Kym Mcnicholas On Innovation

When Coach Prime, Deion Sanders, left a recent Colorado game in pain from another blood clot, headlines focused on his toes and his comeback. But few understood what his story actually exposes: the difference between arterial and venous clots — and why that distinction can mean the difference between life, limb, and legacy. On this week’s Heart of Innovation, I sat down with Dr. Esteban Henao of Albuquerque, NM, and Dr. John Phillips, interventional cardiologist and co-host, to unpack the science, the stories, and the stakes behind blood clots — timed to World Thrombosis Day. We discuss: – Why Deion’s “perfect storm” of diabetes, aneurysmal disease, and hereditary hypercoagulability makes his case so complex – How arterial clots (often linked to PAD and plaque buildup) differ from venous clots that can cause deadly pulmonary embolisms – What warning signs too many patients and clinicians still miss – Why who you are can determine how quickly you’re treated — and how equity in vascular care could save thousand