Dr. Aseem Malhotra

You know, I trained as an interventional cardiologist and that means keel heart surgery stents, for example. Patient comes in, we didn't even check their cholesterol. Maybe some of the thinking was the lower the better, which we'll come on to as well. So it doesn't matter what their cholesterol is starting from. The lower your cholesterol, the better.

You know, I trained as an interventional cardiologist and that means keel heart surgery stents, for example. Patient comes in, we didn't even check their cholesterol. Maybe some of the thinking was the lower the better, which we'll come on to as well. So it doesn't matter what their cholesterol is starting from. The lower your cholesterol, the better.

You know, I trained as an interventional cardiologist and that means keel heart surgery stents, for example. Patient comes in, we didn't even check their cholesterol. Maybe some of the thinking was the lower the better, which we'll come on to as well. So it doesn't matter what their cholesterol is starting from. The lower your cholesterol, the better.

In fact, 2011, our cardiologist, one of the editors, I think, of the American Journal of Cardiology wrote an article, which I mentioned in my book, A Stat and Free Life, which was entitled, It's the Cholesterol Stupid, right? And what did he say in that? He said, you can be an obese diabetic smoker that doesn't exercise. Sounds crazy.

In fact, 2011, our cardiologist, one of the editors, I think, of the American Journal of Cardiology wrote an article, which I mentioned in my book, A Stat and Free Life, which was entitled, It's the Cholesterol Stupid, right? And what did he say in that? He said, you can be an obese diabetic smoker that doesn't exercise. Sounds crazy.

In fact, 2011, our cardiologist, one of the editors, I think, of the American Journal of Cardiology wrote an article, which I mentioned in my book, A Stat and Free Life, which was entitled, It's the Cholesterol Stupid, right? And what did he say in that? He said, you can be an obese diabetic smoker that doesn't exercise. Sounds crazy.

But as long as your cholesterol is low enough, you're not going to get heart disease. That's crazy. Like, really? So, okay, I had to unpick that. And what I also then did moving forward from 2003, so that's how I got down this track, realizing that our obsession with LDL lowering has been a problem.

But as long as your cholesterol is low enough, you're not going to get heart disease. That's crazy. Like, really? So, okay, I had to unpick that. And what I also then did moving forward from 2003, so that's how I got down this track, realizing that our obsession with LDL lowering has been a problem.

But as long as your cholesterol is low enough, you're not going to get heart disease. That's crazy. Like, really? So, okay, I had to unpick that. And what I also then did moving forward from 2003, so that's how I got down this track, realizing that our obsession with LDL lowering has been a problem.

Both observational data and randomized controlled trials. No benefit, like in lowering it, no association, nothing.

Both observational data and randomized controlled trials. No benefit, like in lowering it, no association, nothing.

Both observational data and randomized controlled trials. No benefit, like in lowering it, no association, nothing.

Right. And when you look at all the data, so that was the first sort of bit that I was, okay. And some might even been protective, like some of the dairy fat. Well, we know now, yes, there is, there is some suggestion that dairy fat could be protective. Absolutely. So there's all that. And then coming back to the LDL.

Right. And when you look at all the data, so that was the first sort of bit that I was, okay. And some might even been protective, like some of the dairy fat. Well, we know now, yes, there is, there is some suggestion that dairy fat could be protective. Absolutely. So there's all that. And then coming back to the LDL.

Right. And when you look at all the data, so that was the first sort of bit that I was, okay. And some might even been protective, like some of the dairy fat. Well, we know now, yes, there is, there is some suggestion that dairy fat could be protective. Absolutely. So there's all that. And then coming back to the LDL.

So Mark, this is what's interesting. That article I wrote, because it creates such a lot of headlines and backlash or whatever else, that's when people like Darius started looking at this again. So it was all really from the back of that BMJ piece. It all came together.

So Mark, this is what's interesting. That article I wrote, because it creates such a lot of headlines and backlash or whatever else, that's when people like Darius started looking at this again. So it was all really from the back of that BMJ piece. It all came together.

So Mark, this is what's interesting. That article I wrote, because it creates such a lot of headlines and backlash or whatever else, that's when people like Darius started looking at this again. So it was all really from the back of that BMJ piece. It all came together.

So then everybody's like, you know, and at the time I was writing just a commentary, which was peer reviewed, but I could have got it wrong. I could have. But I was like, you know what? There's enough here for me to provoke the thoughts.

So then everybody's like, you know, and at the time I was writing just a commentary, which was peer reviewed, but I could have got it wrong. I could have. But I was like, you know what? There's enough here for me to provoke the thoughts.