LDL Cholesterol: Finding the Right Balance for Heart Health
Dr. Kumar’s Take
This study looked at how different levels of LDL cholesterol affect our chance of dying from any cause and from heart-related problems. It found that having very low or very high LDL can be risky, but in different ways.
- Very low LDL (<70 mg/dL) was linked to a higher risk of strokes and overall heart-related deaths (cardiovascular mortality).
- Very high LDL (≥190 mg/dL) was linked to a higher risk of heart disease (CHD) and overall heart-related deaths, but it did not show an increase in deaths from any cause (all-cause mortality).
In other words, both very low and very high LDL levels increase the risk of heart problems. However, very high LDL does not increase the overall chance of dying when compared to moderate LDL levels.