Rethinking Cholesterol: What Everyone Over 50 Needs to Know

Cholesterol often gets labeled as public enemy number one, especially for those over 50. But, as Alan Ogden lays out in his latest Your Second 50 podcast appearance, the science—and the strategies for staying well—have evolved. If you’re hitting your second half-century, or just curious about cholesterol over 50, this post unpacks what Alan shares about outdated myths, new understandings, and practical ways to take charge of your own wellness.

Empowerment Through Knowledge

• 1. Understand Where Cholesterol Science Came From—and Where It’s Going

  Alan recalls being right in the thick of cholesterol controversy during his university years. As he puts it, “all of a sudden we needed to get fat out of food.” The push to remove fat, and replace it with sugar, ended up doing more harm than good. Alan explains, “the replacement was sugar, which had more devastating effect than actually the cholesterol or the fat in the food at the time.”

  He goes on to describe how the initial guidelines for cholesterol were not as universally applicable as people were led to believe. Alan notes, “the original application for the use of cholesterol [lowering drugs] was very specific. It was for people who were genetically subject to something called apolipoprotein A.” This substrate, he explains, is “very inflammatory” and can be hard to control through diet and exercise. The rest of the population was swept up in recommendations based on research he calls “cherry-picked.”

• 2. Recognize That Genetics Matters

  What you inherit plays a major role in how your body handles cholesterol. Alan points out, “you have genetics for our dietary cholesterol, saturated cholesterols, unsaturated cholesterols. We have a selection of genetics that we can look at that would indicate a predisposition.” Most doctors still base decisions on blood tests alone, with no genetic testing unless you push for it. Alan emphasizes that by looking at relevant genes, practitioners can interpret how likely it is you’ll have high cholesterol for reasons beyond diet or lifestyle.

  Alan explains, “when you go to your doctor, they don’t do genetic testing. They just do a blood test. They look at some results and then they make this decision on whether or not you should be on a cholesterol drug.”

• 3. Know That Cholesterol Is Necessary

  Cholesterol isn’t just “bad” or “good”—it’s essential. “We make cholesterol, like we, our liver is very good at making cholesterol. And why do we need cholesterol?… you make vitamin D from cholesterol. You make your hormones. So your insulin, your testosterone, your estrogen, your progesterone, all the hormones we depend on, have their root in cholesterol,” Alan says. Interfering with this process could have downstream effects on essential bodily functions.

• 4. Don’t Stop at the First Test—Go Deeper

  Alan advocates for a layered approach to testing: “So now where I work and the people I work with, first of all, we do a genetic testing. We see, you know, what are those genes that have the potential to increase these things. And then we do what’s called, you know, there’s a standard cholesterol panel.” Only after looking at genetic factors, liver health, kidney function, and even bowel function does Alan move toward any medical intervention.

  “If we still see high LDL cholesterol, our first response to that is not a statin drug. We look at their dietary pattern. How much saturated fat are they actually eating? Do they have some genetics that might indicate that they have an inability to use saturated fat?”

Rethinking Prevention and Wellness Over 50

• 5. Know That Drug Therapies Are Not Always the First or Only Option

  Alan is clear: for some people, statin therapy is necessary. “There are some people… that statin therapy is a requirement for because of the genetics. Maybe even because they don’t have the ability to change their diet too much or the desire to change their diet too much.” But drug therapy should generally come after a thorough assessment. Alan explains newer cholesterol drugs “are now not actually acting in the liver. They’re actually acting in the intestinal tract, which is where the problems are coming from.”

• 6. HDL vs LDL—It’s Not So Simple

  If you’re over 50, you’ve likely heard about good and bad cholesterol. Alan offers a memorable trick: “HDL is cardioprotective cholesterol. And if we have high cardioprotective cholesterol, then from the very start we have to start minimizing the ultimate effect of LDL cholesterol.” But he also stresses the importance of deeper tests. Beyond standard cholesterol panels, Alan recommends a lipoprotein panel that investigates triglycerides and other molecules, “These are the ones that we’ve now identified that actually are doing the damage in our cardiovascular system.”

• 7. How Menopause Changes the Equation for Women

  The field long overlooked women. Alan shares, “as women go through menopause and they become postmenopausal, their LDL cholesterol naturally rises.” Despite increased LDL, many older women avoid heart disease. So Alan asks: “Why are women not so subject to cardiovascular disease?” There’s a cardioprotective element during the estrogen-progesterone cycle, but it tends to fade post-menopause. For both men and women over 50, a one-size-fits-all approach misses these important nuances. Alan also notes, “women usually have one heart attack where men might get away with, you know, one and another one and have this intervention.”

• 8. Don’t Let Your Numbers Tell the Whole Story

  Alan shares the example of his wife, Donna. “Her cholesterol was very high… And so we went back and said, could we do a lipoprotein test? He did a lipoprotein test. A lipoprotein test came back very good. So what that means is even though the LDL is high, it’s not damaging.” This illustrates why simply staring at “high” cholesterol numbers may miss the full picture. Alan describes handling Donna’s LDL cholesterol through natural means, adjusting saturated fat intake and using “Stericol,” a product approved by Health Canada for high cholesterol.

The Evolution of Cholesterol Science

• 9. Historical Guidelines Were Based on Limited Data

  Alan emphasizes how early cholesterol guidelines were based on research that wasn’t as broad or robust as it should have been. “They came up with these guidelines that if you are over a certain level of LDL cholesterol, then you needed therapy. But his contention was the original application for the use of cholesterol was very specific…only for people who were genetically subject.” More recent science now recognizes genetic differences and the multifaceted role cholesterol plays.

• 10. Question the Status Quo

  “Remember that I said that all the original tests were done on males. And one of the things that why women were excluded at the time was it was pretty well known…postmenopausal, their LDL cholesterol naturally rises.” Alan puts the responsibility back into your hands: get informed, ask your healthcare provider about deeper testing, and don’t settle for superficial answers.

• 11. The Food Industry and Cholesterol Myths

  Alan notes, “we’re fighting a $35 billion a year industry right now in cholesterol.” This underscores why many outdated ideas persist. The push to remove fat from foods (and replace it with sugar), for instance, was driven by industry as much as science.

Conclusion: Take Charge of Your Cholesterol Over 50

As Alan Ogden makes clear, cholesterol is not a simple story of good vs. bad. The real science is more nuanced, and your path to wellness—especially after 50—should consider your genetics, your liver and bowel health, and the depth of your cholesterol panel. Alan’s approach is to look deeper, question assumptions, and advocate for tailored strategies rather than one-size-fits-all drug therapy or diet. Whether you choose genetic testing, more detailed cholesterol panels, or specific dietary interventions, the most powerful step you can take is to be proactive and informed.

If you’re ready to rethink cholesterol over 50, start by asking your doctor about genetic and lipoprotein panel testing. Don’t settle for surface-level answers. For more cutting-edge wellness insights, subscribe to Alan’s podcast and check out the resources at LiveYourDNA.com.