A TALE OF TWO CHOLESTEROLS

CHOLESTEROL BUSTERS

Do Cholesterol levels necessarily indicate heart health and longevity?

Circulation a scientific journal published a review of 19 studies pertaining to tests undertaken on 6,50,000 people worldwide. With women overall death rates appeared to be barely related to the Cholesterol levels. With men, the death rates of those with borderline high Cholesterol levels were found to be close to those with moderate Cholesterol levels. In fact, low Cholesterol was associated with a greater death rate than moderate Cholesterol.

In another review, in British Medical Journal, based on 22 studies no evidence was found which could relate lowering of serum Cholesterol with reduced risk of fatal or nonfatal coronary heart disease.

These studies raise questions on the commitment to lowering Cholesterol levels, particularly for women and more than 50 % of men with Cholesterol levels in the moderate to borderline high range. Maybe one need not worry so much about overall Cholesterol levels. Rather, the focus should be on health, fitness, exercise, eating right and practicing other healthy habits.

A very large study of 8200 Israeli men and women published in the journal Circulation found that persons at greatest risk for heart disease had low levels of the good High-Density lipoprotein (HDL) Cholesterol and high levels of Triglycerides.

It seems that instead of one Cholesterol count, three measures should be taken : Total, HDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides.