Cholesterol Archive

Research we're watching

Is your workplace noisy? You may want to keep close tabs on your blood pressure and cholesterol. A CDC study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine found that high cholesterol and high blood pressure were more common among workers who toiled in noisy environments.

The study found that 25% of U.S. workers surveyed reported experiencing noise exposure at work. The noisiest industries included mining, construction, and manufacturing.

Research we're watching

Cholesterol-lowering statins may be underused in younger people at risk for heart attack, new research suggests.

The study, in the Jan. 23, 2018, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, included more than 1,600 people ages 50 and younger who had experienced a heart attack. Only one in eight was taking a statin before the heart attack.

On call

 Image: © donskarpo/Getty Images

Q. I am about the same age as President Trump, and I also had a recent physical. My LDL (bad) cholesterol reading was 136, which my doctor thought was too high. But Mr. Trump's doctor said his LDL cholesterol of 143 was "excellent." Which is it?

A. The report of President Trump's health status brought out many armchair cardiologists — and real cardiologists — to comment on his cholesterol levels and risk for heart disease. The White House doctor's report stated that the president's "heart health" (not his cholesterol) was deemed excellent based on a normal exercise test and heart ultrasound. However, his LDL level of 143 was felt to be too high, and his doctor recommended doubling the president's statin medication. While the president doesn't show evidence of current heart disease, what is his future risk? A 71-year-old man with his cholesterol value would have a 10-year risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiac death of 16% (about a one-in-six chance).

Ask the doctor

 Image: © jarun011/Thinkstock

Q. My recent cholesterol test result included "non-HDL cholesterol." What is the significance of this number?

A. Your non-HDL cholesterol result refers to your total cholesterol value minus your HDL cholesterol. When you get your blood drawn for a cholesterol test (also known as a lipid profile or lipid panel), the report usually includes four numbers: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol; high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol; triglycerides; and total cholesterol.

Research we're watching

People who carry excess weight but have normal blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol values are sometimes dubbed "fat but fit." But they're still more likely to develop heart disease than people who aren't overweight, a new study suggests.

Researchers analyzed more than 7,600 cases of heart disease that occurred over a 12-year period in 10 European countries. They also used data from 10,000 healthy people without heart disease as a comparison group. Compared with people at a healthy weight, those who were overweight or obese had up to a 28% higher risk of developing heart disease.

Research we're watching

 Image: © Daisy-Daisy/Thinkstock

Want to help improve your cholesterol profile? Swap your midmorning muffin for a handful of almonds, suggests a study in the Aug. 1, 2017, Journal of Nutrition.

Nutritionists have long known that eating almonds and other nuts tends to lower harmful LDL cholesterol and raise desirable HDL cholesterol. But recent evidence suggests that the heart-protecting effects of HDL depend on a person's particular complement of the various forms of HDL, some of which are more beneficial than others.

A certain amount of healthy fat is good for your heart.

Low-fat, no-fat, fat-free. Fat has been shamed for so long, it's easy to think there's no place for it in a heart-healthy diet. But the opposite is true. "It's a myth that lowering fat intake is healthy," says Dr. Frank Sacks, professor of cardiovascular disease prevention at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "The key is to use more healthful unsaturated fats and less of the detrimental saturated fats."

The good and the bad

To understand the role of fat in heart health, you first have to look at where it's found in food. There are two types of fat: saturated and unsaturated.

Ask the doctor

 Image: © JanIngeskogheim/Thinkstock

Q. My doctor prescribed Lovaza to help lower my high triglyceride level, which is 530 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). But I'm a vegetarian and don't want to take a drug made from fish oil. Are there other options?

A. You're not alone: several of my vegetarian patients also have asked me this question. But let's begin with some background. Triglycerides — which are the main form of fat found in our bodies — are part of a standard lipid panel blood test. Values higher than 150 mg/dL are associated with a higher risk of heart disease.

Research we're watching

Have you considered taking a red yeast rice supplement to "naturally" lower your cholesterol, either instead of or in addition to a prescription statin? Think again. These popular over-the-counter supplements contain an ingredient identical to the one found in the prescription drug lovastatin (Mevacor) — but in completely unpredictable amounts, a new study finds.

Researchers tested 28 different brands of red yeast rice from four mainstream retailers (GNC, Walgreens, Walmart, and Whole Foods). Two brands contained no detectable levels of the active ingredient, called monacolin K. In the other 26, monacolin K levels ranged from a trace to nearly 5.5 milligrams (mg) per 1,200 mg of red yeast rice. For some brands, the recommended daily serving overlapped with the dosage of prescription lovastatin.

Research we're watching

To provide more information on the value of statins for older people, which is still a matter of debate, researchers analyzed data on people over 65 who were enrolled in ALLHAT-LLT, a large study conducted between 1994 and 2002.

All participants (average age 71) had high cholesterol and high blood pressure but not heart disease. They were randomly assigned to two groups. One group, of 704 women and 763 men, took pravastatin (Pravachol). The other group, of 711 women and 689 men, didn't take a statin. The analysis indicated that during the five-year study period, there was no significant difference between the groups in the frequency of heart attacks, deaths from heart disease, or deaths from any cause, either among participants ages 65 to 74 or among those 75 or older. The results were published online May 22, 2017, by JAMA Internal Medicine.