I recently met with a new primary care physician. At the close of the appointment, the doctor ordered a lipid panel to check cholesterol levels. After the results were posted, his nurse called to report that the doctor had prescribed a statin (cholesterol-lowering) drug that he would like me to start right away. There was no discussion and no further testing. What was this horrific cholesterol level that prompted such an emergent response? Here are my results paired with the standard range in parentheses for reference: Total cholesterol: 285 mg/dL (< 200 mg/dL) Triglycerides: 69 mg/dL (< 150 mg/dL) High-density lipoprotein (HDL): 77 mg/dL (> 40 mg/dL) Low-density lipoprotein (LDL): 194 mg/dL (< 99 mg/dL) Cholesterol to HDL ratio: 3.7 (3.5—5.0) The metrics considered elevated are LDL, the so-called “bad” cholesterol, and total cholesterol. The nurse didn’t say a single word about my stellar triglycerides or exemplary cholesterol-to-HDL ratio. I …