Study title and authors:
Lowering cholesterol concentrations and mortality: a quantitative review of primary prevention
trials.
Muldoon MF, Manuck SB, Matthews KA.
Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15260.
This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2144195
This study was an analysis of six trials, average duration 4.8 years, of the consequences of cholesterol reduction by diet or drugs. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of lowering cholesterol concentrations on total and cause specific mortality. The analysis included 4,847 Male participants, average age 47.5 years, who were studied for 119,000 person years.
The study found:
(a) Those who were subject to cholesterol reduction had a 7% increased risk of death compared to those who did not undergo cholesterol reduction.
(b) Those who were subject to cholesterol reduction had a 15% decreased risk of death from heart disease compared to those who did not undergo cholesterol reduction.
(c) Those who were subject to cholesterol reduction had a 43% increased risk of death from cancer compared to those who did not undergo cholesterol reduction.
(d) Those who were subject to cholesterol reduction had a 76% increased risk of death from accidents, violence, trauma and suicide compared to those who did not undergo cholesterol reduction.
Muldoon concluded: "An explanation for the increased rate of suicide and accidental or violent death.. reflects a direct relation between reduction of serum cholesterol concentration and increased suicide and accidental or violent death. There is some experimental evidence that modifying the fat in the diet has both neurochemical and behavioural consequences".
