Dr. Paul Mason: Rethinking Cholesterol & Blood Tests - Ep 116

Join us for an enlightening episode of the LowCarbUSA® podcast, where host Doug Reynolds sits down with Dr. Paul Mason, a distinguished sports and exercise medicine physician, to discuss the nuances of blood test interpretation and preview the upcoming LowCarbUSA® 9th Annual San Diego Symposium for Metabolic Health, to be held August 15-18.

Meet Dr. Paul Mason

Dr. Mason uses an evidence-based approach to challenge conventional medical wisdom on topics such as saturated fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, and sun exposure. He has authored a chapter on nutrition in the textbook Clinical Sports Medicine and is actively involved in curriculum development and teaching within the Australasian College of Sports and Exercise Medicine. His approach to managing complex medical conditions spans patients from the general public to elite athletes, including the Australian Olympic rowing team.

Revolutionizing Blood Test Interpretation

In the podcast, he offers profound insights into the often misunderstood realm of blood tests. "The concept of having biomarkers that reflect our health is a very good one," he explains, "but the trouble is, some of them are more reliable than others, and sometimes the reference intervals are completely out of whack." He emphasizes the need to interpret blood test results through the lens of optimal health rather than population averages and he believes reference intervals should be set using data on longevity. "The people who take statins whose cholesterol actually lowers the most actually have the worst survival," he noted, highlighting issues with overly aggressive cholesterol lowering.

He went on to explain, "Every blood panel I do is actually personalized to their history." He also discussed the complexities of evaluating markers like ferritin and the importance of considering inflammation. His meticulous and systematic approach ensures that each patient receives a nuanced and accurate health evaluation.

Optimizing Health for Longevity

Dr. Mason advocates for using all-cause mortality data to set health benchmarks, stating, "My favorite outcome in science is mortality. And that's because you can't fudge it. In terms of clinical outcomes, nothing beats living. And you can't fake that. You can't have a mischievous researcher come through and manipulate the methodology too much when you've got mortality as an outcome."

Listeners also learned how subtle factors like thyroid function can influence cholesterol levels. He provides valuable insights on the importance of thyroid health and its impact on cholesterol levels. "An underactive thyroid can elevate your triglyceride levels and your cholesterol levels," he explains, emphasizing the interconnectedness of various health markers.

Join Us at the Symposium in San Diego, August 15-18

This podcast episode is just a glimpse of the comprehensive, science-backed health insights Dr. Mason will share at the 9th Annual San Diego Symposium for Metabolic Health, August 15-18. Don't miss this opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge and interact with leading experts in metabolic health. This year's symposium will feature a full day, Thursday, August 15th, dedicated to exploring the connection between mental health and metabolic disease.