This one I wanted to share with readers because it is about their health but not anesthesia related.
Patients deemed at low-risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) but with LDL levels above 160 face increased mortality risks over the long term, a Circulation study suggests.
Over 36,000 adults in Texas (median age, 42) with an estimated 10-year risk for atherosclerotic CVD events below 7.5% had their lipid levels measured and were followed for a median of 27 years. During that time, nearly 1100 CVD deaths and 600 coronary heart disease (CHD) deaths occurred.
After multivariable adjustment, participants with LDL levels of 160–189 mg/dL had a 70% increased risk for CVD mortality and more than twice the risk for CHD mortality, relative to those with LDL below 100 mg/dL. Increasing levels of non-HDL cholesterol were also associated with higher mortality risks.
The researchers note that 2013 cholesterol guidelines recommend statins for low-risk patients when LDL reaches 190 mg/dL, with a class IIb recommendation for considering treatment at 160 mg/dL. They say their current findings “suggest a stronger consideration of using the LDL-C ≥160 mg/dL cutoff.”
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