14 ms·

Current recommended 'healthy' level is below 200, while it looks like the study found 200-240 is the best range. Is this accurate? Should people that have under

Current recommended 'healthy' level is below 200, while it looks like the study found 200-240 is the best range. Is this accurate? Should people that have under 200 get it up to the 200-240 range? Or does it depend on family history of heart disease? https://medlineplus.gov/cholesterollevelswhatyouneedtoknow.html https://medlineplus.gov/cholesterollevelswhatyouneedtoknow.h...

new299 7y ago
In fact it looks like below 200 mortality increased? And it was worse to have low cholesterol than high in most cases... very odd.
- azeotropic 7y ago
  Animals need cholesterol for their cell membranes; particularly for neurons. It's a precursor for Vitamin D, testosterone, and estrogen and is needed in the blood to help transport fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). It doesn't seem at all strange that there should be an optimum level that is non-zero.
- chiefalchemist 7y ago
  Odd? Odd because we've been taught what are amounting to myths[1] about cholesterol. Afaik, humans - especially the human brain - need a healthy supply of cholesterol. You literally can't think straight without it. And how many people are being pumped with statins? [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/well/eat/how-the-sugar-industry-shifted-blame-to-fat.html https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/well/eat/how-the-sugar-in...
- carbocation 7y ago
  When you do your study without accounting for treatments that are given to people with high risk of disease and which reduce cholesterol, you will find that lower cholesterol corresponds with disease due to those treatments. In other words, they have performed a large study that is likely to be confounded by indication.
- scns 7y ago
  People brought into mental hospitals after trying to commit suicide have been diagnosed with very low cholesterol levels. The body sythesizes sexual hormones from cholesterol.
- dhimes 7y ago
  I remember back in the 1980s that the Japanese researchers, whose population has (had?) very low cholesterol, were arguing with the US researchers, saying that cholesterol too low was bad as it led to (perhaps allowed for) strokes- which was one of their young-people-killers.
- mathgeek 7y ago
  Like most things which your body needs (or produces from other materials), moderation is likely better than an outright deficit or abstinence.
baxtr 7y ago
I read it as: 200 is the lowest point of the U curve they found. Below 200 mortality decreases as TC increases, and above 200 mortality increases as TC increases, meaning anything close to TC seems to be the value with the lowest mortality rate. > U-curve associations were found. In the TC ranges of 50–199 and 200–449 mg/dL, each 39 mg/dL (1 mmol/L) increase in TC was associated with 23% lower (95% CI:23%,24%) and 7% higher (6%,7%) mortality, respectively. In the age groups of 18–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64, 65–74, and 75–99 years, each 1 mmol/L higher TC increased mortality by 14%, 13%, 8%, 7%, 6%, and 3%, respectively (P < 0.001 for each age group), for TC ≥ 200 mg/dL, while the corresponding TC changes decreased mortality by 13%, 27%, 34%, 31%, 20%, and 13%, respectively, in the range < 200 mg/dL (P < 0.001 for each age group).
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
tim333 7y ago
Cholesterol research is a mess of unproven cause and effect and conflicting results. I'd try to live a healthy life and not worry too much about it.
- ses1984 7y ago
  What does healthy even mean?
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - chiefalchemist 7y ago
    Exercise. Avoid sugar. Lean towards nutrient dense foods (i.e., not too many simple carbs). Low / no alcohol. Etc.
  - makeszerosense3 7y ago
    Organic, ripe, in season fruits and veggies. Raw as much as possible. No animals foods of any kind.
    - Broken_Hippo 7y ago
      This is certainly not correct. One does not need to eat organic foods to be healthy. I'll add that not everyone has in season fruits around. I live in Norway. Do you know what is in season during January in Norway? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Doubly so if you aren't eating animal products. I'll add that avoiding all animal products has its own perils, namely the sort that results in vitamin deficiencies. And while a diet filled with whole grains and mostly plant-based foods is considered healthy, we simply don't know enough about nutrition to have one way or another. Or even to get vitamin doses right. I say all this while eating mostly vegetarian myself. I eat fish about once a week. I don't like it so much, but it is healthy.
    - vbtemp 7y ago
      Username checks out

new299 7y ago

In fact it looks like below 200 mortality increased? And it was worse to have low cholesterol than high in most cases... very odd.

azeotropic 7y ago
Animals need cholesterol for their cell membranes; particularly for neurons. It's a precursor for Vitamin D, testosterone, and estrogen and is needed in the blood to help transport fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). It doesn't seem at all strange that there should be an optimum level that is non-zero.
chiefalchemist 7y ago
Odd? Odd because we've been taught what are amounting to myths[1] about cholesterol. Afaik, humans - especially the human brain - need a healthy supply of cholesterol. You literally can't think straight without it. And how many people are being pumped with statins? [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/well/eat/how-the-sugar-industry-shifted-blame-to-fat.html https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/well/eat/how-the-sugar-in...
carbocation 7y ago
When you do your study without accounting for treatments that are given to people with high risk of disease and which reduce cholesterol, you will find that lower cholesterol corresponds with disease due to those treatments. In other words, they have performed a large study that is likely to be confounded by indication.
scns 7y ago
People brought into mental hospitals after trying to commit suicide have been diagnosed with very low cholesterol levels. The body sythesizes sexual hormones from cholesterol.
dhimes 7y ago
I remember back in the 1980s that the Japanese researchers, whose population has (had?) very low cholesterol, were arguing with the US researchers, saying that cholesterol too low was bad as it led to (perhaps allowed for) strokes- which was one of their young-people-killers.
mathgeek 7y ago
Like most things which your body needs (or produces from other materials), moderation is likely better than an outright deficit or abstinence.

baxtr 7y ago

I read it as: 200 is the lowest point of the U curve they found. Below 200 mortality decreases as TC increases, and above 200 mortality increases as TC increases, meaning anything close to TC seems to be the value with the lowest mortality rate. > U-curve associations were found. In the TC ranges of 50–199 and 200–449 mg/dL, each 39 mg/dL (1 mmol/L) increase in TC was associated with 23% lower (95% CI:23%,24%) and 7% higher (6%,7%) mortality, respectively. In the age groups of 18–34, 35–44, 45–54, 55–64, 65–74, and 75–99 years, each 1 mmol/L higher TC increased mortality by 14%, 13%, 8%, 7%, 6%, and 3%, respectively (P < 0.001 for each age group), for TC ≥ 200 mg/dL, while the corresponding TC changes decreased mortality by 13%, 27%, 34%, 31%, 20%, and 13%, respectively, in the range < 200 mg/dL (P < 0.001 for each age group).

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

tim333 7y ago

Cholesterol research is a mess of unproven cause and effect and conflicting results. I'd try to live a healthy life and not worry too much about it.

ses1984 7y ago
What does healthy even mean?
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- chiefalchemist 7y ago
  Exercise. Avoid sugar. Lean towards nutrient dense foods (i.e., not too many simple carbs). Low / no alcohol. Etc.
- makeszerosense3 7y ago
  Organic, ripe, in season fruits and veggies. Raw as much as possible. No animals foods of any kind.
  - Broken_Hippo 7y ago
    This is certainly not correct. One does not need to eat organic foods to be healthy. I'll add that not everyone has in season fruits around. I live in Norway. Do you know what is in season during January in Norway? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Doubly so if you aren't eating animal products. I'll add that avoiding all animal products has its own perils, namely the sort that results in vitamin deficiencies. And while a diet filled with whole grains and mostly plant-based foods is considered healthy, we simply don't know enough about nutrition to have one way or another. Or even to get vitamin doses right. I say all this while eating mostly vegetarian myself. I eat fish about once a week. I don't like it so much, but it is healthy.
  - vbtemp 7y ago
    Username checks out