Which lipid profile result would indicate the highest risk for coronary heart disease?

Which lipid profile result would indicate the highest risk for coronary heart disease?

• A. 20 mg/dL HDL cholesterol and 250 mg/dL total cholesterol
• B. 45 mg/dL HDL cholesterol and 210 mg/dL total cholesterol
• C. 50 mg/dL HDL cholesterol and 180 mg/dL total cholesterol
• D. 55 mg/dL HDL cholesterol and 170 mg/dL total cholesterol

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that coronary heart disease risk increases when the balance of cholesterol in the blood shifts toward less protective HDL and more overall cholesterol. HDL is the “good” cholesterol because it helps remove cholesterol from arteries, while total cholesterol reflects the overall amount available to form plaques. When HDL is very low, the body loses much of this protective cleanup, and when total cholesterol is high, there’s more cholesterol that can contribute to plaque buildup. The combination of very low HDL with high total cholesterol represents the most unfriendly pattern: little protective transport and a large cholesterol load, which together markedly raise CHD risk. The other patterns in which HDL is higher and/or total cholesterol is lower are comparatively less risky because more HDL-mediated clearance is available and the overall cholesterol burden is smaller.

The main idea is that coronary heart disease risk increases when the balance of cholesterol in the blood shifts toward less protective HDL and more overall cholesterol. HDL is the “good” cholesterol because it helps remove cholesterol from arteries, while total cholesterol reflects the overall amount available to form plaques. When HDL is very low, the body loses much of this protective cleanup, and when total cholesterol is high, there’s more cholesterol that can contribute to plaque buildup. The combination of very low HDL with high total cholesterol represents the most unfriendly pattern: little protective transport and a large cholesterol load, which together markedly raise CHD risk. The other patterns in which HDL is higher and/or total cholesterol is lower are comparatively less risky because more HDL-mediated clearance is available and the overall cholesterol burden is smaller.