Quote:
Originally Posted by janieg
"LDL comes in four basic forms: a big, fluffy form known as large LDL, and three increasingly dense forms known as medium, small, and very small LDL. A diet high in saturated fat mainly boosts the numbers of large-LDL particles, while a low-fat diet high in carbohydrates propagates the smaller forms. The big, fluffy particles are largely benign, while the small, dense versions keep lipid-science researchers awake at night.
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The science has actually moved beyond particle size/type/pattern since there were many confounders in that data, which have since been sorted out. Lipoprotein particle number is now considered to be a better predictor of heart disease risk. When they looked at data where they held both particle count and LDL size consistent, the relationship between particle size and cardiac events diminishes. However, they do think that those smaller, more dense particles might be marker for metabolic issues, which carries its own risk issues. Particle count is measured my NMR, which is test most people will never receive. Interesting stuff.