LDL is considered as “bad” cholesterol as it accumulates in the walls of arteries, leading to narrowing and hardening of arteries and obstruction in blood flow leads to coronary artery disease. In a recently published study showed the low LDL level reducing the risk of atherosclerotic vascular events.¹

Human newborn babies have very low levels of LDL compared to young children and adults. In a study among Indian infants the average LDL-cholesterol was 69.4 ± 19.4 mg/dl which is at the higher side compare to western population. In a study among western infant population showed LDL‑cholesterol 26.2 ± 10.1 mg/dl.²

Reducing the blood LDL levels in Adults subsequently reduces the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and other atherosclerotic events. So it is very important to know the WHAT SHOULD BE YOUR LIPID TARGET?

LDL-C goal depends upon various factors and it cannot be same in people with same age. It depends on comorbidities like diabetes, history of any cardiovascular disease, smoking, obesity etc. According to current European guidelines and Indian guidelines recommending blood LDL level of 40 mg/dL is regarded as a target threshold for treating patients who have suffered two or more major atherosclerotic events (e.g. history of heart attack/coronary artery disease).

Although most cholesterol-lowering medications have demonstrated notable effectiveness but many time statins alone many times fall short of the lipid targets specified by the guidelines. In order to considerably minimize the risk of cardiovascular events, it is thought that having an LDL level of 40 mg/dL or less is helpful, according to the evidence that has been gathered from large-scale clinical trials measuring cardiovascular outcomes. It has been demonstrated that an 80%–90% drop in PCSK9 blood levels with inclisiran (siRNA) can reduce LDL levels by 50% without having any negative side effects.

Numerous clinical studies have been carried out to look into the role that lowering LDL levels has in reducing cardiovascular risk. These trials suggest that for every unit of LDL that is reduced by 1 mmol/L, the risk of cardiovascular events can be decreased by 22%. For individuals with atherosclerotic vascular disease, a blood LDL level between 25 and 50 mg/dL has been considered optimal.

It is crucial for patients with a history of history of heart attack/stroke, chronic kidney disease (CKD) or any other cardiovascular disease to keep their LDL-C level below 40 mg/dl, which may involve taking multiple medications.