Lp-PLA2 – BJJ Caveman

Cholesterol Update January 2016: How I Bollixed My Experiment

Posted on February 23, 2016December 29, 2016 by BJJ Caveman

I had normal cholesterol, went low carb, and then ketogenic, and saw that my cholesterol started to go crazy. I tried a host of things to bring it down including raising my carbs and taking various supplements to no effect. I finally saw a lipidologist, did some more research, and came up with a 12 point gameplan which surprisingly worked!

I’m now in the process of peeling away parts of my gameplan to see what changes, if any happen to my cholesterol levels.

This past October I stopped taking bergamot and saw a bump in my LDL-P. … Read More

Reviewing the Labs My Lipidologist Ordered

Posted on September 21, 2015September 28, 2015 by BJJ Caveman

In my last post I shared the notes I took from my consultation with the lipidologist. During that initial meeting she ordered all the labs we discussed and many that we didn’t.

After a week the results came back and we discussed them over the phone. Unfortunately there was a lab screw up and a bunch of the insulin resistance labs she ordered weren’t processed.

I of course took diligent notes that I’ll share below. As a warning, like the past couple of posts in this series, things do get a bit dense and technical, but I’d rather give you more information than less. … Read More

Cholesterol, Inflammation and Gum Disease

Posted on August 3, 2015July 26, 2015 by BJJ Caveman

In my last couple of blood tests, along with my elevated cholesterols, I discovered that despite having a normal CRP of less than 1.0, my Lp-PLA2 levels were high (March 2015 and May 2015). This was extremely puzzling to me. CRP is a very sensitive marker for inflammation, so if there is any underlying inflammation in my body, it should be elevated. Lp-PLA2 on the other hand is marketed as a marker that is specific for vascular inflammation.

Here’s a brief review about Lp-PLA2:

The Lp-PLA2 test is used for assessing cardiovascular risk. … Read More

Cholesterol Update from May 2015: What did taking anti-inflammatory supplements and increasing my carbs do?

Posted on June 29, 2015May 9, 2017 by BJJ Caveman

When I saw my blood panel from March 2015, I wasn’t entirely sure what to feel. I felt better that my LDL-P, LDL-C, and total cholesterol were coming down, but was a little worried at the elevation of my small LDL-P to it’s highest level.

While I was assured that my overall inflammation was low because of my CRP of 0.7, I didn’t know what to make of the state of my vascular inflammation because my Lp-PLA2 was high. The high ferritin also seemed to point to possible underlying inflammation (or hemochromatosis).… Read More