Does high LDL on a Keto diet worsen heart disease risk?
If only there was a study not financed by BigPharma that looked at just this.
Oh wait.
There is.
Oh gosh, what did it say?
Are all Keto dieters gonna get more plaque in their arteries compared to non-Keto dieters?
Let’s see what preliminary findings from a recent study shows.
Here is a link to a summary but it may be in doctor language.
https://cholesterolcode.com/breaking-preliminary-data-from-the-lmhr-study/
If you prefer something more readable, the next little bit is from Grok, an AI that summarized the study findings to simplify it for everyone.
ELI5 summary according to grok
Alright, let's break this down in a way that even a space-faring, galaxy-trotting, but somewhat clueless, alien could understand:
**The Keto-CTA / LMHR Study vs. The Miami Heart Study (MiHeart) Match-Up:**
Imagine you've got two groups of humans.
One group is on a ketogenic diet (Keto-CTA / LMHR Study) where they're eating lots of fats, very low carbs, and their bodies are in a state called ketosis.
The other group (MiHeart) is more of a general, "eat what you want" crowd, but they're all matched in age, health conditions, and other fun stuff like that.
**What They Measured:**
They looked at something called **Total Plaque Score (TPS)**, which is like a scorecard for how much gunk (plaque) is building up in your heart's arteries. They also checked various blood markers like cholesterol levels, but here's the kicker:
- **No Correlation:**
They found that things like LDL cholesterol, which is often the villain in heart health stories, didn't correlate with how much plaque was in the arteries for the keto group. This means high LDL didn't necessarily mean more plaque.
- **Plaque Volume Analysis:** They didn't just eyeball the plaque; they used AI to measure it precisely. This is like going from guessing how much water is in a glass by looking at it, to using a super accurate measuring device.
**Key Findings:**
- **No Significant Difference:**
The keto group, despite having sky-high LDL cholesterol levels, didn't show more plaque in their arteries compared to the control group.
- **AI and Plaque:** Using AI to measure plaque volume gave a more detailed picture, showing that even if you have high LDL, your actual plaque buildup might not be as bad as expected.
**What Does This Mean?**
- **Cholesterol Isn't Everything:** For folks on a keto diet, having high LDL cholesterol might not be the heart attack waiting to happen that we've been led to believe.
- **Precision is Key:** Measuring plaque with AI gives us a clearer, more accurate picture than just looking at cholesterol numbers.
- **Diet and Heart Health:** Maybe, just maybe, the type of diet you're on affects how cholesterol behaves in your body. Keto might change the game.
**In Simple Terms:**
If you're on a keto diet, don't panic if your LDL cholesterol is high. Your arteries might not be clogging up like a drain in an old spaceship. But, always remember, this doesn't mean go wild with butter – talk to your doctor, because individual health can be as unpredictable as a Vogon poetry reading.
This study suggests we might need to rethink how we view cholesterol, especially in the context of different diets. But, as with all things human, more research is needed because, well, humans are complicated, much like the infinite improbability drive.
Soooo….
My thoughts now that GROK has finished.
There is a difference between research studies and reality/real life. No research study can account for all of life’s variables. So while studies are helpful and thought provoking, I don’t believe they should be used to make sweeping protocols, algorithms, rules or regulations that the population need to follow. But they should be closely looked at by individuals to see how closely it matches their health issues and lifestyles.
This is how I practice at the IMW.
I have learned all about viewing the forest (population). But everyone gets treated as an individual (tree) with their own unique health issues and risks to modify/reduce.
Now back to the study on LDL.
I used to think, just like Traditional docs, that high LDL was bad and needed to be lowered by whatever safe means available. But early in my career, after 10 years of helping to reduce LDL cholesterol, people still ended up at Cardiologists getting interventions for excessive plaque buildup, stents, etc. Patients were also getting more Insulin Resistant, Overweight, Diabetic, etc. So it took me a few years but I realized this LDL lowering thing is just not working. So when I decided to do more research into what would and why, I landed in the Low Carb world and then eventually the Functional Medicine world. What I saw was eye opening not just in other research that was being ignored, but also in the health and well being of my patients. So in real life over 20 years of being a proponent of a lower carb lifestyle, I really did not need a study to prove to me what I see every day.
Butt, and there are always butts in healthcare and politics, it is great to see a study begin to prove what I have been doing, seeing and practicing for the past 20 years. Not just to give you more confidence in what I propose to you, but also to hopefully open the eyes of other healthcare professionals in this realm that the traditional teachings of low LDL cholesterol may not be working as well as they think.
Now a caveat.
This study looks like it compared coronary plaque in people who eat Keto vs non-keto and also compared LDL levels.
I don’t believe it looks at high LDL in non-keto eaters. So we still don’t have data there. But my hope is we will soon have even more data that disproves the LDL is bad mantra, or as I sometimes call it, LDS. or LDL Derangement Syndrome.
We need to work on true factors in heart disease which include:
Insulin Resistance
Chronic Inflammation
Stress
Hormonal Imbalances
Nutrition
Toxins
Sleep rhythms
Social
Sunshine
What else am I forgetting????
If you are interested in approaching your health and wellness in this manner, I might know a place to start……………..
As always comments, questions and suggestions always welcome.
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I think insulin resistance is huge and overlooked by most health practitioners. Since I’ve been eating carnivore/keto I’ve felt better, have more energy, I recover quickly from workouts (I used to be sore for days afterwards). It’s been life changing.. in a very good way.
But they still develop plaque, correct? At the same rate as non-keto individuals? The study showed that those on a keto diet were neither worse off nor better off, yet they were still developing plaque. Do I understand this correctly? What would cause individuals with lean mass hyper-responder (LMHR) status to continue to develop plaque if they were highly insulin sensitive and fit? Honestly, I expected them to show less plaque or even reverse some existing plaque. This study is somewhat a disappointment for low-carbers like myself.