What do the cholesterol targets mean?

Cholesterol targets are the cholesterol levels that you need to reach in order to reduce your risk of developing heart disease and its complications (such as heart attacks and strokes). Based on your risk of developing heart disease, your doctor will recommend target levels of different types of cholesterol.

The most important cholesterol target is LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), which is the "bad cholesterol" that clogs your arteries and increases your risk of heart attacks and strokes. Regardless of your level of heart disease risk, the goal is to keep your LDL-C under control. Your doctor can determine what specific number that should be for you.

Outside of your LDL-C goal, your doctor may monitor other cholesterol levels such as:

• Non-HDL-cholesterol (non-HDL-C) measures all types of cholesterol other than HDL-C. It is equal to the total cholesterol (TC) minus the HDL-C. It is a good measure of how much harmful cholesterol a person has in their blood.
• Triglycerides (TG) are not the same thing as cholesterol. They are another type of fat often found in the body. TG is tested at the same time as cholesterol. TG can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. TG can also lower the levels of HDL-C.
• apoB (apolipoprotein B) is a protein that is part of LDL-C and VLDL-C (very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and can cause inflammation in the blood vessels.

If your TG levels are high, your doctor may prefer measuring your non-HDL-C or ApoB levels instead of your LDL-C. Your doctor can help determine the right non-HDL-C and ApoB targets for you.

Cholesterol targets are used to guide your treatment and make sure that your treatment is doing enough to reduce your risk of developing heart disease and its complications.

With the proper treatment plan, you can meet your cholesterol targets. It's very important to use your medications exactly as prescribed so that you will be able to meet your targets. Read "How to reach your cholesterol targets" in this feature to learn more.

Ask your doctor what your cholesterol targets are, whether you are reaching them, and what you can do if you are not reaching your targets.

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