The other indicator that experts are asking us to look at beyond cholesterol to prevent diseases

Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the blood and is classified into two main types: LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or "bad" cholesterol, and HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or "good" cholesterol. It has now been established that LDL cholesterol is much more complex to combat, as its elevation may be due to genetic factors.

What is known as lipoprotein (a) is "an LDL to which a protein, apo (a), is added, which gives it special characteristics, including being inherited and being involved in proinflammatory and prothrombotic processes, as well as increasing the early risk of suffering an acute myocardial infarction or ischemic stroke," commented the president of the Preventive Cardiology Association of the Spanish Society of Cardiology, Dr. Rosa Fernández Olmo, in an article shared by the Huffington Post in Spanish.

The specialist explained that cholesterol-lowering methods may not work in the case of lipoprotein (a). In other words, diet may not be a significant factor in its reduction. This is because it's a genetic factor, so it doesn't vary much over time. "We know that one in five people has it elevated," Fernández explains.

Recent findings by Cleveland Clinic physicians reveal that combining a new drug, obicetrapib, with a widely used medicine, ezetimibe, reduced low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels by 48.6 percent after nearly three months, producing more effective results than either drug alone.

The results of the Phase 3 clinical trial were recently presented at a scientific session during the annual meeting of the European Atherosclerosis Society in Glasgow, Scotland, and were published simultaneously in The Lancet.

Excessive levels of LDL cholesterol (often referred to as "bad" cholesterol) can lead to atherosclerotic disease, the buildup of plaque on artery walls, which increases the risk of heart attack or stroke . Patients with this condition, or at high risk of developing it, can reduce their chances of adverse events by lowering their LDL cholesterol levels.

“Despite statin and other non-statin therapies, many patients at high risk for heart disease, or who already have heart disease, fail to achieve their LDL cholesterol goals,” says Ashish Sarraju, MD, lead author and preventive cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. “This combination therapy helps patients at high risk who need additional support to lower their cholesterol and increase their likelihood of reaching their goals.”

For some people, lifestyle changes can be beneficial, but for many others, medication is necessary. Some even require multiple lipid-lowering therapies. These are the risk factors: