Cholesterol

From Don Surber:

New study shows people with high levels of bad cholesterol live longer than those with lower levels.

Maybe cholesterol is overrated.

Well, I don’t know if “overrated” is the right word. Not understood, maybe. Here’s a closer report of the study. It seems to be to be not something to be ignored.

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.

This is not the first time results like this have been hinted at. In fact, it looks like the FDA, with its relatively simple model of the effects of cholesterol, is the outlier. Or, at least, it testing results are.

I’m still taking my cholesterol medicine, but I’m no longer confident that this is much more than a waste of money. The more effective solution to worries about heart health appears to be to GET A CAT.

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