According to several studies, high levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in middle-aged men. But in older patients similar findings have not been so consistent. Curb and associates studied the relationship between cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease in older men.
According to several studies, high levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in middle-aged men. But in older patients similar findings have not been so consistent. Curb and associates studied the relationship between cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease in older men.
The long-term research included healthy Japanese-American men aged 45 to 68. Men with a history of CHD or using lipid-lowering drugs were excluded. The researchers paid attention to baseline risk factors, such as body mass index, hypertension, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglyceride levels, smoking history, and diabetes. The apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype was identified through blood tests.
Within 6-year research, 145 of the 2,424 participants had encountered a coronary event. Men with total cholesterol levels between 200 and 219 mg per dL (5.20 to 5.65 mmol per L), and LDL cholesterol levels between 120 to 129 mg per dL (3.10 to 3.30 mmol per L) had the fewest occurrences of CHD. However, the risk rose in participants whose cholesterol concentrations decreased and increased beyond these ranges, creating a U-shaped curve. The results remained stable even after adjusting for age and baseline risk factors. The ApoE genotype hadn’t expressed any considerable impact on CHD risk.
The investigators conclude that the research revealed a nonlinear relationship between cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease in older men. The reason for such relationship is not clear, however, the researchers claim that low total cholesterol levels may be a marker for frailty and other age-related diseases. According to the authors, due to the fact that trials have revealed that older men benefit from lipid-lowering treatments, doctors treat elevated cholesterol in the older patients. They also claim that further studies are absolutely necessary to find out the benefit of excessively reducing older patients’ cholesterol levels.
