Several interesting studies are starting to test mortality rates relating to cholesterol levels and here’s the latest I’ve seen. Published in the Journal of Epidemiology, the Jichi Medical School Cohort Study investigates the relationship between low cholesterol and mortality and examines whether that relationship differs with respect to cause of death.
12,334 healthy adults aged 40 to 69 years were studied for levels of cholesterol related to cause of death. They found that the risk of death was significantly higher for those with the lowest cholesterol levels for hemorrhagic stroke, heart failure (excluding myocardial infarction), and cancer mortality. Those with the lowest cholesterol (under 4.14mmol/L – 160mg/dL) had around a 50% higher death rate than those with cholesterol up to 5.17mmol/L – 200mg/dL. High cholesterol (above 6.21mmol/L – 240mg/dL) was not a risk factor. Read that again; High cholesterol WAS NOT a risk factor.