Total and LDL cholesterol are a poor marker of cardiovascular health. The cholesterol profile of elevated triglycerides and low HDL is a more predictive marker of cardiac risk and a reliable marker of insulin resistance. In fact, the QRISK calculator, used to estimate the 10-year risk of CVD does NOT use LDL cholesterol but uses a total cholesterol/HDL ratio instead.

Preventing insulin resistance in young men would prevent 42% of myocardial infarctions, a larger reduction than correcting hypertension (36%), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (31%), body mass index (21%), or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (16%).