Study title and authors:
Cohort study of
serum total cholesterol and in-hospital incidence of infectious diseases.Iribarren C, Jacobs DR Jr, Sidney S, Claxton AJ, Feingold KR.
Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, Oakland, CA 94611, USA.
This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9825784
The study assessed the association between cholesterol
levels and the risk of infections (other than respiratory and HIV) requiring
hospitalisation. The study included 55,300 men and 65,271 women who were
followed for 15 years.
The infectious diseases analysed in this study were thus
classified:
o Intestinal
Infections: Salmonella, rotavirus (virus infection that can cause gastroenteritis).
o Viral
hepatitis.
o Acute
appendicitis.
o All
digestive and liver infections: Diverticulosis, abscess of the anal and rectal
region, abscess of the intestine, liver disease, gallbladder inflammation, cholangitis
(bile duct infection).
o Endocarditis (inflammation of the inner layer of the heart).
o Kidney infections.
o Urinary tract infections.
o All genito - urinary
infections: cystitis, prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis
(inflammation of the testicles).
o
Venereal diseases: Syphilis, gonorrhoea,
chlamydia, trichomoniasis (sexually transmitted infection).
o Muscle
– skeletal infections: Arthropathy
(disease of the joints), Infective myositis
(skeletal muscle infection), osteomyelitis (infection of the bone or bone
marrow), periostitis (inflammation of the periosteum, a layer of connective
tissue that surrounds bone).
o Skin and subcutaneous
tissue: Herpes, eczema, ringworm, thrush, carbuncle, boils, cellulitis (common
skin infection caused by bacteria), lymphadenitis (swollen or enlarged lymph
nodes), impetigo (bacterial skin infection), pilonidal cyst (cyst or
abscess under the skin of the buttocks), pyoderma
(skin infection that exudes pus).
o Septicaemia,
bacteraemia.
o Gangrene.
o Central
and peripheral nervous system: Meningitis, encephalitis (inflammation of the
brain), myelitis (inflammation of the spinal cord), abscess on the brain,
abscess on the spinal cord.
o Endotoxic
shock (septic shock).
o Gynaecological:
Salpingitis (infection and inflammation in the fallopian
tubes), oophoritis (inflammation of the ovaries),
pelvic
inflammatory disease (bacterial infection of the female upper genital tract,
including the womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries), cervicitis (inflammation of the uterine
cervix), vaginitis (inflammation of the vagina), bartholin cyst or abscess, (infection of the bartholin's glands which lie
next to the entrance to the vagina).
The study found for men:
(a) Men with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L
(160 mg/dL) had a 29% increased risk of been hospitalised with any infection compared
to men with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).(b) Men with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 9% increased risk of been hospitalised with intestinal infections compared to men with higher cholesterol levels between 4.14-5.15 mmol/L (160-200 mmol/L).
(c) Men with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 63% increased risk of been hospitalised with viral hepatitis compared to men with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(d) Men with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 1% increased risk of been hospitalised with acute appendicitis compared to men with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(e) Men with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 15% increased risk of been hospitalised with all digestive and liver infections compared to men with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(f) Men with lower cholesterol levels between 4.14-5.15 mmol/L (160-200 mmol/L) had a 22% increased risk of been hospitalised with endocarditis compared to men with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(g) Men with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 10% increased risk of been hospitalised with kidney infections compared to men with higher cholesterol levels between 5.16-6.19 mmol/L (200-240 mg/dL).
(h) Men with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 27% increased risk of been hospitalised with urinary tract infections compared to men with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(i) Men with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 18% increased risk of been hospitalised with all genito-urinary infections compared to men with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(j) Men with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 140% increased risk of been hospitalised with venereal diseases compared to men with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(k) Men with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 28% increased risk of been hospitalised with muscle-skeletal infections compared to men with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(l) Men with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 22% increased risk of been hospitalised with skin and subcutaneous tissue infections compared to men with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(m) Men with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 17% increased risk of been hospitalised with Septicaemia and bacteraemia compared to men with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(n) Men with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 20% increased risk of been hospitalised with gangrene compared to men with higher cholesterol levels between 5.16-6.19 mmol/L (200-240 mg/dL).
(o) Men with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 67% increased risk of been hospitalised with central and peripheral nervous system infections compared to men with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(p) Men with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 128% increased risk of been hospitalised with endotoxic shock compared to men with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
For women the study found:
(a) Women with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L
(160 mg/dL) had a 30% increased risk of been hospitalised with any infection compared
to women with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).(b) Women with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 67% increased risk of been hospitalised with intestinal infections compared to women with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(c) Women with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 51% increased risk of been hospitalised with viral hepatitis compared to women with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(d) Women with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 22% increased risk of been hospitalised with acute appendicitis compared to women with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(e) Women with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 19% increased risk of been hospitalised with all digestive and liver infections compared to women with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(f) Women with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 137% increased risk of been hospitalised with endocarditis compared to women with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(g) Women with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 9% increased risk of been hospitalised with kidney infections compared to women with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(h) Women with lower cholesterol levels between 4.14-5.15 mmol/L (160-200 mmol/L) had a 28% increased risk of been hospitalised with urinary tract infections compared to women with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(i) Women with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 33% increased risk of been hospitalised with all genito-urinary infections compared to women with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(j) Women with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 90% increased risk of been hospitalised with venereal diseases compared to women with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(k) Women with lower cholesterol levels between 5.16-6.19 mmol/L (200-239 mg/dL) had a 4% increased risk of been hospitalised with muscle and skeletal infections compared to women with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(l) Women with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 15% increased risk of been hospitalised with skin and subcutaneous tissue infections compared to women with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(m) Women with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 39% increased risk of been hospitalised with Septicaemia and bacteraemia compared to women with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(n) Women with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 93% increased risk of been hospitalised with gangrene compared to women with higher cholesterol levels between 4.14-5.15 mmol/L (160-200 mmol/L).
(o) Women with lower cholesterol levels between 5.16-6.19 mmol/L (200-239 mg/dL) had a 9% increased risk of been hospitalised with central and peripheral nervous system infections compared to women with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(p) Women with lower cholesterol levels between 5.16-6.19 mmol/L (200-239 mg/dL) had a 44% increased risk of been hospitalised with endotoxic shock compared to women with higher cholesterol levels over 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL).
(q) Women with lower cholesterol levels below 4.14 mmol/L (160 mg/dL) had a 2% increased risk of been hospitalised with gynaecological infections compared to women with higher cholesterol levels between 5.16-6.19 mmol/L (200-240 mg/dL).
The results of this study show that low cholesterol
levels are associated with higher rates of many infectious diseases.
