{"product_id":"paul-d-thompson-high-cholesterol-levels-8","title":"What cholesterol level is too high? 8","description":"\u003ch1\u003eLDL Cholesterol Targets: Why the Right Level Depends on Personal Risk\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eJump To Section\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#depends-on-risk\"\u003eHigh depends on personal risk\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#diabetes-and-heart-attack\"\u003eLower targets with diabetes or a past heart attack\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#most-people\"\u003eTargets for most people\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"#full-transcript\"\u003eFull Transcript\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"depends-on-risk\"\u003eHigh depends on personal risk\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhether a cholesterol level counts as high depends on the person's other risk factors, says cardiologist Dr. Paul D. Thompson, MD. He calls the question from Dr. Anton Titov, MD, a really tough one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"diabetes-and-heart-attack\"\u003eLower targets with diabetes or a past heart attack\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDiabetes is almost equivalent to having had a heart attack, in Dr. Thompson's view. For people with diabetes, he says, doctors like LDL cholesterol below 55 milligrams per deciliter, the unit he uses in the United States. In millimoles, he puts this at about 1.4 or 1.5.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor people who have had a heart attack, he also wants the level low. He explains why with a third grade teacher who asks the second grade teacher which children will cause trouble: in the same way, the patients who will give a cardiologist trouble are those who have already had a heart attack. For them, he says, doctors are very aggressive and aim for about 55.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"most-people\"\u003eTargets for most people\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor most people, Dr. Thompson says, doctors like LDL cholesterol at 100 or below, and the riskier the person, the lower they try to get it. He says there are all sorts of formulas for this, which he keeps on his smartphone rather than in his head.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"full-transcript\"\u003eFull Transcript\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Anton Titov, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e What cholesterol level counts as 'high'?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e That is a really tough question, because it depends. What does it depend on? It depends on how risky you are, your other risk factors.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e So let us take somebody with diabetes. If you have got diabetes, we know that that is almost like having a heart attack, because your prognosis after a heart attack is lower than if you had never had a heart attack. So if you have diabetes, it is almost equivalent to having had a heart attack.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e So we like the LDL cholesterol, and I deal in milligrams per deciliter because I am in the United States, but we like the LDL cholesterol below 55. Now, in millimoles, that is about, let me just do the math in my head, that is about 1.4 or 1.5. Now, if you have had a heart attack, we want your cholesterol level low as well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e Why? Let us suppose that I teach third grade. If I want to know which kids are going to give me trouble in third grade, whom do I ask?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e I ask the second grade teacher, because the kid who gave you trouble in second grade is the kid that is going to give you trouble in third grade. As a cardiologist, if I want to know which patients are going to give me trouble, who do I look for?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e The people that have already had a heart attack. So if somebody has already had a heart attack, we are very aggressive about lowering their LDL cholesterol. We like to get it down to about 55.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e For most people, we like their LDL cholesterol at 100 or below. The riskier you are, the lower we try to get it. And there are all sorts of formulas that we do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e I do not keep them in my head. I have them on my smartphone. So how low you want your cholesterol depends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDr. Paul D. Thompson, MD:\u003c\/strong\u003e It depends on how risky you are.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Diagnostic Detectives Network","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48388546461852,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0599\/5449\/5644\/files\/2225149588-58f444e8053e9739fc83ef5cc50f9b5d25353802da4f4f3a288540ac7e7ddb45-d_1920x1080_d59ebe20-2053-4a60-a88a-1a181dc97c98.jpg?v=1794435365","url":"https:\/\/diagnosticdetectives.com\/fr\/products\/paul-d-thompson-high-cholesterol-levels-8","provider":"DiagnosticDetectives.Com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}