High cholesterol
Key points about treatments
The aim of treating high cholesterol is to lower the amount of bad (LDL) cholesterol in your blood and raise the amount of good (HDL) cholesterol. Adjusting the levels in this way reduces your chances of having a heart attack.
Deciding whether to treat high cholesterol is complicated. You'll have to have your blood lipids measured at least twice before
any kind of treatment is started to make sure the numbers are correct. And your doctor will also need to know whether there
are any other things that make it more likely you will get heart disease, such as whether you have
high blood pressure or whether other people in your family have heart disease. Things like these are called risk factors.
high blood pressure
Your blood pressure is considered to be high when it is above the accepted normal range. The usual limit for normal blood pressure is 140/90. If either the first (systolic) number is above 140 or the lower (diastolic) number is above 90, a person is considered to have high blood pressure. Doctors sometimes call high blood pressure "hypertension."
Your blood pressure is considered to be high when it is above the accepted normal range. The usual limit for normal blood pressure is 140/90. If either the first (systolic) number is above 140 or the lower (diastolic) number is above 90, a person is considered to have high blood pressure. Doctors sometimes call high blood pressure "hypertension."
For more about other risk factors and whether or not you need treatment for high cholesterol, see What will happen to me?
- Reducing the bad (LDL) cholesterol in your blood will cut your risk of a heart attack or a stroke. All the treatments we cover here can help to bring down your cholesterol. But when researchers look at the effects of a treatment for high cholesterol they want to see if it reduces the risk of having a heart attack or a stroke. We have ranked treatments here according to how well they work to reduce your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.
- Drugs called statins are the best way to reduce levels of bad cholesterol and reduce your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.
- Drugs called fibrates will also help bring down your cholesterol, but they don't reduce your risk of heart disease as much as statins.
- Changing your diet, to one where you eat more fruit and vegetables and switch to healthier fats, can also help reduce bad (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides.
- You may need a combination of approaches to bring down your cholesterol. For example, you may take a statin drug and make changes to your diet.
- People at the greatest risk of heart disease benefit the most by reducing their cholesterol levels.
This information was last updated on Sep 15, 2009
This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2010. All rights reserved.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2010. All rights reserved.
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Source: ConsumerReportsHealth.org Copyright © 2005-2010 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.
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