Cardiology Q&A by Dr. Kulick

Answer:

Heart Disease (Coronary Artery Disease) Slideshow

Everyone's diet may "slip" at times, but it's very important for post-bypass patients to keep the LDL ("bad") cholesterol as low as possible. For years the goal was less than 130, but in the last decade, data has shown that the LDL level should be below 100. In the last year or two, it has been shown that post-bypass patients with LDL level below 80 do better than those whose level is between 80-100. The goal should definitely now be an LDL below 80; this generally requires both medication and a good diet/exercise regime. The advantage of a good diet is that the doses of medication needed are much lower, thus with a much lower incidence of side effects.

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