Q&A: Cholesterol, CRP, & Ketogenic Therapy — A Cardiologist Weighs In

In this special Metabolic Mailbag episode, cardiologist Dr. Bret Scher steps into the hot seat to answer your most pressing questions about ketogenic therapy, heart health, and metabolic markers. Drawing directly from listener questions, this conversation tackles the confusion and concern many people face when lab results change after starting a ketogenic diet.

📌 In this video, you’ll learn:

1. Why LDL may rise on a ketogenic diet and when that change is clinically meaningful
2. What cholesterol markers actually tell us about heart disease risk
3. How to think about hyper-responders and familial hypercholesterolemia (FH)
4. How to interpret CRP and other inflammation markers in context
5. Whether you really need to track ketones and affordable ways to do it
6. How often to test labs like LDL, CRP, and other key markers

There’s a lot of confusion around ketogenic diets, cholesterol markers, and heart disease risk. In this episode, Dr. Scher debunks some of the most common myths and offers a clearer, more nuanced understanding of how ketogenic therapy can impact, and often improve, metabolic and cardiovascular health.

🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.

#MetabolicMind #KetogenicTherapy #Q&A #HeartHealth

Expert Featured:

1. Dr. Bret Scher
2. https://x.com/bschermd
3. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bret-scher-08baaa102/

Free CME Clinician Trainings:

Are you a clinician who would like to learn more about the science behind these therapies and how to implement them in practice? Earn CME with our growing library of courses from some of the top experts in the field including Dr. Chris Palmer, Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Matthew Bernstein and Dr. Bret Scher with more coming soon.

Our courses have been made FREE by grants from Baszucki Group, so we can spread these powerful therapies as widely as possible. Earn CME/CNE credits: https://www.metabolicmind.org/for-clinicians/trainings-courses/?utm_medium=organic-social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=cme-yt

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.

Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

About us:

Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.

Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.