How high will cholesterol number be when one is at imminent risk?

Question

I know at 200 a doctor will prescribe medication but I want to know how high a person's cholesterol would be when they needed angioplastly or a stent, or when a heart attack would be imminent.

Answer 1

It doesn't really work that way, there is no level of cholesterol where you would automatically need a stent. Elevated cholesterol is a risk factor for coronary artery disease, which may progress to the point where a stent is indicated, but by itself, it doesn't tell you anything about whether or not that's the case.
In general, the lower your LDL cholesterol the better, but it's only a risk factor, to find out if there is heart disease that needs intervention, other tests must be done.

Answer 2

High levels of cholesterol (along with other factors like smoking, etc) are associated with the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries. These are basically deposits of cholesterol which not only narrow the artery and obstruct the smooth flow of blood, but may also get dislodged and close off another smaller artery. They may also bleed from the inside and suddenly close the artery where they are sitting. This can happen anywhere in the body and also in the arteries that supply the heart itself.
A heart attack occurs when the heart muscle gets damaged because it is not getting enough oxygen, due to any of the above.
depends on cardiovascular condition.
Angioplasty and stenting is done to restore blood flow, based on how bad the obstruction is.
So the cholesterol level per se does not tell you if you need angioplasty or if you are having a heart attack, it only tell you you are at high RISK for atherosclerosis.

Answer 3

Half of all people that have heart attacks have fairly normal total cholesterol levels. There is much more to cholesterol than the simple total cholesterol number! This "total cholesterol" number can be so misleading, it's much better to look at the individual cholesterol components for better guidence for heart risk.

HDL, your good cholesterol, should be as high as possible. With men, generally is should be above 45, women above 55.. Some cardiologists try to get it much higher, many say it should be at least a level of 60 for the best cardiovascular protection. HDL responds well to REGULAR exercise, niacin, small amounts of red wine, and vitamin B5.

LDL, a bad form of cholesterol, generally you want it as low as possible. LDL also responds well to niacin therapy, statin drugs, soluble fiber such as oatmeal, oatbran, fruits such as apples, berries, etc. It's best especially to keep the LDL/HDL ratio favorable, less than 3/1 (better is 2/1), with heart patients more like 1/1. Yup, the current thinking in people with heart disease is to keep the LDL around 60 or lower.

Triglycerides, a form of blood fat, also keep these as low as possible. Excessive calories thru overeating and overdrinking of alcohol, especially processed carbs, family genetics can play havoc here. Responds well to a diet low in processed foods and low in refined flours (chips, cookies, pasta, cakes, etc) Fish oil, lean proteins, veggies, fruits, etc. can help lots.

The biggest problem with this "total cholesterol" is that people with an unhealthy very low HDL level (the good cholesterol) can also have a fairly low total cholesterol because the low HDL skews the calculation used by the labs. It can hide and mask their true risk factor, in reality their LDL/HDL ratio is extremely unfavorable and they are at great risk over time. The best thing to do is to look at all of the cholesterol components individually, your diet, and overall health (by this I mean fasting glucose, BP, a healthy BMI, even keeping your teeth healthy helps keep heart disease away, etc).

If a person has a strong family line of heart disease, is overweight, or has a previous heart history, you may want to consider a more advanced cholesterol test, like the "VAP test" or an "NMR profile" (you can Google these to find sources). These forms of tests break things down even further, they look at your HDL particles to see the ratio is favorable of the large to small to further examine risk for example. The same with the LDL particles, and they introduce other cholesterol elements like VLDL, IDL, homocysteine, and LP(a). With a little reading these strange words are easily understood...and it can save your life.