Cholesterol and cardiac risk: would be the wrong culprit?

A new index to replace the bad cholesterol blood to assess the risk that a person suffers a heart attack or stroke (stroke). So far, the blood of "bad" cholesterol (LDL or low density lipoproteins) to measure the risk of suffering a cardiovascular disorder. However, two major U.S. agencies, the American Diabetes Association and the American College of Cardiology, cardiologists say that could save more lives by monitoring the presence of another protein, apolipoprotein B (apo B) 1. Apo B is a particle of greater or lesser size that transports LDL, allowing it to accumulate in blood vessels. To better quantify drugs The recommendations of the two organizations aimed at changing practices of diagnosis, but the therapeutic approach remains the same. Thus, drugs of the family of statins continue to be widely prescribed to lower cholesterol for people at risk. The fact that the target apo B cholesterol rather than allow an adjustment of the dosage of statins, says on. Canadian health authorities have not issued similar recommendations. But in Quebec, the Royal Victoria Hospital and Laval have already adopted this new approach and several hospitals in the province would be equipped to measure apo B.