Good Cholesterol Levels Depend on Your Heart Risk
Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, Cardiovascular Disease Risk, and Mortality in China
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Very low LDL-C (<70 mg/dL) is not linked to higher mortality in people with heart disease.
Many have feared that extremely low cholesterol might cause side effects like bleeding or cognitive issues, but this study found no evidence of that in high-risk patients.
Practical Takeaways
If you’ve had a heart attack or stroke, work with your doctor to get your LDL below 70 mg/dL—it’s safe and likely beneficial.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Very low LDL-C (<70 mg/dL) is not linked to higher mortality in people with heart disease.
Many have feared that extremely low cholesterol might cause side effects like bleeding or cognitive issues, but this study found no evidence of that in high-risk patients.
Practical Takeaways
If you’ve had a heart attack or stroke, work with your doctor to get your LDL below 70 mg/dL—it’s safe and likely beneficial.
Publication
Journal
JAMA Network Open
Year
2024
Authors
Liang Chen, Shi Chen, Xueke Bai, Mingming Su, Linkang He, Guangyu Li, Guangda He, Yang Yang, Xiaoyan Zhang, Jianlan Cui, Wei Xu, Li-jun Song, Haodong Yang, Wenyan He, Yan Zhang, Xi Li, Shengshou Hu
Related Content
Claims (6)
Keeping your 'bad' cholesterol really low—below 55 mg/dL—might give your heart and blood vessels the best protection against clogged arteries and heart problems.
For adults in China with diabetes, keeping 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) around 90 mg/dL seems to lower their risk of dying from any cause or heart problems more than higher levels — and lower than what’s best for people without diabetes, who do best around 115 mg/dL.
In Chinese adults, having too little 'bad' cholesterol might actually increase the risk of bleeding strokes, especially if heart disease risk is already low — and this could mean that both very low and very high cholesterol levels are linked to higher chances of dying.
In middle-aged and older adults in China who aren’t at high risk for heart disease, having either too low or too high 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) is linked to a higher chance of dying from any cause or heart problems — the safest zone seems to be around 106 to 118 mg/dL.
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.