New Findings About Cholesterol and Heart Attacks

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http://www.voanews.com/SpecialEnglish/article.cfm?objectID=227C5E4C-47E1-4A4

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Sometimes people have the idea that all cholesterol in the blood is bad. But

the body needs this fatty substance to create cells and hormones. The liver

produces all the cholesterol we need. ... . In general, he says, people

with higher levels of good cholesterol have less chance of a heart attack.

Yet many doctors see patients with high levels of both good and bad

cholesterol. These patients may not receive drugs to lower their bad

cholesterol because their H.D.L. level is high. Such drugs are called

statins. But Doctor Rader says high H.D.L. alone does not provide enough

protection.

Currently doctors are told to treat patients with heart disease or diabetes

until their L.D.L. is below a level of one-hundred. But Doctor Radar notes

new findings that even this may not be low enough to protect against heart

attack or stroke.

Doctors know that lowering bad cholesterol reduces the risk of heart

attacks. But the new study shows that lowering it more aggressively lowers

that risk even more. ...