Do bad cholesterol particles cause heart disease?
Low-density lipoproteins cause atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. 1. Evidence from genetic, epidemiologic, and clinical studies. A consensus statement from the European Atherosclerosis Society Consensus Panel
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The benefit of lowering LDL-C grows dramatically over time — up to 54% risk reduction over 40 years vs. 22% over 5 years.
Most people think of statins as giving a fixed benefit, but this shows the longer you maintain low LDL, the greater the protection — it’s cumulative.
Practical Takeaways
Get your LDL particle number (apoB or LDL-P) tested, not just standard LDL-C, especially if you’re at risk for heart disease.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The benefit of lowering LDL-C grows dramatically over time — up to 54% risk reduction over 40 years vs. 22% over 5 years.
Most people think of statins as giving a fixed benefit, but this shows the longer you maintain low LDL, the greater the protection — it’s cumulative.
Practical Takeaways
Get your LDL particle number (apoB or LDL-P) tested, not just standard LDL-C, especially if you’re at risk for heart disease.
Publication
Journal
European Heart Journal
Year
2017
Authors
B. Ference, H. Ginsberg, I. Graham, K. Ray, C. Packard, E. Bruckert, R. Hegele, R. Krauss, F. Raal, H. Schunkert, G. Watts, J. Borén, S. Fazio, J. Horton, L. Masana, S. Nicholls, B. Nordestgaard, B. Nordestgaard, B. Sluis, M. Taskinen, L. Tokgozoglu, U. Landmesser, U. Landmesser, U. Landmesser, U. Laufs, Olov Wiklund, Olov Wiklund, Jane K. Stock, M. Chapman, A. Catapano
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Claims (5)
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.
Having high levels of 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) over your lifetime causes buildup in your arteries, which increases your risk of heart disease — the more LDL and the longer you have it, the higher your risk.
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.
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.
If different genes lower 'bad' cholesterol in different ways, they all reduce heart disease risk just as much for each point the cholesterol goes down—suggesting it's the cholesterol drop itself that protects the heart, not some side effect of the drugs.