#301 - What Actually Moves the Needle on Cardiovascular Risk | Dr. Kevin Maki & Mike Haney

#301 - What Actually Moves the Needle on Cardiovascular Risk | Dr. Kevin Maki & Mike Haney

June 18, 2026 · 1h 19m

About this episode

Dr. Kevin Maki discusses the complexities of cardiovascular risk factors beyond just LDL cholesterol.

High cholesterol. Elevated ApoB. A positive CAC score. Now what? Most people quickly find themselves trapped between two extremes: simplistic advice to “cut saturated fat” and online influencers insisting cholesterol doesn’t matter at all. In this episode of A Whole New Level , Mike Haney sits down with clinical research scientist Dr. Kevin Maki to cut through the confusion. Drawing on more than 35 years of cardiovascular research, Maki explains why heart disease risk is about much more than LDL cholesterol alone. He breaks down the roles of inflammation, blood sugar, family history, kidney function, and lipoproteins, while also making a clear case for something many people resist: LDL and ApoB still matter. A lot. The evidence increasingly suggests that when it comes to atherosclerosis, lower for longer is better. That has important implications for diet, statins, and how early we should intervene. Mike and Dr. Maki also tackle saturated fat, seed oils, red meat, industry-funded research, and how to separate evidence from online nutrition debates. Free course: Improve your metabolic health Get our free email course on how glucose, nutrition, exercise, sleep, and measurement can…

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