Women in their reproductive years tend to have lower levels than men of the same age. After menopause, their cholesterol levels rise. But we also should fault our lifestyles. Without a doubt, lowering dietary intake of cholesterol and saturated fats does wonders for the heart. But the picture's more complex.
Some people develop heart disease in spite of attaining ideal lipoprotein levels.
For them, an approach that goes beyond controlling cholesterol and other lipids may be in their future. Oxidation is nature's way of spoiling things like food. But old food gets thrown out, whereas oxidized LDL stays in the bloodstream and penetrates the endothelium. Two therapies that show promise include the vitamin niacin at prescription doses that are 100 times higher than the recommended daily allowance and the hormone estrogen. In addition, a few studies suggest that reduction in LDLs may help.