Today, I am excited to share the first class in a series of lipid masterclasses with the amazing Dr. Thomas Dayspring! Dr. Dayspring is certified in internal medicine and clinical epidemiology and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the National Lipid Association. He was previously the Educational Director of a nonprofit organization and has served as the Chief Academic Advisor for two major cardiovascular labs.  Given the in-depth nature of my discussions with Dr. Dayspring over several sessions, each lasting nearly six hours, it seemed logical to present these masterclasses in segments to make them easier to understand. In our first class today, we dive into the fundamentals, exploring what lipids are and how lipids and fatty acids are classified. We cover the physiology and transport of cholesterol and the roles of apoptosis, apo-proteins, and apo-lipoproteins; we unravel the differences between HDL, LDL, IDL, and VLDL; and we explain how to calculate LDL and triglycerides to assess metabolic health. Dr. Dayspring also shares his preferences regarding lab values and indicators that help him assess the early risk of cardiovascular disease. We cover some detailed aspects of physical chemistry in this episode, so I highlight the main clinical points throughout our conversation to make it easier to follow. Be sure to join Dr. Dayspring and me for our next episode in the lipid masterclass series. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: What are lipids, and why are they important? Dr. Dayspring explains what triglycerides are. How lipids get absorbed and transported throughout the body What lipoproteins are, and how they get classified How cholesterols get calculated The impact of triglycerides on cholesterol levels and cardiovascular health How high triglyceride levels can indicate early insulin resistance or increased ASCVD risk What is the role of HDL particles? How metabolic syndrome impacts cardiovascular health Bio: Thomas Dayspring MD is a Fellow of both the American College of Physicians and the National Lipid Association and is certified in internal medicine and clinical lipidology. After practicing in New Jersey for 37 years, he moved to Virginia in 2012. He served as an educational director for a nonprofit cardiovascular foundation and, until mid-2019, as a Chief Academic Advisor for two major CV laboratories. Since then, he has served as a virtual cardiovascular / lipidology educator. Career-wise he has given over 4000 domestic (in all 50 states) and several international lectures, including over 600 CME programs on atherothrombosis, lipids/lipoproteins (and their treatment), vascular biology, biomarker testing, and women’s cardiovascular issues. He has authored several manuscripts and lipid textbook chapters and performed several podcasts. For several years, he was an Associate Editor of the Journal of Clinical Lipidology. He was the recipient of the 2011 National Lipid Association’s Presidents Award for services to clinical lipidology and the 2023 Foundation of NLA Clinician/Educator Award. He has over 34K followers on his educational Twitter (X) feed (@Drlipid). He has Gold Heart Member status as a professional member of the American Heart Association and serves as a Social Media Ambassador for the European Atherosclerosis Society and the National Lipid Association. Connect with Cynthia Thurlow Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn Check out Cynthia’s website Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com Join other like-minded women in a supportive, nurturing community (The Midlife Pause/Cynthia Thurlow)  Cynthia’s Menopause Gut Book is on presale now! Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book The Midlife Pause supplement line Connect with Dr. Thomas Dayspring ⁠Twitter⁠ (@DrLipid) ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠Books written by Gary Taubes⁠