If there's one main take-home message for today, it's this. It is probably the thing I talk about most in my practice with respect to cholesterol. The longer you are exposed to high levels of LDL, the greater your cardiovascular disease risk. Meaning, if you've had high LDL, let's say it was at 4 mmol/L for ten years, versus someone who's had high LDL for one year, that person who's had it for ten years is at significantly increased risk of a cardiovascular event versus the person with one year of high exposure.
I see a lot of patients who’ve had their screening done with their doctor, and they tell me that their doctor wants them on statin medication, but they don’t want to go on it, they prefer to focus on diet and lifestyle. And you'll probably know, most doctors say, “Okay, I'll give you three months.” There's a reason they're saying three months, or six months maximum. If they don't see any changes, they're going to recommend medication because of this exact reason. Your risk is going to significantly increase the longer you have that high cholesterol.
A lot of my patients don't sometimes understand why their doctors are saying that. And there is a reason they're recommending it. Earlier exposure to high cholesterol + a long period of time equals the greatest risk. Now, I'll talk today about diet and lifestyle changes that you can implement as well. They can make a massive impact, and I see that every day in the office. But the important thing is that you're actually taking that seriously in that three to a six-month window, because if your doctor sees that it is decreasing, they'll be like, okay, keep doing what you're doing. But if it's not, then that's when they'll recommend the medication.
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