The Truth About LDL & Heart Disease

The Dr. Josh Axe Show

Dr. Josh Axe

Religion & Spirituality, Health & Fitness, Christianity

4.9 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 23 February 2026

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What if cholesterol isn’t the real villain behind heart disease? In this episode, Dr. Josh Axe reveals why inflammation, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress—not just LDL—may be the true drivers of cardiovascular risk. Discover which fats actually protect your heart, the blood markers that matter most, and how to create the internal conditions where heart disease can’t thrive. Thank you to our sponsors! Sunlighten Sauna: https://get.sunlighten.com/axepodcast Manukora Manuka Honey: https://manukora.com/axe Watch The Dr. Josh Axe Show every Monday & Thursday on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjoshaxe?sub_confirmation=1 🎧 Early Access! Our listeners enjoy every episode before anyone else! Tune in below and join our exclusive group of listeners → Spotify: https://bit.ly/DrJoshAxeSpotify Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3JDvWcS Order my NEW BOOK, The Biblio Diet → https://bit.ly/4oPEP3t Watch my free training on how to naturally balance your blood sugar and reverse your symptoms → http://DrAxeDiabetesClass.com Discover practical steps you can take today to start healing your thyroid naturally → http://DrAxeThyroidClass.com If you’re ready to start feeling like yourself again and balance your hormones, take my free class → http://DrAxeHormoneClass.com Uncover what’s really going on in your body with advanced biomarker testing for hormones, thyroid, and metabolism— plus a 1-hour consultation with a Senior Health Advisor! → http://mybloodwork.com CONNECT WITH DR. JOSH AXE Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/drjoshaxe/ Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/DrJoshAxe/ TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@thedrjoshaxeshow/ X → https://x.com/drjoshaxe/ LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshaxe Website → http://thehealthinstitute.com Sign up for my newsletter → https://bit.ly/4oE9Jf3 Ask Dr. Axe → http://speakpipe.com/drjoshaxe DISCLAIMER This content is strictly the opinion of Dr. Josh Axe and is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal physician. All viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Axe nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	When was the last time you had space to feel?
0:04.0	With the National Trust, you might just find life standing still under towering trees.
0:10.0	Maybe you'll find connection among the stories of the past,
0:15.0	or a moment to disconnect from it all on a mountainside.
0:20.0	Whatever you're feeling, wherever you are, with the
0:23.0	National Trust, you can make space to feel. Two years ago, my father-in-law unexpectedly died
0:33.1	of a heart attack. And again, this was such a surprise for us because my father-in-law was going in,
0:38.6	getting normal blood work and labs done, and everything showed normal. It was okay. Even his labs.
0:45.1	In a very similar instance, one of my closest friends, a doctor friend of mine, his dad had a cardiovascular
0:50.3	event three years ago in a very similar fashion. And I've known hundreds of people
0:55.9	who have had heart issues, even after getting normal lab work on a regular basis. There's a myth out
1:03.6	there today that if your labs are okay and your cholesterol is normal, your risk of heart disease
1:10.6	is zero.
1:12.1	That's not true.
1:12.9	And today what I want to do is dive in and share what the true cause of heart disease is,
1:17.9	what really causes heart attacks, and then talk about how to prevent it.
1:22.5	Here's what most people don't realize.
1:23.9	Over 50% of people who have heart attacks have normal or only mildly elevated
1:30.6	cholesterol levels. Imagine doing everything right. You've cut out red meat. You've cut out salt.
1:36.9	You're even taking a statin drug and your cholesterol looks absolutely fine. And yet millions of
1:42.9	people do this every day, and heart disease is still
1:46.1	the number one cause of death worldwide. So the real question is, what are we missing? By the end
	...

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