Testing for Oxidized Cholesterol

 I noted in my last newsletter that oxidized cholesterol is 500 times more atherogenic than non-oxidized cholesterol. Dr. Overberg informed me that any MD can now order a test for oxidized cholesterol if he has a lab account with Quest lab. He will have to specify that the test is done by their subsidiary Cleveland Heart labs. This test can provide a helpful yardstick for prevention of heart disease and may save many the damaging effects of using statin medications where they may not be necessary or helpful.

CPT Code: 83520

Order Code: C335

Synonyms: Oxidized Low-density Lipoprotein; Oxidized LDL

Clinical Significance: The oxidized LDL test may be ordered for individuals at low or intermediate risk of metabolic syndrome or cardiovascular disease. In addition, this test is useful in individuals who have cardiovascular disease and are at risk for an adverse cardiac event.

 

Nutrition and Cholesterol Tre-en-en NeoLife Tre-en-en is packed with phytosterols from wheat, rice, and soybeans. Phytosterols are natural compounds derived from plants that play an important role in the cell membrane, and are analogous to that of cholesterol in animals. Phytosterols displace cholesterol in the small intestine reducing total cholesterol absorption. Even a modest consumption of phytosterols has been show to reduce cholesterol levels by 10%. B Vitamins Vitamin B3 in the form of niacin has been shown to be highly effective in lowering cholesterol. Unfortunately, this form of the vitamin creates flushing and skin itching which about half of those who use it find uncomfortable or intolerable. Several B vitamins play a role in proper metabolism of homocysteine. Lack of these B vitamins results in heart disease among other health problems. Homocysteine damages the circulatory system. Adequate intake of the B vitamin Complex protects from heart disease. Antioxidants All early studies on cholesterol were done on oxidized cholesterol. Later studies done with cholesterol which was not oxidized showed that the oxidized cholesterol was 500 times more atherogenic than non-oxidized cholesterol. Thus simply reducing total cholesterol levels may not be as effective in reducing risk of heart disease as preventing exposure to the oxidized product. Reduced exposure to oxidized cholesterol can be achieved by avoiding highly heated and junk foods which tend to be loaded with oxidized cholesterol. Cholesterol can also oxidize within the body if intake of antioxidants is insufficient. Thus supplementing with vitamin C, E, and carotenoids can be protective. A study on NeoLife Carotenoid Complex showed an increase of antioxidants in cholesterol which was five-fold. The Basel Prospective Study found that low levels of carotenoids and vitamin C resulted in significantly greater risk of death from heart disease over a period of 12 years. Other studies have shown reduced risk by supplementing with both vitamin C and vitamin E. NeoLife Super C is unique in the fact that it releases over a prolonged period of time due to the fact that the vitamin C is locked in a protein mesh and is only released as the protein is digested. This is important because the half-life of vitamin C at higher doses is only about 30 minutes. NeoLife vitamin E is superior because it is derived from wheat germ and contains all 8 members of the vitamin E family rather than just one. The truth is that all of these major antioxidants probably protect from death from heart disease by reducing the risk of excessive exposure to oxidized cholesterol within the circulatory system. All Cause Mortality Studies that find reductions in "all cause mortality" are very encouraging to me because that means there is a reduction in all kinds of death. It is not very helpful to reduce risk of heart disease but increase deaths from cancer. The best bet for reduction in all cause mortality of chain of life nutrient supplementation. References Wong NCW, The Beneficial Effects of Plant Sterols on Serum Cholesterol, Can J Cardiol, June 2001;17(6):715-721. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Peter_Jones30/publication/14053422_Dietary_phytosterols_as_cholesterol-lowering_agents_in_humans/links/0c96051a378c492918000000/Dietary-phytosterols-as-cholesterol-lowering-agents-in-humans.pdf https://cardiovascularnews.com/heart-disease-risk-may-come-from-little-known-type-of-cholesterol/ https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00210955 https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/64/2/190/4650406

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