Cholesterol: Friend or Foe?

Cholesterol is essential for hormone production and cell repair. The problem isn’t cholesterol itself — it’s what happens when inflammation and oxidative stress damage blood vessel walls, allowing cholesterol particles to become trapped and oxidized.

This is the beginning of atherosclerosis, the slow narrowing of arteries that leads to heart attacks, strokes, and vascular disease.

The Functional Medicine View

Traditional tests measure only total cholesterol and LDL, but these don’t tell the full story. At Sheen Vein, we use Advanced Lipid Testing to measure:

• LDL particle size and number (LDL-P)
• Lipoprotein(a) — a strong genetic risk marker
• ApoB and hs-CRP for inflammation

Learn more on our Advanced Lipid Testing page.

How Inflammation Links Cholesterol to Vein Disease

When inflammation is chronic — often due to visceral fat, poor diet, or insulin resistance — it causes the blood vessels to stiffen and leak. This increases venous pressure, leading to issues like:

• Varicose veins
• Leg swelling
• Chronic venous insufficiency

We see this overlap frequently in patients who visit our St. Louis Vein Clinic.

Root Causes of Elevated Cholesterol

• Insulin resistance and prediabetes
• Poor thyroid function
• Chronic stress and cortisol elevation
• Low-grade infections or gut dysbiosis

By addressing these underlying causes, we often normalize lipid panels naturally — without high-dose medications.

Supporting Healthy Cholesterol Levels

• Increase fiber from vegetables and seeds
• Add omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA)
• Reduce processed oils and refined sugars
• Optimize vitamin D, magnesium, and CoQ10
• Address gut health and microbiome balance

Learn more on our Functional Medicine for Heart Health page.

The Bottom Line

Cholesterol is not the enemy — inflammation is.
At Sheen Vein (Aesthetics and Functional Medicine), our St. Louis team focuses on restoring metabolic balance and vascular integrity from the inside out.

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