ChuckArbogast wrote:My doctor said he really only cares about the LDL number being as "low as possible" for me, but I don't really understand that.
LDL can be of different kind, large and fluffy or small and dense. The small dense are the very dangerous ones, however the LDL number says nothing about that. There are speciality tests for subfractions of LDL, usually MNR (see
this article), but LDL density can also be inferred by your Triglicerides (above 150 almost all your LDL is of the dangerous kind, below 50 mg/dl mostly harmless; Triglicerides can be relatively easily brought down by eliminating sugar and grains, high dose fish oil, etc.).
Blood pressure and blood glucose (fasting and 1 hr postprandial) you better get kits and test at home yourself.
ApoproteinB100 is an other valuable substitute for LDL particle number (the smaller/denser, the more).
High Lp(a) tells a lot about your risk in presence of high LDL. Take high dose vitamin C, lysine and niacin against.
Homocystein, Fibrinogen, ESR, CRP, HbA1c, fasting Insulin, C-Peptide, Apo A, Liver enzymes, kidney function test, complete hematology, electrolytes, fT3, thyroid antibodies, cortisol, DHEAs, free testosteron, estradiol, 25(OH)D3, Ferritin, serum Vitamin B9 and 12 are the additional minimal tests I would recommend everyone. Just to get clues from where it's mostly coming from..
The best test to get you motivated to fight this beast is a Coronary Calcium Score.