According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for men and women in the United States. The CDC reports about 600,000 people, or 1 in every 4, die of heart disease in the United States every year. High blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and smoking are key risk factors for heart disease. Several other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at a higher risk for heart disease, including:
- Diabetes
- Overweight and obesity
- Poor diet
- Physical inactivity
- Excessive alcohol use
Therefore, it is important to live a life-style that supports a healthy heart. This includes lots of fruits, vegetables and spices that have antioxidants and phytochemicals that have anti-inflammatory activity in the body. The two main goals in maintaining good cardiovascular health are minimizing inflammation in the blood vessels and an optimal lipid profile.
Traditional testing of cholesterol (Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and Triglycerides) is helpful but no longer detailed enough to predict your true risk for heart disease. Now we can test subparticles of HDL and LDL to give us a window into addressing the deeper levels of risk and how to correct them. For example, HDL has two important subgroups: the larger, more buoyant HDL2 and the smaller, denser HDL3 which is associated with clearing excess cholesterol from the body. Recent studies suggest that evaluating the size and density of the cholesterol is just as important as looking at the actual levels.
A more detailed Lipid Profile that measures these markers is called the ‘LPP test’. This is a much more detailed analysis of your lipids and can determine more accurately not only your risk for cardiovascular disease but which treatments (natural and medications) would be the most effective for you.