Cholesterol Complexity Made Simple

Cholesterol metabolism is a very complicated field. 

Lipids are the different forms of fat and cholesterol which perform a variety of functions within human physiology. There are many different types and subtypes of lipid particles, each with different yet interrelated functions and effects.  There is much basic science that’s not well understood. 

When this basic science is applied to the clinical care of patients, many more complicated issues arise.  The role of various lipid particles in contributing to atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of heart attacks and strokes, is still being determined.  It’s well-documented that many patients who have heart attacks or strokes have normal traditional lipid levels, which illustrates the fact that there are many other factors at work in determining whether your arteries become clogged with plaques and you subsequently suffer a heart attack or stroke.

The media coverage of cholesterol reflects this complexity, and is filled with confusing and conflicting reports of benefits and risks associated with cholesterol levels, as well as the diets, supplements, and (especially) the drugs used to modify lipid levels. The drug companies and supplement makers constantly run adds which sometimes seem contradictory.

For many people like yourself, it’s all very confusing.

Let me make it simple for you.  While there is much that’s not known when it comes to cholesterol, there is one statement that is as rock solid as any truth in all of medicine.  Write this down, and commit it to memory.  I promise, you can take it to the bank.

If your lipid levels are not ideal, you can dramatically lower your risk of heart attack, stroke, and death by optimizing your cholesterol numbers with diet, drugs, or both.

That statement has been proven over and over again.  There are so many large, powerful, well-designed studies (more…)