Key Terms: Lipid Metabolism, Leptin, and Diet-Related Cardiovascular Risk

Vocabulary flashcards covering leptin biology, leptin resistance, lipid disorders, cholesterol metrics, coronary plaque indicators, and ketogenic-diet-related cholesterol responses.

Leptin

Hormone secreted by adipose tissue that signals the brain to increase metabolic rate and decrease appetite; rises with fat cell size to help keep body fat in a survival-oriented sweet spot.

Leptin resistance

Condition where high leptin levels do not elicit the expected metabolic or appetite responses; often tissue-specific and common in obesity, affecting brain and thermogenic tissues differently.

Dyslipidemia

Clinically defined unhealthy levels of blood lipids (fats or cholesterol) often associated with plaque formation in arteries.

Hyperlipidemia

General term for increased levels of any blood lipids (fats or cholesterol).

Hypercholesterolemia

Elevated levels of cholesterol in the blood.

Triglycerides

A type of blood lipid; fasting levels are ideally below 100 mg/dL; around 150 mg/dL is considered high.

HDL (high-density lipoprotein)

“Good” cholesterol; higher levels (roughly 60–80 mg/dL) are associated with lower cardiovascular risk.

LDL (low-density lipoprotein)

“Bad” cholesterol; contributes to plaque formation in arteries when elevated.

Coronary artery calcification

Measurement of calcium deposits in the coronary arteries; a gold-standard indicator of overall plaque burden.

Atherosclerosis / Plaque formation

Buildup of lipids and other substances in arterial walls leading to narrowed arteries and risk of heart attack or stroke.

Ketogenic diet

A very low-carbohydrate diet; in some individuals, can cause extreme cholesterol responses despite overall health otherwise.

Lean mass hyper-responders

Subset of ketogenic-diet individuals who exhibit dramatically elevated total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol on keto.

Total cholesterol threshold (≈240 mg/dL)

A commonly discussed level above which clinicians consider more aggressive management; not a perfectly linear relationship with risk.