Which cholesterol level is related to the lowest mortality in a populationwith low mean cholesterol level: A 6.4-year follow-up study of 482,472 Korean men
Ym. Song et al., Which cholesterol level is related to the lowest mortality in a populationwith low mean cholesterol level: A 6.4-year follow-up study of 482,472 Korean men, AM J EPIDEM, 151(8), 2000, pp. 739-747
Citations number
36
Categorie Soggetti
Envirnomentale Medicine & Public Health","Medical Research General Topics
To evaluate the relation between low cholesterol level and mortality, the a
uthors followed 482,472 Korean men aged 30-65 years from 1990 to 1996 after
a baseline health examination. The mean cholesterol level of the men was 1
89.1 mg/100 ml at the baseline measurement. There were 7,894 deaths during
the follow-up period. A low cholesterol level (<165 mg/100 ml) was associat
ed with increased risk of total mortality, even after eliminating deaths th
at occurred in the first 5 years of follow-up. The risk of death from coron
ary heart disease increased significantly in men with the highest cholester
ol level (greater than or equal to 252 mg/100 ml). There were various relat
ions between cholesterol level and cancer mortality by site. Mortality from
liver and colon cancer was significantly associated with a very low choles
terol level (<135 mg/100 ml) without any evidence of a preclinical choleste
rol-lowering effect. With lengthening follow-up, the significant relation b
etween a very low cholesterol level (<135 mg/100 ml) and mortality from sto
mach and esophageal cancer disappeared. The cholesterol level related with
the lowest mortality ranged from 211 to 251 mg/100 ml, which was higher tha
n the mean cholesterol level of study subjects.