Overview
- This week doctors issued a public rebuttal of social-media claims, restating that high levels of LDL — the so-called “bad” cholesterol — increase the chance of heart attack, stroke and death.
- They urged use of proven treatments, noting that statins lower LDL and cut major cardiovascular events and that PCSK9 inhibitors offer larger LDL drops for people who need more than statins.
- Researchers at Johns Hopkins reported that conventional lab formulas used to estimate LDL can give an inaccurate result in nearly one-quarter of cases, so clinicians should confirm borderline or surprising results before changing treatment.
- HDL plays a helpful role by carrying excess cholesterol to the liver, but experts say higher HDL is not always protective and raising HDL alone has not been shown to prevent heart attacks.
- Because high cholesterol usually has no symptoms, experts recommend routine screening and individualized care — people with family history, existing heart disease, diabetes, or very high LDL may need earlier tests and prompt drug treatment.