤️ 21–22% fewer major vascular events

🧠 ~15% fewer strokes

⚰️ ~10% lower all-cause mortality

Those aren’t prettier lab results.

They’re fewer cardiovascular events and deaths.

That’s why statins remain the first-line cholesterol medication for most people who need pharmacologic LDL lowering.

They’re effective, inexpensive, available as generics, generally well tolerated, and backed by decades of cardiovascular outcomes data.

That doesn’t mean everyone with elevated LDL needs a statin.

Your overall risk matters—including LDL-C, ApoB, Lp(a), blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, family history, age, CAC and more.

And lifestyle remains foundational.

But when medication is indicated, statins have an incredibly difficult evidence bar to beat.

We’re not treating the number.

We’re treating cardiovascular risk.

The first oral PCSK9 inhibitor is here. And the numbers are impressive.The FDA just approved enlicitide (Lipfendra) — th...
08/24/2026

The first oral PCSK9 inhibitor is here. And the numbers are impressive.

The FDA just approved enlicitide (Lipfendra) — the first oral PCSK9 inhibitor for lowering LDL cholesterol.

Until now, PCSK9 inhibitors have been injections.

This is a pill.

And it works.

In the Phase 3 CORALreef Lipids trial, enlicitide lowered LDL-C by 56% vs. placebo at 24 weeks.

In patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, LDL-C fell 59% vs. placebo.

But here’s where it gets really interesting:

• ApoB ↓ ~50%
• Non-HDL-C ↓ ~53%
• Lp(a) ↓ ~28%

And ~70% of patients achieved both:
LDL-C

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