You may not have to lower your levels as much as you imagine.
High cholesterol levels can harm your heart. But drastically reducing them is also not the answer, according to a new study conducted in Israel.
In the study, people who took statins with LDL cholesterol levels ? bad cholesterol ? between 70 and 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg / dL) were significantly less likely to experience some cardiac discomfort such as heart attacks or angina pectoris than people whose levels were between 100 and 130 mg / dL.
However, people who lowered their cholesterol to less than 70 mg / dL had no further reduction in the risk of heart disease.
The Statins block an enzyme in your body that produces cholesterol . Too much of this substance can build up in your arteries and form plaques, which cause blockages and can lead to heart attacks.
These medications also have an anti-inflammatory effect on your blood vessels, which can reduce the incidence of plaque and improve myocardial function. This helps reduce heart risks, says Dr. Morton Leibowitz, author of the study.
And it is likely that this anti-inflammatory effect is in lower doses than necessary to bring your cholesterol to a super low level.
This is why lowering your cholesterol level below the 70 mg / dL mark does not offer you any additional protection.
Also, very high doses of statins are regularly needed to reach those super low cholesterol levels .
And with such high doses come increases in the risk of side effects such as severe muscle pain, liver damage, and kidney failure.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also noted that statins can increase blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of diabetes.
Keeping your LDL cholesterol level below 100 mg / dL is a good goal, says Dr. Timothy Byrne, executive director of cardiac services at Abrazo Heart Hospital, Arizona.
Still, there are many factors to come into play when trying to determine your ideal cholesterol level .
Does this include risk factors like smoking or diabetes, your HDL cholesterol levels? good cholesterol ? and the ratio between LDL and HDL.
So if your doctor prescribes statins, talk to him or her about the level that best suits your situation.