#19 – DEEP DIVE SERIES: Hyperlipidemia (Why Cholesterol and Statins Aren’t the Villains You Think They Are)

In this Deep Dive episode of The Trip Lab, we unpack hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) beyond the oversimplified “LDL bad, HDL good” narrative. We also take a clear-eyed look at the most common concerns people have about statins, what the evidence actually shows, and where these medications fit—and don’t fit—within a thoughtful, individualized approach to cardiovascular risk.

From there, we explore integrative strategies for managing elevated cholesterol and why, for many patients, lifestyle, metabolic health, and inflammation-targeted interventions may be more effective than medications alone.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why cholesterol is biologically essential and not inherently pathological
• The limitations of relying on LDL alone to assess cardiovascular risk
• How inflammation, insulin resistance, genetics, hormones, and lifestyle influence lipid metabolism
• When elevated cholesterol truly signals disease—and when it may reflect a compensatory or adaptive response
• The role of advanced markers such as ApoB, Lp(a), hsCRP and CAC scores
• Why risk stratification—not fear-based medicine—should guide clinical decision-making
• What statins can (and cannot do) and we break down the concerns people have with them
• Why integrative approaches (nutrition, exercise, herbal options and mind-body medicine) truly treat the root cause of disease

This episode is for clinicians, patients, and anyone looking to move beyond simplistic cholesterol narratives toward a more nuanced, evidence-based understanding of cardiovascular health.