Description

The standard solution to “high cholesterol” is a prescription of statins. However, not only is “high cholesterol” a misnomer, many people with traditionally high values in the most commonly done cholesterol screen are actually healthy. Talking to us today about all things cholesterol is Dr. Minni Malhotra, in another installment of The Better Prescription. Minni breaks down what cholesterol is, how it is transported around the body, and why it plays such a crucial role in cellular function. She dives into the different fats that fall under the umbrella term “cholesterol”, and which ones are important in predicting the risk of heart disease and stroke. Tune in today to find out what the test is that you should be asking for, and why particle number and size are far more informative than LDL or HDL levels. We look forward to you joining us!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Today’s topic: misunderstood cholesterol numbers. 
• What is cholesterol, and why should we worry about it? 
• Why fats are vital for cellular function. 
• How to absorb hydrophobic fats. 
• The functional categories of the lipoprotein metabolism: transport of triglycerides and free fatty acids, and transport and recycling of cholesterol.
• The two methods of cholesterol transport: endogenous and exogenous. 
• Why checking only LDL and HDL is not enough to prevent cardiovascular events. 
• The gene variants underlying high cholesterol: the APO gene family.
• The importance of participle number and particle size and how they contribute to plaque formation. 
• Which biomarkers you should check: VLDL, APO B100, and APOA1. 
• How LDL causes heart disease and stroke.
• The test to ask for: NMR lipoprotein fractionation. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Anchor Wellness Center

Dr. Minni Malhotra

Dr. Minni Malhotra Email

The Institute for Functional Medicine