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Diet Doctor Podcast · July 10, 2023 · 43m
Elevated LDL on Keto — Should You Be Worried?
Dr. Scher addresses the elephant in the low-carb room: some people on keto develop very high LDL cholesterol. When to worry, when not to, and what additional testing (ApoB, Lp(a), CAC score) can clarify individual risk.
This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.
Highlights
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ApoB is a better risk marker than LDL-C for people on low-carb diets — it measures particle number directly
Scher: standard LDL-C can be misleading on keto because particle size shifts toward large buoyant LDL. ApoB measures the actual number of atherogenic particles, providing a more accurate risk assessment regardless of dietary pattern.•
Risk assessment on keto requires multiple markers — LDL-C alone is insufficient for clinical decisions
Scher: evaluating cardiovascular risk on a keto diet requires looking beyond LDL-C to include ApoB, Lp(a), hsCRP, coronary calcium score, insulin level, and triglyceride-to-HDL ratio. No single marker tells the full story.Was this useful?