What if I told you that nearly half of all people who have a heart attack have normal cholesterol levels?
Every year, approximately 800,000 Americans suffer a heart attack, yet many never knew they were at risk. For decades we’ve been taught that cholesterol is the primary cause of heart disease, but we now know it’s much more complicated than that.
Heart disease is not simply a cholesterol problem—it’s an inflammation problem, an oxidative stress problem, a metabolic health problem, and often a nutrient deficiency problem.
As a Functional Health Coach and former physician, I believe one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is understanding our unique risk factors before disease develops. The goal isn’t simply to live longer—it’s to enjoy more years with energy, vitality, and good health.
Prevention Begins with Looking Beneath the Surface
Instead of asking only, “What is my cholesterol?” I encourage my clients to ask much bigger questions:
- Am I living with chronic inflammation?
- How healthy are my mitochondria—the energy factories inside every cell?
- Is my blood sugar stable?
- Are my arteries being damaged by oxidative stress?
- Do I have hidden genetic factors that increase my cardiovascular risk?
- Am I providing my body with the nutrients it needs to repair itself?
These questions can reveal problems years—even decades—before symptoms appear.
The Functional Medicine Approach to Heart Health
Rather than waiting until disease develops, functional medicine asks one simple question:
“Why?”
- Why is inflammation elevated?
- Why are blood vessels becoming damaged?
- Why is cholesterol being oxidized?
- Why is plaque forming in the first place?
When we identify the underlying causes, we can often create meaningful improvements through personalized nutrition, targeted supplementation, movement, sleep, stress management, and other lifestyle strategies.
The Heart Health Labs I Pay Attention To
One of the reasons I recommend comprehensive testing through Function Health is that it goes far beyond the standard annual physical.
Instead of looking only for disease, these advanced biomarkers help identify early dysfunction while there is still time to make meaningful changes.
Here are several markers I believe deserve far more attention.
❤️ High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP)
Inflammation is one of the biggest drivers of cardiovascular disease.
hsCRP measures low-grade inflammation throughout the body. Elevated levels may indicate increased cardiovascular risk—even when cholesterol appears normal.
Optimal: Below 1.0 mg/L
The goal isn’t simply lowering inflammation with medication but identifying what’s causing it. Common contributors include poor diet, excess body fat, chronic stress, gum disease, poor sleep, insulin resistance, and an unhealthy gut.
❤️ Homocysteine
Homocysteine is one of my favorite markers because it’s both incredibly important and often overlooked.
When homocysteine becomes elevated, it can damage the delicate lining of blood vessels, increasing cardiovascular risk.
Fortunately, this is frequently something we can improve through personalized nutrition and the right forms of vitamins B6, B12, riboflavin, and methylfolate.
My preferred optimal range is approximately 6–8 µmol/L.
This is also where nutrigenomics becomes valuable.
Learn more about my Nutrigenomics testing HERE
Many people carry variations in genes such as MTHFR, which can affect how efficiently they convert folic acid into its active form. Knowing your genetic blueprint allows us to personalize nutritional support instead of guessing.
Remember—your DNA is not your destiny. Your genes provide information, not your future.
❤️ Lipoprotein(a) – Lp(a)
Lp(a) is largely inherited and is one of the strongest genetic predictors of premature heart disease.
About one in five people has elevated Lp(a), yet most have never been tested.
Although we cannot change our genes, we can address many of the lifestyle and inflammatory factors that influence overall cardiovascular risk.
❤️ ApoB
Rather than measuring how much cholesterol is present, ApoB measures how many potentially harmful cholesterol particles are circulating.
Two people can have identical LDL cholesterol but very different ApoB levels—and very different cardiovascular risk.
❤️ Oxidized LDL
This is where the story becomes especially interesting.
LDL cholesterol itself isn’t necessarily harmful. The problem occurs when LDL becomes oxidized by inflammation and oxidative stress.
Oxidized LDL is much more likely to contribute to plaque formation inside artery walls.
This is why reducing inflammation and increasing antioxidant defenses is just as important as managing cholesterol.
❤️ Fibrinogen
Fibrinogen helps blood clot, but chronically elevated levels may indicate ongoing inflammation and increased clotting risk.
Don’t Forget Your Mitochondria
Healthy hearts require healthy mitochondria.
Every heartbeat depends on thousands of tiny mitochondria producing energy every second of every day.
When mitochondria become damaged by poor nutrition, chronic inflammation, environmental toxins, high blood sugar, or aging, energy production declines and oxidative stress increases.
Support mitochondrial health through
- regular exercise
- adequate protein
- colorful fruits and vegetables, omega-3 fats
- quality sleep
- stress reduction
- key nutrients such as CoQ10, magnesium, and B vitamins can play an important role in maintaining cardiovascular health.
Lifestyle Still Matters Most
No laboratory test can replace healthy daily habits.
The most powerful prescription for heart health still includes:
- Eating a whole-food, anti-inflammatory diet
- Building and maintaining muscle through resistance training
- Walking daily and staying physically active
- Prioritizing quality sleep
- Managing stress effectively
- Maintaining healthy blood sugar
- Avoiding smoking
- Staying connected with family, friends, and a sense of purpose
These simple habits influence nearly every cardiovascular marker we measure.
Personalized Medicine Is the Future
One of the most exciting advances in healthcare is that we no longer have to rely on averages.
Through comprehensive laboratory testing, nutrigenomic testing, and lifestyle assessment, we can develop personalized strategies based on your unique biology rather than applying the same recommendations to everyone.
The future of healthcare isn’t waiting for disease to develop.
It’s identifying risk early, understanding the root causes, and giving your body the support it needs to thrive.
The Bottom Line - TEST, DON'T GUESS!
Heart disease develops over decades—not overnight.
The earlier we identify inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, metabolic dysfunction, oxidative stress, and genetic predispositions, the greater our opportunity to change the outcome.
CLICK HERE FOR YOUR FUNCTION HEALTH TEST
Your cholesterol number is just one chapter of the story.
Your inflammation, nutrient status, genetics, mitochondrial health, daily habits, and lifestyle choices help write the rest.
Because when it comes to heart disease, prevention is always more powerful than treatment.
Want to know your true cardiovascular risk?
Standard lab work often misses the early warning signs.
Through comprehensive Function Health testing
and
nutrigenomic analysis,
I help my clients uncover hidden risk factors and create a personalized plan to reduce inflammation, optimize heart health, and support healthy aging. If you’re ready to take a proactive approach to your health, I’d love to help you get started.
