Cholesterol reduction: weighing the benefits and risks
- PMID: 8610922
- DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-124-10-199605150-00009
Cholesterol reduction: weighing the benefits and risks
Abstract
The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends reducing total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels to decrease the risk for coronary heart disease. The available evidence clearly indicates that higher cholesterol levels increase the risk for coronary heart disease and that cholesterol reduction results in corresponding decreases in risk. In contrast, existing data do not strongly support the idea that cholesterol reduction causes increases in any specific nonvascular cause of death. The outcomes of ongoing, large-scale trials will enable existing guidelines to be refined. However, current recommendations, which encourage nonpharmacologic interventions for about 30% of U.S. adults and cholesterol-reducing drugs for about 7% of U.S. adults, seem both justified and warranted.
Comment in
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Cholesterol reduction, heart disease, and mortality.Ann Intern Med. 1997 Apr 15;126(8):661. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-126-8-199704150-00017. Ann Intern Med. 1997. PMID: 9103139 No abstract available.
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