Cholesterol…Does It Really Cause Heart Disease?

An astounding 40% of people around the world have elevated cholesterol. So just guess which pharmaceutical drug is one of the most widely prescribed and used drugs out there? (answer: Statins). It is amazing how little we actually know about cholesterol or the testing used by physicians to establish our levels. The whole topic of cholesterol levels is complicated. We recently listened to Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Elizabeth Boham of the Ultrawellness Center unpack why cholesterol is only one factor in determining your overall health. They discuss the factors that influence your cholesterol and whether or not statin drugs are the most effective way to prevent heart attacks. Also discussed is the functional medicine approach to looking at cholesterol. Here are a few of the conversation’s key points:

• Ordinary traditional cholesterol panels are antiquated. They are missing information. Regular tests don’t show the size and number of cholesterol particles.
• Beach ball type particles-light and fluffy-are not as concerning.  Golf ball type particles which are small and dense may be problematic.
• Newer particle size tests tell us more about the particles.
• Ask your health care provider for either an NMR(Labcorp) or a Cardio iq(Quest) test.
• The NMR gives an Insulin Resistance Score which shows a person’s risk for cardiovascular disease.
• Lifestyle impacts the size of the particles. A SAD Diet (Standard American Diet) accelerates heart disease because it leads to inflammation and oxidative stress (rusting inside your body). Refined sugar and starch and excess alcohol consumption lead to low HDL, high triglycerides and insulin resistance-all big contributors to heart disease.
• Rapid reduction in a person’s cholesterol can occur with positive lifestyle changes.
• Personalized care is very important as the same diet has different effects on different people.
• For example, in lowering cholesterol levels, Keto diets work for some; increasing protein consumption works for others.
• Beans, nuts, seeds and other high fiber foods do help block absorption of cholesterol in the gut and help reduce the risk of heart disease. 
• Belly fat (visceral fat) is very problematic-it is SUPER inflammatory.  A type of cytokine storm gets released from those fat cells which then leads to more inflammation in the body. This belly fat and the resulting inflammation causes oxidative stress, shifts your LDL cholesterol and potentially  leads to a buildup of plaque and heart disease.
• Remember, risk of heart disease is not just about cholesterol. Functional Medicine looks at diet, inflammation, gut and oral microbiome, heavy metals, pollutants, other toxins, homocysteine and Vitamin B levels as potential causes of oxidative stress (think California smoke filled air).
• Functional Medicine takes detailed family and medical history as it looks to treat the cause not the cholesterol.
• Functional Medicine looks at your hip to waist ratio as a risk factor.
• Functional Medicine looks at your triglyceride to HDL ratio as a risk factor.
• Functional Medicine checks fasting insulin levels as insulin is a very common problem leading to an increased risk of heart disease. 
• Remember, the statin doesn’t change the cause of why your cholesterol is messed up. Look Deeper!
• Click below to hear Dr. Hyman and Dr. Boham’s episode “Cholesterol Is Not The Cause Of Heart Disease”