Brian Hoeflinger, MD
A real neurosurgeon's take on health, medicine, and living well, not another wellness influencer. Science-based. In plain English. 5 minutes a week. Trusted by 65,000+ readers.
Why I Retired from Full-Time Neurosurgery
Why I Retired from Full-Time Neurosurgery By: Brian Hoeflinger, MD August 9, 2026 | #89 Forwarded this email? Sign up here Disclaimer: Opinions are my own. Not medical advice. Medical Trivia of the Week Why does your stomach growl when you are hungry? (the correct answer is at the end of this email) A) Acid sloshing in an empty stomach B) Muscle contractions sweeping the empty digestive tract C) Air swallowed during the day collecting in the stomach D) The stomach lining contracting against...
5 Lessons Grief Taught Me After Losing My Son
What Losing My Son Taught Me About Grief and Living Again By: Brian Hoeflinger, MD August 30, 2026 | #92 Forwarded this email? Sign up here Disclaimer: Opinions are my own. Not medical advice. We're Racing a Half Ironman A quick personal note before we get started. My son and I are racing Ironman 70.3 Michigan in Frankfort on September 20, 2026. That's a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike, and a 13.1 mile run. Training has been humbling, and I'll have more to say about it in the weeks ahead. We're...
How Dopamine Actually Works (and How to Use It)
How Dopamine Actually Works (and How to Use It) By: Brian Hoeflinger, MD August 23, 2026 | #91 Forwarded this email? Sign up here Disclaimer: Opinions are my own. Not medical advice. Medical Trivia of the Week You stay in the bath too long and your fingertips wrinkle. What actually causes it? (the correct answer is at the end of this email) A) The skin soaks up water and swells B) The oils that protect the skin wash away C) Your nervous system narrows the blood vessels in your fingertips D)...
The Fitness Number That Predicts Your Lifespan (and How to Check Yours)
What Your VO2 Max Reveals About Your Health By: Brian Hoeflinger, MD August 16, 2026 | #90 Forwarded this email? Sign up here Disclaimer: Opinions are my own. Not medical advice. Medical Trivia of the Week Four of your five senses pass through a relay station deep in the brain, the thalamus, on their way to the cortex. Which one goes around it? (the correct answer is at the end of this email) A) Sight B) Hearing C) Touch D) Smell In Today's Newsletter Most people could tell me their blood...
There is Something Your Body Has Been Hiding From You
What a 10-Second Balance Test Says About Your Health By: Brian Hoeflinger, MD August 4, 2026 | #88 Forwarded this email? Sign up here Disclaimer: Opinions are my own. Not medical advice. Medical Trivia of the Week What is the medical term for your body's sense of where your limbs are without looking at them? (the correct answer is at the end of this email) A) Proprioception B) Nociception C) Interoception D) Chemoreception Try This Before You Keep Reading Stand up. Take your shoes off. Put...
Your Heart is Sending You a Warning Sign
What Your Resting Heart Rate is Trying to Tell You By: Brian Hoeflinger, MD May 31, 2026 | #87 Forwarded this email? Sign up here Disclaimer: Opinions are my own. Not medical advice. Medical Trivia of the Week A very fit endurance athlete and an untrained person can have the exact same resting heart rate at rest. So what actually makes the athlete's heart more efficient? (the correct answer is at the end of this email) A) Their heart beats with more force per contraction, pumping more blood...
Life After Death: Is It Real?
Life After Death: Is It Real? By: Brian Hoeflinger, MD May 10, 2026 | #86 Forwarded this email? Sign up here Disclaimer: Opinions are my own. Not medical advice. Medical Trivia of the Week Which organ in the human body can regenerate itself, even after up to 75% of it has been removed? (the correct answer is at the end of this email) A) The kidney B) The liver C) The pancreas D) The spleen Is There Life After Death? I cannot prove that there is life after death. But I have a strong sense that...
You Don't Grow in Your Comfort Zone
You Don't Grow in Your Comfort Zone By: Brian Hoeflinger, MD May 3, 2026 | #85 Forwarded this email? Sign up here Disclaimer: Opinions are my own. Not medical advice. Medical Trivia of the Week Research suggests that during extreme endurance events, the sensation of fatigue originates primarily in which of the following? (the correct answer is at the end of this email) A) The cardiovascular system B) The muscles themselves C) The brain, via a central governor mechanism D) The adrenal glands...
My Son Died at 18, Please Read This Important Message
My Son Died at 18, A Letter to the Graduating Class of 2026 By: Brian Hoeflinger, MD April 27, 2026 | #84 Forwarded this email? Sign up here Disclaimer: Opinions are my own. Not medical advice. Our son Brian Hoeflinger died in a tragic car accident four months before graduating high school at the young age of 18. He was a kid just like you who had hopes and aspirations of going to college and having a full happy life. On the night he died, he was at a party with friends drinking vodka and...
Why Sleep is Your Body's Best Medicine
What Your Body is Actually Doing While You Sleep By: Brian Hoeflinger, MD April 8, 2026 | #83 Forwarded this email? Sign up here Disclaimer: Opinions are my own. Not medical advice. Medical Trivia of the Week Which sleep stage is most important for physical repair and immune function? (the correct answer is at the end of this email) A) REM sleep B) The transition between REM and light sleep C) Light sleep (Stage 1) D) Deep sleep (Stage 3) Here's What's Actually Happening While You Sleep Most...
A real neurosurgeon's take on health, medicine, and living well, not another wellness influencer. Science-based. In plain English. 5 minutes a week. Trusted by 65,000+ readers.