High Cholesterol
A standard cholesterol panel tells you total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides. It does not tell you whether the LDL particles you have are the type more associated with arterial damage, whether inflammation is present in the arterial wall, or whether homocysteine is elevated and damaging vessel lining directly. Two people with the same LDL can have very different actual cardiovascular risk depending on those factors.
What a functional approach adds
We extend the cardiovascular picture beyond a standard lipid panel. High-sensitivity CRP reveals arterial inflammation. Homocysteine, an amino acid that damages arterial walls when elevated, is associated with B-vitamin deficiency and is not checked on standard panels. LDL particle size and number tell a more complete story than LDL cholesterol alone. Lipoprotein(a), which is genetically elevated in some people and significantly raises cardiovascular risk, is not tested in standard care.
For patients where these markers are elevated and the picture calls for nutritional and lifestyle intervention rather than or alongside medication, we build that plan. Dietary work to reduce refined carbohydrates, which drive triglycerides and small dense LDL particles more than dietary fat does, alongside targeted nutritional support and movement, produces meaningful change in the full cardiovascular picture. Any decision about lipid-lowering medication stays with your prescribing medical doctor.
Common questions
My cholesterol is high but my doctor says not to worry yet. Should I?
It depends on the full picture, not just the number. A complete cardiovascular assessment including inflammation markers and particle type gives a better sense of actual risk than total cholesterol or LDL alone.
Do I have to take a statin?
That is a decision for your prescribing medical doctor based on your risk profile. Our role is to address the modifiable factors in the picture and to give you a more complete picture of what you are working with.
Can diet really make a meaningful difference in cholesterol?
Yes, particularly in triglycerides and particle type. Reducing refined carbohydrate and sugar tends to have a larger effect on the cardiovascular risk markers than reducing dietary fat does in most people.
Related: Chronic inflammation, blood sugar and insulin resistance
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