Dr. Matthew Budoff presented data on December 9, 2023, demonstrating that a subgroup of individuals with very high total cholesterol and LDL do not seem to develop heart disease. The subjects are known as "Lean Mass Hyper Responders." The group became notable during the rise in popularity of ketogenic diets. This post will cover what a ketogenic diet is, what a lean mass hyper responder is, the possible mechanism of why they seem to be immune to heart disease, and the study itself.
Read MoreAfter repeated conversations with me, a close relative in his late 50s decided to try the carnivore diet. He immediately began to feel better than he had ever felt. The carnivore diet is ultra-low-carb, similar to the ketogenic diet, which often raises LDL and total cholesterol. He has lost 22 pounds, lowered his BMI from 25.8 (overweight) to 22.8 (normal), lowered his blood pressure from 110/70 to 100/66, has more energy, lowered his triglycerides from 106 to 71 (lower is better), raised his HDL from 47 to 79 (higher is better), lowered his VLDL by 1/3, rid himself of chronic foot and hip pain, and he has no more leg cramping. As we will see later in this post, these changes indicate inflammatory, metabolic, and cardiovascular health improvements.
At the same time, he raised his LDL from 69 to 192 and his total cholesterol from 137 to 285, which made his doctors panic. Later in this post, we will see that LDL levels below 105 cause twice the amount of death. Despite this, his doctors have ignored nine positive changes and stressed two that, as we will see in this post, have little relevance in their ability to predict cardiovascular disease. What kind of a world do we live in when doctors fret when their patients become healthier? Read on if you are curious.
Read MoreSleep is a significant component of health. Sleep disruption in adults leads to increased anxiety, pain, reduced quality of life, mood disorders, disturbances in thought processes, memory, and physical performance. Inadequate sleep impacts children and adolescents' psychosocial health, school, and sports performance, and risk-taking behaviors. In otherwise healthy individuals, long-term consequences of poor sleep include high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, heart disease, weight gain, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. One of the key ingredients to a good night’s sleep is the ability to lower our core body temperatures. This post will cover some of the science behind the sleep-temperature connection and talk about ways to help us cool down for optimal sleep.
Read Moream sure most of you have never heard of GGT. It is not your fault; it is not considered to be as important as a marker for disease as others, such as cholesterol by most medical practitioners. As you will find out today, it may be the single most important predictor of disease and mortality medicine has today.
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