LifeCare Chiropractic

The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona

Lipoprotein

JUST CHECKING CHOLESTEROL DOES NOT GIVE A GOOD PICTURE OF HEART DISEASE – (02-21-05)

by

Insulin resistance, adiposity influence lipoprotein size, subclass concentrations

This study really demonstrates how behind the research most clinicians are.  Just checking cholesterol really does not give us a good picture of where the patient is as far as their risk for heart disease.

This study evaluated subclasses of LDL (small, intermediate, large), VLDL (very low density lipoprotein) and HDL.  Worsening insulin resistance did not affect LDL levels.  However, strong changes were seen in the subclasses–decrease in the large LDL offset increases in the other sizes of LDL.

So, if one just looks at straight LDL, you just missed the fact that the real picture is one of worsening risk (larger LDL and larger HDL particles are generally considered protective).  Subfractioning of the cholesterol molecules is looking more and more like a good idea…

Read entire article here

RISKS OF CHOLESTEROL IN CORONARY HEART DISEASE – (04-30-07)

by

Non–High-Density Lipoprotein and Very-Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and their Risk Predictive Values in Coronary Heart Disease

Invariably, when I give a presentation to a group in the community, maybe 1 out of 20 know their lipids outside of total cholesterol. The reality is, you absolutely, positively CANNOT appropriately manage elevated lipids without knowing where your HDL, VLDL and triglycerides are. And yet PCP and Internists still look at lipids with blinders on and will aggressively treat patients based on total cholesterol alone.

And yet here, researchers found NO association between elevated LDL and CVD risk. Good thing the only bad thing that happens from statin drug use is fatal rhabdomyolysis.

Read entire article here

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, TRIGLYCERIDE AND HDL SUBCLASSES – (01-15-07)

by

Relationship between total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, and high-density lipoprotein sub classes

While this study does not really add anything new (we already know that as triglycerides goes up due to insulin resistance then HDL will go down) it is a nice refresher to remind us that HDL has subclasses.  The HDL2 subfraction is generally considered the most protective, and in this study, the authors found that, as triglyceride ratios changed for the worse, the HDL subclasses moved towards the “less friendly” type.

Read entire article here