Dr. Matthew Budoff, Professor of Medicine, UCLA

Endowed Chair of Preventive Cardiology
Co-chair, International Garlic Symposium
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Matthew Jay Budoff, MD, FACC, FAHA, is a professor of medicine at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) and the endowed chair of preventive cardiology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Budoff is a graduate of University of California at Riverside (BS) and graduated a member of Alpha Omega Alpha from George Washington University School of Medicine (MD). He completed his training in internal medicine and his cardiology fellowship at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Budoff is on the editorial boards of several cardiology journals, including Clinical Cardiology, Journal of Invasive Cardiology, JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, and Cardiovascular Diabetology. He has also served on several association committees. Budoff has authored or coauthored more than 50 books and book chapters and more than 2,000 articles and abstracts. He has received numerous research grants from the National Institutes of Health and has been invited to lecture at cardiology conferences around the world. In addition to his 2015 appointment as the Endowed Chair of Preventive Cardiology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, he has been recognized for his work by the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, from which he received the Gold Medal Award and recently designated as Master of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography (MSCCT) and has been inducted into the European Academy of Sciences. Budoff has been named to “America’s Top Doctors” for each of the past nine years. In 2011, he was named a U.S. News & World Report Top Doctor for cardiology, was awarded the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 and named “The world’s most influential scientific researchers” in 2018 and 2019. Here, he discusses his research on Aged Garlic Extract.

Question: As a cardiologist who’s conducted extensive research into the prevention of heart disease, what attracted you to investigate Aged Garlic Extract (AGE)?

Answer: There were a number of great studies with AGE on lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, both important cardiac risk factors. So, I was interested to see if there was an effect on atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries). I approached Wakunaga and we started our first trial “CAGE – Coronary Atherosclerosis using Aged Garlic Extract” and showed benefits. So, we did a larger confirmatory trial, and then subsequently did studies in firefighters (showing reduced stress and plaque), and in persons with diabetes. Most recently we showed a benefit on cognitive (brain) health using AGE. We use Wakunaga of America’s Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract because of its consistent quality and potency. It has been proven safe and effective for more than 60 years.

Question: You are researching pharmaceutical drugs, such as Retatrutide and Tirzepatide and their effects on cardiovascular disease. In contrast to a pharmaceutical, what are the benefits and limitations with AGE?

Answer: When you look at a drug like Tirzepatide, a highly processed medication made for specific targets, it has a specific effect on the body. When you look at AGE, a natural compound, it has broad applications but is not as specific as these drugs produced to do one or two things. Thus, AGE has a larger effect on different processes in the body, while Tirzepatide has a larger effect on weight and diabetes.

Question: Were there surprise findings while researching AGE?

Answer: We were surprised to find a nice reduction in stress markers with AGE when we studied firefighters, and the first trial I did, in only 25 people, was quite surprising, as I didn’t expect AGE to have such a large effect on heart disease in such a short time and a small population. Usually, studies have to be longer and larger to show such effects. We then confirmed those findings in subsequent trials.

Question: Who would you recommend AGE products to?

Answer: I use it in all my patients with atherosclerosis (plaque in the arteries), such as positive coronary artery calcium scans, known heart disease or similar heart patients. I also recommend it to those people at risk of heart disease (those with risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and family history of heart disease).

Question: For natural product retailers who are selling AGE products in their stores, what would you recommend they consider when discussing these options with customers?

Answer: The great science behind the therapy. There are more than 900 published scientific papers showing the benefits of AGE. So many supplements have no or little science behind them. This therapy is so well validated, odorless and well tolerated, that customers can know what benefits to expect.

Question: What aspects would you like to focus on if conducting more research on AGE?

Answer: We will be looking into longevity and changes in overall health with AGE, going beyond cholesterol and blood pressure markers.