New cholesterol guidelines for heart health: What you need to know

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. A group of physicians at Johns Hopkins Medicine and the American Heart Association have released updated guidelines on managing cholesterol to minimize the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death. The new guidelines advocate for more aggressive treatment with statin therapy and getting LDL cholesterol counts, commonly referred to as “bad cholesterol” to your target level –- in general, less than 100mg/dL; for those with risk factors, less than 70mg/dL. What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a type of fat found in blood and cells. It travels in bundles called lipoproteins. Cholesterol itself isn’t bad -- the body needs it to make hormones, vitamin D and digestive fluids, and it helps organs function properly. But having too much cholesterol can be a problem. There are two forms of cholesterol: - LDL (low-density lipoprotein): “bad,” unhealthy cholesterol. It builds up in arteries forming plaques, which can block the flow...

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