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.

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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

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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.