VinnyJames
Well-Known Member
I'm looking to gain a better understanding of HDL, LDL, Triglycerides and their ratios.
Can anyone point me in the right direction.
Can anyone point me in the right direction.
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Cholesterol
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VinnyJames
Well-Known Member
Bump
donnellysdogs
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Indy51
Expert
There are a number of Youtube videos by Prof Ken Sikaris on the subject of cholesterol - very informative:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sikaris
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sikaris
Winnie53
BANNED
@VinnyJames I join you in your search for a better understanding of the lipid panel and desired ratios. These are questions I've been on a quest to answer for the last three months.
Here's what cardiologist Stephen Sinatra has to say in his book:
"What You Need To Know
"Hypertension, high levels of triglycerides, and high ratio of triglycerides to HDL are all better predictors of heart disease than cholesterol. Sugar, or more specifically fructose, raises every single one of these measures.
"Fat raises LDL cholesterol, but it raises the big, fluffy, harmless particles (producing the desirable pattern A profile) and lowers the nasty little BB gun-pellet LDLs that actually do cause heart disease. Sugar in contrast, has the opposite effect, increasing the number of really bad LDL particles (producing the harmful pattern B profile) and decreasing the number of harmless ones. On top of that, high levels of sugar and insulin damage those nasty little LDL particles, making them far more likely to start the process of inflammation.
"If you accept our theory that inflammation, not cholesterol, is at the "heart" of heart disease, it's worth pointing out that the metabolic effects of sugar are highly inflammatory to your artery walls."
More quotes from his book...
"Total cholesterol is so irrelevant as a metric that in 2007 the Japanese Atherosclerosis Society stopped using it in any tables related to the diagnosis or treatment criteria in its guidelines."
In Japan's Isehara Study, they investigated whether or not the LDL level is "a better predictor of heart disease or mortality than the cholesterol level". ..."In both men and women, overall mortality was significantly higher in the group with the lowest LDL cholesterol levels (under 80 mg/dL). Although it's true that in this study mortality from heart disease was greater in the group with the highest LDL levels (over 180 mg/dL, which is, admittedly, pretty darn high), this was only true in men. In women the opposite was so--fewer women died of heart disease in the group with the highest LDL levels. In any case, this increase in heart disease in the high LDL group of men was apparently more than offset by the increase in deaths from other causes."
What both cardiologist Stephen Sinatra, also cardiologist Mark Houston say over and over again, in their respective books, is that the standard lipid profile tells us...nothing. It's particle number and particle sizes that begin to give us the information we need.
This is a quote from the opening chapter of Houston's 2012 book, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Heart Disease...
"...coronary heart disease doesn't come from cholesterol; it is the result of inflammation, oxidative stress (free radical damage), and autoimmune damage to your coronary arteries and other arteries throughout your body. Similarly, it's not the elevated blood glucose that "kills" your arteries or even the pounding of the blood against the blood vessel walls seen in high blood pressure; it's the inflammation, oxidative stress, and faulty immune response that may result. These are the elements you should be attempting to control. And taking medications to lower your cholesterol, blood sugar, or blood pressure will not necessarily accomplish these aims. In fact, they may open the door to disaster by giving you and your physician a false sense of security. Indeed, many recent papers published in medical journals have noted that addressing only the five major risk factors for coronary heart disease will never prevent or control nearly as much disease as we'd like. In other words, if doctors continue to focus almost exclusively on these five factors, we'll never do any better than we do now at treating heart disease and heart attack!"
On the back of the book, he writes...
"The leading cause of death, coronary heart disease has been linked to five basic risk factors: elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and smoking. But the truth is that heart disease is much more complex--with close to 400 risk factors!"
Of the five to six books on heart disease that I've now surveyed and/or read, Sinatra's book, The Great Cholesterol Myth: Why Lowering Your Cholesterol Won't Prevent Heart Disease--and the Statin-Free Plan That Will, and Houston's book - (title listed above) - have been the most helpful to me in 1) understanding which lab tests to request and 2) developing an action plan that includes diet, supplements, and exercise.
Both cardiologists use medication, as needed, based on an extensive evaluation of their patient's family history and lab results - (though not the standard lipid panel). Niether are anti-medication. They both are dedicated to educating their patients on how to improve their heart health through lifestyle changes using diet, supplements, and exercise, other strategies too.
Dr. Sinatra has two websites... www.drsinartra.com/ and www.heartmdinstitute.com/ I've spent the last month or so exploring the former site. The latter website appears older to me, but it looks like he's beginning to add to it again. Dr. Sinatra retired, I think two years ago.
I don't think Dr. Houston has a website. I think he primarily lectures. Yesterday, I watched this 30 minute interview with him that was uploaded a few days ago. It's excellent and well worth watching...
I should also add that both doctors are supportive of eating meat, poultry, and fish, also healthy fats, but Dr. Houston is more conservative when it comes to fats. Interestingly, I've yet to come across a cardiologist that fully embraces the LCHF diet, which continues to concern me somewhat.
Here's what cardiologist Stephen Sinatra has to say in his book:
"What You Need To Know
"Hypertension, high levels of triglycerides, and high ratio of triglycerides to HDL are all better predictors of heart disease than cholesterol. Sugar, or more specifically fructose, raises every single one of these measures.
"Fat raises LDL cholesterol, but it raises the big, fluffy, harmless particles (producing the desirable pattern A profile) and lowers the nasty little BB gun-pellet LDLs that actually do cause heart disease. Sugar in contrast, has the opposite effect, increasing the number of really bad LDL particles (producing the harmful pattern B profile) and decreasing the number of harmless ones. On top of that, high levels of sugar and insulin damage those nasty little LDL particles, making them far more likely to start the process of inflammation.
"If you accept our theory that inflammation, not cholesterol, is at the "heart" of heart disease, it's worth pointing out that the metabolic effects of sugar are highly inflammatory to your artery walls."
More quotes from his book...
"Total cholesterol is so irrelevant as a metric that in 2007 the Japanese Atherosclerosis Society stopped using it in any tables related to the diagnosis or treatment criteria in its guidelines."
In Japan's Isehara Study, they investigated whether or not the LDL level is "a better predictor of heart disease or mortality than the cholesterol level". ..."In both men and women, overall mortality was significantly higher in the group with the lowest LDL cholesterol levels (under 80 mg/dL). Although it's true that in this study mortality from heart disease was greater in the group with the highest LDL levels (over 180 mg/dL, which is, admittedly, pretty darn high), this was only true in men. In women the opposite was so--fewer women died of heart disease in the group with the highest LDL levels. In any case, this increase in heart disease in the high LDL group of men was apparently more than offset by the increase in deaths from other causes."
What both cardiologist Stephen Sinatra, also cardiologist Mark Houston say over and over again, in their respective books, is that the standard lipid profile tells us...nothing. It's particle number and particle sizes that begin to give us the information we need.
This is a quote from the opening chapter of Houston's 2012 book, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Heart Disease...
"...coronary heart disease doesn't come from cholesterol; it is the result of inflammation, oxidative stress (free radical damage), and autoimmune damage to your coronary arteries and other arteries throughout your body. Similarly, it's not the elevated blood glucose that "kills" your arteries or even the pounding of the blood against the blood vessel walls seen in high blood pressure; it's the inflammation, oxidative stress, and faulty immune response that may result. These are the elements you should be attempting to control. And taking medications to lower your cholesterol, blood sugar, or blood pressure will not necessarily accomplish these aims. In fact, they may open the door to disaster by giving you and your physician a false sense of security. Indeed, many recent papers published in medical journals have noted that addressing only the five major risk factors for coronary heart disease will never prevent or control nearly as much disease as we'd like. In other words, if doctors continue to focus almost exclusively on these five factors, we'll never do any better than we do now at treating heart disease and heart attack!"
On the back of the book, he writes...
"The leading cause of death, coronary heart disease has been linked to five basic risk factors: elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and smoking. But the truth is that heart disease is much more complex--with close to 400 risk factors!"
Of the five to six books on heart disease that I've now surveyed and/or read, Sinatra's book, The Great Cholesterol Myth: Why Lowering Your Cholesterol Won't Prevent Heart Disease--and the Statin-Free Plan That Will, and Houston's book - (title listed above) - have been the most helpful to me in 1) understanding which lab tests to request and 2) developing an action plan that includes diet, supplements, and exercise.
Both cardiologists use medication, as needed, based on an extensive evaluation of their patient's family history and lab results - (though not the standard lipid panel). Niether are anti-medication. They both are dedicated to educating their patients on how to improve their heart health through lifestyle changes using diet, supplements, and exercise, other strategies too.
Dr. Sinatra has two websites... www.drsinartra.com/ and www.heartmdinstitute.com/ I've spent the last month or so exploring the former site. The latter website appears older to me, but it looks like he's beginning to add to it again. Dr. Sinatra retired, I think two years ago.
I don't think Dr. Houston has a website. I think he primarily lectures. Yesterday, I watched this 30 minute interview with him that was uploaded a few days ago. It's excellent and well worth watching...
I should also add that both doctors are supportive of eating meat, poultry, and fish, also healthy fats, but Dr. Houston is more conservative when it comes to fats. Interestingly, I've yet to come across a cardiologist that fully embraces the LCHF diet, which continues to concern me somewhat.
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