Get personal in managing cholesterol

Thirty-five million Americans take a statin to lower their lousy LDL cholesterol level, but a study published in Heart reveals that about half of them won’t reach their target in two years. So what’s the solution?

According to Harvard Medical School, doctors are discovering that for you to achieve a healthy LDL and HDL cholesterol level, you need a highly personalized approach to figuring out the medication or combination of medications that work best for you.

Statins are the first choice because they lower LDL cholesterol, help prevent atherosclerosis, and reduce your risk of a heart attack and stroke. A low-intensity statin can reduce LDL by up to 30 percent; a moderate one by up to 49 percent; and a high-intensity statin can reduce your LDL level by 50 percent or more. I recommend aiming for an LDL under 70 mg/dl for most folks.

If a statin doesn’t work, your doctor may add ezetimibe; it blocks absorption of cholesterol. And for folks with familial high cholesterol, who don’t get results from a high-dose statin, or who cannot deal with the side effects, a PCSK9 inhibitor might be prescribed.

Your doctor can discover which medications lower your LDL. But you have to honestly say how reliably you take your meds and what your diet and activity level is like. Your doctor can personalize your LDL cholesterol (or apolipoprotein B) treatment only if you’re personally taking responsibility for your health and communicating with your doctor.

Self-care for depression

A recent Gallup survey reveals about a third of adults in the U.S. have been diagnosed with depression at some time in their lives — that’s a 10 percent jump from 2015! And currently around 16 percent say they are depressed or receiving treatment for depression. The highest rates of depression are in women (23.8 percent) and adults 18 to 29 (24.6 percent). This new info comes on the heels of recent reports of an alarming spike in depression in adolescents and children.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration suggests these four data-proven, self-care steps:

Control your stress response with mindful meditation, and/or tai chi, aerobic exercise, and a healthy diet and good sleep habits.

Avoid alcohol and recreational drugs.

Write out realistic goals and track your progress.

Reach out to others in need. Volunteering can transform your thought processes.