LDL cholesterol: the lower the better

LDL cholesterol plays a decisive role in the prophylaxis and therapy of cardiovascular diseases.

Especially after a heart attack, the motto is "the lower the better", i.e. the LDL cholesterol level should permanently be < 55mg/dl. This level is recommended by the current guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS).

These low levels can hardly be achieved by lifestyle changes; modern drugs such as statins, ezetimibe or PCSK9 inhibitors are needed. Important for the therapy after a cardiovascular event is the regular and reliable intake of the prescribed medication and the close monitoring of risk factors.

With a modern dry chemistry machine such as the Spotchem EZ SP-4430, the parameters total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides are determined within a few minutes at the point of care and the result can be discussed immediately and the therapy adjusted if necessary.

The Spotchem EZ SP-4430 is also the ideal laboratory partner for risk screening, e.g. as part of a healthy person examination.

The recommended LDL cholesterol values are < 116mg/dl for people at low cardiovascular risk, < 100 mg/dl for people at moderate risk, e.g. overweight, and < 70 mg/dl for people at high risk due to overweight, diabetes and high blood pressure.

From the measured parameters triglycerides, total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol, the LDL cholesterol can be calculated according to the FRIEDEWALD formula:

LDL (mg/dl) = total cholesterol (mg/dl) - HDL (mg/dl) - triglycerides (mg/dl)/5
(fasting blood, TG < 400 mg/dl)