Your Doctor Is Watching the Wrong Number. LDL, ApoB & Heart Risk Explained. - Dr. Kevin Maki

Most people think the cholesterol number on their lab report tells them whether their heart is at risk. But former National Lipid Association President Dr. Kevin Maki explains that LDL is just one piece of a much bigger picture and focusing on it alone can mean missing the markers that matter most. In this episode, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon sits down with Dr. Kevin Maki, former President of the National Lipid Association and co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Clinical Lipidology, to discuss: Why ApoB and Lp(a) are better predictors of heart risk than LDL and why only about 2% of people ever get Lp(a) tested What a beef-vs-chicken feeding study revealed about red meat and cholesterol (the LDL results came back identical at 112 mg/dL) The evidence behind the seed oil debate, including why higher linoleic acid levels tracked with lower inflammation markers across a 2,000-person dataset Why the balance of cholesterol-raising and cholesterol-lowering foods matters more than saturated fat alone The simple "ABCs" framework: A1c, blood pressure, cholesterol - for actually lowering long-term cardiovascular risk By the end, you'll know which numbers actually predict heart risk, which tests to ask your doctor for, and how to cut through the conflicting noise around fat so you can make evidence-based decisions for the long haul. Thank you to our sponsors: OneSkin - Get 15% off at https://bit.ly/4tZnOpk with code DRLYON BodyHealth - Use the code LYON20 to get 20% off your first order https://bit.ly/48SJ7AC Amp - Visit https://bit.ly/3RcmqBz to get your AI-powered at-home gym for smarter, personalized training. Explore More from Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Premium Podcast Subscription: Ad-free episodes, key takeaway summaries, exclusive Q&A, and behind-the-scenes content https://foreverstrong.supercast.com Weekly newsletter: Recipes, podcast updates, and practical weekly insights https://drgabriellelyon.com/sign-up/ Apply to become a patient: Personalized care with Dr. Lyon’s clinical team https://drgabriellelyon.com/new-patient-inquiry/ Find Dr. Kevin Maki at: Midwest Biomedical Research: https://www.mbclinicalresearch.com/ LinkedIn: / kevin-c-maki-phd-497ba34 Connect with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgabriellelyon/ TikTok: @drgabriellelyon X (Twitter): https://x.com/drgabriellelyon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctorgabriellelyon Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 00:31 - Dr. Kevin Maki and the National Lipid Association 01:04 - New dietary guidelines and the LDL confusion 02:04 - What raises and lowers LDL cholesterol 03:51 - Cholesterol levels from birth through puberty 05:11 - The lipid panel kids should get before age 11 06:42 - Lp(a): the test only 2% of people get 08:18 - ApoB and the three risky particle types 11:35 - Do we have evidence for "lower is better"? 14:09 - The FLASH-GLICK risk factor framework 17:10 - The 10% saturated fat guideline explained 19:36 - Many dietary patterns can be healthy 24:50 - Beef vs. chicken: identical LDL results 27:10 - The balance of fatty acids that matters 29:24 - Olive oil vs. corn oil feeding study 31:00 - Lower for longer: 40-year risk reduction 34:15 - Genetic cholesterol disorders and risk 40:33 - The omega-3 index and why it matters 49:10 - Are seed oils really driving inflammation? 53:11 - How seed oils are processed and refined 1:07:48 - Inherited beliefs and outdated nutrition science 1:08:54 - Butter vs. cheese and high-fat dairy surprises 1:14:48 - Exercise effects on HDL and triglycerides 1:21:20 - The ABCs of reducing cardiovascular risk If you found this episode valuable, share it with someone who would benefit from it. Disclaimers: This episode includes paid sponsorships. The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Podcast and YouTube are for general information purposes only and do not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast, YouTube, or materials linked from this podcast or YouTube is at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professional for any such conditions.