Study title and authors:
Morbidity and mortality in rural community-dwelling elderly with low total serum cholesterol.
Ives DG, Bonino P, Traven ND, Kuller LH.
Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh.
This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=8482813
The objective of this two year study was to examine the association of cholesterol levels with death rates in the elderly. The study included 3,874 participants aged 65 to 79. Those with cholesterol levels of less than 150 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/l) were compared with those with cholesterol levels between 200-240 mg/dL (5.1-6.2 mmol/l).
After two years the study found that 12.8% of those with low cholesterol had died, whereas only 7.3% of those with the higher cholesterol had died.
The results of this study indicate that higher cholesterol levels lead to a longer life.
Links to other studies:
Low cholesterol associated with poor health and increased stroke and heart disease
Declining cholesterol rates in people over 65 are associated with a 630% increase in death rates
Older men with lower cholesterol have a 54% higher death rate
