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What Are The Recommended And Desired (optimal) Levels Of LDL And HDL For A 75 Year Old Man?
What are the recommended and desired (optimal) levels of LDL and HDL for a 75 year old man with history of CAD and no other risk factors like diabetes and high blood pressure etc.? Should LDL be brought below 100 with agressive stains and fibrates therapy? Should HDL be brought above 40 with agressive fibrates and niacin therapy? Any medication without side effects of rhabadomyolysis? Please be specific and do not shy away from using any medical terminology. The answer is not to be addressed to a layman. Give medical literature current refrences, if you have any. Thanks.
Tue, 9 Dec 2014
User's Response
Dear Sir!
Because LDL cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, it's the main focus of cholesterol-lowering treatment. Your target LDL number can vary, depending on your underlying risk of heart disease. I can say that if you have a very high risk for Heart Diseases your should maintain a level below 75mg/dl. If you have a high risk your level should be below 100. In your case, if you were my patient, I will consider you as a very high risk: you do not have diabetes and hypertension, but you have history of CAD and you are in agressive therapy, and you are over 75. Age is a risk factor in this case. So it should be an attempt to low your LDL at 75 and to increase HDL at least at the level 45, which is better for male (of course the best is over 60).
In general, the lower your LDL cholesterol level is, the better. There is no evidence that really low LDL cholesterol levels are harmful.
I do not now in which medication are you at the moment, but I will consider to change the dose, or to switch in another statins, and of course changes of life stile are always a good solution: exercising, diet etc. You can consult your doctor for the best choice.
Get Well Soon
Dr. Gjonaj.E
Because LDL cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, it's the main focus of cholesterol-lowering treatment. Your target LDL number can vary, depending on your underlying risk of heart disease. I can say that if you have a very high risk for Heart Diseases your should maintain a level below 75mg/dl. If you have a high risk your level should be below 100. In your case, if you were my patient, I will consider you as a very high risk: you do not have diabetes and hypertension, but you have history of CAD and you are in agressive therapy, and you are over 75. Age is a risk factor in this case. So it should be an attempt to low your LDL at 75 and to increase HDL at least at the level 45, which is better for male (of course the best is over 60).
In general, the lower your LDL cholesterol level is, the better. There is no evidence that really low LDL cholesterol levels are harmful.
I do not now in which medication are you at the moment, but I will consider to change the dose, or to switch in another statins, and of course changes of life stile are always a good solution: exercising, diet etc. You can consult your doctor for the best choice.
Get Well Soon
Dr. Gjonaj.E
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