For decades, researchers believed that to prevent heart disease they needed to be able to improve patients’ blood test numbers. Therefore, it was thought that if a medication could increase “good” cholesterol or lower “bad” cholesterol it would help keep patients safe from heart attacks. Over the years there have been several large clinical trials that proved this is not always true. Multiple medications have been made and tested that have greatly improved blood test numbers without reducing heart attacks or strokes.

For more than twenty years, researchers studying cardiovascular medicine have tried to make a promising class of medications known as CETP inhibitors. The original goal of CETP inhibitors was to drastically increase “good” cholesterol, also known as high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), while at the same time lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), or “bad” cholesterol.

Elevated LDL allows excess cholesterol to seep into the lining of your arteries. Over time, this mixes with fats, calcium, and inflammatory cells to form plaque. Plaque narrows and stiffens arteries, restricting blood flow to vital organs like your heart and brain.

LDL levels below 55 mg/dL is a very low number and often requires high doses of multiple medications. The new goal (below 70 mg/dL) is no longer just to hit the lowest number possible, but to find the "sweet spot" where you get the most protection with the fewest side effects and costs.

Heart health thrives on balance. Choosing unsaturated fats over saturated ones, eating more fiber-rich plant foods, and keeping up with regular aerobic activity all reinforce one another.

Higher HDL-C is more than just a number on a blood test. Evidence shows that higher levels are linked to less plaque buildup in the arteries and a lower risk of major events like heart attacks.

Zypitamag is not primarily metabolized by CYP3A4. Instead, it is mainly processed through UGT enzymes, a less busy pathway that grapefruit does not interfere with. This dramatically reduces the risk of food–drug interactions.

When you're prescribed Paxlovid for COVID-19, your doctor might tell you to stop taking your statin temporarily. That’s because Paxlovid can interact with certain statins in ways that may cause serious side effects. But not all statins are the same, and some may be safe to take during Paxlovid treatment.

Previously, in 2017, the AACE recommended that adults at very high risk of ASCVD should aim to lower their LDL-C to below 55 mg/dL. Now, the new 2025 guidelines suggest a slightly higher target of under 70 mg/dL.

Berberine is a bioactive compound extracted from several plants, including Berberis species. Recent research has explored its potential in treating conditions like cancer, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic disorders (diabetes, high cholesterol, fertility issues), and heart diseases.

Because high triglycerides usually have no symptoms, they're often discovered during routine blood tests. If your levels are high, especially above 500 mg/dL, your doctor may recommend a prescription medication to help lower them. Two common options are Lovaza and Vascepa .

For those with mild to moderate cholesterol elevation, a doctor may recommend adjusting diet and exercise first to see if these changes are enough to lower LDL and raise HDL. However, if cholesterol levels remain high or there are additional risk factors, statins may be necessary to provide stronger protection against cardiovascular conditions.

There’s a lot of cholesterol advice floating around online, and not all of it lines up with what long-term research and guidelines show. It’s easy to come across tips or opinions that sound convincing but leave out key facts.

Fibrates are medications used to manage unhealthy blood fat levels, especially when diet and other treatments haven't been sufficient. They are typically used alongside a cholesterol-lowering diet. While both gemfibrozil and fenofibrate are fibrates, they have slightly different uses, and doctors choose between them based on your specific blood fat profile.

Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. After you eat, your body converts any calories it doesn't need right away into triglycerides. These fats are then stored in fat cells and used later for energy, such as between meals or during physical activity. In a way, triglycerides act as backup fuel for your body.

Reducing plaque has been shown to be associated with a lower risk of heart attack and stroke and by reducing plaque even by as little as 1%, there is as much as a 25% reduction in odds of adverse cardiovascular events.

Cholesterol has been a subject of debate in cardiovascular health. Despite its crucial role in various bodily functions, questions persist about its association with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

Colchicine has been a first-line medication for gout, a painful condition caused by too much uric acid in the blood, for many years. In June 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved low-dose colchicine (0.5 mg) under the brand name LODOCO. This approval marked colchicine as the first anti-inflammatory medication for preventing heart attacks and strokes in people with existing heart disease or multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease.