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 Life Feels Like It Is Passing You By
Why Life Feels Like It Is Speeding Up (and How to Slow It Down) By: Brian Hoeflinger, MD September 6, 2026 | #93 Forwarded this email? Sign up here Disclaimer: Opinions are my own. Not medical advice. Medical Trivia of the Week A memory forms in the hippocampus, but that is not where it stays. Which part of the brain gradually takes over long term storage? (the correct answer is at the end of this email) A) The cerebral cortex B) The amygdala C) The cerebellum D) The brainstem In Today's...
What I Learned from Failure
Do Not Let Failure Define You By: Brian Hoeflinger, MD September 21, 2026 | #95 Forwarded this email? Sign up here Disclaimer: Opinions are my own. Not medical advice. Medical Trivia of the Week Which of your senses is most directly wired to the parts of your brain that handle memory and emotion? (the correct answer is at the end of this email) A) Sight B) Hearing C) Smell D) Touch I Failed... Here's What I Learned I did not finish my half Ironman race yesterday (Ironman 70.3 Michigan). Hard...
How Cortisol Actually Works (and Why Lower Is Not Better)
How Cortisol Actually Works (and Why Lower Is Not Better) By: Brian Hoeflinger, MD September 13, 2026 | #94 Forwarded this email? Sign up here Disclaimer: Opinions are my own. Not medical advice. Medical Trivia of the Week Roughly what share of the world's adults cannot properly digest lactose? (the correct answer is at the end of this email) A) About 35 percent B) About 45 percent C) About 55 percent D) About 65 percent In Today's Newsletter Cortisol is supposed to be high at certain hours...
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...
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...
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...
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.