The Doctor's Farmacy With Mark Hyman, M.d.

For decades, we’ve been told that high cholesterol is the main driver of heart disease—and that lowering LDL should be the primary goal. But as science has evolved, so has my thinking. In today’s Office Hours, I explain why cholesterol alone doesn’t tell the full story, what most doctors still aren’t testing, and what’s really driving heart disease for the majority of people. Today we discuss: • Why many people have heart attacks despite “normal” LDL cholesterol • The difference between cholesterol levels and cholesterol particles • How inflammation and insulin resistance fuel heart disease • Why sugar and refined starches are more dangerous than fat • The most important labs to assess real cardiovascular risk • What ApoB, lipoprotein(a), and triglyceride-to-HDL ratio reveal about your health • How metabolic dysfunction—not cholesterol alone—drives plaque buildup Heart disease is far more complex than a single lab value. When you understand the role of metabolic health, inflammation, and the right biomarke