When people with heart disease are admitted to the hospital, their 'bad' cholesterol is usually around 105 mg/dL, which is higher than what doctors now recommend for heart health.
Scientific Claim
Among patients hospitalized with coronary artery disease, the mean admission low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level is 104.9 mg/dL, indicating that many patients have lipid levels above current guideline targets despite widespread use of lipid-lowering therapies.
Original Statement
“Mean lipid levels were LDL 104.9 +/- 39.8...”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design cannot support claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The claim is descriptive and reports observed means without implying causation. The study design is observational, so definitive causal language is inappropriate, but the use of descriptive statistics is valid and correctly presented.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Lipid levels in patients hospitalized with coronary artery disease: an analysis of 136,905 hospitalizations in Get With The Guidelines.
Even though many heart disease patients were taking cholesterol meds, their cholesterol levels when admitted to the hospital were still too high — averaging over 100 mg/dL, when doctors recommend under 70.