Dyslipidemia

Dyslipidemia, sometimes also referred to as hyperlipidemia, is characterized by an elevation of plasma cholesterol, triglycerides (TGs), or both, or a low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level – and is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD).

While conventional medicine focused on dietary sources of cholesterol as the main culprit, new dietary science says otherwise. We now know that diets high in sugar, highly processed carbohydrates, and foods that cause inflammation are primarily to blame, along with certain lifestyle habits.

Lack of proper nutrients, poor sleep habits, and elevated stress hormones caused by poorly managed stress are all factors in dyslipidemia that can greatly impact your overall heart health and the health of your body.

At The Real Gut Doctor, we empower clients with lifelong skills and habits to balance cholesterol naturally, without expensive or toxic drugs.

A third of the American population suffers from elevated cholesterol levels beyond what’s considered a “healthy” range and are prescribed statins and other medications adjust cholesterol levels.

Yet new studies have revealed that cholesterol numbers are not the most accurate indicators for heart disease and cardiovascular risk.

The conventional approach primarily seeks to reduce the LDL cholesterol and triglycerides with medications – without considering that these numbers are just a sign of some other underlying dysfunction.

For example, the conventional treatment approach does not test or look at the other factors that cause heart disease – which is why many people who have cholesterol numbers in the “healthy range” still die of heart attacks.

In addition, taking statins can have harmful effects on an already inflamed body – including harming your liver and damaging your muscles. Very rarely, statins can cause life-threatening rhabdomyolysis – resulting in severe muscle pain, liver damage, and kidney failure.

What we’ve realized is that high cholesterol typically acts as a “bio-marker” – and just by “artificially” changing those levels in isolation, you do nothing to address the underlying issues. In fact, it’s now recognized that too-low cholesterol is dangerous as well because cholesterol is necessary to build important hormones like testosterone and neurotransmitters. That’s why at The Real Gut Doctor, we follow a functional medicine approach to identify what factors contribute to the observed high lipid levels – so we can create a custom-tailored treatment protocol to address all the issues that are causing elevated cholesterol and lipid levels, instead of prescribing prescription meds that just artificially lower them.

In almost all cases, we find that diet is one of the central issues. For example, eating excessive amounts of sugar, processed white carbohydrates, inflammatory fats, and not including detoxifying vegetables are among the main contributors. This type of diet also derails insulin levels, causing excessive triglyceride levels to build up – which in turn raises cholesterol levels.

We also look at other lifestyle factors – including sleep patterns, stress, and genetic factors that may be contributing. This “full-body” approach is the best way to greatly lower your risk while setting you up for vibrant overall health.

If you are concerned about your cardiovascular risk due to elevated lipid levels and other hidden factors, we invite you to schedule a free discovery to consult to explore your best next steps.