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CraigS,
I hadn't read your previous post before replying to the original poster.
LDL is a measured variable - whilst at Uni, I worked in a pathology lab and spent one summer working in the department that did that particular test. I think the Medicare Schedule requires the pathology lab to "measure" the variable rather than "calculate" it before they pay for the test.
I'm not sure where you evidence comes from, but elevated cholesterol is a well established risk factor for atherosclerosis. The role of LDL vs HDL cholesterol is something that has only come out in the last couple of years.
Cholesterol is a complex thing, but one of the reasons that dieting probably fails is that most people don't follow strict diets for long enough periods of time. They might think they do, but human nature causes them to return to bad habits or they are not eating the "right" diet (hence my advice to see a dietician).
Statins don't just lower cholesterol, but also "stabilises" the plaques via anti-inflammatory effects. Yes, there are side-effects to statins, but not everyone experiences those effects - like everything you do in life it is a risk-benefit analysis.
I don't claim to have all the answers.
DT
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