If you?ve been watching your cholesterol count to stave off a second heart attack, there?s something you might be missing, researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center say.
Although most doctors emphasize lowering LDL, or bad cholesterol, through medication and good eating, another form of cholesterol might be working against you ? triglycerides. Both types of cholesterol must be lowered to avoid heart complications, said Michael Miller, a cardio-
logist with the University of Maryland.
“LDL and triglycerides work together to make a bad situation worse,” Miller said. “Think of LDL as the bad guy. LDL is like Clyde. Triglyceride is like Bonnie. LDL and triglycerides are the Bonnie and Clyde of heart disease.”
LDL causes high levels of cholesterol that accumulate in the arteries, causing heart attacks. Triglycerides are fats that can lead to coronary artery disease.
Miller?s study is to be published Tuesday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Statins, a group of drugs known to reduce LDL within days, cut the number of heart attacks and death due to cardiovascular
disease.
Fish oil, diet, exercise, medications such as Zetia, Welchol and Questran and the supplement niacin can help reduce triglyceride levels in the blood.
“Reducing elevated LDL is necessary, but not sufficient alone, to reduce the risk of a cardiac event,” Miller said. “The combination of a low LDL and low triglycerides may be a better strategy in heart attack survivors.”
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, reducing intake of high-fructose corn syrup, reducing saturated and trans fats as well as engaging in aerobic activity help to keep cholesterol levels down, he
said.
