LDL is known as the “bad cholesterol”…
Well it turns out it’s not as simple and straight forward.
Because get this — someone could have a low LDL level and still be at higher risk of heart disease than someone with a high LDL.
We know now LDL by itself doesn’t tell you enough.
Total cholesterol, even less.
Turns out these are not the markers of heart disease risk we once thought they were.
And high cholesterol foods like eggs and red meat are not the problem either…
In fact, low cholesterol is a greater risk factor for all cause mortality (read: dying from anything) than high cholesterol.
A Closer Look at Cholesterol
Now we know it’s not the LDL itself — it’s the size of the LDL particles that matters.
Yet most of us are still only getting LDL, HDL, and Total Cholesterol tested.
The good news is there are lab tests out there that can give you a more detailed view of your cholesterol – especially if your LDL is high or you’re at higher risk.
There’s also a lot more info to be gleaned out of a standard lipid panel if you know what to look for, too.
When you know what you’re looking for you can better assess your own risk and have more peace of mind about your health.
The Good Side of Cholesterol
Believe it or not, high cholesterol can actually be a good thing, especially as we age.
Cholesterol is what our body uses to make hormones, cell membranes, it’s nature’s repair substance, and even helps us fight infections and prevent cancer.
Just like anything else in the body – it’s a Goldilocks effect thing – you don’t want too much, or too little, you want just the right amount.
Is All High Cholesterol Bad Cholesterol?
Just knowing you have high cholesterol is like having extra gasoline. Very different situation if that gasoline is going in a tank and you’re headed out for a road trip versus that gasoline is out in the open with a match nearby….
High cholesterol is a red flag – a warning to look deeper.
It’s a symptom, not a cause.
Rarely does the body just decide to make more of something for no reason.
So the question is why does the body think it needs more?
Identifying that is how you get to the root of the issue.
Because when you know why your body thinks it needs more of it, you can address the reason and the body will adjust.
Learn More + Increase Your Confidence in Your Own Health
If you want to learn the ins and outs of cholesterol, the true root causes to look for and what steps to take next, I have just the thing for you.
I recently hosted a masterclass on cholesterol for my private community that goes into all of this and more, including….
- Root causes of high cholesterol
- The No. 1 most common correlation in women with high cholesterol
- The X factor that makes LDL dangerous – what it is and how to avoid it
- The lipid panel marker that’s more important than LDL
- The ratio you can get from a basic lipid panel that’s most correlated with true risk of heart disease
- The new “good” and “bad” cholesterols and how to get them tested to better measure your risk with higher LDL
- The tests to ask your doctor for to get a more complete risk assessment
- What other blood markers you need to know to better measure CVD risk if you have high LDL
- The essential nutrient you must supplement if you’re taking a statin
- More details about cholesterol to help you feel more confident in your own health
The Masterclass is now available on my website.
Click here to access the class now.
P.S. Ready to do something about your own high (or low) cholesterol? If you already have lab work, we can start with a Jumpstart session where we’ll review health history, symptoms, labs and set a plan to get you started. Don’t have bloodwork or know what your cholesterol is? Start with the Bloodwork + Session Bundle which includes the cost of labs. You can schedule either type of session here.
Note: As a health coach I am an educator, helping you learn to read them for yourself, identify patterns, and underlying dynamics that can be contributing factors in your health and how to, with diet and lifestyle changes, effect those pattens and dynamics in order to improve your health and increase your vitality.
The content in this post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice.
