A January 2009 American Heart Journal study is garnering quite a bit of attention lately. This study examined lipid levels in over 136,000 patients who were hospitalized with coronary artery disease from 2000-2006 in 541 participating hospitals. Now, according to the American Heart Association, our LDL (bad cholesterol) levels should be less than 100 mg/dL. However, in this particular study almost 1/2 of the patients admitted had LDL levels within the “healthy” range.
For years, total cholesterol and LDL levels have been recognized as prominent, modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Keep both low and your risk for cardiovascular disease is low. But, there are many additional pieces to the cardiovascular disease puzzle. In this particular study, upon further examination of the data, it is evident that a greater number of these patients with LDL within the normal range also had low HDL (<40 mg/dL)
And, there is another, newer piece to the puzzle that is absolutely fascinating though not examined in this particular study: inflammation. LDL, as it makes it’s way through our body, can be deposited on arterial walls. However, scientists now believe that inflammation signals the cascade that makes arterial plaque burst leading to blood clots and cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke).
What causes inflammation? Many things including high blood pressure, smoking, high blood sugar levels, atherosclerotic plaque and certain viruses and bacteria. How do you lower your levels of inflammation? That’s something that I’ll expand on more tomorrow (diet-wise) but cholesterol-lowering statin drugs play a role in decreasing inflammation.
How do you measure systemic inflammation? Ask your physician for a highly sensitive C-reactive protein assay (hs-CRP).
Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death among men and women in the U.S. It is never too early to start looking at ways to prevent cardiovascular disease and over the next several days, I’ll examine many of the diet and exercise factors that will help you lower your risk of CVD.