IMPORTANT UPDATE February 9, 2023 – RECRUITMENT IS NOW CLOSED.

We are no longer accepting participants for this study. Thanks again to everyone for their tremendous support!

Lundquist Institute Study for Those Observing Very High Cholesterol on a Ketogenic Diet

Study Description

A high level of LDL cholesterol (often called the “bad cholesterol”) in the blood is widely considered a strong risk factor for heart disease. There are many who have adopted a low carb, ketogenic diet who have observed these levels rise substantially. Yet often these same individuals have many other risk factors for heart disease at optimal levels.

At the Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA, we are conducting a research study to identify plaque (atherosclerosis) found in these individuals and track its progression. We believe this can help provide valuable new insight on the risk level for this group at a population level.

Study Requirements

To be eligible for the study participants must:

Have been on their current diet for two years or longer
Had an LDL cholesterol of 160 mg/dL or below before adopting a low carb diet (requires a copy of lab results)
Have seen an increase of 50% or more in their LDL cholesterol to at least 190 mg/dL or above since adopting a low carb diet (requires a copy of lab results)
Have HDL cholesterol at 60 mg/dL or above (requires a copy of lab results)
Have Triglyceride levels at 80 mg/dL or below (requires a copy of lab results)

Participation will last 1 year and involve two visits (Baseline and Month 12) to the research center in Torrance, CA and one phone contact (Month 6).

Study assessments include:

Blood collection for routine labs (lipid, cholesterol, etc.)
CT Scan of the heart’s arteries
24 Hour Food Recall (online)
Saliva Collection for genetic testing for familial hypercholesterolemia

Travel and accommodation may be provided.

Contact the Study Site to See If You Qualify

Location of Study

Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California

Contact

Sajad Hamal – Study Coordinator

Phone: (310) 974-9334

Email: shamal@lundquist.org

Principal Investigator – Dr. Matthew Budoff

Matthew Budoff, MD is an investigator at The Lundquist Institute, an Endowed Chair of Preventive Cardiology, Faculty member of the Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine and Director of Cardiac CT at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California and a Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, California. Dr. Budoff is an internationally recognized researcher, the Vice President of the Society of Atherosclerosis Imaging (SAI) and a founding Board member of the Society of Cardiovascular CT (SCCT), and an author of the updated Guidelines for use of CT for Calcium Assessments and the competency guidelines for peripheral CT and MRI. Most recently, he was named to the U.S. News & World Report list of Top Doctors for 2011.