The Cholesterol Debate: Insulin Resistance and LDL Correlation

🧪 There is a lack of correlation between LDL and cardiovascular disease in individuals without insulin resistance.

🩺 Seed oils lower LDL but raise oxidized LDL, LP little a, and other factors related to cardiovascular disease.

💡 Collaboration and debate with experts is important for exploring different ideas and perspectives on lipid-related topics.

📊 Over 90% of the US population is metabolically unhealthy, based on studies that measure multiple metabolic health markers.

🩺 Treating high LDL cholesterol in individuals with other metabolic risk factors, such as obesity or insulin resistance, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

🤔 In individuals without markers of insulin resistance, there is a weak or no correlation between LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular disease.

Insulin resistance and LDL have a consistent correlation with cardiovascular disease in insulin resistant individuals but not in non-insulin resistant individuals.

The correlation between LDL and cardiovascular disease is different when stratified by insulin sensitivity.

Endothelial damage and impaired wound healing at the level of the endothelium may be the originator of atherosclerosis, not LDL.

🧠 The difference between arterial and venous circulation is that arteries have the ability to retain lipoproteins, which can lead to atherosclerosis.

❓ The question arises as to why atherosclerosis occurs predominantly in arteries and not in native venous circulation, despite both having similar amounts of apob.

🏥 LDL is not enough to cause atherosclerosis on its own. Other factors, such as retention, aggregation, oxidation, and uptake by macrophages, are involved in the development of plaques.

Eating red meat with saturated fat raises LDL, but if you're metabolically healthy it's not a big deal.

Insulin resistance is more important to focus on than LDL levels.

Seed oils containing linoleic acid may have negative effects on LDL oxidation and cardiovascular outcomes.

🔑 LDL enriched in linoleic acid is more likely to be oxidized in the sub-endothelial space.

🔑 Macrophages only take up oxidized LDL in the sub-endothelial space, not native LDL.

🔑 Switching from saturated fat to linoleic acid may have a cardio-protective effect.

Unhealthy behaviors and unhealthy foods, such as butter, red meat, seed oils, processed sugar, and high fructose corn syrup, are commonly consumed at regular barbecues.

Saturated fat in dairy products may actually be cardio-protective, based on a meta-analysis of 6.5 million person years of data.

Observing free-living populations with high saturated fat consumption, like the Hadza, suggests lower rates of cardiovascular disease and chronic diseases.

🗣️ In-person discussions allow for better understanding of differing views and perspectives compared to online arguments.

😫 Engaging in arguments on social media can lead to anxiety and stress.

🤝 Having civil discussions in person can bring out the best in us and advance the conversation.