Keeping your 'bad' cholesterol low for a long time helps slow down the buildup of gunk in your arteries and lowers your chances of having heart attacks or strokes later in life.

The longer and more your arteries are exposed to bad cholesterol (LDL), the more likely you are to develop heart disease because that cholesterol builds up over time and can lead to heart attacks or strokes.

The more you lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and the longer you keep it low, the lower your chances of heart attacks and strokes — it's like giving your arteries long-term protection, no matter how you lower that cholesterol, as long as it's done safely.

The longer and higher your 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) is, the greater your chance of heart disease — and starting with high levels when young makes it even riskier over time.

If we keep bad cholesterol levels low over time by adjusting treatment, it might help stop heart disease before it starts.

If you're a middle-aged person with symptoms, having higher 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) means you're more likely to have heart problems over the next four years — but only if scans show you already have plaque in your heart arteries.