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Blood Cholesterol Control, Important Health Factor | |
| By DR. MORTON LEIBOWITZ NEW York University Medical Center For AP Special Features Evidence for the health benefits of low blood cholesterol keeps growing. It's been shown that having cholesterol under control plays a major role in the prevention of heart disease. Now it's clear that for patients with cardiovascular conditions, aggressive control of cholesterol can prevent progression and even, in some cases, make the disease regress. Control starts with a good diet and exercise and moves on to cholesterol-lowering drugs when necessary. A rough rule of thumb is that the total blood cholesterol count should be 200 or lower. Cardiologists also consider the type of cholesterol found in the blood. For most people, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol that does the artery-clogging damage, should be kept at 130 or lower. That's especially true of persons with known risk factors, such as high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, diabetes, a family history of heart disease and a low HDL cholesterol. For patients with vascular disease, such as blockage of the arteries, studies have shown that keeping LDL under 100 can help prevent progression of the disease and perhaps lead to some regression. Even lower levels are better. And for patients who have undergone coronary bypass surgery, lowering LDL cholesterol levels has been shown to improve long-term survival, by preventing the accelerated blood vessel blockage that can follow surgery. For uncomplicated and not unusually high blood cholesterol in otherwise healthy persons under the age of 35, patients may not need to take drugs. Physicians will recommend a cholesterol-lowering diet that has a minimum of animal fat, a maximum of carbohydrates and ample amounts of fiber and polyunsaturated oils. A regular exercise program is part of the prescription. When drug treatment is necessary, it often starts with one of the statins, a family of medications developed in the 1980s. The statins, whose members include pravastatin, lovastatin and simvistatin, inhibit the synthesis of LDL cholesterol by the liver. The important point for any individual is to have blood cholesterol levels checked periodically and do whatever is necessary to keep them under control. --- Dr. Morton Leibowitz is Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at New York University School of Medicine. Copyright 1996 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | |