Episode 85: Essential Cardiovascular Risk Laboratory Analysis with Dr. Thomas Dayspring

What a superb conversation with leading expert lipidologist and –
importantly – clinician of 30+ years, Tom Dayspring, MD. In this
tour-de-force conversation, we break down the essential
cardiovascular risk laboratory analysis you need to be undertaking
on all your patients. We spend a little extra time on Lp(a) and the
coronary calcium score. Our conversation is practical; I was
fervently taking notes through the entire recording, as I suspect
you’ll be doing. I will likely bring Tom back for additional
conversation, perhaps focusing on women’s cardiovascular health, so
stay tuned! As with many of my podcasts, I chat with my guests
before and after the recording. Tom and I discuss on the podcast
whether we’re concerned about brain cholesterol deficits with an
excessively lowered LDL. He unequivocally stated not; we synthesize
all the cholesterol we need locally, including in the CNS. However,
after the recording, he added that statins can cross the BBB and
lower brain cholesterol. Serum desmosterol is an analyte that can
readily be assessed that is a surrogate marker of brain
cholesterol: consider this if needed. Enjoy this in-depth
conversation, and be sure to leave New Frontiers a rating on iTunes
or Stitcher or wherever you listen. It’s the best thing you can do
to help share this valuable content and help put FxMed in front of
more and more listeners! Thank you! ~DrKF