• Weil Nutrition Corner
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Origins
  • Healthy Aging
  • Marketplace
  • Podcasts
  • Accessibility
  • Subscribe
Dr. Weil Logo Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Nutrition
    Recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    Vitamins
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    Health Tips
    Spontaneous Happiness
  • Mushrooms
  • Sleep
Press "Enter" to search
Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Nutrition
    Recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    Vitamins
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    Health Tips
    Spontaneous Happiness
  • Mushrooms
  • Sleep
  • Weil Nutrition Corner
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Origins
  • Healthy Aging
  • Marketplace
  • Podcasts
  • Accessibility
  1. Home
  2. Health & Wellness
  3. Body, Mind & Spirit
  4. Heart

New Cholesterol Guidelines?

I understand that there has been a change in what’s considered normal cholesterol. Can you explain the difference and the reason for the change?

Andrew Weil, M.D. | December 14, 2004

Black surgeon giving instruction to medical team mixed races using tablet
1 min

Government health officials have recommended that target levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol should be reduced by 30 points for people considered at moderate to high risk for heart disease. Up to now, an LDL of 130 was considered acceptable for those with a high risk of heart disease. According to the new recommendations, LDL levels for people at high risk should be below 100. Youre considered at high risk if you already have heart disease, diabetes, non-coronary atherosclerosis, or some other condition that increases your risk of a heart attack to 20 percent or more over the next 10 years. The same reduction was recommended for those considered at “moderately high” risk of heart disease – anyone with such risk factors such as advancing age, high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, and other lifestyle-related risks such as obesity, physical inactivity, or metabolic syndrome (elevated triglycerides and low HDL). If you fall into this category, you have a 10 to 20 percent chance of suffering a heart attack within 10 years. If you have no risk factors for heart disease, you’re unaffected by the new recommendations.

Under the new guidelines, millions of Americans whose LDL levels range from 100 to 129 will be treated with cholesterol-lowering “statin” drugs with the goal of reducing LDL levels by 30 to 40 percent, no matter what they are at the outset.

The changes were set in motion after results from five recent clinical trials indicated that the old cholesterol goals weren’t low enough and that heart attack prevention is more effective when LDL levels are pushed well below 100. In fact, evidence suggests that high-risk patients do best when their LDL is below 70, a level that may be hard to reach even with high doses of statins. The new recommendations were published in the July 13, 2004, issue of Circulation and were endorsed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

Read more tips, recipes, and insights on a wide variety of topics from Dr. Weil here.

Blood sample for LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) test
Heart

Cholesterol: Can It Go Too Low?

antioxidants bad for cholesterol
Heart

Antioxidants: Bad for Cholesterol?

Advertisement
Related Weil Products

Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging for Heart Health

Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging for Heart Health – Keep your heart healthy with small changes to your diet and lifestyle. Learn more – start your free trial of the Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging online guide today for access to an exclusive version of Dr. Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid and get 14 days free!
Get Started
Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging

Start Your 14-Day Free Trial

Free Newsletters

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Follow Dr. Weil’s Food Pyramid

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

Dr. Weil's FREE health living advice delivered to you!

By clicking "Subscribe," you agree to the DrWeil.com Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive emails from DrWeil.com, and you may opt out of DrWeil.com subscriptions at any time.

Trending Now

Healthy food in heart and cholesterol diet concept on vintage boards
Heart

A Natural Way to Lower Cholesterol?

blood pressure test
Heart

A Pill to Prevent Heart Disease?

a sweet new way to lower cholesterol
Heart

A Sweet New Way to Lower Cholesterol?

Defibrillator Electrodes, cardioverter.
Heart

Abnormal Heart Rhythm (Bradycardia)

Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
Dr. Weil's Signature

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

  • About Us
  • Press Information
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. Any third party offering or advertising on this website does not constitute an endorsement by Andrew Weil, M.D. or Healthy Lifestyle Brands.

© Copyright 2025 Healthy Lifestyle Brands, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. www.drweil.com