High Cholesterol
Functional medicine support tailored to uncover the root cause of complex symptoms.
Consult with our care team to understand next steps and build a personalized plan.
Serving Denver Metro, Fort Collins, and Colorado Springs.
About This Condition
High cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia or broader dyslipidemia) refers to chronically elevated levels of atherogenic lipoproteins in the blood, particularly low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol, often accompanied by low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and/or elevated triglycerides. It is usually asymptomatic but is a major modifiable risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease.
Patients typically do not feel “high cholesterol” directly; it is detected by routine screening or in the context of known cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, or diabetes. Inherited lipid disorders such as familial hypercholesterolemia may present at younger ages with markedly elevated LDL cholesterol and, in some cases, tendon xanthomas or premature cardiovascular events. More commonly, high cholesterol develops gradually over years in the setting of dietary patterns, low physical activity, excess adiposity, insulin resistance, endocrine changes, and other lifestyle and environmental factors.
Clinical assessment focuses on fasting or non-fasting lipid panels, global cardiovascular risk estimation, family history of premature cardiovascular events, and identification of secondary causes such as hypothyroidism, nephrotic syndrome, liver disease, and certain medications. Management emphasizes lifestyle and nutrition interventions, addressing weight and metabolic health, and pharmacologic lipid-lowering therapy when indicated to reduce long-term atherosclerotic risk.
Common Symptoms
- •Often asymptomatic and discovered on routine blood work or cardiovascular risk screening
- •History of premature coronary artery disease, stroke, or peripheral arterial disease in self or close relatives
- •In familial hypercholesterolemia or severe genetic dyslipidemia, possible tendon xanthomas, xanthelasmas, or corneal arcus at relatively young ages
- •Coexisting features of metabolic syndrome such as central weight gain, elevated blood pressure, impaired fasting glucose, or low HDL cholesterol
- •Reduced exercise tolerance or exertional chest discomfort in individuals with advanced atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease related to long-standing dyslipidemia
Conventional Treatment Options
Nutrition and lifestyle
Supplement support where appropriate
Medication optimization
Our Functional Medicine Approach
LDL on its own is a blunt measurement
Most patients arrive having been told their cholesterol is high and to start a statin (or take a stronger one). The standard panel often misses the picture. The numbers that actually drive cardiovascular risk are ApoB (the count of atherogenic particles), Lp(a) (genetic), particle size, triglyceride-to-HDL ratio, insulin status, and inflammatory markers. Two patients with the same LDL can have very different real risk.
How Spire works the root cause
Our Metabolic Health Program runs the deeper lipid workup — ApoB, Lp(a), lipid particle profile, fasting insulin, hsCRP, and full thyroid — and frames the result in terms of your actual cardiovascular risk, not just a single number. We address insulin resistance, gut-derived inflammation, and the metabolic drivers behind the lipid pattern. Statins and other medications stay on the table when they make sense; we don't treat numbers in isolation.
Who this is for
Adults with elevated LDL or borderline lipid panels, patients with a strong family history of heart disease or elevated Lp(a), people who reacted poorly to statins and want options, and anyone who wants their actual cardiovascular risk measured — not just a single number.