Prevent Disease.com - Low 'Good' Cholesterol Predicts Death in Elderly



		Low 'Good' Cholesterol Predicts Death in Elderly Low levels of "good" cholesterol, rather than high levels of "bad" cholesterol, are associated with an increased risk of death from heart disease and stroke in people who have reached 85 years of age, according to a report published in the July 14th issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. Although high total cholesterol levels are usually tied to adverse outcomes, there is evidence that high levels are actually associated with decreased all-cause mortality in the elderly (see Reuters Health reports October 17, 1997 and August 2, 2001). However, the effect of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels on mortality in this age group is unclear. Dr. Annelies W. E. Weverling-Rijnsburger, from Leiden University in the Netherlands, and colleagues measured cholesterol levels in 561 subjects who had recently reached 85 years of age. The subjects were then followed for 4 years. During the study period, 152 subjects died and cardiovascular disease was the leading cause, the investigators note. Levels of LDL, the "bad" type of cholesterol, did not influence the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, the authors found. In contrast, low levels HDL, the "good" cholesterol increased the risk. Subjects with HDL cholesterol levels below 40 mg/dL were twice as likely to die from stroke or heart disease than were subjects with levels above 46 mg/dL. Low levels of HDL as well as LDL cholesterol more than doubled the risk of death from infection, the investigators state. High total cholesterol levels were associated with a significantly reduced risk of death from infection. In addition to indicating that that HDL cholesterol, but not LDL cholesterol, is a predictor of death in the very old, the results also suggest that the survival benefits previously seen with high total cholesterol levels may be due to protection against death from infectious disease. Although these laboratory findings are implic-pated in increased risk, rather than the direct cause of death, "it may be argued that increasing HDL cholesterol levels is more advantageous than lowering total cholesterol levels among old people," the authors conclude. SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine 2003. Reference Source 89 For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use PreventDisease.com's "Quick Prevention Resources".