Cardiovascular issues rarely begin with dramatic symptoms. By the time you feel shortness of breath, chest tightness, or severe fatigue, changes in your arteries and cells may have been quietly developing for years.
The truth is that standard cholesterol tests only scratch the surface. In fact, lesser-known and tested biomarkers—like ApoB, LDL-P, triglycerides, and hs-CRP—tend to reveal what’s happening inside your blood vessels, long before plaque becomes a problem.
These markers tell us how inflamed your vascular system is, how many cholesterol particles are circulating, and how much stress your heart is under at the cellular level. And they can help prevent heart problems, which is much more effective than treatment after the fact.
More importantly, these biomarkers respond to targeted nutritional interventions in ways that standard cholesterol measurements often miss. Three nutrients that can influence these biomarkers and improve your heart health and longevity include CoQ10, omega-3 fatty acids, and red yeast rice.
1. CoQ10
Coenzyme Q10 is found in every cell of your body, but your heart holds the highest concentration—and for good reason. This fat-soluble compound acts like a spark plug for energy production, helping your mitochondria create the ATP that powers each heartbeat.
In simple terms, CoQ10 is the cofactor that turns the food you eat into the energy your heart needs to push blood through more than 60,000 miles of vessels every day.
Your body does produce CoQ10 on its own, but those levels drop sharply after age 30. In fact, statin medications—used by millions to control cholesterol—lower CoQ10 levels even further because they block the same pathway responsible for making both cholesterol and CoQ10. The result is a bit of a paradox; the drugs meant to protect your heart can unintentionally reduce one of the nutrients your heart relies on for energy.
How CoQ10 Impacts Cardiovascular Biomarkers
CoQ10 directly improves several key markers of heart health. For one, it lowers hs-CRP, a marker of hidden vascular inflammation.
CoQ10 also reduces oxidized LDL, the most harmful form of cholesterol, which damages artery walls and accelerates plaque buildup. By preventing this oxidation, CoQ10 slows the development of atherosclerosis. In addition, it supports endothelial function, helping blood vessels dilate properly and contributing to healthier blood pressure.
On top of this, people taking statins can particularly benefit from CoQ10. Statins lower cholesterol but also lower natural CoQ10 levels. Thus, supplementing with CoQ10 can help maintain statin benefits while reducing these side effects. Typical doses range from 100 to 300 mg per day, with ubiquinol offering better absorption, especially in older adults.
2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats—the kind your body can’t produce on its own and must get from food. The most important forms, EPA and DHA, come from marine sources, including fish and algae. Once consumed, these long-chain fats are built directly into your cell membranes, changing how your cells function at the most basic level.
But omega-3s do more than support cell structure.
They also serve as the building blocks for resolvins and protectins—specialized molecules that actively turn off inflammation and help repair tissues.
The problem is that most modern diets contain far too many omega-6 fats and not enough omega-3s. Many people consume ratios of 15:1 or even 20:1, when the ideal balance is closer to 4:1 or even 1:1—the levels humans evolved with. This imbalance shows up in key cardiovascular biomarkers: elevated triglycerides, increased small, dense LDL particles, and persistently elevated inflammation.
Omega-3s’ Impact on Key Biomarkers
Perhaps no nutrient more dramatically impacts triglyceride levels than omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, high-dose EPA and DHA may reduce triglycerides by 30-50%, particularly in those with elevated baseline levels.
Omega-3s also influence another major risk factor: ApoB, which represents the number of cholesterol particles capable of entering artery walls. Omega-3s lower ApoB by reducing the liver’s production of VLDL particles—the particles that eventually become LDL and contribute to plaque. At the same time, they increase the size of LDL particles, making them larger, “fluffier,” and far less likely to slip into blood vessels and cause damage.
But there’s more.
Omega-3s lower hs-CRP, interleukin-6, and TNF-alpha, all key markers of vascular inflammation that accelerate plaque growth. They also help stabilize existing plaques, reducing the chance that they rupture and cause a heart attack. This combination—preventing new plaque formation while stabilizing the plaque you already have—is a major reason omega-3 supplementation has been shown to reduce both heart attacks and sudden cardiac death. Not only that, but it may help reduce overall systemic inflammation, contributing to overall better health.
3. Red Yeast Rice
Red yeast rice is made by fermenting rice with Monascus purpureus, a yeast that produces a range of naturally occurring compounds called monacolins. The most notable is monacolin K, which is chemically identical to lovastatin, one of the original prescription statins.
But unlike a single isolated drug, red yeast rice contains a whole mix of supportive compounds—including phytosterols, isoflavones, and healthy fats—that work together to promote heart health.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), red yeast rice has been used for more than a thousand years to improve circulation and support the heart. And modern studies show that red yeast rice can lower LDL cholesterol by 15-25%, and its combination of natural compounds may offer added cardiovascular benefits beyond what prescription statins alone provide.
How Red Yeast Rice Improves Cardio Biomarkers
Red yeast rice directly affects ApoB-carrying lipoproteins, the particles that actually drive plaque buildup. It helps lower LDL-P and steers LDL away from the small, dense particles that easily enter arterial walls toward larger, less harmful particles.
However, its benefits aren’t limited to cholesterol. Compounds in red yeast rice also reduce hs-CRP, a key marker of vascular inflammation. This effect happens even when cholesterol changes are modest, suggesting that the mix of natural compounds in red yeast rice works through more than just the statin-like pathway. Some studies also show improvements in blood-vessel function and reduced arterial stiffness.
Yet, quality matters a lot with red yeast rice. The most reliable supplements use standardized extracts that provide a consistent amount of monacolin K (about 10 mg per day) and are tested to ensure they’re free of contaminants such as citrinin. People who struggle with statin side effects sometimes tolerate red yeast rice better, but it still needs proper medical supervision.
The Power of Personalized Cardiovascular Protection
CoQ10, omega-3s, and red yeast rice each support heart health in different ways, and together, they target the major pathways that drive cardiovascular disease—potentially preventing heart issues to begin with.
But the right combination depends on your own biomarkers. Someone with high hs-CRP may need more omega-3s, yet someone taking statins may benefit from CoQ10. Testing beyond a standard cholesterol panel—such as ApoB, LDL-P, and inflammatory markers—helps identify what your body truly needs.
At Welle, we combine comprehensive biomarker testing with expert guidance to create cardiovascular protection strategies tailored to your unique biology. Rather than guessing which nutrients you need, we identify specific vulnerabilities and track how your body responds to targeted interventions. Take control of your heart health with data-driven, personalized nutrition today; don’t wait for symptoms to appear first.
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- Ahmad, K., Manongi, N. J., Rajapandian, R., Moti Wala, S., Al Edani, E. M., Samuel, E. A., & Arcia Franchini, A. P. (2024). Effectiveness of Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation in Statin-Induced Myopathy: A Systematic Review. Cureus, 16(8), e68316. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.68316
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- Kwon Y. (2020). Immuno-Resolving Ability of Resolvins, Protectins, and Maresins Derived from Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Metabolic Syndrome. Molecular nutrition & food research, 64(4), e1900824. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.201900824
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