Some 53 million Americans have high cholesterol. Only a small fraction of those with the worst cholesterol levels use prescription medication. A study last year warned that even men under 40 with high cholesterol run an increased risk of heart disease and premature death. Any suggestion that cholesterol-lowering drugs or a change in diet can be put off until later in life without any harm is not accurate, researchers said. A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee rejected the idea, noting that it takes blood tests to know if the pills are working and worrying that people who really need a doctor s more aggressive treatment might self-medicate instead.
Cholesterol is a vital part of the body, a soft, waxy substance found among the fats in every cell.
It s used to form cell membranes, some hormones and other needed tissues. However, if there is too much of the low-density lipoprotein, or LDL version, it can slowly build up in the walls of the arteries feeding the heart and brain, forming a thick, hard deposit that can clog those arteries. A clot can block the flow of blood to part of the heart muscle and cause a heart attack. If a clot blocks the flow of blood to part of the brain, the result is a stroke. On the other hand, the high-density lipoprotein version, HDL, tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it s passed from the body, the American Heart Association explained.