Statistics show nearly 2 in 5 U.S. adults have high cholesterol, the excess of fat in the blood t hat can raise the risk of heart disease. For decades, people were told that foods high in cholesterol — eggs and butter, for example — were the major culprits. Now dietary cholesterol is thought to play only a minor role. So what are the real causes of high cholesterol, which lab results are most meaningful and what can you do to improve your numbers? In this week’s episode, we talk to a preventive cardiologist about the revolutionary new thinking regarding cholesterol.

Expert: Dr. Khurram Nasir, Cardiologist
Interviewer: Todd Ackerman

00:00 Introduction
03:35 Does high cholesterol lead to cardiovascular disease?
04:56 What number is the sign of a problem?
09:22 How important are triglycerides?
11:23 The current thinking on HDL
14:29 How to increase HDL
18:04 Cholesterol numbers vs. tests?
22:26 Causes of high cholesterol
26:51 What is lipoprotein?
32:35 How much of high cholesterol is genetic?
35:53 High cholesterol in young people
37:10 Calcium scans
40:53 Is total cholesterol meaningful?
44:27 Statins
50:27 Final thoughts on approaching cholesterol
53:50 Wrap up

Notable topics covered:

• The essential functions cholesterol serves in the human body
• How too much cholesterol sticks to the arteries and wreaks havoc
• Shocking statistics about people’s lack of cholesterol awareness
• LDL, HDL, triglycerides: what they mean, how important each is
• Are high levels of so-called good cholesterol actually not good?
• How often is cholesterol a result of genetics? How much is under your control?
• New kid on the block: lipoprotein(a) as an emerging risk factor
• What are the best diets for keeping cholesterol in the desired range?
• The heart scan that tells whether you might not need cholesterol testing
• Statins: Should more people be on them? Can you ever get off them?