The Triad of Dysfunction: High Cholesterol, A1C, and the Fatigue Cycle
By Erin Blevins
Standard healthcare has a habit of isolating biomarkers. You are out of range, so you get a drug. Or worse, you are told "there is nothing you can do" because there isn't a pill for your specific problem. The standard of care often tries to remove human emotion from treatment, but in doing so, it loses the ability to cross-correlate. It misses the forest for the trees.
The truth is, many correlated biomarkers are simply evidence of dysfunction in cellular metabolism. They can be corrected—but only if you know what you’re looking for.
The Slow Creep
You don’t wake up one day with high cholesterol, high A1C, and zero energy. Those numbers are not random—they are evidence of tiny daily trends compounding over months and years. Individually, the habits seem small. Together, they jam up how your body creates energy and how your liver does its job.
The Metabolic Red Flags
High cholesterol and high A1C aren’t isolated issues; they are metabolic red flags.
Cholesterol itself isn’t the villain; it is essential for hormone production, cell membranes, and vitamin D synthesis. The problem is dysregulated cholesterol—especially when paired with inflammation and elevated blood sugar. That combination damages blood vessels, disrupts detoxification, and starves cells of oxygen.
High A1C tells us blood sugar has been running hot for a long time—damaging proteins, overworking the pancreas, and signaling the liver to store sugar and produce fat.
When I see these trending together on the tests I’m running lately, they tell the same story: your core metabolic machinery is under massive strain.
The Symptom
The part you actually feel is the exhaustion. Feeling wiped out, foggy, or dragging through the day isn't about being "lazy" or "just getting older." It is a biological signal.
Low energy means your cells aren’t making ATP efficiently. Your mitochondria (your internal power plants) are stressed, your blood sugar is on a roller coaster, and your liver is likely backed up. When you see high cholesterol and high A1C paired with fatigue, you aren’t dealing with three random problems. You are looking at different angles of one core issue: an overworked, under-supported metabolism.
The Vicious Cycle
To make matters worse, exhaustion drives the dysfunction. When you’re drained, your brain screams for fast energy—sugar, refined carbs, quick snacks. This spikes blood sugar, pushes A1C higher, and fuels dysregulated cholesterol. The "quick fix" feeds the very problem you are trying to escape.
The Good News
Trends Work Both Ways If small habits got you here, small habits can get you out. You don’t need a miracle; you need consistent nudges in the right direction.
Support blood sugar first. Anchor every meal with protein. Add fiber and color (vegetables, fruit). Save dense carbs for after you’ve moved your body (post-workout).
Move more. Walk after meals—even 10 minutes helps. Lift something heavy 2–4 times a week. Don’t overthink it, just be less sedentary.
Love your liver. Reduce alcohol. Eat real fats (olive oil, avocado, eggs, fatty fish). Cut the ultra-processed, hyper-sweetened foods.
Test, don't guess. Lose the cheap supplements. Let's test to see what you actually need.
Sleep like it matters. Aim for 7–9 hours in a cool, dark room. Your hormones will thank you.
Stop fixating on single numbers. Watch the trends: your cholesterol over time, your A1C every few months, and most importantly, how your energy feels throughout the day.
