What level of cholesterol needs medication?

Your health care team may prescribe medicine if: You have already had a heart attack or stroke or have peripheral arterial disease. Your LDL cholesterol level is 190 mg/dL or higher. You are 40–75 years old and have diabetes and an LDL cholesterol level of 70 mg/dL or higher.

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What level of cholesterol requires statins?

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.

If your risk is very low, you probably won't need a statin, unless your LDL is above 190 mg/dL (4.92 mmol/L). If your risk is very high — for example, you've had a heart attack in the past — a statin may be helpful even if you don't have high cholesterol.

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Is 5.7 high cholesterol level?

As a general guide, total cholesterol levels should be: 5mmol/L or less for healthy adults. 4mmol/L or less for those at high risk.

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Does everyone with high cholesterol need medication?

Not everyone with elevated cholesterol levels needs medications. Doctors may start treatment by suggesting lifestyle changes, which can include changes to diet, exercise and activity levels, weight, and smoking cessation. If these changes are enough to lower levels, a person likely will not need medication.

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Does borderline high cholesterol require medication?

Making simple changes in your lifestyle is often enough to bring borderline cholesterol levels down to the normal range. Some people may also need to take medicine for it. And keep in mind that other things, like diabetes, high blood pressure, and smoking, also affect your heart health; it's not just about cholesterol.

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High Cholesterol - Do I Need To Take Medication?

16 related questions found

Is 6.5 cholesterol too high?

High cholesterol levels are considered: too high: between 5 and 6.4mmol/l. very high: between 6.5 and 7.8mmol/l. extremely high: above 7.8mmol/l.

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Can you be OK with high cholesterol?

Can you be healthy with high cholesterol? Having high overall cholesterol does not mean a person is unhealthy. However, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or 'bad' cholesterol levels carry an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. The body requires a certain amount of cholesterol to function properly.

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Can you have high cholesterol even if you eat healthy?

Anyone can have high cholesterol, even if you are young, slim, eat well and exercise. That's because high cholesterol can be caused by different things, including your genes. High cholesterol is very common, but most people don't know they have it because it doesn't usually have any symptoms.

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Can you live healthy with high cholesterol?

Untreated or undertreated high cholesterol is associated with a lower life span due to the risk of heart attack and stroke, but it's still possible to live a long life with high cholesterol, provided you follow a heart-healthy lifestyle and take medication if needed.

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Is cholesterol 5.5 bad?

Total cholesterol levels should be lower than 5.5 mmol/L, if you have no other risk factors. If you have cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, pre-existing cardiovascular (heart) disease or diabetes, or you smoke, the aim for LDL cholesterol levels would be less than 2 mmol/L.

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What is a normal cholesterol level in Australia?

A complete cholesterol test will measure your blood's total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels. According to the guidelines provided by healthcare experts, normal total cholesterol levels in Australia for individuals at high risk are 4.0 mmol/L and 5.5 mmol/L for the general population.

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What is stroke level cholesterol?

Levels of LDL cholesterol higher than 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) are linked to an increased risk for ischemic stroke.

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At what point do doctors recommend statins?

Your doctor may recommend taking statins if either: you've been diagnosed with a form of CVD. your personal and family medical history suggests you're likely to develop CVD at some point over the next 10 years and lifestyle measures (see below) haven't reduced this risk.

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Can you get off statins once you start?

If you've made lifestyle changes through diet and exercise that have lowered your cholesterol levels, you may not need to continue taking a statin. These changes can help reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, or blocked arteries while allowing you to take one less medication.

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What can I take instead of statins to lower cholesterol?

7 cholesterol-lowering alternatives to statins
  • Fibrates. Mostly used for lowering triglyceride levels in patients whose levels are very high and could cause pancreatitis. ...
  • Plant stanols and sterols. ...
  • Cholestyramine and other bile acid-binding resins. ...
  • Niacin. ...
  • Policosanol. ...
  • Red yeast rice extract (RYRE) ...
  • Natural products.

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Can statins cause weight gain?

Statin use is associated with increased calorie intake and consequent weight gain. It is speculated that statin‐dependent improvements in lipid profile may undermine the perceived need to follow lipid‐lowering and other dietary recommendations leading consequently to increased calorie intake.

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Does coffee raise cholesterol?

While coffee does not contain cholesterol, it can affect cholesterol levels. The diterpenes in coffee suppress the body's production of substances involved in cholesterol breakdown, causing cholesterol to increase. Specifically, coffee diterpenes may cause an increase in total cholesterol and LDL levels.

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What are the worst foods for high cholesterol?

The worst foods for high cholesterol, given their high saturated fat content, include:
  • Red meat, like beef, pork, and lamb, as well as processed meats like sausage.
  • Full-fat dairy, like cream, whole milk, and butter.
  • Baked goods and sweets.
  • Fried foods.
  • Tropical oils such as palm oil and coconut oil.
  • Butter.

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Is 3.6 LDL cholesterol high?

LDL -cholesterol levels greater than 3.5 mmol/L are considered elevated for some people at low cardiovascular risk and most individuals at intermediate risk and may need behavior modifications and/or pharmacological treatment Note 5 (see About cholesterol).

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What are the warning signs of high cholesterol?

High cholesterol has no symptoms. A blood test is the only way to detect if you have it.

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Is a cholesterol reading of 4.8 good?

Your cholesterol level is measured in units called millimoles per litre of blood, often shortened to mmol/L. It is recommended that healthy adults should have a total cholesterol level below 5 mmol/L.

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What should a 60 year olds cholesterol be?

After having their cholesterol tested, seniors should be given a number between 190 and 260. Healthy seniors should keep their total cholesterol below 200 and their LDL cholesterol around 100. If your elderly loved one's LDL cholesterol level is above 160, he or she must start making sweeping lifestyle changes.

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What should my cholesterol be at 60?

What is the normal range for cholesterol levels? For most healthy adults (19 and older), your total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL, your LDL less than 100 mg/dL, and your HDL greater than 40 mg/dL.

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