Why the study?
Does lowering LDL cholesterol to 50 to 70 mg/dl prevent atherosclerosis progression and coronary heart disease events compared to higher targets?
Does lowering LDL cholesterol to 50 to 70 mg/dl prevent atherosclerosis progression and coronary heart disease events compared to higher targets?
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Lowering LDL cholesterol to a physiological range of 50 to 70 mg/dl minimizes atherosclerosis and coronary events, suggesting that higher guideline targets may lead to undertreatment.
The normal low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol range is 50 to 70 mg/dl for native hunter-gatherers, healthy human neonates, free-living primates, and other wild mammals (all of whom do not develop atherosclerosis). Randomized trial data suggest atherosclerosis progression and coronary heart disease events are minimized when LDL is lowered to <70 mg/dl. No major safety concerns have surfaced in studies that lowered LDL to this range of 50 to 70 mg/dl. The current guidelines setting the target LDL at 100 to 115 mg/dl may lead to substantial undertreatment in high-risk individuals.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
O’Keefe et al. (2004) conducted a review in Atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Lowering LDL cholesterol to 50-70 mg/dl vs. Target LDL 100 to 115 mg/dl was evaluated on Atherosclerosis progression and coronary heart disease events.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: