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 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.

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.

For people who already have heart disease, lower 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) is linked to lower chances of dying — and going really low, even under 70, doesn’t seem to raise risks. The sweet spot might be around 56 mg/dL.

The longer your body is exposed to LDL cholesterol — even at pretty low levels like 60 — the higher your risk for heart disease, because plaque can start building up in your arteries without you knowing it.