The Heart Risk You Might Not Know About (and How I'm Tackling It)
Essay #1
This essay has been a year in the making!
During my sabbatical, I discovered that my genetics put me at high risk for heart disease. Over the past year, I’ve immersed myself in learning everything I can about a less commonly tested but significant risk factor called Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a). This genetic condition affects 20-30% of the population and can increase the risk of heart disease. Unlike cholesterol, Lp(a) levels are determined mainly by genetics, and not lifestyle (like diet or exercise).
As someone with a family history of heart disease, this discovery was both alarming and eye-opening. It pushed me to better understand Lp(a) and create a plan to lower my heart disease risk.
In this essay, I'll share:
What I learned about heart disease and lipoprotein(a)
The steps I'm taking to manage my heart health
My biomarker data, including the before and after, and what it means
The different treatment paths I explored
Protocol for heart disease prevention
My goal is to encourage others to take early action and get screened for heart disease. While this essay benefits those with high Lp(a) scores, it will also provide valuable insights for anyone interested in understanding heart health risks.
This is the first of many essays I plan to write on my website and YouTube. I hope you enjoy it!
Best,
Michael
P.S. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Feel free to reply to this email or leave a comment on Substack.
I have a lot of similarities... close to your age with high LDL (for years). My issue is high ApoB.
I tried 95% of the lifestyle changes I could make: diet (e.g. TLC diet), exercise, stress, sleep, etc. Tried all sorts of supplementation: e.g. fish oil, plant stanols & sterols, garlic extract (did not try Red Yeast Rice).
I too believed I could fight my genetics and avoid an Rx. I also believed, being still young, it was "not a problem for me yet."
But after good counsel, and understanding how early intervention solves massive problems 20+ years down the line, I decided to go forward with a statin. TBD results as it's still early.
Hey Michael, thanks for sharing your personal story, you told me last year that you were thinking about writing this so it's nice to see it finally arrive. Well researched and interesting beyond the typical "eat, sleep, and exercise better" advice we often get online. You mentioned sleep a couple times, but did not discuss how that helps with cardiovascular disease or your condition in particular, did you discover anything along those lines? I'm curious because I'm trying to improve my sleep but not doing a great job (avg 6-7 hrs, trying to get to solid 8).