Posted on 03/29/2008 1:37:17 PM PDT by Mount Athos
A health study by Japanese researchers has found that people with low levels of LDL cholesterol -- often referred to as "bad cholesterol" -- are more likely to die than those with higher levels.
The finding comes as Japan prepares to introduce special health checkups from April, which list high LDL cholesterol as a factor in deciding whether a person has metabolic syndrome. It is likely the results of the survey will stir debate over the designation of LDL cholesterol as "bad."
The study was led by Tokai University professor Yoichi Ogushi, who surveyed roughly 26,000 people who had at least two health checkups between 1987 and 2006, following them for an average of 8.1 years. The subjects were divided into seven groups based on their LDL cholesterol readings, and the relationship between the readings and people's deaths was examined.
Researchers found that in terms of overall deaths, men and women in the group with the lowest LDL cholesterol level (79 milligrams per deciliter of blood or less) had the highest death rate.
For men, the yearly death rate worked out at about 3,400 deaths per 100,000 people - about 1.6 times higher than the group with the lowest death rate, whose LDL cholesterol level was between 140 and 159 milligrams. The figure for women stood at about 1,900 deaths per 100,000 people, or about 1.3 times more than the group with the lowest death rate, which covered people with LDL cholesterol levels between 120 and 139 milligrams per deciliter of blood.
When deaths were restricted to strokes and heart attacks -- ailments believed to be caused by high LDL cholesterol levels -- the death rate climbed for men with levels of 180 milligrams or more. For women, however, there appeared to be almost no relationship between their LDL cholesterol level and the death rate.
Deaths from cancer and respiratory ailments, on the other hand, increased among men and women with low LDL cholesterol levels, lifting the overall death rate.
Ogushi suggests that the appropriate LDL cholesterol level for men is between 100 and 180 milligrams per deciliter of blood. He suggests women should have a level of at least 120 milligrams.
In health checkups from April, people with readings of 120 milligrams or more will be advised to lower their LDL cholesterol levels, but Ogushi questions this advice.
"Excessively lowering an LDL level that is within an appropriate range is dangerous," he said. "Cholesterol is needed in the body and immune function drops when it is low, and it is possible that the death rate rises as a result."
Great time of year for that picture, MA! :)
Approximately what I had for supper times 2.
LDL = 72.
Age = 81
The entire cholesterol issue is junk science, motivated by greedy pharmaceuticals.
Anybody remember Sleeper?
Hilarious!
My LDL is way down, so I better start eating butter!
This is really unbelievable.
Think about how many millions of Americans and people around the world are taking cholesterol lowering drugs (with all the side-effects that result including an increased death-rate.)
This rather large long-term study is going to be a BIG shocker to the medical community.
My grandma lived 93 years on a diet of butter, salt, and bacon fat. She didn’t have much of a waistline, it is true, but she was strong and healthy.
Wow! My husband needs to see this (the article, not the bacon sandwich) and consider the information next time he sees the doctor.
A difficult article to understand—”death rate” can be misleading.
No offense but that sounds exactly like moonbat reasoning. Many if not most heart surgeons consider bad cholesterol to be enemy numero uno. Now a moonbat will say the doctors are part of the conspiracy but personally I suspect that besides water everything we consume has benefits and costs and we'll never reach the end of these studies.
It is interesting that this should find its way into the news at the same time the US medical establishment is lowering what they consider (claim) to be safe cholesterol numbers.
Dogma now is a max of 180 (overall). Lemmings. Follow the money.
Has the "death rate" ever been less than 100.0%?
Uh, oh. According to this article, your’re going to die.
Yup. When my doctor recently doubled my cholesterol medicine, I quit taking it completely.
They have been able to get reliable evidence from the raising of "good" cholesterol.
Since the human brain needs cholesterol to function properly, getting the rate too low also can bring on dementia. It is good that the Japanese are raising this issue because our doctors would rather keep prescribing Lipitor and Vytorin than look into the possible harm they can do.
a balanced diet with exercise is the BEST requirements for a healthy life.
You have to listen to what your body is telling you.
I agree with you whole heartedly. My husbands doctor kept trying to get his LDL down as low as he possible could by upping his dosage, changing the cholesterol medication etc. My husband got to where he could hardly function. Finally I said enough is enough.
I have read numerous times that the homocysteine levels in your blood are way more important than cholesterol.
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