Christie Ballantyne, MD: Treating Cholesterol During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic may have been particularly dangerous for patients with high cholesterol.

Even without the fear of contracting the virus, many have fallen into some unhealthy lifestyle habits in regard to diet, exercise, and substance use such as alcohol or drugs.

And the fear for many is these habits might be difficult to break as the pandemic comes to a close.

For some with various risk factors for adverse cardiovascular events, it could increase the odds of mortality and morbidity. Another concern is many patients may have skipped health care appointments over the course of the pandemic.

In an interview with HCPLive®, Christie Ballantyne, MD, chief of Cardiology at Baylor College of Medicine, explained how concerned he is by the events of the pandemic for patients already at a high risk of suffering a severe outcome because of cholesterol.

However, Ballantyne said there are numerous available treatment options for this patient population that could have a profound impact. And he also said tbose with a family history of stroke, heart attack, and other cardiovascular outcomes should strive for up to 7 hours of exercise per week.