While the world obsesses about cholesterol, the much more common culprit causing heart disease goes largely ignored in most medical offices, gains no media time since there's no treatment that is hugely profitable (though there are ways to dramatically correct the pattern-a topic for a future post), and continues to brew an epidemic of heart disease that is sure to grow unless we all begin to recognize it.

Three laboratory services provide lipoprotein testing in the U.S.: www.liposcience.com (NMR); www.berkeleyheartlab.com (electropheresis or GGE); www.atherotech.com (ultracentrifugation). Your doctor should be able to order these tests. However, be aware that not all physicians are even aware of this new method of assessing risk for heart disease, in which case you might consider asking to find out what physicians in your area provide these more sophisticated tests.

Related Information:

Drop Your Cholesterol Like a Stone-- Naturally  

Lowering Cholesterol and the Difference Between HDL and LDL

Lowering Cholesterol with TLC: Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes