High cholesterol: is genetics destiny?

How understanding my genetic blueprint changed my approach to cardiovascular health

For years, I lived with a frustrating paradox. Despite maintaining what most would consider an exemplary lifestyle—exercising 4-5 times per week, following a whole foods-based diet, and competing in triathlons throughout my late 40s and early 50s—my cholesterol numbers told a different story. Total cholesterol consistently elevated, LDL stubbornly high, and a family history that served as an ominous reminder of what genetics could deliver.

My father had walked this same path. Despite his own efforts at healthy living, he was treated for elevated cholesterol for years. He eventually developed Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) in his early 70s, succumbing to dementia.

I worried: am I destined for the same trajectory?