High blood cholesterol increases cardiovascular risk but is often manageable. Combine a Mediterranean-style diet, exercise, smoking cessation, and evidence-based medicines like statins when needed. Regular screening and individualized care reduce heart attack and stroke risk.
High cholesterol - especially elevated LDL - drives atherosclerosis and increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. It's often silent but manageable with diet, exercise, medications (statins and newer agents), and, when needed, procedures such as stents or bypass surgery.
High cholesterol usually has no symptoms. Get a baseline lipid panel in early adulthood, manage risk factors with lifestyle changes, and use medications like statins when needed to lower heart attack and stroke risk.
A concise guide to the four lipid panel values - total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides - current target ranges, and how clinicians use these numbers to manage heart-disease risk.
A lipid profile is a set of blood tests (total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides, and non-HDL) used to assess cardiovascular risk and guide lifestyle or medication decisions. Interpretation depends on overall ASCVD risk and current guideline-based targets.