Linking To And Excerpting From Dr. Brad Stanfield’s “The Cholesterol War Is Over (Here’s Who Won)” – Optimal Lipid Levels

Posted on August 27, 2026 by Tom Wade MD

In  addition to Dr. Stanfield’s outstanding lecture, please review 2026 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines [PubMed Abstract] [Full-Text HTML] [Full-Text PDF]. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2026 May 19;87(19):2624-2757. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2025.11.016. Epub 2026 Mar 13.

Today, I review, link to, and embed Dr. Brad Stanfield‘s “The Cholesterol War Is Over (Here’s Who Won)”.

All that follows is from the above resource.


The Cholesterol War Is Over (Here’s Who Won)

Apr 16, 2026
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Timestamps: 00:00 The Dallas Heart Study and PCSK9
02:58 The Fourier Trial
03:34 The VESALIUS-CV Trial
08:21 The Case for Lower LDL Targets
08:26 The Ez-PAVE Study
10:13 The PESA Study
11:53 The Underutilization of Ezetimibe
13:22 Conclusion and Future Directions
Here are the links to the research papers referenced in the video: 1. doi: 10.1001/jama.2026.3277 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama… VESALIUS-CV Diabetes Subgroup Analysis — JAMA 2026
2. doi: 10.1172/JCI84086 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles… JCI Conversation with Helen Hobbs — 2015
3. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa054013 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056… Sequence Variations in PCSK9, Low LDL, and Protection against Coronary Heart Disease — NEJM 2006
4. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.764038 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles… Regulation of PCSK9 Expression and Function: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Implications — Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2021
5. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2012.08.986 https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.ja… Effects of AMG 145 on Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels — JACC 2012
6. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1615664 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056… Evolocumab and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease (FOURIER) — NEJM 2017
7. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2514428 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056… Evolocumab in Patients without a Previous Myocardial Infarction or Stroke (VESALIUS-CV) — NEJM 2025
8. https://www.acc.org/About-ACC/Press-R… Evolocumab Cuts Cardiac Risk in Patients Without Known Atherosclerosis and With Diabetes — ACC Press Release, March 2026
9. https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/artic… Woman Has Heart Attack Despite Very Low Cholesterol — People’s Pharmacy
10. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2008.08.010 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19081… Lipid levels in patients hospitalized with coronary artery disease: an analysis of 136,905 hospitalizations in Get With The Guidelines — American Heart Journal 2009
11. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2600283 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056… Ez-PAVE Trial — NEJM 2026
12. https://www.tctmd.com/news/very-low-l… Very Low LDL Levels Best in Secondary Prevention: Ez-PAVE — TCTMD (Cannon + Aspry quotes)
13. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2017.10.024 https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.ja… Normal LDL-Cholesterol Levels Are Associated With Subclinical Atherosclerosis in the Absence of Risk Factors (PESA) — JACC 2017
14. doi: 10.1177/11772719241257410 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles… Are We Using Ezetimibe As Much As We Should? — Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease 2024
15. doi: 10.1001/jama.2025.20620 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama… Efficacy and Safety of Oral PCSK9 Inhibitor Enlicitide in Adults With Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia — JAMA 2025
16. https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/newsro… Updated cholesterol guideline shifts focus to earlier prevention — UT Southwestern Newsroom, March 2026 (Rohatgi quote)
17. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2012.09.017 https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.ja… Effect of Long-Term Exposure to Lower Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Beginning Early in Life on the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease — JACC 2012
Thumbnail by James Kelly
Video edited by Troy Young Script by John Milliken The content contained in this video, and its accompanying description, is not intended to replace viewers’ relationships with their own medical practitioner. Always speak with your doctor regarding the content of this channel, and especially before using any products, services, or devices discussed on this channel.
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