About this episode

Dr. Daniel Chong discusses the complexities of cholesterol and cardiovascular health, emphasizing the importance of understanding ApoB and other markers beyond standard LDL cholesterol.

Dr. Daniel Chong has spent years helping patients understand their true cardiovascular risk and take meaningful action to prevent heart attacks and strokes. In this episode, Rip and Dr. Chong dig into the confusing, often polarizing world of cholesterol and heart disease. Is LDL cholesterol really important? How low should it go? Is ApoB a better marker? What about calcium scores, lipoprotein(a), statins, saturated fat, and the growing noise around keto and carnivore diets? Dr. Chong offers a grounded, practical, and highly nuanced perspective. He explains why standard LDL cholesterol is only part of the picture, why ApoB and LDL particle number may provide a clearer view of risk, and why cardiovascular disease is never about one single factor. Instead, it is about the full internal environment: inflammation, endothelial function, blood flow, plaque stability, lifestyle, and diet. Rip and Dr. Chong also explore the limits of coronary artery calcium scores, the risks of relying on a “zero” score too early in life, and why soft plaque can still pose a serious threat even when calcified plaque is not detected. They also discuss saturated fat, heme iron, blood viscosity, hydration…

People in this episode

Host: Rip Esselstyn

Guest: Dr. Daniel Chong

Topics covered

• cholesterol
• cardiovascular risk
• heart disease
• disease prevention
• diet and lifestyle
• ApoB
• LDL cholesterol

Keywords

• cholesterol
• ApoB
• cardiovascular disease
• heart attack prevention
• LDL particle number
• inflammation
• diet
• saturated fat
• calcium scores

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ApoB, Lp(a), LDL, coronary artery calcium, keto, carnivore diets, saturated fat

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