Leading integrative cardiologist busts myths around cholesterol health & lipids

A leading Australian authority on heart health, Integrative Cardiologist Dr Ross Walker, will be challenging healthcare practitioners and forging new territory on clinical approaches to managing lipid abnormalities, including cholesterol health, in an interactive webinar event this week.

The event was hosted by nutritional education provider and supplier Designs for Health (DFH) Australia and titled ‘The Great Cholesterol Debate: An Integrative Approach to Managing Lipid Abnormalities. It will feature Dr Walker who will present a ‘blueprint’ for improved heart health, bust cholesterol myths, review diagnostic and prescribing principles, and provide attendees with new distinctions and approaches to use in clinical practice.

Managing and understanding cholesterol – one of the lipids within our cell membranes that assist with some key functions of the body – is pivotal to optimal heart health.

“Cholesterol is just one aspect we look at when dealing with cardiovascular conditions. Other risk factors include family history, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and diet. But there are some misconceptions around cholesterol, and how we should approach its management, which I cover in this webinar with Designs for Health,” outlines Dr Walker.

Dr Walker’s presentation explores the role of cholesterol and his cardiac protocol of five complementary therapies for optimal patient outcomes, one of which is ubiquinol, the reduced, active form of CoQ10, supported by evidence-based data showing positive improvement for heart health when nutritional supplementation and lifestyle interventions are used in clinical management.

Recent research published in the peer-reviewed journal, Nutrients, found that ubiquinol supplementation could prove effective in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular problems.

Although sometimes inherited, unhealthy lifestyle choices may be a factor of high cholesterol and heart disease. Early interventions and better habits and life choices such as healthy diet, regular exercise and introduction of supplementation may help reduce high cholesterol and support a healthy heart.

The Heart Foundation Australia states that the best diet option to protect the heart and lower the risk of developing heart disease is one that is based on plant protein sources like chickpeas, nuts, and beans, with plenty of vegetables, fruit and wholegrains, and healthy fats and oils such as avocados, olives, nuts and seeds. In addition, seafood and poultry should be incorporated as part of a healthy-eating pattern due to their protein-rich nutrients.

On top of a healthy diet, supplementation may help bridge the gap between the nutrients we need and are not getting enough of. Scientific research suggests that ubiquinol, a powerful fat-soluble antioxidant in the body and a natural anti-inflammatory agent found in our cells, may act against the oxidation of LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol by inactivating free radicals. Ubiquinol may help to reduce oxidative stress, to support a healthy heart and maintain overall cardiovascular health.

Speak to your healthcare practitioner to discuss if ubiquinol supplementation could form part of the protocol for supporting your heart health.