TESTS TO FOLLOW
ON THE LCHF DIET
Are you interested in trying a LCHF diet but afraid you might be harming yourself?
Or have you been told by your doctor/nutritionist/trainer/favorite celebrity that it is
a dangerous diet? Here’s the good news: it’s not dangerous! And the best news,
you don’t have to guess if it is helping you or not. There are simple tests you can
follow to see if your overall health is improving. Objective data without guessing!
Celebrity trends can’t promise that, can they?
Of course, following a LCHF diet has many benefits which are not measured in the
lab, such as:
• Increased Energy
• Weight Loss
• Mental Clarity
• Lack of hunger
And more…
Despite these benefits, the medical community still fears avoiding carbohydrates
and eating more fat. They base this fear on decades of poor quality science and
unchallenged dogma. But here is the secret (hopefully not really a secret), their fear
is misguided and generally wrong.
Fortunately, you can measure your progress on the diet and prove to yourself (and
your doctor) that your health is objectively improving. You just have to know what
to follow, and most importantly, what to ask your doctor to follow.
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Why do I have to ask my doctor? Shouldn’t she/he already know what to follow?
Your doctor, therefore, may need a little nudge to check blood tests that are out of
the norm. You may hear, “I have never checked those before.” Or “Those tests
aren’t part of our usual workup.” That’s OK. Just smile, acknowledge their
statement, and say “I understand that. And here is what is so interesting. I read that
a LCHF diet is very different from the standard diets, and therefore may benefit from
different monitoring tests.” Then dive right into my list of the 10+ most important
markers to follow when you are on a LCHF diet.
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BASIC TESTS
HgbA1c- should go down
Fasting glucose and fasting insulin (HOMA-IR)- should go down
hsCRP- should go down
LDL- usually unchanged, but could go up or down
HDL- should go up
TG- should go down
TC:HDL ratio- should go down
TG:HDL ratio- should go down
Apo B or LDL-P- usually unchanged, but could go up or down
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BONUS TESTS
OGTT or Kraft test- glucose and insulin should go down
Fibrinogen- should go down
sdLDL- should go down
oxLDL- should go down
LDL phenotype- should be pattern A
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MORE IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION
OF THE TESTS
1. Measures of glucose control AND insulin sensitivity- Most doctors
frequently follow just the glucose level and assume that is adequate. The
problem is that by the time the glucose is out of control, we have had years if
not decades of hyperinsulinemia trying to keep the glucose in check. We can
be much more proactive by detecting abnormal insulin levels, and thus fixing
the problem long before it effects our glucose level.
a. Fasting glucose AND fasting insulin- This allows you to calculate what is
called a HOMA-IR, which is essentially an equation using both glucose and
insulin levels. This is a great marker for insulin sensitivity. Here is an example.
A fasting glucose of 90 (normal) with a fasting insulin of 20 (high) suggests
that your body is working hard producing a very high level of insulin in
order to maintain a normal blood glucose (thus an elevated HOMA-IR). This
is an unhealthy state, with potential damage from years of elevated insulin
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c. Bonus Tests: The above tests are very easy to do and you should get very
little push back from your doctor. The following are a little more logistically
challenging, and may be harder to get ordered.
ii. Kraft test- This test is the same as the OGTT above, but you measure both
glucose and insulin. Adding insulin increases the sensitivity of the test
and will identify issues earlier than if you only measure glucose.
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b. Bonus Test: Fibrinogen- This is a protein associated with forming blood clots.
You need elevated fibrinogen if you have a serious cut and need to stop
the bleeding. Chronic elevation, however, signifies chronic systemic
inflammation and thus can be an additive marker to CRP to follow
changes in your inflammatory levels.
3. Lipid Profile- Lipids are likely the most controversial topic regarding LCHF
nutrition. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The key is to evaluate the entire lipid
profile, as detailed below, as opposed to relying on just one marker such as the
total cholesterol or LDL concentration.
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b. Low density lipoprotein (LDL)- Traditionally called the “bad” cholesterol,
LDL is actually not inherently evil. LDL has a role in our bodies for fighting
infections and inflammation, and also helps with energy delivery. In the
setting of low HDL, high TG and insulin resistance, however, a higher level
of LDL correlates with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). In the
opposite situation, high HDL, low TG, insulin sensitivity, LDL does not
correlate as well with risk of CVD. Therefore, context is crucial when
interpreting LDL results. Also, contrary to popular belief, most people on a
LCHF diet see no meaningful change in the LDL. Less than 30% of
individuals (likely closer to 5-10%) may see a 50-100% increase in their LDL.
While we do not know that this is dangerous, it is something of note and
may require further investigation or alterations.
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e. Total cholesterol to HDL (TC:HDL) ratio- This is not a separate test, but simply
using results you already have to get a ratio. It is a better predictor of CVD
than just LDL alone since it factors in LDL and remnant particles, and
accounts for the protective benefit of naturally elevated HDL. It is easily
calculated from a standard lipid profile, but frequently is overlooked.
g. Lipoprotein a (Lp(a))- This is a helpful one-time test, but not all that helpful
to follow over time. Higher levels are associated with more atherogenic
lipoproteins, an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and frequently go
along with a family history of CVD. Studies show that lowering Lp(a) with
medications, however does not decrease clinical risk of CVD. Instead,
when Lp(a) is elevated, more attention should be paid to LDL and other
risk factors.
ii. LDL phenotype (Pattern A or B)- This reflects the overall size of the LDL
particles. In a simplistic way, pattern A represents less dense particles
that are less harmful (easy memory device, A is Awesome). Pattern B
reflects the denser, more worrisome particles (B is Bad). A LCHF diet can
help change pattern B to pattern A.
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iii. Oxidized LDL (oxLDL)- Oxidized LDL particles are “damaged” and easily
taken up by macrophages. This turns the macrophage into foam cells
which leads to unstable plaques and heart attacks. Normal, non-
oxidized LDLs, however, are not taken up very well, and therefore pose
a substantially smaller risk. Anything that reduces inflammation and
oxidation can help reduce the risk of your LDL.
There you have it. 10+ Top Medical Tests to Follow on the LCHF diet. Remember, you
don’t have to guess if things are getting better or not. You can measure them! And
you don’t have to do this alone. Talk to your doctor and join one of them many
online support groups. If you have any questions or concerns, you can always
contact us for more information or to schedule an individual consultation at
www.LowCarbCardiologist.com
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Bret Scher, MD FACC
Founder, Boundless Health
www.LowCarbCardiologist.com