Should women with high LDL take long-term medication?

Women with high LDL may need to take lipid-lowering drugs for a long time if lifestyle improvement is not effective or if they have a combination of risk factors such as coronary heart disease. LDL is an important risk factor for the development of atherosclerotic diseases, so its level should be strictly controlled. Currently, the first choice is to improve lifestyle, which mainly includes avoiding oily and high-salt food in diet, quitting smoking and drinking, maintaining sufficient rest, and at the same time doing aerobic exercise such as jogging. If lifestyle improvement is ineffective or combined with coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction, diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and other diseases, drug treatment is needed. Commonly used drugs include statins such as atorvastatin, cholesterol absorption inhibitor ezetimibe, and bile acid sequestering agent kauleinamide. Whether long-term treatment is needed depends on the patient’s LDL level and the control of risk factors. It is recommended to consult a doctor in a timely manner for standardized diagnosis and treatment, and the medication should be rationally applied according to the doctor’s prescription.