Is Current Thinking Around Cholesterol Outdated? What You Need to Know About Heart Health and The Root Cause of Plaque Build Up with David Feldman

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Apr 9, 2025

David Feldman, a software engineer and founder of the Citizen Science Foundation, delves into the complexities of cholesterol and heart health. He challenges the traditional views linking elevated LDL to heart disease, presenting surprising findings on plaque progression and metabolic health. Feldman emphasizes the importance of advanced imaging techniques and personalized testing, while advocating for a holistic understanding of cardiovascular risks. His groundbreaking research calls for a re-evaluation of current health strategies, promoting innovative approaches based on real science.

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ANECDOTE

Dave Feldman's Keto Journey

Dave Feldman's cholesterol increased dramatically after starting a ketogenic diet, despite feeling great and setting personal records.
This sparked his interest in cholesterol and heart health, leading him to research the topic extensively.

INSIGHT

Mainstream View on Cholesterol

Mainstream medicine views high cholesterol, especially high LDL, as a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
They advocate for lowering cholesterol through diet and medication, emphasizing "the lower, the longer, the better."

INSIGHT

Keto/Low-Carb View on Cholesterol

The keto and low-carb communities often emphasize particle size (big, fluffy vs. small, dense) over LDL number.
Some believe high LDL is acceptable if the particles are large and buoyant (Pattern A).

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This episode is brought to you by Levels, BiOptimizers, and Birch Living.

Traditionally, elevated LDL has been directly linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. But today’s guest is on a mission to dig deeper. He’s raising both awareness and funding to explore the true relationship between LDL, ApoB, and heart disease—challenging long-held beliefs in the process. He joins us to share the results of his team’s groundbreaking study.

Today on The Dhru Purohit Show, Dhru sits down with Dave Feldman to discuss his team’s landmark study on LDL cholesterol and its implications for cardiovascular health. Dave shares the personal journey that led him to fund this research and what it means for how we approach and treat heart disease. He breaks down the surprising findings on how plaque progression really occurs—and the key questions that still need answers in future studies. Dave also outlines the most effective tests to assess your risk, along with how to interpret your scores based on age.

Dave Feldman is a software and platform engineer, entrepreneur, and founder of the Citizen Science Foundation. His life took a radical turn upon seeing his cholesterol skyrocket after adopting a ketogenic diet, and he became obsessed with understanding why this is common with those who are likewise leaner and more metabolically healthy. Through a series of self-experiments and partnering with formal researchers, he has since published the “Lipid Energy Model,” which may explain this phenomenon.

In this episode, Dhru and Dave dive into:

Dave’s mission and journey to pursue answers (00:30)
What mainstream medicine believes about high cholesterol (4:20)
The keto and carnivore view on cholesterol (6:00)
Dave's perspective and his groundbreaking research (7:45)
Why Dave’s research matters and its implications for cardiovascular disease prevention (15:57)
The factors that led to starting and releasing the study (18:23)
The surprising results of plaque progression (28:42)
What the results mean on a broad scale and how to configure the right type of diet (35:32)
Appropriate testing and optimal score ranges (45:32)
Factors that contribute to plaque progression (53:32)
Injury to cells and arterial lining—and what prevents repair (1:00:32)
The likely responses to the landmark study (1:23:47)
Advice on ApoB based on large-scale metabolic health concerns (1:38:32)
Critical takeaways (1:42:22)
Where to follow Dave and learn about his upcoming movie (1:45:32)

Also mentioned in this episode:

For more on Dave, follow him on Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube, his Website, and other platforms, such as Cholesterol Code.

This episode is brought to you by Levels, BiOptimizers, and Birch Living.

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