Cholesterol and aggression

Best known for its etiological influence in the cardiovascular disease proc ess, serum cholesterol also plays a role in numerous psychological processe s, including affect, cognition, and overt behavior. Prominently, it is rela ted to aggression in humans and other primates. Lipid studies of violent of fenders, primary prevention trials of cholesterol reduction, and experiment al dietary manipulations in nonhuman primates all point to a significant ne gative association between cholesterol and physical aggression. By contrast , a positive though inconsistent association between serum cholesterol elev ations and verbal aggression (e.g, hostility) has been reported in many stu dies and often ascribed to a neurophysiological response to acute or chroni c stress. We review the numerous studies that have examined the link betwee n serum cholesterol, verbal and physical aggression, and integrate current findings. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.