How Risky Is Your Cholesterol?

Routine cholesterol risk factors Total Cholesterol, HDL and LDL, account for only about 40% of premature cardiovascular disease. 75% of patients with myocardial infarctions (heart attack) have “normal” levels of LDL and HDL cholesterol. It is clear that in order to optimally stratify risk (and to intervene to reduce that risk) information beyond the traditional cholesterol test is required. The current National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines identified emerging risk factors/residual risk factors that can improve the ability to predict risk of patients developing cardiovascular disease from about 40% to over 90%.

There are countless stories of people who ate healthy, took their cholesterol medication, reduced the stress in their life, exercised regularly, and much more to only go a few more months or years later and suffer their first or even second event. Why?

Just like no two people are the same in many ways so to is their cholesterol risk. Two people with the same total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides levels can have very different risk. The chart below illustrates why no two total cholesterol values (TC, HDL, LDL, or triglycerides) should ever be viewed the same.