The telltale heart: What HDL reveals about a woman’s risk

JUDY’S CASE

THERAPEUTIC TARGETS

Judy’s goals should include:

• reducing blood pressure to less than 120/80 mm Hg,
• decreasing weight to about 140 lb,
• achieving a waist measurement of less than 35 inches,
• reducing fasting blood glucose to less than 100 mg/dL,
• decreasing triglycerides to less than 150 mg/dL, total cholesterol to less than 200 mg/dL, and LDL levels to less than 100 mg/dL, and
• raising HDL to more than 45 mg/dL.

All these parameters should be checked every 3 months until the goals are achieved.

If Judy fails to progress or develops symptoms of heart disease, she should be referred to a cardiologist for further evaluation and more aggressive treatment.

The author reports no conflicts relevant to this article.