CENTRAL COOLING EFFECTS IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

1. A prospective study has been carried out, and 68 patients with hype rcholesterolaemia have been investigated to study the effects of centr al cooling on serum lipid levels. 2. Central cooling was obtained by t he exposure of the whole body to cold water. All patients were trained to gradually reduce the water temperature from 22 to 14 degrees C and to increase the ti me of exposure from 5 to 20 min over a period of 9 0 days. The 33 male and 35 female patients were aged between 40 and 60 years at entry with total cholesterol of 6.0 mmol/l or greater and lo w-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol of 4.0 mmol/l or greater. Thyr oid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxine (FT4), total T-3, total choles terol, LDL-cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)cholesterol, tri acylglycerols and total fat mass (determined by dual-energy X-ray abso rptiometry scan) were obtained at baseline and after 3 months treatmen t with hydrotherapy. 3. Central cooling obtained by hydrotherapy resul ts in a median fall in tympanic temperature from 0.2 degrees C (P < 0. 001) to 0.8 degrees C (P < 0.001). We have observed in these patients a significant reduction in total cholesterol (-0.2 mmol/l, P = 0.006) and LDL-cholesterol (-0.2 mmol/l, P = 0.004). Serum FT4 level was high er than baseline results in 30 of these hypercholesterolaemic patients (15.5 pmol/l to 17.3 pmol/l) and there was no significant change in s erum thyroid-stimulating hormone and total T3. 4. In conclusion, in ou r patients with hypercholesterolaemia we have observed a significant r eduction of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol after body temperatu re regulation.