Besides LDL cholesterol, what factors determine my risk of heart disease?
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Dr. Dean Ornish answered:It’s not just the amount of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in your blood that determines your level of risk of heart disease. Other factors include oxidative stress, inflammation, and the particle size of the LDL. When LDL is oxidized, it’s more likely to end up in your arteries.
I want to emphasize that it’s not just the amount of fat in your diet that determines how it affects your heart. If you eat a very-low-fat diet that’s high in refined carbohydrates such as sugar and other concentrated sweeteners, white flour, white rice, pasta, and so on, this may actually worsen your risk of cardiovascular disease.
A lot of “low-fat, low-cholesterol” foods are very high in sugar and other refined carbohydrates. For example, one SnackWell cookie has only 3 grams of fat but 13 grams of sugar, which is a lot.
When you have a lot of small, dense LDL particles - sometimes referred to as “pattern B” - they are more likely to end up in your arteries. Studies have shown that low-fat diets that are high in refined carbohydrates increase the number of harmful small, dense LDL particles.
However, low-fat diets that are high in unrefined carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes in their natural forms - in other words, the healthy end of the Spectrum - cause a reduction in the number of harmful small, dense LDL particles. In our research, we found that levels of apolipoprotein B, which carries the harmful LDL particles, decreased significantly.
Find out more about this book: The Spectrum: A Scientifically Proven Program to Feel Better, Live Longer,...Helpful? 1 person found this helpful
It’s not just the amount of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in your blood that determines your level of risk of heart disease. Other factors include oxidative stress, inflammation, and the particle size of the LDL. When LDL is... More -
Dr. Michael Bloch of National Lipid Association answered:In addition to the lipid abnormalities nicely outlined above, advanced age, high blood pressure, high blood sugar or diabetes, smoking, and a family history of heart disease are all risk factors that have been found to be associated with an increased incidence of heart attack and stroke.
In addition to the lipid abnormalities nicely outlined above, advanced age, high blood pressure, high blood sugar or diabetes, smoking, and a family history of heart disease are all risk factors that have been found to be associated with an... More -
Dr. Dean Karalis of National Lipid Association answered:In addition to high levels of LDL cholesterol there are several other risk factors that determine a person's risk of heart disease. They can be divided into those we can do something about such as high blood pressure, diabetes, being overweight and cigarette smoking and those we cannot change such as getting older and having a family history of heart disease. So to stay heart healthy we need to identify and treat those risk factors that we can do something about. Seeing your doctor on a regular basis and living a heart healthy lifestyle by eating healthy and exercising regularly will go a long way to reduce your heart disease risk.
In addition to high levels of LDL cholesterol there are several other risk factors that determine a person's risk of heart disease. They can be divided into those we can do something about such as high blood pressure, diabetes, being overweight and... More
