If you're at high risk for heart problems, getting your 'bad' cholesterol really low—below 70—doesn't seem to help much more than keeping it just a bit higher, like between 70 and 100.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Is Targeting LDL-C Levels Below 70 mg/dL Beneficial for Cardiovascular and Overall Health? A Critical Examination of the Evidence

Narrative Review

2025 May 20

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No contradicting evidence found

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Source Study

Is Targeting LDL-C Levels Below 70 mg/dL Beneficial for Cardiovascular and Overall Health? A Critical Examination of the Evidence

Score: 1

DOI: 10.3390/jcm14103569

Similar Assertions

People with heart disease who take statin drugs and get their bad cholesterol down to a lower range (70-100) are less likely to have serious heart problems than those with slightly higher cholesterol (100-130).

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For heart disease patients on statin drugs, having very low cholesterol levels doesn't seem to make a big difference in heart problems compared to having slightly higher levels, according to a large study.

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Taking statins to lower bad cholesterol by a certain amount can cut heart attack and stroke risk by about a quarter in the first year.

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If someone with heart disease is already lowering their bad cholesterol below 70 with a medium-strength statin, taking stronger cholesterol meds probably won’t significantly reduce their risk of heart attacks, strokes, or heart-related death—based on current data.

77%

If someone with heart disease already has low 'bad' cholesterol on standard statin pills, stepping up their treatment might cut their risk of heart attacks or strokes by almost half.

76%