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Cardiolucent

Condition

High cholesterol or other lipid issues

Conditions

Elevated cholesterol and other lipid abnormalities are among the most powerful and most modifiable drivers of cardiovascular disease. The familiar standard cholesterol panel — total, HDL, LDL, triglycerides — captures only part of the picture: it misses lipoprotein(a), under-represents particle number, and often understates risk in patients with insulin resistance or genetic lipid disorders. Two patients with identical LDL values can carry very different real-world risk depending on particle count, ApoB, and Lp(a). Dr. Kedan uses advanced lipid testing to characterize your true biology, then matches treatment to it — from lifestyle and statin therapy to ezetimibe, bempedoic acid, PCSK9 inhibitors, and inclisiran when appropriate.

What Cardiolucent Evaluates

  • Advanced lipid panel including ApoB, LDL particle number, and small dense LDL
  • One-time lipoprotein(a) measurement, an inherited and underdiagnosed risk marker
  • Triglyceride, HDL, and remnant cholesterol assessment for metabolic patterns
  • Family history screen for familial hypercholesterolemia and premature coronary disease
  • Coronary calcium scoring when it will meaningfully change the prevention plan
  • Liver function, thyroid, and kidney studies before initiating lipid-lowering therapy
  • Personalized LDL and ApoB targets based on overall cardiovascular risk

Common Symptoms

  • Lipid disorders themselves cause no symptoms — they are detected only on blood testing
  • Tendon xanthomas (firm yellow deposits over the Achilles or hand tendons) in familial hypercholesterolemia
  • Xanthelasma (yellow plaques around the eyelids) in severe lipid elevations
  • Corneal arcus appearing before age 45 can suggest a genetic lipid disorder
  • Recurrent pancreatitis with severely elevated triglycerides
  • When symptoms appear, they typically reflect downstream cardiovascular disease such as angina, claudication, or stroke

Risk Factors

  • Genetic predisposition, including familial hypercholesterolemia and elevated Lp(a)
  • Family history of premature coronary disease, especially before age 55 in men or 65 in women
  • Insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome
  • Obesity and sedentary lifestyle
  • Diet high in saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, or excess alcohol
  • Hypothyroidism, chronic kidney disease, and certain liver conditions
  • Medications including some antipsychotics, steroids, and protease inhibitors
  • Tobacco use, which lowers HDL and damages vessel walls

How Cardiolucent Approaches Treatment

Dr. Kedan builds lipid management around the patient, not the lab slip. The starting point is a personalized target — for many patients, LDL and ApoB goals are lower than typical population thresholds, especially with elevated Lp(a), strong family history, or coronary calcium. Lifestyle work is foundational but rarely sufficient for higher-risk patients, and Dr. Kedan layers therapy thoughtfully: statin selection and dosing matched to tolerability, then ezetimibe, bempedoic acid, PCSK9 inhibitors, or inclisiran when more LDL lowering is required. As a concierge practice, follow-up is unhurried and frequent enough to fine-tune both efficacy and side effects until the regimen actually works for your life.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean when my cholesterol is high?
High cholesterol means that certain fats in your blood — most often LDL cholesterol — are elevated to levels that accelerate plaque buildup inside your arteries. Over time this plaque narrows blood vessels and raises the risk of heart attack and stroke. Lipid abnormalities also include high triglycerides, low HDL, and elevated lipoprotein(a), each of which carries its own risk and may need a different strategy.
Why does Dr. Kedan order an advanced lipid panel instead of just a standard cholesterol test?
Standard cholesterol panels report totals but miss important details about particle number, particle size, and inherited markers like Lp(a) and ApoB. Advanced lipid testing characterizes those features and often explains why someone with seemingly normal numbers still has significant cardiovascular risk. The result is a treatment plan grounded in your actual biology rather than population averages.
Are statins safe, and do I really need one?
Statins are among the most studied and protective medications in cardiology, and for most patients they are both safe and well tolerated. Whether you need one depends on your overall risk picture, not a single number — your LDL, family history, imaging findings, and other conditions all factor in. When a statin is appropriate, Dr. Kedan selects the agent and dose to maximize protection while minimizing side effects, and reviews alternatives if you have had trouble with statins in the past.
What if I cannot tolerate statins?
Non-statin options have expanded substantially and now include ezetimibe, bempedoic acid, PCSK9 inhibitors, and inclisiran, among others. Dr. Kedan evaluates whether reported side effects are truly statin-related, considers lower doses or alternative statins, and incorporates non-statin therapy when appropriate. Most patients can reach their cholesterol goals even after a difficult initial experience.
Can diet and supplements lower my cholesterol enough to avoid medication?
Targeted dietary change — particularly reducing saturated fat and increasing soluble fiber, plant sterols, and unsaturated fats — can meaningfully lower LDL, often by 10–20%. Supplements have a smaller and more variable effect, and Dr. Kedan reviews which ones are evidence-based versus marketed claims. For patients with mild elevations and low overall risk, lifestyle alone may suffice; for higher-risk patients, medication is typically required to reach protective targets.
Is high cholesterol hereditary?
Yes — familial hypercholesterolemia and elevated Lp(a) are two of the most important genetic lipid disorders and run strongly in families. If a parent, sibling, or close relative had early heart disease or markedly elevated cholesterol, you should be screened thoroughly and earlier than usual. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Kedan if there is a strong family pattern, so screening and prevention can begin before damage occurs.
How will I know the treatment is working?
Lipid levels are rechecked after starting or adjusting therapy, typically within 6–12 weeks, then periodically once you are at goal. Dr. Kedan also tracks how your overall risk profile responds — including changes in coronary calcium when relevant — so the plan reflects more than a single number. Adjustments are made as needed to keep you at your personalized target.
Can high cholesterol be reversed?
Numbers themselves can be normalized in most patients, and there is good evidence that aggressive LDL lowering can stabilize and sometimes regress existing plaque. That said, the underlying tendency toward high cholesterol typically remains, so treatment is usually ongoing. The goal is durable risk reduction, not a one-time fix.
Is the cost of advanced lipid testing covered by insurance?
Cardiolucent does not accept Medicare or insurance and bills patients directly. Laboratory work is billed by the lab itself, and many advanced lipid tests are reimbursed when ordered with appropriate clinical reasoning — we provide superbills and documentation to support out-of-network claims. For specifics on what to expect, call (310) 304-5555.

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Medical Disclaimer

The information on this site is for general educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Reading this site does not create a doctor–patient relationship. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal guidance. If this is an emergency, call 911. Mentions of medications, devices, or procedures are informational and not endorsements. Full medical disclaimer.

†Some listed indications involve investigational/off-label use. Learn more.