High cholesterol can start damaging your arteries long before you feel anything — and your total cholesterol number does not tell the whole story. So when should you start checking it, what do LDL and other cholesterol particles really mean, and when are lifestyle changes no longer enough?

In this episode of Baptist Health Talk, host Dr. Anthony Gonzalez speaks with Dr. Sanjeev Gulati about how cholesterol contributes to heart attacks and heart failure, why screening should begin earlier than many people think, and the treatment options available today.

•  Why high cholesterol is directly linked to heart attack risk 
•  Common cholesterol myths, including the idea that diet is the only cause 
•  How LDL and lipoprotein(a) contribute to plaque buildup and inflammation 
•  How uncontrolled cholesterol can ultimately contribute to heart failure 
•  Why cholesterol screening may need to begin in your 20s 
•  How family history and familial hypercholesterolemia change cardiovascular risk 
•  Lifestyle steps that can help lower cholesterol 
•  When cholesterol-lowering medication may be needed 
•  Why cholesterol control remains critical even after a heart attack 
•  How advanced lipid testing can provide a clearer picture of individual risk

Host:
Anthony Gonzalez, M.D.
Chief of Surgery, Baptist Health Baptist Hospital
Medical Director of Bariatric Surgery, Baptist Health

Guest:
Sanjeev Kumar Gulati, M.D., 
Executive Deputy Director
System Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine
Baptist Health Heart & Vascular Care

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Heart Disease in Young Adults: Why It's Rising (And What to Watch For)