Get intense about lowering your lousy LDL cholesterol
Around 6% of Americans have lousy LDL cholesterol levels of 160 to 189 mg/dL and around 2% have levels of 190 mg/dL or more. Many of those folks have no idea they're walking around with a timebomb in their torso. That's a shame because lowering LDL is proven to reduce your risk of heart attacks, stroke, and heart-disease-related death. (In Dr. Mike's practice, most patients aim for an LDL of 70 mg/dL.)
If your LDL is over the top, you may be put on intensive, high-dose statin therapy. But that comes with the potential for side effects. While studies show high-intensity statin therapy (80 milligrams daily of atorvastatin or simvastatin) reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular issues, it's also associated with a significant increase in adverse events, liver abnormalities and discontinuation of therapy.
That's why it's great news that adding a medication called ezetimibe, which blocks the absorption of cholesterol from the intestine, to moderate statin therapy can be a powerful way to lower LDL -- with fewer side effects. A study in JAMA Cardiology says ezetimibe lowers LDL cholesterol levels by around 24% more than the moderate dose of statin alone. And the combo has more LDL-lowering power than intensive statin therapy.
You can boost the benefits if you combine smart medication with smart nutrition (no red or processed red meats, added sugars or highly processed foods), aerobics and strength training and stress management. Your goal: Aim for Dr. Mike's LDL target of 70 mg/dL or lower.
For more info, check out "Dr. Oz's Keys to a Healthy Heart" on Oprah.com.
Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com, the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).
(c)2025 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2025 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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