Former professional baseball player Yoon Seok-min, who returned to the entertainment show ‘Best Baseball’, revealed the difficulties he experienced with cholesterol. On the 21st, he revealed on his YouTube channel that during his time as a player, his ‘bad cholesterol’ (LDL-C) was close to 400 mg/dL, and even after retirement, the level could not be determined, so he was even warned that “if this continues, you can only live until the age of 50.” Considering that the LDL-C goal is generally set around 100 mg/dL, it is four times the level.
Seok-min Yoon emphasized that even if you have stopped taking medication due to the side effect of muscle pain and have a family history of cardiovascular disease, you should not let your guard down. He said he is currently managing his levels through exercise, eating habits, regular checkups, and injection treatment. His case shows the loopholes in cholesterol management, which can be easily delayed due to ‘no symptoms.’
They say LDL-C is dangerous… Do I really need to take medicine?
LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) tends to stick to the walls of blood vessels and accumulate. If the high condition persists, fatty debris (atheromatous plaque) forms on the inner walls of the arteries, narrowing or blocking the blood vessels. If this process progresses, it can lead to angina pectoris, myocardial infarction (heart), cerebral infarction, stroke (brain), and peripheral artery disease. As it progresses quietly, it is important to check the numbers and receive early treatment.
The standard treatment for lowering cardiovascular risk is lipid-lowering therapy (LLT). It usually starts with oral medications such as statins and ezetimibe. However, in reality, there are many cases where the target level is not reached or medication is faltered due to intolerance such as muscle pain. In fact, it was calculated that about 4 out of 10 patients with hypercholesterolemia do not use lipid-lowering drugs.
The key to success or failure of treatment is ‘medication compliance.’ Analysis of domestic data showed that only 66.4% of patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease continued to take statins and ezetimibe. The burden of daily medication and drug intolerance are considered to be the main causes.
Recently, a variety of injectable drugs that effectively lower LDL-C have become available. In addition to injections administered at two-week or monthly intervals, injections such as ‘Rexvio’, which lowers LDL-C by administering twice a year, have been introduced to help improve compliance. Ultimately, as treatment options have increased, the key is to discuss side effects, lifestyle patterns, etc. with medical staff to develop a ‘customized strategy’.
There is already established evidence that the lower the LDL-C level, the lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. The higher the risk, the more stringent the target number is. If side effects such as muscle pain are suspected, do not stop the medication arbitrarily and consult with the medical staff about changing the medication or adjusting the dosage. If risk factors such as parents’ history of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking overlap, intensive management is needed from an earlier point.
In addition, it is advisable to reduce processed meat, fried food, butter, palm oil, and sugary drinks, and focus on vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and fish. For exercise, brisk walking or cycling is recommended for at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week.
Stop smoking immediately and limit drinking if possible. Even if you lose just 5-10% of your body weight, LDL-C, blood pressure, and blood sugar indicators will improve. The rule is to check the numbers every 4 to 12 weeks after starting treatment or changing medications, and to track them periodically even when the goal is reached.
Seok-min Yoon said, “Now my dream is to live a long, healthy life with my family.” Cholesterol builds up without causing any pain, and one day it becomes noticeable. Instead of being careless, checking the numbers, customized treatment, and modifying lifestyle habits are the surest ways to change the ‘next 10 years.’
