What Your Cholesterol Test Isn’t Telling You: Keys to Maintaining a Healthy Heart
Written with Ann Arbor Holistic Health Practitioner, Eila Buszko, FDN-P
After facing autoimmune issues and chronic digestive struggles, Eila found lasting relief through a root-cause approach, and made it her mission to help others do the same. She is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner with over five years of clinical experience and holds additional certifications in gut health, women's hormones, and integrative nutrition.
Discover cholesterol’s misunderstood role in heart health from a holistic perspective. Learn how inflammation, not cholesterol itself, drives deeper imbalances.
Cholesterol and Heart Health
When most people hear the word “cholesterol,” they think of danger, high numbers, and heart risk. But as Eila Buszko, FDN-P, an Ann Arbor Holistic Health practitioner, explains, “cholesterol is not a villain that we’re taught to fear. I think cholesterol is really just the building blocks of the body. It’s what we need to make hormones, to make sex hormones, to make our brain healthy, to stabilize ourselves, to produce vitamin D.”
Our bodies make most of the cholesterol we need, with the rest coming from nutrient-rich foods. According to Eila Buszko, FDN-P, “when we look at cholesterol in terms of blood tests, it’s a message of what inflammation levels are doing in the body. What’s going on with the liver? What’s going on with blood sugar balance? It can also point to thyroid function.” In this way, cholesterol isn’t the culprit but a clue, like a firefighter rushing in to put out a fire.
When it comes to the heart, cholesterol has both protective and cautionary roles. “Cholesterol is anti-inflammatory, so it can go into the arteries to repair things. But when that fat oxidizes in the body, it can go rancid like any fat would. If there’s a lot of inflammation and oxidative stress, that can become a problem,” says Eila Buszko. Rather than blaming cholesterol itself, a holistic approach asks deeper questions: What’s driving the inflammation, and how can the body be supported to restore balance?
Keep reading below for an article by Ann Arbor Holistic Health founder, Gary Merel, who explores cholesterol and heart health in even greater depth.
Responsible for the deaths of more than 500,000 people each year, heart disease is a critical health concern for men and women in the US… Unfortunately, many people do not know they are at risk until it’s too late. Normal results from a standard cholesterol test are misleading. Dr. Sinatra, on the Healthy Heart Blog, explains that “the standard blood lipid tests most doctors use to monitor cholesterol belong in the age of dinosaurs.” Let’s leave the standard blood lipid tests in the Triassic period where they belong and invest in exams that give accurate and relevant information about heart health.
Responsible for the deaths of more than 500,000 people each year, heart disease is a critical health concern for men and women in the US… Unfortunately, many people do not know they are at risk until it’s too late. Normal results from a standard cholesterol test are misleading. Dr. Sinatra, on the Healthy Heart Blog, explains that “the standard blood lipid tests most doctors use to monitor cholesterol belong in the age of dinosaurs.” Let’s leave the standard blood lipid tests in the Triassic period where they belong and invest in exams that give accurate and relevant information about heart health.
What are Standard Lipid Tests Doing Wrong?
1) Incomplete. Standard lipid tests answer the question “how much” but they should be asking “how much of what.” They calculate LDL (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and triglycerides, and measure HDL (also called “bad” cholesterol), but neglect to dig deeper and find out what kinds of LDL and HDL you have.
2) Outdated, inaccurate methods. Standard lipid tests do not measure but rather calculate the amount of LDL in a blood sample. This lack of precision leads to a high incidence of error and inaccuracy.
Are there better alternatives?
Yes! There are tests, such as Atherotech’s VAP (Vertical Auto Profile) cholesterol test, that break down cholesterol beyond HDL, LDL and triglycerides. Such tests are accurate, affordable and effective.
Statin: A Dangerous and Over-prescribed Drug
Since arriving on the market in the 1980s, statins have been among the most prescribed drugs in the U.S., topping over 17 million users. Statins work by blocking the liver enzyme responsible for producing cholesterol. This lowers triglycerides, LDL and total cholesterol levels, and raises HDL cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, in addition to many detrimental side effects, statin does nothing for secondary health conditions which often develop concurrently with high blood pressure, such as Type II diabetes.
Common side effects:
headache
difficulty sleeping
skin flushing
muscle aches, tenderness, weakness
dizziness
nausea and/or vomiting
abdominal cramping or pain
bloating and/or gas
diarrhea
constipation
rash
Serious side effects:
myositis, or inflammation of the muscles
myalgia, or intense muscle pain
elevated CPK (creatine kinase), a muscle enzyme which can pose a health risk to your kidneys
rhabdomyolysis, where muscles all over the body become painful and weakened because of extreme muscle inflammation and damage. This condition can result in kidney failure and death.
Medication: Not the Only Answer
While doctors and scientists agree that genes play a critical role in the onset of illnesses such as heart disease, our diet and lifestyle choices are equally powerful. Medication is neither the only nor the best way of improving our heart health. The following are some simple and effective ways of strengthening your heart without relying on medications.
Get your digits. Get blood tested periodically to know your numbers. Take blood tests that measure, rather than calculate, cholesterol levels. Once you know your risk levels, you can make appropriate dietary and lifestyle changes.
Quit smoking. The American Heart Association says that quitting smoking reduces risk of heart disease and repeat heart attacks and death by heart disease by 50%.
Exercise. USDA recommends physical activity for at least 30 minutes most days. Find a way to incorporate movement into your daily routine through walking, sports, dance, or anything else that is fun for you.
Eat a healthy diet. Get a food allergy test and remove trigger foods. Select foods that are low in saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, which are primarily found in animal products. Eat plenty of organic fruits and vegetables. Avoid processed foods and sugars. Be mindful of proportion sizes.
Take supplements as needed. Supplements such as red yeast rice, slow release niacin (one of the B vitamins) and high quality fish oil have been shown to be as effective as statins in lowering cholesterol.
The VAP and other similar cholesterol tests are an effective step in the right direction towards total heart, and body, health. Named “Ten Ways to Live Longer” by Forbes.com and selected as one of “Five Tests Worth Paying For” by the Wall Street Journal, this useful tool has saved many lives. To learn more, check out this article in Men’s Journal. If you are interested in getting the truth about your cholesterol and triglyceride levels, please call Ann Arbor Holistic Health to schedule a VAP test.
At Ann Arbor Holistic Health we are known for providing professional and compassionate care. We strive to guide people towards a comprehensive and holistic healing strategy. Restoring your body to health will restore the quality of your life.
If your cholesterol numbers have left you worried or confused, you’re not alone. Many people are told to “just keep it low,” without ever learning that cholesterol is often the body’s way of responding to deeper imbalances like inflammation, stress, or blood sugar swings. Imagine having the energy to enjoy long walks, feeling confident about your heart health, and knowing your hormones, liver, and metabolism are working in harmony.
At Ann Arbor Holistic Health, our team looks beyond the numbers to uncover what your cholesterol is really telling you. We take the time to connect the dots and guide you toward lasting balance. Book your free consultation today and take the first step toward a stronger heart and a healthier future.
