Instead of looking just at the cholesterol numbers, we need to look at the cholesterol particle size. 

The real question is: Do you have small or large HDL or LDL particles? 

Small, dense particles are more atherogenic (more likely to cause the plaque in the arteries that leads to heart attacks) than large buoyant, fluffy cholesterol particles.

While measuring cholesterol particle size is a simple blood test that can be done at Labcorp, most doctors do not look at it, even though it is the only meaningful way to evaluate cholesterol numbers. 

You can have an LDL cholesterol that looks normal, but you may have over 1,000 small LDL particles, which are very dangerous.

On the other hand, you can have the same LDL number of 101, and it may be made up of 400 large particles, which cause no real health risk. 

Your health risk has less to do with your cholesterol numbers than it does with the quantity and size of your cholesterol particles.

Listen to the full episode on The Doctor’s Farmacy.

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