Posted on 07/14/2026 1:20:09 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Cardiologist says warning signs can develop years before symptoms appear
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, but doctors say many cases can be prevented through early screening and lifestyle changes. New cholesterol guidelines are calling for screenings to begin earlier and for high-risk patients to reach lower LDL targets.
Dr. Ajay Mhatre, a cardiologist at Cardiovascular Institute of Northwest Florida, said the risks often build silently over time.
“Coronary disease or cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for men and women in America,” Mhatre said.
Smoking, diabetes, inactivity, poor diet and family history are among the factors that raise a person’s risk for cardiovascular disease. Mhatre said regular medical checkups are a key part of prevention.
“Go see your physician, go get regular checkups, know what your cholesterol is, what your blood sugar is, what your blood pressure is, because you can modify those risk factors or prevent a cardiovascular event later on down the line,” Mhatre said.
One of the most significant changes in the updated guidelines involves LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, commonly referred to as “bad” cholesterol. Experts now recommend screenings begin around age 30, particularly for people with a family history of heart disease. For high-risk patients, the new target LDL level is below 55.
“The longer you’re exposed to high levels of LDL, which lead to things like heart attack and stroke, the more important it is to push those levels lower,” Mhatre said.
For patients whose LDL levels do not respond to lifestyle changes alone, doctors say there are more treatment options available than before, including statins, non-statin medications and newer injectable drugs.
“Prevention now will prevent problems later,” Mhatre said.
Doctors say people in their 30s and 40s who feel healthy should still know their cholesterol numbers, as early awareness can help prevent serious heart problems in the future.
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
“Not sure they have the science right on cholesterol.”
I think their science is the kind with dollar signs in it.
What happened to the FReeper who kept us up-to-date with daily medical news? I always looked forward to that.
You mean this FReeper?
ConservativeMind
Calcification is from calcium, not plaque.
oh good grief, another push for medication.
Just no.
From what I’ve been reading and hearing about is that your liver determines the cholesterol numbers.
- - - - - - -
Having excess retinol increases cholesterol. Cereals and multivitamins contain retinol. A lot of of people without a retinol deficiency take them, not knowing the risks to their health.
It’s not a cholesterol problem.
It’s an inflammation problem.
The Great Cholesterol Myth:
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Cholesterol-Revised-Expanded-Disease/dp/1592339336
I think a “preventive” for cholesterol is never eating anything with saturated fat in it. I don’t eat pork or beef, butter,, no pizza, )which I hate anyway) , and gerally avoid satfat.
extra-virgin olive oil is great for sautéing alaskan salmon, which has no satfat, nor does cod or catfish. all uber yum.
Yesterday’s new wonder drug is today’s class action lawsuit ...
Butter is GREAT for Salmon cooking.
That Margarine is kr@p.
“You mean this FReeper?
ConservativeMind”
Bingo!
I took a cholesterol drug for a while. One day all of a sudden, I had trouble walking i could crawl but was very weak. Arms tired and weak too. Doc had me stop the poison drug and that fixed issue. Of course, it happened as I was about to make Thanksgiving dinner. Couldn’t carry anything so trashed it all.
I don’t trust anything that comes out from the medical system. Not even my own doctor since the COVID lie. “Trust but verify”
“Trust but verify”
- - - - - - -
That’s the right attitude.
My MD is not a god but he is a saint. More intrested in keeping me healthy than curing disease. Literally prescribes a boatload of nutritional suplements for me. at 90 I take NO presription drugs, buy OTC “carditone” at amz, recommended by friend’s Naturapath.
I’ve lived here 16 years, had a cold about 9 years ago. vitamin c works.
Do you think any of these researchers or drs take the medication they are suggesting? Do they know how bad it can make you feel?
what dosage of K2, please?
Lower the #’s, scoop up more potential customers.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.