Your Cholesterol Levels Are Whispering Secrets: Here’s Why You Need A Lipid Panel

January 18, 2024

You sneak into the kitchen at 10 pm. You shouldn’t be there, and you know it, but a tempting voice inside your head suggests you should check the fridge to “see what’s in there.”

You’re not a bad person. You devour salad (once a week) and exercise (when you feel like it.) After every forbidden bite of cupcake, you sense a vague despair.

You want to eat healthier. Why is it so painfully hard?

The next day, you wake up exhausted. What’s going on? You slept for 8 hours! Is your body trying to tell you something?

Yes. It. Is.

Your body constantly speaks to you, but you must know what to pay attention to!

Would you like to interpret these subtle signals? You can do it with the help of tests like a lipid panel.

Let’s talk about tests. Nothing that requires a pint of blood, relax! A lipid panel translates your body’s unique language so you can remain healthy by behaving in a way that promotes your well-being.

A lipid panel is a great place to start if you want to be more in tune with your body. So, what if you follow your heart and learn how to keep it strong?

To do so, let’s learn about the importance of a lipid panel.

Hidden Messages in Your Blood

What is a lipid panel, and why should you keep reading instead of running back to the fridge? For practical reasons. By comprehending this test, you can potentially save your own life.

A lipid panel analyzes a small quantity of your blood – a tiny, painless finger prick – to measure your cholesterol levels.

Why should you care about cholesterol? Excellent question! Cholesterol is one of the primary causes behind the development of heart problems. The American Heart Association, in a recent editorial, highlights the discovery that elevated cholesterol levels are associated with higher cardiovascular risk as one of the major achievements of modern medical science.1

Why is measuring and managing your cholesterol levels so critical for your well-being?

Because research has revealed that reducing your cholesterol levels diminishes your chances of developing the most dangerous disease in the world: heart disease.1

Here’s how cholesterol interacts with your body.

What Type of Person Will You Be in 20 Years?

Cholesterol is not a villain. Actually, it is a substance made in the liver necessary for the proper functioning of every cell in your body.

However, it may become a health hazard when its levels rise excessively, especially as a consequence of a poor diet characterized by high-fat foods (looking at you, pizza) and carbs (hello, red velvet cake.)2

The test is straightforward. It analyzes your blood and measures the levels of the following substances.

LDL levels: An extra serving of buttery mashed potatoes or cheesy pizza now and then might not seem so bad. But over time, these types of foods can raise LDL cholesterol levels – ‘bad’ cholesterol – silently accumulating in your arteries and significantly elevating the risk of heart attacks or strokes later in life, as the book  Nutritional and Integrative Strategies in Cardiovascular Medicine explains.3,4 

HDL levels: Measuring HDL can uncover if your ‘good’ cholesterol creeps lower than optimal. A recent book, Integrating Lifestyle Medicine in Cardiovascular Health and Disease Prevention, clarifies HDL can drop due to lifestyle factors such as a high-fat diet and sedentary habits characterized by nachos while binge-watching series about girls with telekinetic powers.5

Triglycerides: Enjoying craft beer or sweet cocktails with friends is one of life’s great pleasures. But in excess, elevated triglycerides from too much recreational alcohol or sugary drinks, according to the American Heart Association, can cause inflammation, making heart attacks and strokes more likely, even if you’re not overweight.3,4,6

Nevertheless, scientific understanding is continuously shifting.

Yes, cholesterol is a critical biomarker to predict potential heart complications, but is it the best tool we have in 2024 to communicate with your body?

You Are Not a Machine and Why It Matters

A study by the leading journal Circulation showed that about 15% of the population with “normal” cholesterol levels still presented a high risk of developing heart disease, as another test, called apoB, revealed.9 Why?

Because bodies process cholesterol differently, so understanding their unique language isn’t possible with only one test, as Harvard University explains.9,14

A lipid test’s power lies in uncovering stealthy imbalances before warning signs appear – allowing early interventions that reverse disease progression, such as embracing a healthy diet or an exercise regime.

This is fantastic and works in many cases, but life is never as simple as you want.

The human body is not like your car.

If your car’s engine breaks, a mechanic will investigate which piece failed or needs replacement, order a spare part made for the type of engine like the one you have, replace it, and your car will be ready for you to explore the world or fetch a cup of coffee two minutes away from home.

Your body does not work like that.

Your mother was right. You. Are. Special.

If you take a lipid panel (and you should) to prevent heart problems (a real threat to you), the test will show only a piece of the puzzle.

Many variables can affect your heart’s health, such as your blood pressure, weight, whether you smoke or drink alcohol, your genetic inheritance, and other factors.

Let’s understand why.

Not Every Evil in the World is Bacon’s Fault

Let’s take a step back to be able to move forward. What increases cholesterol levels?

This is a more puzzling question than you can imagine.

You suspect people with high cholesterol levels eat bacon daily, brush their teeth with butter, and use cheese slices as bookmarks. However, the answer is not so simple.

A study by the American Heart Association showed that food high in cholesterol, like eggs, does increase cholesterol levels in some people, but the same researchers found that in other people, it doesn’t.1 Why? Great question.

Remember we told you how your body manufactures cholesterol to sustain every cell? Of course, you do!

This constant production and utilization of cholesterol varies from person to person. In some individuals, cholesterol tends to accumulate; in others, it doesn’t.1

Don’t panic, but things get even more complicated.

A separate study conducted by the American Heart Association found that people with the same exact cholesterol levels can present different cardiovascular risks, meaning that you could “pass” a lipids panel and still be in danger of heart disease, a reality illustrated by another study reported by Science Magazine, in which almost 50% of people admitted to a hospital with a heart attack had “normal” cholesterol levels.10-11

Why does this happen?

Well, as you will see, your body speaks, but it delivers simultaneous messages, all demanding your attention.

How To Take Care of Your Body (And Buy a House)

Suppose you’re buying a house. Would you check only the garage and say to the real estate agent, “Here, take my money,” without examining the bathrooms, kitchen, and every single room first? You wouldn’t.

Your body is much more complex than a house (though you live in it).

When you measure your cholesterol levels with a lipid panel, you’re looking at the garage. You must look there, but it’s only a start. Why?

Because your body works together as a whole. It’s interconnected.

For instance, medical science knows inflammation, lipids (cholesterol), and blood vessel health are the primary causes of heart disease. This means that if you want to see if the whole house is in good shape, you must assess each one of these factors.12

How? With the best translator for your body’s needs, Kyla App!

The Greatest Secret No One Ever Told You About

The biggest breakthrough in medicine in the last decades is the discovery that multiple conditions, when detected early, are reversible. High cholesterol and its complications are examples of one of them.

Let’s repeat, in case you were distracted by your phone, intrusive thoughts, or a ghost.

Disease is NOT inevitable.

You do not need to wait for symptoms to do something, but you must know what to do and when to act!

As you’ve learned, keeping in sync with your body’s messages is the key to radiant health because it allows you to modify your life if needed. And the only way to accomplish this goal is by relying on a holistic way of testing.

For example, if you visit clinician Dr. Peter Attia – author of the number 1 bestseller book about longevity in 2023 – for medical help to assess your heart’s health, he will order a lipid panel, but he will also check genetic factors like Lp(a) levels and apoB and APOE genotype, tests that gauge several inherited risks for heart disease.

But he won’t stop there. These tests predict risk but not existing disease, so he would also assess homocysteine, uric acid, thyroid function, iron, and ferritin levels.

Beyond these multiple tests, Dr. Attia would monitor your blood pressure and tackle insulin resistance through diet, addressing metabolic health and behavior to manage heart disease risk.12

It sounds like a lot, but his approach is the correct one.

However, you don’t need to visit a bestseller author to interpret what your body’s telling you; you can rely on a translator that offers transformational insights at your fingertips.

Why Science Evolves and What You Can Learn About It

A lipid panel will remain a valuable tool to evaluate a person’s cardiovascular risk, but the pace of science keeps its march.

In response to these advancements, The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association updated their guidelines, recommending other tests besides a lipid panel, such as apoB and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, to detect threats beyond elevated cholesterol levels. 1,13

Why are these organizations reevaluating what they recommend? They do so because study after study reveals that effective health interventions require attacking multiple risk factors.

Relying on isolated tests while ignoring your body’s internal complexities, unique genetic makeup, and lifestyle choices is not in your best interest.

Remember when your car’s engine broke down? What if you fix it but ignore the unstable wheel threatening to fall off every time you take a left?

You would not have accomplished much!

At Kyla, we do not want you to implement partial solutions, so we have reinvented every aspect of how you can keep track of your health.

Does A Lipid Panel Promote Longevity? It Depends.

Kyla started a new era in anti-aging programs. Leveraging a proprietary AI engine that –powered by revolutionary algorithms and the assistance of the best medical experts– interprets thousands of data points in individual health profiles to maximize the power of diagnostic tools like a lipid panel to create transformative longevity interventions customized to each person’s unique biology, health challenges, and personal preferences.

As you now know, the true preventive power of a test like a lipid panel is revealed when combined with other diagnostic solutions to help you identify all the health threats to your specific circumstances.

Kyla’s transformative risk engine relies on the latest science to keep you up to date with all the testing you need in every stage of your life.

Our algorithm regularly recommends the ideal tests for you, so each one offers precise insights that empower you to act immediately, obtain tangible results, and fulfill the ideals of genuine, personalized medicine: catching problems before they even start.

Health Tomorrow Means Acting Today

At Kyla, we believe today is the best day to change your life. A lipid panel is an essential component of our transformative Anti-Aging Program that helps women and men like you detect health complications before they become serious diseases – creating personalized plans that include diet, exercise, or targeted medication to offer you the latest breakthroughs in preventive medicine at your fingertips.

The desire to be healthy is universal, but a life filled with energy and vitality demands more than good intentions. It is the consequence of aggressive action, which means your best self might be on the other side of a few lifestyle modifications – uncovered by personalized testing – waiting to emerge.

With proper testing, the next time you sneak into the kitchen for a late-night snack, it will be a guilt-free experience because you will be in sync with your body’s unique needs.

Cultivate your best self by ordering a Primary Care Panel – the ultimate diagnostic solution for heart wellness, blood sugar optimization, liver and kidney fortification, hormone balance, and inflammation regulation – and put vibrant health under your control!

References

  1. Sniderman AD, Pencina M, Thanassoulis G. ApoB: the power of physiology to transform the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Circulation Research. 2019 May 10;124(10):1425-7.
  2. MedlinePlus. Cholesterol levels: MedlinePlus medical test. US National Library of Medicine; [cited 2023 Dec 5]. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/cholesterol-levels/
  3. Sinatra ST. Nutritional and integrative strategies in Cardiovascular Medicine. S.l.: CRC PRESS; 2022.
  4. American Heart Association. How to get your cholesterol tested. 2023 [cited 2023 Dec 5]. Available from: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/how-to-get-your-cholesterol-tested
  5. Rippe JM. Integrating lifestyle medicine in cardiovascular health and disease prevention. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 2023.
  6. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. What is blood cholesterol? US Department of Health and Human Services; [cited 2023 Dec 5]. Available from: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/blood-cholesterol
  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Get a cholesterol test. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2023 [cited 2023 Dec 5]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/cholesterol_screening.htm
  8. Meloni A, Cadeddu C, Cugusi L, Donataccio MP, Deidda M, Sciomer S, Gallina S, Vassalle C, Moscucci F, Mercuro G, Maffei S. Gender differences and cardiometabolic risk: the importance of the risk factors. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023 Jan 13;24(2):1588.
  9. Mora S, Martin SS, Virani SS. Cholesterol Insights and Controversies From the UK Biobank Study: Three Take-Home Messages for the Busy Clinician. Circulation. 2019 Aug 13;140(7):553-5.
  10. Carson JA, Lichtenstein AH, Anderson CA, Appel LJ, Kris-Etherton PM, Meyer KA, Petersen K, Polonsky T, Van Horn L. Dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular risk: a science advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2020 Jan 21;141(3):e39-53.
  11. Science Magazine. Is it time to retire cholesterol tests? | science | AAAS. Available at: https://www.science.org/content/article/it-time-retire-cholesterol-tests (Accessed: 09 January 2024).
  12. Attia P. What causes heart disease? 2022 [cited 2024 Jan 9]. Available from: https://peterattiamd.com/ama34/
  13. Quispe R, Michos ED, Martin SS, Puri R, Toth PP, Al Suwaidi J, Banach M, Virani SS, Blumenthal RS, Jones SR, Elshazly MB. High‐Sensitivity C‐Reactive Protein Discordance With Atherogenic Lipid Measures and Incidence of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in Primary Prevention: The ARIC Study. Journal of the American Heart Association. 2020 Feb 4;9(3):e013600.
  14. Harvard University. Cholesterol. 2020 [cited 2024 Jan 10]. Available from: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/cholesterol/
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