Deep research and expert guides on maintaining your visual health.
Understanding Lipids and Atherosclerosis in Glaucoma Glaucoma is best known as a disease of high eye pressure, but researchers are increasingly aware that vascular health also plays a role. In particular, cholesterol and related blood fats (lipids) can affect the tiny arteries supplying the optic nerve. Traditional cholesterol tests report LDL–cholesterol (LDL-C) – often called “bad” cholesterol...
Non-HDL cholesterol is the total amount of cholesterol carried by all the lipoproteins that can clog arteries, calculated by subtracting good HDL cholesterol from total cholesterol. This measure includes LDL, VLDL, IDL, and other particles that carry cholesterol into artery walls and contribute to plaque formation. Because it captures every atherogenic particle, non-HDL cholesterol is often a better indicator of heart and vascular risk than LDL cholesterol alone, especially when triglycerides are high. It is easy to obtain from a standard lipid panel and does not require fasting in most cases, making it convenient for routine care. Clinicians use non-HDL targets to set treatment goals and to decide whether lifestyle changes or medications are needed. Lowering non-HDL cholesterol through diet, physical activity, weight loss, and cholesterol-lowering medications reduces the chance of heart attacks and strokes. Because it reflects a broader range of harmful cholesterol-carrying particles, monitoring non-HDL can give a clearer view of treatment progress. People with conditions like diabetes, obesity, or high triglycerides should pay particular attention to non-HDL levels because their LDL numbers can be misleading. As a simple and practical measure, non-HDL cholesterol helps both patients and clinicians make informed decisions about protecting long-term vascular health.
