Skip to main content

Cholesterol - lower is not necessarily better

Just a quick post to follow on from Saturday's, and continuing the cholesterol theme....

Dr John Briffa's blog popped up in my google reader today, with a posting titled "When it comes to cholesterol, is lower really better?" He draws attention to:

a study in the journal Neurobiology of Aging in which Dutch researchers assessed the relationship between cholesterol levels and mental function in about 1200 individuals aged 65 or older. The participants in the study were assessed over a 6-year period. Lower cholesterol levels in this group were associated with a reduction in both general cognition and information processing speed. The authors of this study concluded that their results indicate that: “…lower total cholesterol may be considered as a frailty marker, predictive of lower cognitive functioning in elderly.”


Barry Groves has a similar article which notes several things that scientific studies have shown to be dangerous about low levels of cholesterol, including:

- an association between low blood cholesterol and cancer;

- low cholesterol means more strokes;

- an association with Alzheimer's Disease; and

- increases in suicide and aggressive behaviour.

.....pass the butter! (that is assuming of course that eating cholesterol leads to high levels in the blood.....which is not necessarily the case!)
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
These links between low cholesterol and health problems are correlations, not causation. It is most likely that a third factor is causing both the low cholesterol and the health problem. You can't conclude from this research that lowering your cholesterol would somehow cause these health problems.
October 13, 2007 at 5:27 PM
Chris said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
October 13, 2007 at 5:34 PM
Chris said…
by the same argument, you cannot argue that high cholesterol is a problem either. there may eqaully be another factor causing both the high cholesterol and the health problem.

have a look at

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/?p=968

however with all the role that cholesterol plays in brain health I think that there may be a link here

http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Memory-And-Cholesterol.html
October 14, 2007 at 2:03 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dry January

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was taking part in "Dry January".  I didn't make a big song and dance about it, but I decided to go for a calendar month or so with no alcohol.  A few people have asked me about my experience, so here are a few points. Why take a break from drinking? Alcohol is an interesting topic.  As a drug it is widely accepted in society, central to so much of our socialising and leisure.  There seem to be lots of health benefits - so we are told - yet there are also a lot of problems in terms of health, relationships and lifestyle that come from drinking. Over a few years I'd begun to become aware and then concerned that I was drinking too much and too regularly.  I am in a busy and stressful job and sometimes a glass of wine after work to relax is really helpful.  But over time, one glass became two.  Two glasses became ....I might as well finish the bottle.  A habit got established....and was starting to get too e...
7 comments
Read more

So where have I been?

You will have noticed that this blog has been quiet for a while....  There are a few reasons for that, reasons that I thought I'd list here: WORK -  my day job has been incredibly busy and stressful this year. Working 10-14 hour days the last thing on my mind when I got home was putting something on here.  FACEBOOK/TWITTER - I suppose I've been using other channels to do some of what I used to do here. Quick fire posts pointing to interesting studies or news etc tend to get posted to Twitter (@chrishighcock) or to the Facebook Hillfit group http://www.facebook.com/groups/263083947097000/  REASSESSMENT - I've found myself less comfortable with some of the positions I've taken in the past. Sometimes I'm embarrassed by some of the things I've promoted. I'm not Paleo or low carb. I think Tabata and intervals are misunderstood and misapplied. I cannot really claim to be HIT.   I find myselfunable  honestly to post things on here and pretend that I am some sort o...
12 comments
Read more

Taking up space for a brief update

I've a couple of posts in draft that I will get up soon -  an update / reflection on Dry January and some thoughts on the scheduling benefits of short workouts if your life is busy.  Before that though, I am pointing to something else. However, I wanted to highlight something that is coming this weekend that I've been involved in.   Amber Rogers (Gokaleo and author of Taking Up Space ) has been pulling together a bundle of books from various authors with a common theme, one that I've been pushing here recently.   Keep it simple, avoid the hype, be patient, be consistent and flee the gurus.   I've talked before about how we get obsessed with pushing for more and more, when enough is OK.  I've given my view that so much of the health and fitness internet world is more like a gnostic religion than something that will benefit your life. There are other voices out there saying similar things and I'll be pointing to a bundle of books later this week ...
1 comment
Read more