# #488 Dr. Gary McGowan - Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure, and Cardiovascular Disease

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/lift-free-and-diet-hard-with-andrew-coates-60220/488-dr-gary-mcgowan-cholesterol-high-blood-pressure-and-cardiovascular-disease
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/lift-free-and-diet-hard-with-andrew-coates-60220/488-dr-gary-mcgowan-cholesterol-high-blood-pressure-and-cardiovascular-disease.md
Podcast: [Lift Free And Diet Hard with Andrew Coates](https://stenobird.com/podcast/lift-free-and-diet-hard-with-andrew-coates-60220)
Published: 2026-07-21T06:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/liftfreediethard/episodes/488-Dr--Gary-McGowan---Cholesterol--High-Blood-Pressure--and-Cardiovascular-Disease-e3mbbte
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/4acb2b0/podcast/play/123104622/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-6-21%2F428323708-44100-2-0559af99257b4.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/lift-free-and-diet-hard-with-andrew-coates-60220/episodes/488-dr-gary-mcgowan-cholesterol-high-blood-pressure-and-cardiovascular-disease
Duration seconds: 3470

## Resource

Dr. Gary McGowan drops in to share a masterclass on cardiovascular disease and its major risk factors, including: The relationship between cholesterol and cardiovascular disease Why LDL cholesterol is important What causes LDL cholesterol to rise The dietary factors that can increase LDL cholesterol Navigating misleading claims about LDL from the carnivore diet community Why elimination diets can appear to improve someone’s health The relationship between obesity and cardiovascular disease Why not all fat storage in the body is associated with the same level of disease risk Visceral fat, BMI, and the personal fat threshold Why cardiovascular risk accumulates over time The role of genetics in cholesterol and blood pressure What causes high blood pressure The role of dietary sodium in hypertension The most important lifestyle behaviours for lowering cardiovascular disease risk How to screen for atherosclerotic plaque buildup in your arteries Coronary artery calcium scans and CCTA imaging Whether caffeine and energy drinks increase the risk of heart problems And much more Follow Gary on Instagram: @drgarymcgowan CHAPTERS 01:31 Cholesterol and Heart Risk 04:50 Why LDL Rises 06:23 Diet Drivers of LDL 09:31 Coffee and Cholesterol 10:32 Exercise and Lipids 12:19 Carnivore LDL Debate 18:32 Elimination Diet Reality 21:48 Obesity and Heart Disease 26:26 Visceral Fat and BMI 31:15 BMI Reality Check 32:24 Personal Fat Threshold 32:46 Obesity Over Time 33:58 Cumulative Risk Model 34:58 Blood Pressure Drivers 36:04 Salt and the Modern Diet 38:21 Lifestyle Risk Pillars 38:53 Heart Plaque Screening 41:32 Calcium Scans Explained 44:33 CCTA for Soft Plaque 48:17 Caffeine and Heart Risk 53:14 Energy Drink Extremes 55:21 Where to Find Gary 57:34 Final Wrap-Up SUPPORT THE SHOW If this epis…

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