In today's health -conscious world, understanding the relationship between obesity and bad cholesterol is essential for maintaining optimal heart health as a research by British Medical Journal highlights that high levels of LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), often dubbed as “bad cholesterol”, can be present even in individuals who are not obese. This underscores the importance of regular cholesterol screenings for everyone, regardless of body weight and BMI. Recent guidelines from the Lipid Association of India (LAI) in 2024 emphasise on tailored LDL cholesterol targets approach based on individual risk factors, aiming to promote optimal heart health.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Siddhant Jain, Director Addiac Science at Shalby Hospital in Indore, shared, “Recognising the relationship between obesity and elevated LDL-C levels is essential. In my experience, I've noticed that around 50% of my patients exhibit high LDL-C levels, despite 60% of them not being obese. This underscores the necessity of routine cholesterol and lipid screenings.
The latest guidelines from the Cardiological Society of India (CSI) categorize individuals into 'low-risk' and 'high-risk' groups, standardising the lipid profiling process and improving diagnostic accuracy.” Why Knowing Bad Cholesterol is Crucial Awareness and monitoring of cholesterol levels are key to a holistic approach to heart health as LDL-C can cause plaque buildup in arteries, increasing the risk of heart .