Jr. Kaplan et al., CHOLESTEROL MEETS DARWIN - PUBLIC-HEALTH AND EVOLUTIONARY IMPLICATIONS OF THE CHOLESTEROL-SEROTONIN HYPOTHESIS, Evolutionary anthropology, 6(1), 1997, pp. 28-37
A restricted intake of saturated fat and cholesterol, health advocacy
groups suggest, is an effective and safe way to lower plasma cholester
ol concentrations and thus reduce the risk of coronary heart disease a
nd other atherosclerotic disorders. Indeed, recent treatment trials in
dicate that the newest cholesterol-lowering agents, collectively calle
d ''statins'' provide substantial protection against coronary heart di
sease. However, epidemiologic data also show a troubling and unanticip
ated association between low serum cholesterol, whether naturally occu
rring or due to treatment, and increased mortality from suicide, accid
ents, and other causes that are unrelated to illness. Other studies in
dicate that low or reduced serum cholesterol adversely affects behavio
r and mood, possibly mediating the epidemiologic association between l
ow cholesterol and violent death. These results are controversial beca
use they are at variance with current public health policy in favor of
cholesterol lowering, and because the findings have not always been r
eplicated.