Your Cholesterol Test Is Lying to You | The Role of ApoB and Lp(a) in Predicting Heart Disease

Listen to the post, The Cholesterol Myth: The Heart Disease Markers You Actually Need to Track, on our Live Lean TV Podcast. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast!

Why ApoB and Lp(a) Are the Real Predictors of Cardiovascular Risk

Did you know that one person dies every 34 seconds from cardiovascular disease in the United States?

This crazy stat makes heart disease the leading cause of death, regardless of your gender, race, or ethnicity.

The good news is cardiovascular disease can be preventable, when you have the right data about your current health.

However, if you think a standard cholesterol test kit tells you the full story about your current heart health, it doesn’t.

According to Dr. Peter Attia’s book “Outlive”, your total cholesterol number is only slightly more relevant to your risk of cardiovascular disease than your eye color.

On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I break down what your standard cholesterol test misses, and the blood markers Dr. Peter Attia actually recommends tracking, if you want to protect your heart and longevity.

Table Of Contents – Jump To Links

Why You Need To Be Aware Of Cardiovascular Disease In Your 30’s and 40’s

Your risk of heart disease doesn’t just show up out of no where.

It can quietly build for decades, long before you ever feel a symptom.

Half of all major cardiovascular events in men, like heart attacks and strokes, happen before age 65.

Most of that damage happens quietly, way before anyone even knows it’s there.

If we want to cut deaths from cardiovascular disease, the focus has to start early, including people in their 30s and 40s, long before symptoms appear.

ApoB: Your Cholesterol Test Is Missing This Heart Disease Marker

Your blood test might say LDL is high, but what really counts for your heart risk is how many apoB particles are floating in your blood over time, not just your total cholesterol number.

ApoB particles are linked to cardiovascular disease because they are much more likely to stick to artery walls, clog arteries, and become oxidized.

Insulin resistance is another huge risk factor as it ramps up apoB particles and raises cardiovascular risk.

According to Dr. Peter Attia’s book “Outlive”, get your apoB levels as low as possible, as quickly as possible, to protect your heart.

Why Lp(a) Testing Is Important For Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Lp(a), i.e. lipoprotein (a), is another dangerous lipoprotein and part of the apoB family.

It’s especially sticky and can easily get lodged in your arteries.

This is what happened with Bob Harper, the Biggest Loser trainer.

He had very high Lp(a) when he had his heart attack.

If you have a parent or close relative who died young from heart disease, Lp(a) is the first thing to check.

It’s largely genetic, affecting about 20–30% of the population, and since it’s inherited, you only need to test it once.

Unlike LDL, Lp(a) doesn’t respond much to diet or exercise.

The best way to reduce risk is to focus on lowering apoB particles overall.

When you get your blood results, go straight to apoB and Lp(a), because they tell you the most about your risk for heart disease.

LabCorp OnDemand Comprehensive Heart Health Blood Test Review

If you think your standard cholesterol test tells the full story about your heart health, it doesn’t.

That test that just shares your total cholesterol levels and simply labels cholesterol as “good” or “bad”.

This is oversimplified, misleading, and misses the markers that actually predict your risk of heart disease.

In other words, it can give a false sense of security.

I’ve been using today’s sponsor, Labcorp OnDemand for over a year to test all the right blood markers that truly show my heart health, so I can take action now to reduce risk and improve longevity.

Labcorp OnDemand offers a Comprehensive Heart Health Test measuring everything I mention in today’s post:

• ApoB
• Lp(a)
• Diabetes Risk Index
• GlycA
• LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol
• Triglycerides
• And more

No doctor’s appointment is needed.

I just walk in or schedule at one of the over 2,000 Labcorp locations.

Tests are processed at CAP-accredited, CLIA-certified labs, and my results arrived as soon as the next day.

Get the insights you need to protect your heart.

Go to trylco.com/liveleanheart and use coupon code LiveLeanHeart for 20% off your test.

Thanks to Labcorp OnDemand for giving me the right data to help me keep my heart healthy.

The Truth About Dietary Cholesterol And Heart Disease

If you want to slash your risk of heart disease, the secret isn’t lowering cholesterol, it’s targeting the specific particles that actually clog your arteries.

While smoking and high blood pressure are two of the biggest risk factors for heart disease, a very important step to protecting your heart starts with your diet.

A big myth is that eating cholesterol-rich foods, like eggs, clogs your arteries.

Research shows there’s basically no direct link between the cholesterol in your food and the cholesterol in your blood.

Most of the cholesterol you eat is excreted, while the majority of cholesterol in your blood is actually made by your own cells.

In fact, in 2015, the US dietary guidelines officially stated that cholesterol isn’t a nutrient of concern for overconsumption.

What can matter is excessive amounts of saturated fat, as it may raise heart disease causing apoB in your blood.

According to the American Heart Association, if you’re at a higher risk for heart disease the recommended daily intake of saturated fat is less than 10% of total calories, or about 20 g per day on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Aim for up to 60% of your total fats from monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, macadamia nuts, and avocados.

HDL vs LDL Cholesterol Levels: What’s The Difference

Cholesterol isn’t bad, it’s essential for life.

Your body needs it to build cells, hormones like testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, and bile to digest food.

Cholesterol is a type of fat, so it can’t dissolve or float freely in your blood.

It needs a special ride to get around your body.

To do this, it uses tiny carriers called high density lipoproteins (HDL) and low density lipoproteins (LDL).

Think of these lipoproteins as little delivery trucks.

LDL is packed with more fat and wrapped in special proteins called apoB, while HDL has more protein, making it denser, while being wrapped in a protein called apoA.

LDL is more likely to stick in your arteries over time, while HDL particles can help by removing cholesterol from artery walls and return it to the liver or other tissues for reuse.

This is why HDL is considered “good”.

Heart risk tends to decrease as HDL rises.

Every cell in your body can make its own cholesterol, but about 20% of it hangs out in your liver.

Think of the liver as a cholesterol warehouse.

It sends it out to cells that need it and then takes it back when it’s done.

Here’s What I Want You To Remember

Eat smart fats, move your body, and know your numbers early.

Heart disease may be silent for decades, but taking control now is how you win long-term.

Go get the insights you need to protect your heart.

Go to Comprehensive Heart Health Test and use code LiveLeanHeart for 20% off your Labcorp OnDemand comprehensive heart health test.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my Live Lean TV YouTube channel for more quick, science-backed hacks to look and feel your best.

To continue your transformation, go check out this video post next where I share the Best Dumbbell Exercises For Chest Growth At Home.

Keep Living Lean.