Lipids, Cholesterol & Cardiovascular Health

This report may be useful if you experience any of these symptoms:

The conventional view is "high cholesterol causes heart attack," but the real picture is much more nuanced. Cardiovascular risk emerges from how many LDL particles you carry, how oxidized they are, the state of your blood-vessel lining, inflammation, insulin resistance, lipoprotein(a), and your APOE genotype. Many people with "normal" cholesterol still have heart events; others with "high" cholesterol never develop coronary disease. The genes in this report shape every link of the chain.

• Chest pain or pressure on exertion (angina)
• Shortness of breath with exertion (or rest)
• Palpitations, dropped heart beats, racing pulse
• Lightheadedness, near-passing out, or passing out
• Leg pain with walking that resolves with rest
• Cold feet, hair loss on lower legs
• Yellow fatty deposits under skin along tendons (Tendon Xanthomas)
• White, gray, or bluish ring around the outside of the colored part of your eye (corneal arcus)
• Soft, yellow patches or plaques on the upper or lower eyelids, especially near the inner corners of the eye (Xanthelasma)
• High blood pressure, morning hypertension
• Family history of premature MI/stroke (M<55, F<65)
• Erectile dysfunction (often earliest endothelial sign)
• Migraine with aura
• Easy bruising or bleeding
• Personal or family DVT/PE history
• Stroke at young age
• "Statin myopathy"- muscle pain on cholesterol meds
• Treatment-resistant hypertension
• Low blood sugar after a high carbohydrate meal
• Fatigue or drowsiness after eating large meal
• High triglyceride + low HDL
• APOE ε4 carrier (Alzheimer's + CV concern)
• Elevated lipoprotein(a)- Lp(a)
• Familial hypercholesterolemia diagnosis
• You've tried plant ALA (flax/chia) and still have low omega-3 index
• Been told you have carotid bruits or any vascular bruit

Answer the symptom questions below as honestly as you can. Combined with your DNA file, your answers help map which parts of your lipid and cardiovascular system may need targeted support and what the highest-leverage interventions are for your particular genotype.