Doctors shouldn't automatically put everyone on strong cholesterol-lowering treatment after a heart problem—instead, they should talk to each person and decide together based on their unique situation and what they want.

Lowering bad cholesterol really aggressively helps prevent heart attacks and strokes in people who already have heart disease, but it doesn’t actually help them live longer — which scientists call the 'cholesterol mortality paradox'.

Lowering bad cholesterol really aggressively might not help people live longer because while it prevents heart attacks, it could also cause other problems that balance things out.

For people who already have heart disease, aiming to get their 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) below 55 mg/dL cuts their risk of serious heart problems by about one-third over three years compared to aiming for below 70 mg/dL — and it doesn’t seem to cause more side effects.

High cholesterol might not be the main reason for heart disease, and having too little cholesterol could actually be risky — so the old idea that cholesterol causes heart problems might not tell the whole story, especially for preventing heart issues in healthy people.

If you've already had heart problems, keeping your 'bad' cholesterol really low—below 55—might help prevent future heart attacks or strokes compared to aiming for a higher level.