Guidelines & Prevalence

Relationship between LDL-C, HDL-C and Risk of CHD

Epidemiological studies consistently show low HDL-C to be an independent risk factor for CHD¹

The independent effect of raising HDL-C on the risk of coronary and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has not been determined²

Framingham Heart Study Four-Year Follow-up

Study Method¹ - Four-year follow-up to the Framingham Heart Study to evaluate the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) in men aged 50 to 70 years based on HDL-C and LDL-C. The objective was to identify the common factors or characteristics that contribute to CAD.

As shown in the chart, a patient who has an LDL-C level of 220 mg/dL and an HDL-C level of 45 mg/dL has an equivalent risk for CHD as a patient who has a low LDL-C level of 100 mg/dL but also a very low HDL-C level of 25 mg/dL³

References

Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). National Institutes of Health. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/atp3full.pdf. Published September 2002. Accessed September 1, 2011.
SIMCOR [package insert]. North Chicago, IL: Abbott Laboratories.
Castelli WP. Cholesterol and lipids in the risk of coronary artery disease-the Framingham Heart Study. Can J Cardiol.1988;4(suppl A):5A-10A.