Low Cholesterol May Raise Risk of Death in Elderly

Fri, Aug 03, 2001

By Suzanne Rostler

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Elderly people with very low cholesterol levels may be at increased risk of death, according to results of a new study.

The findings seem to contradict recommendations to maintain low blood levels of cholesterol to decrease the risk of heart disease. However, those recommendations are based on studies in people under 65 and may have less relevance to older people, write the authors of the study in the August 4th issue of The Lancet.

Dr. Irwin Schatz, of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and colleagues measured blood cholesterol levels of more than 3,500 Japanese-American men aged 71-93 years and compared readings taken from the same group of men 20 years earlier. The study volunteers were divided in to four groups according to their cholesterol levels.

Compared with men with the lowest cholesterol levels (2.09-4.32 mmol/L, or approximately 81-167 mg/dl), those with the highest levels (5.44-9.88 mmol/L, or approximately 210-382 mg/dl) were 35% less likely to die of all causes. Those men in the group with the lowest cholesterol at both points were significantly more likely to die than others, report researchers.

In an interview with Reuters Health, Schatz said it is not clear why very low cholesterol levels would be associated with an increased risk of death, and that a properly designed study of the causes would be needed.

"In the meantime, prudence dictates that we be less aggressive in lowering cholesterol in the elderly," he said.

Further, it is not clear whether low cholesterol achieved and maintained naturally has a different effect than low cholesterol achieved through medication.SOURCE: The Lancet 2001;358:351-355.
http://news.excite.com/news/r/010803/17/health-low