Heart Health

Your Cholesterol May Look Normal—This Hidden Particle Could Still Be Raising Your Heart Risk

A common inherited cholesterol risk factor often goes undetected on routine blood tests.
Your Cholesterol May Look Normal—This Hidden Particle Could Still Be Raising Your Heart Risk
An LDL particle with its apo-B protein (blue). Apo-B particle count may offer a more accurate indication of atherosclerotic risk.JUAN GAERTNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images
Brendon Fallon
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For decades, cholesterol screening has focused on a familiar set of numbers—LDL (“bad” cholesterol), HDL (“good” cholesterol), and triglycerides. When these values fall within the “normal” range, many people are reassured that their heart risk is low.

However, according to leading preventive cardiologist Dr. Seth J. Baum, that reassurance can sometimes be misleading.

Brendon Fallon is a former reporter and photographer with The Epoch Times. He is the host and executive producer of NTD's "Vital Signs," a health show that zooms in on the important matters of health that come up in everyday life—connecting the dots across the broad canvas of our holistic wellbeing.
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