Cholesterol dropped 80 points and my doc is shook — what worked for you?

Dr.DermMIA said:

Triglycerides dropped by half, HDL barely moved, and my calculated LDL is almost exactly where it started, which is not the outcome I had been…

Comprehensive lipid panel update relevant to the lipid panel:

The triglyceride drop is the most impressive. My cardiologist reduced my statin dose based on these results.

PharmD_Rodriguez said:

Comprehensive lipid panel update relevant to the lipid panel: Marker Baseline 6 Months 12 Months Reference Total Cholesterol 263 218 188 <200 LDL…

Tracking labs for the lipid panel — here's the panel I get every 3 months and why:

• CMP: glucose, electrolytes, kidney function, liver enzymes
• Lipid panel: total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides
• A1C: 3-month glucose average
• hsCRP: inflammatory marker
• CBC: blood counts, anemia screening
• B12, folate, iron: nutritional deficiency screening
• TSH, free T4: thyroid monitoring
• Lipase: pancreatic safety check

Total cost with insurance: about $32 copay. Without insurance, request cash-pay pricing from Quest/Labcorp — usually $157.

Dr.DermMIA said:

Triglycerides dropped by half, HDL barely moved, and my calculated LDL is almost exactly where it started, which is not the outcome I had been…

Same experience, arrived at from the opposite direction.

Adding the clinical framing, because it changes how the question reads.

Omega-3 index improvement on the lipid panel: often overlooked but my omega-3 index went from 3.5% to 7.5% over 8 months. I supplemented with 2g EPA+DHA daily.

This matters because omega-3s are anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective, complementing the GLP-1 benefits. Target omega-3 index is >8%. Combined with the triglyceride reduction from the medication, my lipid profile is the best it's been in decades.