Here's what the befuddled study authors had to say about their result, which they most certainly didn't expect.
"We have been unable to explain our results. These data cast doubt on the scientific justification for lowering cholesterol to very low concentrations (<4·65 mmol/L) in elderly people."
The data is really clear if you have a high risk of cardiovascular disease. Patients with a heart disease history and type 2 diabetes that go on a statin are 55% less likely to die. The best resuts treating patients with a history of heart attack doubles statin use compared with the care that most people receive. The patients receiving optimal medical therapy after a heart attack are ten times as likely to be alive in 5 years.
I don't think this seeming paradox is that difficult to expalin. Lower protein intake often goes hand-in-hand with low cholesterol in frail elderly people. Reduced protein intake can lead to muscle loss, which is a hallmark of frailty. Protein is essential for building and maintaining a strong immune system, which is particularly vulnerable in older adults. Frailty is a complex state of increased vulnerability to stressors. Low cholesterol, reduced protein intake, and muscle loss contribute to this cycle of decline. Low cholesterol probably reflects poor diet and general decline. Frailty correlates very strongly with mortality. Frail, elderly people are a special population
SUPERB TEACHING. hrs, md,facc
Thanks Dr. Silverstein. It means a lot to me when you like what I am doing
Thank you again will share
Thanks Laura. That is so helpful
If "high" LDL is bad, then how come people with higher cholesterol tend to live longer than people with low cholesterol?
Check out the Honolulu Heart Study and many others, they all show the same thing.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(01)05553-2/abstract
Here's what the befuddled study authors had to say about their result, which they most certainly didn't expect.
"We have been unable to explain our results. These data cast doubt on the scientific justification for lowering cholesterol to very low concentrations (<4·65 mmol/L) in elderly people."
The data is really clear if you have a high risk of cardiovascular disease. Patients with a heart disease history and type 2 diabetes that go on a statin are 55% less likely to die. The best resuts treating patients with a history of heart attack doubles statin use compared with the care that most people receive. The patients receiving optimal medical therapy after a heart attack are ten times as likely to be alive in 5 years.
I don't think this seeming paradox is that difficult to expalin. Lower protein intake often goes hand-in-hand with low cholesterol in frail elderly people. Reduced protein intake can lead to muscle loss, which is a hallmark of frailty. Protein is essential for building and maintaining a strong immune system, which is particularly vulnerable in older adults. Frailty is a complex state of increased vulnerability to stressors. Low cholesterol, reduced protein intake, and muscle loss contribute to this cycle of decline. Low cholesterol probably reflects poor diet and general decline. Frailty correlates very strongly with mortality. Frail, elderly people are a special population