Why bad cholesterol isn't just LDL
The role of non-LDL:non-HDL particles in atherosclerosis
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This article says that even though LDL is known to cause heart disease, other types of fat particles in the blood—like IDL and VLDL—also clog arteries. People with type 2 diabetes often have lots of these bad particles, and the more they have, the worse their heart disease gets.
Surprising Findings
Atherogenic lipoprotein profile is present in 40–50% of CAD patients, meaning most heart disease cases involve non-LDL particles.
Public health messaging focuses almost entirely on LDL, but this shows the majority of heart disease patients have a different, more complex lipid problem.
Practical Takeaways
If you have type 2 diabetes, ask your doctor for a lipoprotein panel that includes triglyceride-rich particles and Lp(a), not just LDL and HDL.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This article says that even though LDL is known to cause heart disease, other types of fat particles in the blood—like IDL and VLDL—also clog arteries. People with type 2 diabetes often have lots of these bad particles, and the more they have, the worse their heart disease gets.
Surprising Findings
Atherogenic lipoprotein profile is present in 40–50% of CAD patients, meaning most heart disease cases involve non-LDL particles.
Public health messaging focuses almost entirely on LDL, but this shows the majority of heart disease patients have a different, more complex lipid problem.
Practical Takeaways
If you have type 2 diabetes, ask your doctor for a lipoprotein panel that includes triglyceride-rich particles and Lp(a), not just LDL and HDL.
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Claims (5)
About half of people with heart disease have a specific pattern of fatty particles in their blood that includes too many harmful fats and not enough protective ones.
Fat particles left over after digestion — called remnant lipoproteins — are thought to raise heart disease risk, especially when triglyceride levels are high.
For people with type 2 diabetes, the more harmful fat particles in their blood, the worse their heart disease tends to be.
Some types of fat-carrying particles in the blood, besides the usual 'bad cholesterol,' are linked to plaque buildup in arteries that can cause heart disease.
In people with type 2 diabetes, high levels of a rare fat particle called Lp(a) might also raise heart disease risk, though this link is not as clear as with other particles.