4 ms·

There is a theory that cholesterol elevates in response to circulating endotoxin (dead bacteria cell walls). Lipoproteins can bind to the endotoxin, and clear i

There is a theory that cholesterol elevates in response to circulating endotoxin (dead bacteria cell walls). Lipoproteins can bind to the endotoxin, and clear it or at least stop immune cells from reacting to it. This response increases LDL, but decreases the immune activity that would otherwise be created by letting the endotoxin circulate. So LDL is a defense mechanism against the body's own response to circulating endotoxin as well as the endotoxin itself. If true, that would explain the link between inflammation, LDL, and heart disease. It would also imply that the circulating endotoxin is the thing to target. I wonder where all the dead bacteria cell walls are coming from, probably where the dead bacteria are. That, of course, is the gut. I don't remember the original paper, but I found something that at least explains the theory here. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140673600026908 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S01406...

sunshinerag 1y ago
Very interesting
chadcmulligan 1y ago
Saw this the other day which may tie in with what you're saying? "Bacteria present in carotid arterial plaques are found as biofilm deposits which may contribute to enhanced risk of plaque rupture" : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24917599/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24917599/
- alphazard 1y ago
  That does seem related, but it suggests something even more unexpected, which is that live bacteria are forming biofilms in arterial plaque. So the LDL is picking up live and dead bacteria and then adhering to the side of arteries. Biofilms (for anyone unfamiliar) are a form of coordination used by bacteria. Through simple signaling mechanisms they are able to decide which bacteria are on the outer edge, and which bacteria are safe inside. The guys on the edge become hard and defensive, and protect the inner bacteria from threats (like the immune system).
Citizen8396 1y ago
Why would a significant part of the population have dead bacteria circulating throughout their bloodstream? Bacteria live and die in the gut regularly, so it seems exceptional that parts of it would enter circulation and somehow avoid metabolism. This also doesn't seem to consider how many people have altered cholesterol status due to genetics. An interesting theory, but if it were proven true, I imagine its effect on public health would be limited to a narrow subset of individuals.
- nevertoolate 1y ago
  Bacteria entering bloodstream is quite common it seems, gut is not perfectly sealed and less sealed because of bad lifestyle choices. I think the article points out that treating cholesterol doesn’t treat the root cause and possibly! ineffective in itself to lower heart disease risk as something else is causing direct health threatening problems.
  - array_key_first 1y ago
    This is all just a hypothesis, and a very new one. We know almost definitively that high cholesterol causes heart disease and lowering cholesterol lowers your risk of a heart attack.
- incomingpain 1y ago
  Alcohol, NSAIDs, stress, obesity, or chronic inflammation Which given all of these factors are high in society. It's not exactly a surprise. The liver typically gets overloaded and unable to help as well. This theory as well explains autoimmune and a myriad of other diseases that medicine "dont understand" but that's mainly because this theory is censored. You wont be able to read a page about it on wiki.

sunshinerag 1y ago

Very interesting

chadcmulligan 1y ago

Saw this the other day which may tie in with what you're saying? "Bacteria present in carotid arterial plaques are found as biofilm deposits which may contribute to enhanced risk of plaque rupture" : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24917599/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24917599/

alphazard 1y ago
That does seem related, but it suggests something even more unexpected, which is that live bacteria are forming biofilms in arterial plaque. So the LDL is picking up live and dead bacteria and then adhering to the side of arteries. Biofilms (for anyone unfamiliar) are a form of coordination used by bacteria. Through simple signaling mechanisms they are able to decide which bacteria are on the outer edge, and which bacteria are safe inside. The guys on the edge become hard and defensive, and protect the inner bacteria from threats (like the immune system).

Citizen8396 1y ago

Why would a significant part of the population have dead bacteria circulating throughout their bloodstream? Bacteria live and die in the gut regularly, so it seems exceptional that parts of it would enter circulation and somehow avoid metabolism. This also doesn't seem to consider how many people have altered cholesterol status due to genetics. An interesting theory, but if it were proven true, I imagine its effect on public health would be limited to a narrow subset of individuals.

nevertoolate 1y ago
Bacteria entering bloodstream is quite common it seems, gut is not perfectly sealed and less sealed because of bad lifestyle choices. I think the article points out that treating cholesterol doesn’t treat the root cause and possibly! ineffective in itself to lower heart disease risk as something else is causing direct health threatening problems.
- array_key_first 1y ago
  This is all just a hypothesis, and a very new one. We know almost definitively that high cholesterol causes heart disease and lowering cholesterol lowers your risk of a heart attack.
incomingpain 1y ago
Alcohol, NSAIDs, stress, obesity, or chronic inflammation Which given all of these factors are high in society. It's not exactly a surprise. The liver typically gets overloaded and unable to help as well. This theory as well explains autoimmune and a myriad of other diseases that medicine "dont understand" but that's mainly because this theory is censored. You wont be able to read a page about it on wiki.