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Question & Answer

Is cholesterol a good predictor of heart disease?

Researchers in Japan examined all of the studies that claimed a relationship of cholesterol to life expectancy. They excluded all studies done before 1995 and any that had fewer than 500 subjects. Nine studies met the criteria, but four had incomplete data. They analyzed the remaining five studies, which together involved more than 150,000 people followed for about five years. The researchers placed everyone in one of four groups depending on their cholesterol levels:
Less than 160 mg/dL
160-199 mg/dL
200-239 mg/dL
Higher than 240 mg/dL

The same groups created by the American Heart Association

Which group do you think would have the worst possible outcome?

In scientific terms, the risk from dying from any cause whatsoever was highest in the group with the lowest cholesterol, and get this, the group with the highest cholesterol had the lowest risk of dying. That is the total opposite of what we’ve been told.