Is it time to stop worrying about them?
I think so. I still measure it, but I don’t really care about total. Since I went partially paleo, my ratio’s good, and my triglycerides are almost unmeasurable. I’m sure as hell not going to take statins to get it down.
Every year when I go for a physical, the doctor tries to get me to take medicine to lower my cholesterol. Every year I say no. It’s only slightly “elevated,” and if I were willing to do the research, I’m betting it would be considered “normal” 20 or 30 years ago (just like blood pressure and diabetes).
This past year, I got sick of it and told the doctor I wasn’t taking any medicine that is likely (or certain) to damage one of my vital organs (liver). Hopefully that will shut him up in the future. Except for this hobbyhorse, he’s really a very good doctor.