What is my life expectancy?

[Fred737]

What is my life expectancy? (statistically) I'm a 71 yo male, had a single stent in the midportion of my left anterior descending coronary artery 6/20/08 for angina with marked exertion, some other vessels are 50-60 % stenosed, no diabetes or hypertension, height 5 ft 7 inches, weight 135, athletic (15 marathons), blood lipids and cholesterol always good( cholesterol 153, HDL 56, LDL 85, triglycerides 59), currently cholesterol 106, HDL 54, LDL 45, triglycerides 36 on Lipitor 20 mgm qd; CRP 2.4, Hemoglobin A1C 6.1, never smoked, mother died of stroke (carotid artery) age 89 and father died of CA age 89 (had small MI at 85); looks like I have cardiovascular disease without any risk factors.(mother's brother died of MI at 58 and her father died of stroke age 65, but I'm told not to go beyond immediate family for risk factors)

[Fred737]

Thank you for your very informative response. I see you're close to my age. I suspect you're a retired MD or other health worker. I appreciate your taking the time to give me such a thoughtful answer.

[kenkeith]

The lower your LDL cholesterol, the lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. In fact, it's a better gauge of risk than total blood cholesterol. In general, LDL levels fall into these categories:
LDL Cholesterol Levels...less than 100 mg/dL, Optimal
100 to 129 mg/dL, Near Optimal/ Above Optimal
130 to 159 mg/dL,  Borderline High
160 to 189 mg/dL,  High
190 mg/dL and above,  Very High


Your other risk factors for heart disease and stroke help determine what your LDL level should be, as well as the appropriate treatment for you. A healthy level for you may not be healthy for your friend or neighbor. Discuss your levels and your treatment options with your doctor to get the plan that works for you.


For another perspective, the HDL LDL ratio is one of the cornerstones of wellness and anti-aging. It’s a benchmark that will help analyze and reduce the risk of heart disease and ensure a long and healthy life!
Risk Level
LDL/HDL Ratio... For example:
* HDL is: 50
* LDL is: 150
Ratio=3  This would be considered a good ratio, indicating the person would have a lower than average risk of heart disease
Low risk  3.3 - 4.4
Average risk  4.4 - 7.1
Moderate risk 7.1 - 11.0
High risk 11
It is strange your ratio is not a recognized parameter.  But It is important to remember that even with a favorable ratio; it is still important to try to obtain an LDL of less than 80-100, regardless of the HDL value, especially in the presence of multiple other risk factors for coronary artery disease (genetic predisposition, tobacco use, hypertension, and diabetes). In patients with known coronary artery disease (history of bypass surgery, stents, or PTCA), an LDL of less than 80 is extremely desirable.

July 23, 2007 -- New research suggests a link between very low cholesterol levels and an increased risk of cancer, but the findings are far from conclusive, researchers say.

The analysis of studies examining outcomes in patients taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins to lower their low density lipoprotein (LDL) "bad" cholesterol found an elevated risk of cancer among those who achieved the very lowest LDL cholesterol levels while taking the drugs...

There doesn't appear to be a connection between an aneurysm and low LDL!  In fact there has been no study and it is contraintuitive.  

[Encephalomalcia]

Your LDL is low.  Usually doctors want to see the LDL below 100, but if yours is only 45 that could increase your risk of an aneurysm.  HDL is great.  The only thing I see is the LDL is low.  Otherwise, looks like you have many, many years ahead.  

[ireneo]

It's so hard to tell. I just read a story this morning about a young man (41) that died of a heart attack. My Dad, on the other hand, was a heavy smoker all his life, ate terrible food (loved his bacon and cheese hamburgers for example), had 4 heart attacks, was even so sick they put him on hospice care for 6 months because they expected him to die within a few weeks. He got through all of that. He finally died this past August at age 80. Not of heart disease although his heart was in terrible condition but of lung cancer. You just never know.