Cardiovascular & advanced lipid care

Your cholesterol looked fine, but you want the full picture

A standard panel is a starting point, not the finish line. We look past the summary number at what is actually driving your heart risk, then build a prevention-first plan around it.

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Does this sound like you?

Their heart attack does not have to be your future

Your cholesterol looked fine on your last physical, but something still feels unaddressed.
Heart disease runs in your family and you do not want to just wait and see.
You do not want to end up on a statin, but you do not want to ignore your risk either.
Your doctor only ever mentions total cholesterol, and you sense there is more to it.
You got the borderline blood pressure talk again and left without a real plan.
You wonder if there are supplements that can support your cardiovascular health.
You already take heart or blood pressure medication and wonder what else you should be doing.
Everyone talks about cholesterol, but no one explained what inflammation has to do with your heart.

If these questions sound like yours, a deeper cardiovascular workup can give you answers that a summary number cannot.

You are right to want more

A normal cholesterol number can still hide real risk

A routine panel reports total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides, all concentration measurements. What they do not show is how that cholesterol is carried through your blood, and cholesterol does not travel loose. It rides inside particles.

Two people can have the exact same LDL while one carries it in a few large particles and the other in a large number of small, dense ones, and the second person carries more risk with an identical number on paper. This mismatch shows up most in people with prediabetes or insulin resistance, exactly the group most likely to be told their cholesterol is fine.

Your artery is a highway, a cholesterol particle diagram. The top lane shows a few large trucks labeled lower risk, each tagged apolipoprotein B (ApoB) and carrying gold cholesterol cargo, meaning fewer particles carry the same cholesterol. The bottom lane shows many small trucks labeled higher risk carrying the same total cholesterol, with some lodging under the artery lining to form plaque. A standard cholesterol test weighs the cargo, while ApoB counts the particles that actually drive cardiovascular risk.
Same cholesterol, different risk. What matters is how many particles carry it, measured by apolipoprotein B (ApoB), not the amount on a standard panel.
What actually drives heart risk

The real story is under the number

High blood pressure and an unfavorable cholesterol pattern are better understood as signals of a few upstream problems, not the whole problem themselves.

Particle count, beyond cholesterol

The number of cholesterol-carrying particles in your blood tracks risk more closely than the cholesterol amount alone. It can be high even when a standard panel looks reassuring.

Inflammation and the vessel lining

Chronic low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress damage the inner lining of your blood vessels. That damaged lining, not cholesterol by itself, is where plaque actually starts to build.

The metabolic connection

Heart disease and blood sugar problems share the same roots: inflammation, insulin resistance, and chronic stress. That is why we treat them together instead of in separate silos.

Blood pressure as a signal

An elevated reading is a signal about what is happening in your vessels. We measure it carefully, then look at what is driving it, rather than only pushing the number down.

A useful way to picture it: family history loads the gun, diet and stress and smoking pull the trigger, and excess weight and a poor-quality diet keep it going. Good care works at all three levels.

How Dr. Mohammadi investigates

Resolution most routine visits never add

We build on standard cardiology and primary care, then add the depth that matters most when a basic panel looks fine but your risk may not be.

Your full story and risk factors

Family history of early heart disease, waist measurement, blood sugar, autoimmune history, and even chronic gum or dental infection all shape cardiovascular risk. We take the time to map them, because risk is a whole-person picture, not one blood draw.

Advanced lipid and particle testing

We start with the standard panel, then add resolution when warranted: LDL particle number for a direct count of the particles that matter, particle size for context, apolipoprotein B (ApoB) as a widely used marker of particle burden, and oxidized LDL as a marker of oxidative damage. We also check lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), an inherited particle that can raise risk on its own and that a standard panel does not measure. This matters most for patients whose standard panel looks reassuring but whose real risk may not be.

Blood pressure, measured the right way

Most people have never had their blood pressure measured in a way that reflects their true numbers. Because your care is virtual, we coach you to measure it correctly at home, with the right cuff, arm position, and rest beforehand. We then work from the average of many home readings rather than a single office snapshot, which also rules out a white-coat effect, and we have you compare both arms, since a real difference can be an early clue.

A medication review for hidden nutrient gaps

If you already take heart or blood pressure medication, we check what it may be quietly depleting and help correct it, in coordination with your prescribing physician, a well-documented example being statins and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Any change to the medication itself stays with the physician who prescribes it.

Your plan

Prevention-first, built around your labs and your life

Nutrition and lifestyle are the foundation and the first lever whenever it is safe to lead with them. Medication stays part of the toolkit when it is needed, always in partnership with the physician who prescribes it.

Cardiometabolic nutritionA modified Mediterranean, low-glycemic pattern with a real fiber target and better fat quality.
Calm the inflammationShifting toward omega-3-rich foods and anti-inflammatory choices that protect the vessel lining.
Lifestyle pillarsMovement, sleep, stress work, and weight support, each measured and adjusted over time.

Even a modest amount of weight loss can measurably lower both blood pressure and inflammatory markers, which is why we track those markers, not the scale alone.

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Some heart symptoms are an emergency, not a visit to schedule

Root-cause cardiovascular care is for prevention, not emergencies. Chest pain, pressure, or tightness, pain spreading to the arm, jaw, neck, or back, sudden shortness of breath, fainting or a sudden irregular or racing heartbeat, sudden weakness, facial droop, or trouble speaking, or a cold sweat with nausea all mean call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room now.

Common questions

Heart and cholesterol questions patients ask

My cholesterol looked fine, so why would I need more testing?

Standard panels measure how much cholesterol is present, not how many particles are carrying it. Particle number can be elevated even when your LDL looks normal, especially with prediabetes, insulin resistance, or a strong family history. That is exactly the gap advanced testing fills.

What is the difference between LDL cholesterol and LDL particle number?

LDL cholesterol measures how much cholesterol is present. Particle number counts the actual carrier particles. The two do not always move together, and particle number tends to track risk more closely.

I am scared of statins. Do I have to go on medication?

Nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress management come first whenever it is safe to lead with them. Medication is added only when it is needed. Any change to an existing prescription is made together with your prescribing physician, never as a do-it-yourself change from a webpage.

My parent had a heart attack young. Does that mean I will too?

Family history raises the value of earlier, more detailed testing. It is an input that changes the workup, not a verdict on your outcome.

I already take blood pressure or cholesterol medication. What else can this add?

We review existing prescriptions for nutrient depletion, such as statins and CoQ10, and build the food and lifestyle plan around what you already take, in coordination with your prescribing physician. When it fits your picture, we also consider personalized cardiovascular supporting supplements to optimize your risk factors. Any change to the medication itself stays with the physician who prescribes it.

What does inflammation actually have to do with my arteries?

Ongoing low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress damage the vessel lining, and that is where plaque starts to build. Calming that process is a central goal of this approach, not an afterthought.

Do you take insurance, and where do you see patients?

No. Thrive is a cash-pay practice, and any labs are billed separately by the lab. Care is fully virtual by secure video for patients located anywhere in Arizona or Indiana. To begin, book a free 15-minute Meet and Greet.

Related care

Often connected to heart health

Metabolic healthShared roots with heart risk Hormone optimizationHormones and the heart Longevity & healthspanProtect your heart for decades

Ready for the full picture of your heart health?

Start with a free 15-minute Meet and Greet. Tell us what you are dealing with, and we will show you what a deeper cardiovascular workup could look like.

Book your free Meet & Greet