Cholesterol has been painted as the villain in heart disease—but what if that story is incomplete?

In this episode of Fire Your Doctor, Dr. Dani Lockwood and Richard Lockwood challenge one of the most entrenched beliefs in modern medicine: that lowering cholesterol is always the key to protecting your heart. Instead, they unpack what cholesterol actually does in the body—and why suppressing it without context can backfire.

This conversation reframes cholesterol as a repair molecule and signal, not a disease—and asks the more important question: Why is cholesterol elevated in the first place?

🔍 In this episode, we unpack:

• What cholesterol actually does in the body (hint: it’s essential)

• Why cholesterol rises as a response to stress, inflammation, and injury

• The difference between cholesterol as a marker vs a cause

• Why treating lab numbers instead of physiology misses the real issue

• What statins do well—and what they don’t address

• Common nutrient depletions associated with statin use (including CoQ10)

• When medication may be appropriate—and when it shouldn’t be the first move

• Why inflammation, insulin resistance, and metabolic health matter more than LDL alone

  🧠 Clinical Insight

  Research from cardiologists like Dr. Aseem Malhotra (UK) highlights that:

  • LDL cholesterol alone is a poor predictor of heart disease

  • Inflammation and insulin resistance are stronger drivers of risk

  • Lifestyle and metabolic repair often outperform medication alone

  The heart doesn’t fail because cholesterol exists—it struggles when the body is under chronic stress without repair.

  ✝️ Spiritual Reflection

  Proverbs 4:23 (AMP)

  “Watch over your heart with all diligence,
  For from it flow the springs of life.”

  Protecting the heart means more than lowering numbers—it means addressing what’s happening upstream in the body, mind, and life.

  🔗 Learn more or get in touch

  FireYourDr.com