The latest news about LDL (“bad”) cholesterol has many people wondering just how low their cholesterol levels need to be to protect their heart.

The results of two recent medical research studies suggest that LDL levels doctors once considered normal may, in fact, be too high, putting more people at risk of a heart attack and stroke.

In one study, patients with fairly normal LDL cholesterol were able to reduce their risk of heart attack significantly by taking a statin (cholesterol lowering medicine). This doesn’t mean that everyone with normal cholesterol should take medication.

The study suggests that the current standard for “optimal” LDL – less than 100 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dl) – may not be good enough for certain patients, particularly those with an elevated C-Reactive Protein, which is a marker of inflammation.

Some researchers support a new standard of 70 mg/dl. “Scientists are currently looking at secondary measures such as C-Reactive Protein to help determine who may be at risk of a heart attack and who should be on cholesterol-lowering medication,” says William Schafranek, MD, an interventional cardiologist at Hunterdon Medical Center.

Concerned about your cholesterol?
Talk to your family practice physician to find out if you are at risk. Call 908-237-5440 for more information.