Dr. Dave Explains: NMR LipoProfile

In today's video, Dr. Dave Strobel talks for a bit about dyslipidemia, and why measuring your "good" and "bad" cholesterol doesn't show you the whole picture.

Dyslipidemia is an imbalance in the lipids, or fats, in your blood. Lipids include things low density lipoproteins (or LDL), high density lipoproteins (or HDL), triglycerides, and most recognizably, cholesterol.

It is important to recognize that there really is no "bad" cholesterol. Cholesterol is essentially a building block that your body to build the membranes of your cells, among other things. What can be harmful is certain varieties of the LDL particles that your body uses to transport the cholesterol through your bloodstream. Since cholesterol is a fat or an oil, and blood is mostly water, the too don't tend to mix very well without some other particle helping to carry it to its intended destination,

The LDL particles can come in a large variety of sizes, from very small to relatively large. The smaller LDL particles can cause inflammation in the blood vessels, which in turn leads to plaque buildup that increases the risk of heart disease. This is where the "common knowledge" that cholesterol is bad for your heart comes from.

The issue is, your body actually needs cholesterol, and some of the medications for lowering cholesterol, while they may help lower your risk of heart disease, may also result in a cholesterol deficiency. This is why lifestyle changes like diet and exercise are generally preferable as methods of lowering cholesterol compared to what may seem like easier options like medications.

This video is the introduction to our lesson on the NMR LipoProfile blood test, which is a test that is designed to give a fuller picture of the issue than just testing your cholesterol levels. Premium members can watch the rest of the lesson, as well as all our other learning modules on our website.

Note: These videos are presented for educational purposes only. Your use of this site does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Specific medical advice is only offered through membership in HELPcare Clinic.

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John Aase

John is part of HELPcare’s content development team and lives with his wife Bella in Plymouth, Minnesota. He is an MFA candidate at Hamline University.