What If Cholesterol Was Never the Villain?

This might surprise you. In studies that measure how well different markers predict cardiovascular death, hyperinsulinemia, which is chronically elevated insulin, is a stronger predictor than LDL cholesterol.

Let me say that plainly. If you want to know who is most likely to have a heart attack, measuring their insulin is more useful than measuring their cholesterol.

Here is something else most people do not know. LDL particles are not just lumps of fat looking for arteries to block. They are delivery vehicles. They carry cholesterol, essential fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and a substance called taurine that is critical for your mitochondria. Their job is to transport vital nutrients to the cells that need them.

When you drive LDL down as low as possible with a statin, you are not just reducing cholesterol. You are reducing the delivery of essential nutrients to every cell in your body.

A Swedish study of people who survived beyond 100 found three variables that stood out above all others: good glucose control, low uric acid, and high total cholesterol. The people who lived longest did not have the lowest cholesterol. They had higher cholesterol than the general population.

What they did have was low, stable blood sugar. Which means their insulin was working properly. The longest-lived people were simply metabolically healthy.

Your action today: Next time you see your GP, ask them to test your fasting insulin alongside your cholesterol panel. Most GPs do not test it routinely, but it may be the most important number you have never seen.