What is Cholesterol?

What is LDL?

L for lousy or bad cholesterol, you can call it garbage; GOAL: Less than 60

The most common cause for elevation of bad or lousy cholesterol is the combination of sugar, starch and saturated fat (the bad fat) in your diet. They make a big mess inside the artery by leaving their trash to pile up and form plaques. Keeping this in mind, a high LDL cholesterol increase your chances of developing heart disease and stroke.The lower the LDL, the longer you live.

Next question to ask is, If your LDL is 110, how much of it is big in size and how much of it is small in size?

LDL IIIa + IIIb represents the percentage of the intermediate size from the total number of LDL. Meanwhile, IVb shows the percentage of small dense LDL. Imagine the large fluffy LDL as rocks, the intermediate LDL as sand particles, and small dense LDL as fine salt. If I were to hold them in my hand, which do you think would go through my fingerseasily? Sand and salt will filter through my hand and fall down. Now imagine the same scenario where the artery is loaded with different LDL particle sizes. What happens to the intermediate and small dense particles of the LDL? They tend to filter through the vessel wall. This is dangerous because it makes the formation of plaque much faster. The combination of sugar and starch in your diet tend to make the bad cholesterol smaller in size. Your goal here should be less than 15%. Reddy Bread can help you achieve this goal.

What is Apo B? It is also referred to as the bad of the bad. B for bad.

It is the true representation of all the bad particles you have in your blood. You need to ask your doctor to check it.Goal is to keep it less than 60.

What raises Apo B?

Mostly Sugar, Starch and some bad fats - Saturated fats.

What are deadly fats in my diet?

They are also known as trans fats. Stay away from them.

Do you have the deadly cholesterol called Lp (a) which puts you at a very high risk for heart disease and strokes?

Lp (a) is inherited so it is important that everyone in your family get tested if your level is high. High levels of Lp (a) can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke by promoting plaque and clot formation. It is so predictive of heart disease that it has been called "the heart attack cholesterol". Lp (a) alone can raise your risk of heart attack by as much as 70 percent. Your goal here should be less than 30.

If your HDL (also referred to as garbage trucks) is 45, how much of it is large in size and how much of it is small in size? Do you want large garbage trucks or small garbage trucks?

HDL 2b is the large fluffy one which has been associated with 'reverse cholesterol transport', meaning this is the particle that helps pick up the bad cholesterol from the plaques in the arteries and dumps it to the liver. The more large garbage trucks you have, the cleaner your arteries. HDL 2b helps accelerate reversal of heart disease. Your goal here should be more than 30 percent.

Do you have a gene that puts you at very high risk for Alzheimer's and heart disease?

If you have APO E4, you are certainly at high risk for developing Alzheimer's and heart disease. Avoiding sugar, starch and saturated fat in the diet can decrease your risk. YOU SHOULD NOT CONSUME ALCOHOL IF YOU ARE POSITIVE FOR APO E4 GENEOTYPE. IF YOU HAVE APO E2, THEN DRINKING A GLASS OF WINE OR DAILY CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL IS HEART PROTECTIVE.

Is your vitamin D level normal?

GOAL: More than 30

The best way to get vitamin D is to either take vitamin D pills or expose your skin to the Sun for 10 to 20 minutes a day or 30 minutes on the week end. Check your vitamin D levels every 3 months. Keep your levels above 60, if possible. I will discuss Vitamin D in greater detail in subsequent articles.

Do you have a gene (KIF 6 GENE) that helps you respond to cholesterol medications well?

KIF 6 is the gene that determines your response to cholesterol medications. If you are KIF 6 positive, then you will respond well to cholesterol medications compared to the person who does not have the gene.

Is the protein that makes the good cholesterol low?

APO A1 is a protein produced in the liver and gut in which the good cholesterol is made from. It makes your garbage truck more efficient in cleaning the arteries. The higher your APO A1, the better it is. Low level of ApoA1 is associated with a diet high in sugars, starches and saturated fats which leads to early heart and blood vessel diseases.

Your goal should be more than 150.

What is your uric acid level?

Uric acid is a substance produced from the breakdown of proteins in the foods we eat. Overtime, too much uric acid in the blood can lead to the formation of needle- like crystals in the joints that causes gout. Most people with heart disease including those who died of it had high levels of uric acid. Studies have showed that even those uric acid levels that are not high enough to cause gout, can still lead to heart disease. Therefore, checking for uric acid levels is just as important. High uric acid levels are also found in other conditions such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol, high triglycerides), obesity and insulin resistance syndrome which are all known risk factors of heart disease. Changing your diet would help decrease it.

Your goal should be less than 7.

Do you have any inflammation in your arteries?

LpPLa2 is a test that specifically detects inflammations of the artery walls. It is a predictor of heart attack and stroke. Diet rich in sugar, starch and saturated fat increase LpPLA2 level. If there is sudden increase in your LpPLA2 that tells you that your diet for the past 6 months has been high in sugar, starch and saturated fat. Now, you have increased inflammation in your arterial wall. It signifies that there is a plaque somewhere ready to rupture and cause heart attack or stroke.

This could be one of the reasons why 40% of all the heart attacks happen in the last 2 weeks of December and first 2 weeks of January. The relative change in diet starting from Halloween, followed by Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year could explain the elevations in inflammatory markers. Celebrations and parties during these holidays make foods high in sugar and starch in the form of cookies, chocolates, ice creams and desserts readily available.

Your goal should be less than 150.

Is there any stress or strain on your heart?

BNP is a hormone that is released from the cells of the heart muscle in response to ongoing stress or strain in the heart. A high level is a warning signal that your heart is being overworked on a continual basis. It is usually seen in patients who have a weak heart, increased fluid retention, and people at risk for having heart attacks. By looking for the cause and correcting the cause, you can bring the BNP level back to normal. ALSO IF YOU HAVE SLEEP APNEA YOUR BNP IS ELEVATED. WE WILL TALK ABOUT SLEEP APNEA AT A LATER DATE. Sleep Apnea puts an enormous strain on the heart every night when you are sleeping.

Less than 120 pg/ml = normal.

More than 120 pg/ml = there is stress or strain on the heart

What is your fasting insulin and blood sugar along with HbA1C?

Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas to regulate blood glucose. It stimulates all of the cells in your body, especially in your muscles and liver, to open up and take glucose in and use it as energy for daily functions. When you eat a lot of sugars and starches, you flood your blood with a lot of glucose. Your body will react by releasing more insulin. Having high insulin all the time is bad. When your cells are constantly exposed to high levels of insulin, they develop resistance. Insulin resistance syndrome or metabolic syndrome increases your risk for several chronic diseases such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes and cancers. Excessive eating of sugar and starch is the primary culprit in the development of insulin resistance. Eliminating these in your diet is the best way to stop its progression.

GOAL: Fasting insulin less than 10. Blood sugars less than 90. HbA1C less than 5.5

What is your C reactive protein level and what is the level of Lp Pla2 which is the marker for inflammation?

GOAL: C reactive protein less than 1.0. Lp PLA2 less than 150.

C reactive protein, also called CRP, is elevated if there is any inflammation in the body and that can include inflammation in the arteries. The Lp Pla2, also called PLAC test, is elevated if the is inflammation in the vessel wall. IT IS A SIGN THAT THERE IS A PLAQUE SOME WHERE IN THE ARTERIES THAT IS READY TO CRACK AND CAUSE A STROKE OR A HEART ATTACK. So ask for a PLAC test if your CRP is elevated.

What is your fibrinogen level?

GOAL: Should be less than 350

High levels of fibrinogen are an indication that you have some form of inflammation in your body and you are certainly at risk for increased blood clots. It is usually elevated in patients at risk for heart attacks or strokes and most patients with diabetes suggesting that diabetes is a inflammatory process and what keeps it burning? YES, A LOT OF SUGAR AND STARCH IN YOUR DIET.

What is your level of TSH?

GOAL: Less than 3.5.

If your TSH level is more than 5, you have hypothyroidism or underactive thyroid. If your TSH level is less than 0.1, you have hyperthyroidism or overactive Thyroid. If your TSH is high that certainly puts you at higher risk for heart disease.

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

A 50 YEAR OLD MALE WENT TO INDIA FOR 2 WEEKS. THERE HE ATE FOODS HIGH IN SUGAR, STARCH, AND BAD FATS FOR EVERY MEAL. HE GOT ON THE PLANE AND FLIES TO HOUSTON AND GOES TO WORK THE NEXT DAY. AT WORK HE DEVELOPS CHEST TIGHTNESS, HAS A MASSIVE HEART, AND DIES. HE HAD A STRESS TEST DONE NOT TOO LONG AGO AND IT WAS NORMAL. WHAT HAPPENED? HOW DID A PERSON WITH NO RISK FACTORS, A HEALTHY MALE WHO EXERCISES REGULARLY, AND HAS BEEN TAKING CHOLESTEROL MEDICATIONS HAVING NO FAMILY HISTORY DROP DEAD FROM A HEART ATTACK EVEN AFTER HAVING A NORMAL STRESS TEST 3 WEEKS BEFORE HE LEFT FOR INDIA?

STAY TOONED FOR THE ANSWER. REMEMBER GLUTTONY IS A SIN.