28/05/2026
đ LDL is not âbad.â
But it can become risky when the bigger environment is not healthy.
LDL is a transport particle.
Its job is to carry cholesterol through the bloodstream to tissues that need it, including the adrenals, ovaries, te**es, skin, and cells involved in repair and normal turnover.
So LDL is not automatically the enemy.
The question is:
What is happening to it?
LDL usually starts as VLDL, made by the liver.
VLDL carries triglycerides, drops them off to tissues, then becomes IDL, and eventually LDL.
By the time it becomes LDL, it is carrying mostly cholesterol.
That cholesterol can be used by the body, or the remaining LDL can be cleared by the liver through LDL receptors.
And this is where the pattern matters.
LDL clearance can be affected by thyroid function, oestrogen levels, liver function, inflammation, insulin resistance, genetics, and metabolic stress.
So when LDL is high, I do not just ask:
âHow do we lower it?â
I ask:
Why is it high?
Is the thyroid involved?
Is insulin resistance present?
Is inflammation damaging the blood vessels?
Is the liver clearing it properly?
Is oestrogen low?
Is ApoB or lipoprotein(a) elevated?
Because LDL becomes more concerning when particles are smaller, denser, oxidised, and moving through inflamed or damaged blood vessels.
This is why LDL should never be read alone.
It needs context.
HDL, triglycerides, ApoB, lipoprotein(a), glucose, insulin, thyroid markers, liver markers, hs-CRP, homocysteine, blood pressure, and symptoms all matter.
LDL is information.
Not something to fear.
Not something to ignore.
Comment LDL if you want me to break down what can drive it high.