re: Just had my annual physical and got my blood panel back

OP, I'm a little younger than you, but in the same general boat. Eat very clean, exercise, and am pretty lean. Standard lipid panels (which as noted above measure the amount of cholesterol in a lipid particle) show my numbers as very high. I did an advanced panel (# of apo b particles, Lp(a), etc.), and the results were better - but mixed...Still working through it, as I do think there is some benefit to a statin to some groups, but not to the level of dishing them out like candy as many doctors do.

If you have not had an advanced lipid panel, I'd suggest getting one. I tried to get a doctor to order it, but most are ignorant on recent literature and do not understand them. In the end, it was cheaper and easier to just order myself. Below is the link to a good set of labs for $150. It is definitely worth getting your Lp(a) measured, as that is not correlated to any results of a standard lipid panel (whereas there is usually some correlation to apo-b particle number and non-hdl cholesterol measurements). Attia/the cardiac experts he has on have called it the silent killer, and it is completely genetic and largely unmodifiable by current medications.

LINK